Originally posted by Geo:
I personally don't see the safety issue with leaving the battery where it is, and can see potential safety issues with moving it.
George,

You didn't have your car catch on fire and have battery acid spewed all over when it got crushed on your car did you? - I did. All this blather about constantly replacing belts and nets, and helmets etc, but a 50lb acid missile off the front fender is not a safety hazard?

I have no animosity about it, and SCCA currently provides the closest to what I like about modifying cars and the racing environment, so thats why I'm here. Believe it or not, I also think due to the hard work of you all and many others that IT just keeps getting better (removal of headliner and passenger seats amongst some of the changes I like).

I may be in the minority, but I enjoy the machine probably more than the racing. I want it to be as fast as possible. I find it annoying however that my street rides are modified well beyond my race car, and so are most kids cars these days...

Anyhow, I know everybody wants the class to be what they want, and we all won't be happy, but my goals are simple:

> I want the FASTEST car possible as CHEAPLY as possible, easy to maintain and with the most competetive racing. To this end, I want:
- Remove all non-racing parts if you want - horn, windshield wiper bottle, any wiring you don't want, any interior you don't want etc (bodywork rules as is though).
- Keep the suspension mods/wheels/tires as is - you can have lots of fun where things are now (I wouldn't have allowed coil-overs, but either way I'll pay and play in that arena)
- Keep the engine mods as is (I wouldn't have allowed any ecu mods, but its not like I have any say)
- Allow relocation of battery (already said my piece here)
- Keep cage about the same, but let there be more tubes, including thorugh the firewall. I wouldn't change mine, but if people want more safety and rigidity for a weight penalty, by all means
- Use restrictors (not weight), and balance cars.
I think it sucks that SCCA just provides a place to race your one-eyed orphan with little adjustment. If the SCCA will class it, they should find a way that people can play on a level playing field. Many other orgaizations have found a way, and looking at what the roundy-round guys do should give some tips - somebody is too fast? allow manditory trading of ecus if somebody requests - no incentive to cheat then..

Thats about it. Nothing really radical, and since everybody is having their say, no harm in having mine. I have spent 12years in IT/A, so feel I have some relavance to the game.

I do think there are probably enough classes though. Its hard enough for regions to put on all these sessions as it is, but there has got to be a way to keep it fun for folks.

Those who say any change will lead to IT becomming practically FA or something (a lot of people here) - I can only say that time marches on and change is gonna happen. Also, this line of reasoning is a logical fallacy called 'Non Causa Pro Causa' see here for more: http://www.fallacyfiles.org/noncause.html

However it falls, as long as its still fun I'll keep coming back.

Cheers,

Dave.