December 2013 Fastrack

[Andy Bettencourt]

Lemme try! Before Greg gives us the real info:

Stephen - yes on your two comments. Greg asked for the Renisis to be removed, and the committee decided that they would just handicap it instead of that. Lower weight but I am assuming an educated guess on how much power they took away.

The addition of the Type R engine includes a weight penalty assuming because the cam spec is outside the rule-set? Interesting.

Chuck - your fully IT compliant car can run in STL provided it meets the engine size requirements (non ITR) no matter what rule is or isn't specifically compliant in STL. It just has to be 100% IT with no mixing and matching or rule-sets.

On edit: I wouldn't put a dime into an RX8 for STL right now. There is committee issue with the motor design, and RWD adders keep on rising. A good plan would be to run one in ITR for a couple more years and see what happens...but just like in ALL National classes, you win the runoffs, expect a lead trophy (or RP or...).

[mossaidis]

[Greg Amy]

Odd...I posted a reply earlier and it's gone...

Greg asked for the Renisis to be removed, and the committee decided that they would just handicap it instead of that. Lower weight but I am assuming an educated guess on how much power they took away.

Concur, mostly. However, the CRB chose to plate the RX-8 (no personal idea on its effects) to be able to remove the 100# from it, since we were adding more weight for RWD and it was getting quite piggy (half a ton heavier than the 1.6L CRX).

Stephen, there are still hurdles to running your ITR RX-8 in STL, primarily brakes too large (front and rear), wheels too large (17x7 max), and tires too large (225 section width max). The transition between ITR and STL is not easy for the RX-8, nor is it intended to be.

The addition of the Type R engine includes a weight penalty assuming because the cam spec is outside the rule-set?

B18C5 still has to meet all STL specs, including max valve lift. The 2% was to accommodate that its prepped output will exceed STL expectations (same reason for the plates for the K20 and MZR). If it exceeds it even with the extra 2%, it also risks a plate (I will likely be building and dyno'ing one for 2014, given I sold my B17A1 at the Runoffs).

...just like in ALL National classes, you win the runoffs, expect a lead trophy (or RP or...).

A bit of a generalized mis-characterization, as the CRB does not knee-jerk lead-trophy Runoffs winners. However, if you lead the Runoffs by half a minute in the only car of your kind in the class, two years in a row with two different drivers, you certainly expect additional scrutiny... - GA