Quote Originally Posted by lateapex911 View Post
Since you brought it up...
(and I know this is about Golfs, but as we're discussing paradym shifts and class history....an ITA history lesson---

Back in "the day"...say '91 or so, the RX-7 was enjoying much success in ITA. Some saw it as the "dominant" car. It was, if you defined "dominant" as "the car with the most wins". But...a well prepped and well driven Mazda RX-3Sp could always run with an equally well prepped and well driven RX-7. And BMW 2002tii's were right there as well, except few had the skills and patience to deal with the Kleiglefucher (I know, a little joke there, the real name escapes me) mechanical injection system.

Then came the CRX. On paper, it didn't look wrong...but then a certain driver (who weighed over 300 pounds), started beating track record holders. And other CRXen got built and did very well. In time, the PTB (at that time I don't think the ITAC existed) saw the issue. (We've been over this- sorry for those that know the ending) What to do? Can't lower the weight, although it's an obvious mistake...(born from the car being more than it's stock numbers suggested, or a simple misweight, or it being a classic overachiever in the engine dept, you choose) so, the only solution is to add other cars to keep the class from becoming a one horse show. Enter the 240SX, and the Integra, etc. And, the track records fell. Indeed, the class performance bar had been raised. No RX-7 or 2002tii or RX-3 could compete.
(Rough numbers: CRX: 2140 lbs, 127 or so at the wheels with tq in the 115 range..(help me if I'm remembering wrong), good susp. and brakes.
RX-7: 128- 130 or so at the wheels, 102 tq, live rear axle and ok brakes, but...2380 pounds. 240 pounds more, inferior handling and braking, (relative) and about a 15% deficit in tq. See the issue?

Enter the ITAC...it matures and shows it's worth, and in time, develops the "Process" and makes a major adjustment, know as the "Great Realignment"(TM) henceforth known as "GA"....which is Not theGreg Amy.

Among other things, the RX-7 went to 2280, and the CRX got 110 pounds added. So, the GA attempted to right the wrongs of the past, but there were constraints...the RX-7 for example was thought to be at the absolute minimum...or even an unachievable level with it's new weight. Is it enough?
Some say no....but it's better than it was, obviously.

So, to sum up, YES, the performance paradigm shifted higher when the CRX (and subsequent 'fixes') joined ITA, and it was lowered somewhat in the GA, but....not nearly to earlier levels.

As to the RX-7, it is my feeling that it is a car that isn't treated well by the process in ITA, as the process fails to account for it's dismal TQ, and there is no nod to the "antique" suspension, but as the car sits at a weight most can't get to, how could there be? What to do? (We've beaten that to death, so we won't go there..this isn't about the RX-7 per se' anyway)

(Now, this is my opinion...as an ITAC guy I say "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few" and my attention focuses on other issues. And as I have an RX-7, it's certainly not my place to champion it's causes in the ITAC.)
Jake-

Very well summed up... Growing up I remember watching every Northeast ITA race from the begining through the mid 90's watching Dad until he moved on and my bro and I went on into ITB... I remember the Capri, Corvaire, and RX-3 battles then the MR2 and 914 came into play as the cars to have before the RX-7 moved in... I can say it sucks that Chuck got those CRX's so fast and that the ITAC ignored the problem and just added faster cars basically destroying the "old" ITA class for years to come. However I do think that the new process is 100 times better than it used to be. I would have liked to see a class added between ITS and ITA rather than ITR added, but that is another story... At least we no longer have "a car to have" for each class. We now have 5+ options of competitive cars per class. They might not be the cars we want or remember, but at least we have options again.

Raymond "I guess Chuck wasn't cheating way back then?" Blethen