For those who to date have not met Mark he is a GREAT guy. I met Mark on the IT site & then face to face during his first entry year at the Runoffs. His racing history dates a bunch earlier to the time when he was a little guy.

***Over time, I guess classes can become obsolete. The production classes just don't seem to fit the racing enthusiasts' demographic anymore. People just don't seem to want to re-engineer their cars to the level that the prod rules permit. I see fewer and fewer people who like to do their own engine work, suspension work, testing, engineering, etc. Instead it's migrated more towards the arrive and drive crowd and the growth of the spec classes probably reflects that. So if the popularity of a class wanes perhaps it should be replaced, sort of a natural evolution if you will.***

It is my beleif that Mark has hit the nail ^ on the head with reference to traditional Production cars (full prep turn er loose). I & others would like to prepare a 1st gen Mazda RX-7 non-ported for G Production. The response from the CRB is that "creating another level of prep is incositant with with class philosophy". In my mind being almost one of the racers Mark described above (stripped & ready for a cage 1990 Miata with hardtop for sale) the CRB response TODAY is not consistant with the entire logic of Restricted Suspension cars with Limited Prep motors. I have a 1997 Sports car article to support the Comp Board (CR original thought process. Not to start a fight with anyone BUT one horse the CRB let out of the barn with Restricted Suspension cars is the alternate control arm rule. Another is that after the CRB stated they will no longer class cars in full prep they included the Hybird. Full prep suspension with a Limited Prep motor pleasing a long time Production car memeber.

My 1st point is, the CRB caters to traditionalsists Production car folks but they will not create another level of prep that includes/allows more different marque Production cars. If the CRB beleives that racers that Mark described above are going to prep cars that THE CRB thinks are correct Production car classes WILL continue to dwindle. The CRB has done GREAT by adding so called Restricted Prep cars to F & E Production. Just maybe what they have missed or ignored is that there are not a large bunch of economical cars at 100 hp to class in H Production. The hp scale needs to slide upward or the dwindle continues.

My 2nd point is, that if the CRB/PCA folks would impliment identical (the 6/8 point roll cage within the tin top car cab) roll cage rules for IT & Production cars the transition (with roll cage additions/& other Prod car requirements) from IT to Production would be much more seamless similar to Regional Spec Miata to National Spec Miata. People don't always know both sets of roll cage rules at the get go & they don't always think that far ahead as would people who have been around a while.

My 3rd point is, that there is no way in hell that 5 IT classes fit into a National schedule with 4 Production classes along with all the other classes. CRB, make the transition from IT to Production more seamless so that the racers choice is as simple as a Spec Miata moving from Regional to National. Please note I didn't suggest that a car that moved to National could simply move back to IT.

This ^ of course is IMHJ
David