The Current State of Improved Touring

[JeffYoung]

I am (slowly) working on the "declining entries" perception, which appears to be that. Since 2010, entries appear to have been slightly up across the country and up dramatically at some individual tracks.

The perception of "IT is dying" appears to be the result of three things:

1. Actual, real declining entries at some tracks, and in particular in the Atlanta Region and with the ARRC.

2. The vocal presence of Atlanta Region members on internet forums.

3. The switching of some competitors to STL.

Hope to get these numbers over to Ron sometime in the next week, but the gist of it seems to be this:

ITS and ITA remain the non-spec classes with the highest participation nationwide, after SRF and SM.

ITS participation in the SEDiv and NEDiv remains strong, and decent in the DC Region. Struggling elsewhere. ITA is strong in Florida and the NEDiv, and reasonably strong elsewhere primarily due to SM double dipping (with triple dipping in STL driving STL numbers).

IT participation took a hit after 2008, but so too did all club racing classes. IT has rebounded and, relative to other classes, retains its popularity despite STL, etc.

[seckerich]

Saved me a post Jeff, I was just getting all those numbers together. IT is strong compared to most classes and many new cars are being built, old cars put in new owners hands, and many drivers getting enough money together to race again after some very tough years on the home front.

Common sense changes like the washer bottle and letting drivers fix a real wiring harness are good change, just keep the core items left alone.

We will lose some drivers in the next year or 2 with runoffs coming to Daytona, but it will level out.

[JeffYoung]

Totally agree.

The numbers are very interesting. The area that has taken the biggest hit in terms of IT participation is Atlanta, by a LONG shot.

I think that, and the declining numbers at the ARRC, drive the perception that IT car counts are down. They aren't. Big, stable fields at Sebring and Daytona. Actually increasing at VIR and CMP. CMS up and down a bit. In our area, only Roebling is down some. Lime Rock steady. Pocono steady. NHIS steady. DC Region down some but the highs there were really high, and the numbers still strong.

I think the Atlanta folks are more visible and "louder" (I mean that in a good way), so declining entries at the ARRC is perceived as declining participation in IT when in fact that is not the case.

[seckerich]

Atlanta IT has not recovered from the mass defection of drivers and shops to SM. Add to that the tender, forgiving nature of the walls at Road Atlanta and it is hard to see why.

[Xian]

Steve makes a great point about SM... any idea how much/many of the ITA entries are double dipped out of SM? I'm guessing that would be just about impossible to figure out barring a ton of extra entrant info and parsing.

[JeffYoung]

For stuff on mylaps, I can't get it. FOr stuff at VIR and other places where I can get actual pdfs of results sheets, I can get car makes.

Even in ITS, SM double dipping helps fill the field. 3 double dipped SMs in last October's VIR ITS race with a 15 car field.

My guess is the numbers with ITA are similar or even more SMs.

But they are still IT entries and what I've found is that double dipped cars are usually guys trying IT because they are tired of something in SM and looking to come over.

[Knestis]

A fair point about perceptions. I'm guilty of using the ARRC as a bellwether.

It's no question that ITA is benefiting from some SM crossover, just as STL does. Jeff's right that it's not possible to tell "spec" from entry lists but the ITNT results show A numbers profit from the presence of a lot of Miatae.

http://itnationaltour.com/images/dow...itntpoints.pdf

K

EDIT - and +1 on the idea that those crossover SMs can honestly be counted as "IT cars." In some ways, I'll bet a lot of those cars are a throwback to the Old School, low-tech IT ideal that some folks really like.

[jjjanos]

I think the Atlanta folks are more visible and "louder" (I mean that in a good way), so declining entries at the ARRC is perceived as declining participation in IT when in fact that is not the case.

Did the ARRC entries take a drop when the August event at Mid-O started?.....