IT should really think about welcoming Older SM's....... Without a new class..

[Matt Rowe]

Not to be picky but looking at engine pulls to extrapolate power steering pump loss numbers appears to be the wrong approach. You would be better off trying to get drag loss numbers on the pumps themselves. Data from way back in the day is probably limited but I would be shocked if engine manufacturers today don't carefully spec that requirement and require the suppliers to provide it. I suspect someone either on this forum or from the CRB has connections in the auto industry.

[Knestis]

Since I'm a splitter, so apparently no longer allowed to have opinions about IT rules in particular, I'll speak in the abstract...

If the point were "participation" or "just getting out there," the solution is in the catch-all kinds of classes that already exist, for which an SM - or any number of other cars - are already eligible, but will potentially be woefully off the pace of a really fast example of the class. Or we could have an entire group and call it "open passing HPDE 4" or some such.

Point being, that's NOT the point.

The underlying desire is to be able to RACE, to compete, but to do so conveniently with the same car already run in another class, without spending any additional money to make it fit the existing rules. It's very dangerous to let folks who are looking to compete but are playing the secret-really-wanna-race game into a category by falling for that charade. That camel will get its nose under the tent and start asking for more allowances in no time flat. Or, if the people who are currently lobbying for that option really DO just want to be there, there is nothing to keep the guy who shows up in a couple of years from pushing it.

And conflating conversation about whether a particular new allowance is a good idea for a RACING category with discussion of including cars built to a different ruleset on some basis of PARTICIPAING...? A terrible idea. If New Rule X might a good idea, it should be considered all on its own. If the crossover allowance might be useful, it should be considered separately. I tend to think the latter is never a good idea but at least untangle them so you don't potentially have policy aims at cross purposes.

K

EDIT - OR maybe STL cars should be allowed to run in ITS. It would increase participation.

[JeffYoung]

Or maybe let existing ITS cars (ALL of them) run in STL....lol.

[Wreckerboy]

... or all of those "ancient" 1.6 SM cars could come and run SSM with WDCR. We "only" had 30+ cars last weekend and 43 at MARRS 1 earlier this year. Jus' sayin'...