New England Region IT EZ

[JLawton]

Dick, I appreciate all the effort you have put into this. Fortunately I know you have a thick skin and wont take all of this personally..........

[georgethefierce]

i give up.

:026:

[mossaidis]

teehee

[gran racing]

It's certainly not up to Dick but I do agree it'll need som exposure if anything is going to come from it. This is what I was planning on posting on my site with a couple of pictures of cars that would fit. Only part I wasn't sure about is the section related to the brakes and suspension where it listed ChumpCar and not Lemons. I added Lemons in it. Maybe that's not correct but whatever.

Title: New SCCA Race Class with Minimal Cost and Preparation

Improved Touring – EZ

The purpose of IT‐EZ is to be an SCCA regional class where car preparation can be kept to a minimum. Cars that are built using ChumpCar or Lemons rules are welcome. As opposed to any other class of SCCA road racing, IT‐EZ competition is designed as a “fun run” class, without any promise or intent of performance equitability. IT‐EZ is designed to provide a way for drivers to earn an SCCA racing license and race in regional competition, with the absolute lowest cost vehicle. In no way will any waivers be considered or granted in areas regarding safety of the vehicle or driver.

IT‐EZ vehicles may race with prior accident damage, as long as that prior damage does not create a danger to the driver of that vehicle or fellow competitors.

Non‐functional additions to vehicles, whose primary purpose is to express a creativity theme, are allowed only if do not create a potential safety hazard to the driver or fellow competitors.

IT‐EZ Eligible Vehicles

Must be a “mass produced” gas or diesel powered, four wheel passenger car.

Minimum weight of 1,800 pounds and a maximum weight of 4,000 pounds and a production‐based engine.

Tires must conform to applicable Improved Touring rules, i.e., must be DOT rated tires, and sizes must be consistent with allowable dimensions per the GCR. 190 wear‐dated street tires are not mandated, but they may be used if the racer prefers.

Preparation regarding brakes, suspension, and engine must meet SCCA Improved Touring, ChumpCar, or Lemons rules.

Currently this is being introduced in SCCA’s New England Region, but several other regions are also moving forward with this or similar initiatives. If you are interested in seeing this done in regions where you want to race, please contact the Regional Executive and Race Chair / Competition Director of your SCCA region. To find your region, click here. http://www.scca.com/about/?cid=44433

Add link to the Improved Touring Rules
Include links to ChumpCar and Lemons rules?

[Flyinglizard]

Dave, The TW is 180 not 190. makes a big difference.

How many of you have actually raced or seen a Chumpemons event?

While you guys are laughing;
Some other considerations for success; We could use a "welcome committee " Maybe the RE, maybe a few of the IT pole sitters. to walk around and say hi to the new guys or out of region guys. give a few track pointers etc, bleed the brakes whatever.
A large part of the SCCA problem is attitude. We should do our best to improve the perception, and make new guys feel truly welcome. All of us could be a part of this.

Chumpemons also flourishes in large part do to track timeand lack of sit around time.. It would be wise to listen to the racers and get a feel for splitting the groups into one day each.

[gran racing]

Dave, The TW is 180 not 190. makes a big difference.

I didn't write it and since tires are totally open, it really doesn't matter anyways.

I've raced with Chump at Nelson. I believe that wasn't a good representation of how their events typically go. BIGGEST crash fest I've ever seen. They even stopped it mid day to have a meeting to get drivers in shape.

[dickita15]

This is what I was planning on posting on my site with a couple of pictures of cars that would fit. Only part I wasn't sure about is the section related to the brakes and suspension where it listed ChumpCar and not Lemons. I added Lemons in it. Maybe that's not correct but whatever.

Thank you Dave, you certainly have my blessing.

[gran racing]

Just posted it in the featured articles section of the Go Ahead - Take the Wheel site linked here.

I'd love to see this grow well beyond the New England Region and few other regions that are doing something similar. Only way to do that is to make people aware it exists.

