Jeff, perhaps you are too close to the situation to realize the inherent contradictions in much of what you are saying. You "think it is the PERCEPTION that you have to go the route (that I and others have gone)." Your caps, not mine. Remember, perception trumps reality. Each. And. Every. Time. See also: Spec Miata as low cost, affordable racing.

You say that you spent "probably in excess of $70k in the car" and that "probably $30-40k of it was "put it in and rip it (out) development shit." I remember how long you suffered to get a brake package that lasted longer than pulling the car off the trailer. That is exactly what scares people off about IT. It is not hard for anybody, not just British ox cart drivers, to spend that kind of money building a competitive jalopy. Just going on what AB has posted in this forum concerning the build of his ITA Miata - the endless dyno sessions for exhaust development, the time spent getting his engine management right, and on and on, he could easily be into it for that much. It's not just the money - look at tJU's Honda. He did some insane amount of that work with his own hands and built a world beater. "His skills," as was said elsewhere, "make the rest of us look like hacks." Or the Earpstangs, which are marvels of development. All that money, and perhaps more importantly, all that time, and what do you have, the most perfectly assembled Hondawagenstang ever assembled? Right, so Joey Flatbrim can spend a lot less, buy some pimpin' brakes and exhaust for his Hondawagenstang (which we all know attracts teh honeyz) and go have fun.

And how about the time? You've been racing the TR-8 for 10 seasons now, and it took five seasons to get to the point where you were "finishing on podiums and occasionally leading races." In today's instant gratification society, five years is an eternity.

You know now, hell we all know, that you buy a built car for $peanuts on the development dollar. But most people new to the sport DON'T know that, and many are attracted to track events because they already have a car that they've tossed a few bits and pieces at and now they want to race it. But wait, there are all these RULES. And in Improved Touring all those rules mean that Joey has got to take off his already purchased go fast bits to make some OE piece of carp work. Gone are those pimpy brakes, the fancy suspension parts, et. al. Add back in the time to make that stuff work. Not everybody is up to, or even wants to take on that challenge. "I just wanna race!"

Please don't get me wrong - I love Improved Touring, I respect the hell out of the effort that is put into some of the top flight builds I've seen. If I ever have the ability to properly develop a car (or if I start running out of Miata fenders), I'd come back to the category quicker than I would go to STL or something like that - it trips my triggers. But that's an anomaly, not the norm. I look around a WDCR paddock and where do I see the youngest drivers? SSM. Why? Ease of access.

Quote Originally Posted by JeffYoung View Post
Chip makes good points but I still think a lot of that is perception.

I went racing in 2003, right in the middle of the Bimmerworld/Speedsource madness. I was SLOW out of the box, but I did get on track for $7k in prep costs in the car, which were cage, fuel cell, shocks all around, seat, safety stuff, wheels and limited slip (Quaife).

By 2004 without any development other than driver, I was midpack.

By 2007 I had maxed out carb development on the carb motor and was finishing on podiums and occasionally leading races.

I then spent two years developing the FI motor and started to get real competitive in 2010, leading races. 2011, I finally started to win and won a championship.

Point? Yea, I have probably in excess of $70k in the car, BUT it is spread over ten years, and probably $30-40k of it was "put it in and rip it" development shit, and half that was the goddamn motherfucking Haltech. Sorry. Still gives me shivers.

BAck to the point. Even in ITS, you can build or buy a decent car for $6-10k and run mid pack or even close to the front if you buy a good one. Heck, I'd be lucky to get $10k for my car, and I know top flight RX7s that have sold for $8k.

So I don't buy the idea that the development costs on my car or the Earpstangs are the barrier to entry. I think it is the PERCEPTION that you have to go the route I've gone, or Ron and Jeff have gone, or STeve and Chip have gone.

You don't. And you can still run competitively in ITS if you look around and buy wisely.