Who Will Win? - ITS

[roberthuff24]

Originally posted by robits325is@Nov 16 2005, 10:27 PM
Sounds like it was a great race. I thought the RX-7 wasn't competitive in ITS?

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I think the RX-7 is definitly still comptetitive in ITS but i also belive that the BMW's have a slight advantage at a track like Road Atlanta. a BMW should pull up turn one better but a RX-7 should take turn 3 thru turn 5 better. after that turn 6 and 7 are not that different in a RX-7 compared to a BMW and Turn 7 cant be done quickly enough to make up for the torque of a BMW. the BMW will definitly pull down the back staight and should pull up 10b giving a better run thru 12 and down the front straight. but in a long race a RX-7 will defintily hold up and last longer. i've heard they are taking off the restrictor on the BMW's and putting on more weight for next year, and they might put some weight on the RX-7's. should be intersting to see how the scca tries to balance the IT groups. maybe the porches might benifit from the ITS changes, i dont see many of them very competitive in the cendiv anymore(could just be the Cendiv though).

Rob

[its66]

Originally posted by roberthuff24@Nov 17 2005, 07:16 AM
. i've heard they are taking off the restrictor on the BMW's and putting on more weight for next year, and they might put some weight on the RX-7's.
Rob

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Andy B,

Anything you care to tell us, or just a rumor??

[Joe Moser]

Originally posted by roberthuff24@Nov 17 2005, 12:16 AM
I think the RX-7 is definitly still comptetitive in ITS but i also belive that the BMW's have a slight advantage at a track like Road Atlanta. a BMW should pull up turn one better but a RX-7 should take turn 3 thru turn 5 better. after that turn 6 and 7 are not that different in a RX-7 compared to a BMW and Turn 7 cant be done quickly enough to make up for the torque of a BMW. the BMW will definitly pull down the back staight and should pull up 10b giving a better run thru 12 and down the front straight. but in a long race a RX-7 will defintily hold up and last longer. i've heard they are taking off the restrictor on the BMW's and putting on more weight for next year, and they might put some weight on the RX-7's. should be intersting to see how the scca tries to balance the IT groups. maybe the porches might benifit from the ITS changes, i dont see many of them very competitive in the cendiv anymore(could just be the Cendiv though).

Rob

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Rob,

Congrats on the 2nd place! We'll both have to step it up a little next year and bring back two W's to Detroit

I watched Rob's race tape from the ARRC race, and I'm not sure that the RX-7 is quite competitive with the BMW... It made me frustrated just watching the tape, Rob would push everything possible out of that 7, only to get to the back straight and watch the BMW pull 5-10 car lengths on him! Lap after Lap after Lap. It was definitely the closest thing I've seen to a 7 keeping up with the BMW though, and I think I may just have to give the nod to Rob's driving for making that happen... Only 19 years old and already climbing the ranks. Rob, you should make that tape available to the ITAC... 2 great drivers (Chet HAS to be one of the best at Road Atlanta), and 2 top level cars. The tape should show exactly how they compare to each other within the current rules/specs.

[mlytle]

Originally posted by Joe Moser@Nov 17 2005, 03:09 PM
Rob,

Congrats on the 2nd place! We'll both have to step it up a little next year and bring back two W's to Detroit

I watched Rob's race tape from the ARRC race, and I'm not sure that the RX-7 is quite competitive with the BMW... It made me frustrated just watching the tape, Rob would push everything possible out of that 7, only to get to the back straight and watch the BMW pull 5-10 car lengths on him! Lap after Lap after Lap. It was definitely the closest thing I've seen to a 7 keeping up with the BMW though, and I think I may just have to give the nod to Rob's driving for making that happen... Only 19 years old and already climbing the ranks. Rob, you should make that tape available to the ITAC... 2 great drivers (Chet HAS to be one of the best at Road Atlanta), and 2 top level cars. The tape should show exactly how they compare to each other within the current rules/specs.

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any lead the bmw had on the back straight was completely erased by the mazda by the time they got to turn 5. i could rewrite your para to show the bmw driver being frustrated by the superior handling of the mazda. yes, show that tape to the itac. it is great evidence that the "bmw is an overdog" concept is fantasy.

rob had a great, no, an outstanding, drive, but lets face it. here we had an excellent young driver in a mazda WHO HAD NEVER DRIVEN AT RA BEFORE and who had only raced an its car for three weekends, keeping pace with a multi-time arrc champ who knows ra cold and has been driving bmw's for years. if that car hadn't spun in front of him, rob could have very well won. and that was on a horsepower track. bmw an overdog? i think not.

[roberthuff24]

Originally posted by mlytle@Nov 17 2005, 06:46 PM
any lead the bmw had on the back straight was completely erased by the mazda by the time they got to turn 5. i could rewrite your para to show the bmw driver being frustrated by the superior handling of the mazda. yes, show that tape to the itac. it is great evidence that the "bmw is an overdog" concept is fantasy.

rob had a great, no, an outstanding, drive, but lets face it. here we had an excellent young driver in a mazda WHO HAD NEVER DRIVEN AT RA BEFORE and who had only raced an its car for three weekends, keeping pace with a multi-time arrc champ who knows ra cold and has been driving bmw's for years. if that car hadn't spun in front of him, rob could have very well won. and that was on a horsepower track. bmw an overdog? i think not.

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Yes i agree that the mazda has better handling than the BMW but it really is not as much as it seems, the beamers are much more dialed than they used to be(which is one of the reasons they put a restrictor on for this year) chet mentioned having problems downshifting to third gear in turn 3 which ruined his run into the esses, the one turn the RX-7 could take a lot faster was turn 5 but the BMW would torque out of the turn so it was really never a good enough run to make anything happen before turn 6. And i rarely hear people complain that a car holds them up down the straight aways and kills them in the turn, the real problem is the other way around. there are a lot of factors when you compare the RX-7 to the BMW, the RX-7 is better on brakes and tires favoring a long race, the BMW has more torque and power, the mazda had a slight advantage in handling. it will be interesting to see what kind changes are made, i'm sure glad i dont have to be making the decisions. i will probally send in my tape and they can look at it how they want to.

Rob