If you have a Facebook account, take a minute to go to that article and share it with your friends. Post a link to it on forums. (I don't get paid per visitor or anything like that. I do want to get more people involved in SCCA racing though.) I also linked people back to this forum to dicuss it further.

Mike - just for you, I even changed the tire wear rating to 180.

Here's the URL for the link: http://goaheadtakethewheel.com/rwrt/...d-preparation/

[georgethefierce]

took all of about 30 seconds before potential candidates commented on the book of faces....let's hope this pays off

[gran racing]

Nice!!!

[jumbojimbo]

First question I got asked: What dates are the races? I don't seem to be able to answer that.

[mossaidis]

I reposted to Mohud SCCA FB site, SCCA members FB site, Patroon BMWCCA and NARRC FB sites. Thank you both.

[dickita15]

First question I got asked: What dates are the races? I don't seem to be able to answer that.

NER SCCA 2014 Race Schedule

May 23, 24,&25 NHMS NERRC Triple
23rd is a NER test day and driver's school

June 20&21 Lime Rock Park NARRC/NERRC double

July 11, 12 &13 Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park NERRC double
11th is a NER test day

August 9 & 10 NHMS “ Race Against Leukemia” NERRC Triple
Club Race Experience

September 6 & 7 NHMS NERRC triple

October 3, 4 & 5 Thompson NERRC Triple
3rd is a NER test day

[ner88]

I give up.

LOL

[vicktorvolpe]

getting folks into racing is good.

I hate to sound like a willie nillie but one safety concern.....the roll cage in my spec miata (that I run in SM2 as well) was designed by rules to be hit by other spec miatas. I actually went with .120 thick in case I got hit by a BMW in a NASA race.

What happens if I get hit by a 3500 lb smokey and the bandit camaro?

Also Limerock could get to be a very busy place in what will be a very "mixed class" scenario. Not quite as extreme as how ALMS ran there, but pretty busy. Brings a whole new level of strategy to trying to lap/pass people in the downhill.

It's definitely going to be a "learn as we go" process, but one of the nice things about this is I have no doubt people like Dick or Greg will change the rules/cars in run groups on the fly to make sure things are better for all involved.

[Flyinglizard]

Most F bods are under 3000# RTR.
The big cars wont show up. The IT style cars may.
The EX 1.6 SM cars may.
The car to car interaction has been surprising low damage. I think that the higher closing speeds reduces the hard car to car racing and gives more room to avoid stopped cars. The harder tires also helps the spinners to slip further offline.
All of the cages MOL have done a good job.
The distance from driver to cage bars is the biggest safety margin. Any Miata cage with 3 door bars into the door panel and sil plates will be fine IMHO.
The door opening is small , the bars are short, plenty of lateral crush value IMHO. Use the good padding on the tubes.

FWIW; Cages; Here is our crush box pic;http://www.ogren-engineering.com/pat...nventions.html
MM

[slopok]

Dick it's all about the track time that you don't get in scca compared with these other series. Lime Rock has an event this year that will be 8hrs long. How do you get that at Lime Rock with scca and all the classes ? What is the scca expierence that everyone is talking about ? sitting , waiting for your 15 min session to happen and then race for 20 min. How do you sell the lack of track to to these people ?

[Knestis]

This proposal isn't trying to address that need. There's been interest expressed by folks wanting to sprint race their LeMons/Chump cars; NER is trying to find a way to help that happen.

K

[georgethefierce]

Dick it's all about the track time that you don't get in scca compared with these other series. Lime Rock has an event this year that will be 8hrs long. How do you get that at Lime Rock with scca and all the classes ? What is the scca expierence that everyone is talking about ? sitting , waiting for your 15 min session to happen and then race for 20 min. How do you sell the lack of track to to these people ?

I would rather "race" for 20 minutes than dodge traffic for a 2 hour stint..

[Knestis]

LOL - If you haven't tried the latter, you should. It's NOT "real racing" but it can be a hell of a lot of fun.

K