Quote Originally Posted by splats View Post
First, I support and use 'Plain Old STREET Gas'.
Second, HOW DID A CLASS OF CARS, BASED ON SHOWROOM STOCK, GET TO THE POINT THAT SOME 'LEGAL' ENGINES ARE REQUIRED TO RUN 100+ RACING FUEL??
Am I missing the point of an entry-level, low-budget class? We can run 'built' engines with expensive after-market ECM's and fancy coil-overs that are $1000.00 per corner. But are ILLEGAL if we remove the heater-core or washer-bottle. HOW DID THIS CLASS GET THIS POINT????

I think that ALL IT's should run POG that you can get at 7-11, Citgo, Shell, etc.....
And if your engine won't/can't run on it, then move to Prodution where that engine belongs.

Sorry if I offened anyone, but there are plenty of us that are on a very limited buget.
Point by point...with ammendments

Second, HOW DID A CLASS OF CARS, BASED ON PRODUCTION BASED AUTOMOBILES
,

and..
.....GET TO THE POINT THAT SOME 'LEGAL' ENGINES PREFER TO RUN 100+ RACING FUEL AFTER BUMPING THE COMPRESSION THE ALLOWABLE AMOUNT< WHICH IS NEARLY 12 to 1 in some cases??
and...
Am I missing the point of an entry-level, low-budget class? We can run 'built' (see above) engines with expensive after-market ECM's (which are, in most cases cheaper than the peviously needed alternatives)
and...

But are ILLEGAL if we remove the heater-core or washer-bottle. HOW DID THIS CLASS GET THIS POINT
Would it save you money to remove your heater core? It would cost me if I did, as I'd actually have to go spend time digging in the dash, when I could be spending time on something productive.....like aligning the car....AND I'd have lost tire contingency money when I won that rain race...the one I won because I could see through my windsheild, when others, mysteriously couldn't.

and...

I think that ALL IT's should run POG that you can get at 7-11, Citgo, Shell, etc.....
And if your engine won't/can't run on it, then move to Prodution where that engine belongs
Here's my take on this........
You choose your car, based on your needs, which in this case, appear to have a budgetary factor. Choose a car that's reliable, so you're not replacing brake caliper seals every race like Jeff young, or one that doesn't require weird or custom or exotic running gear, like Greg Amy's NX 2000...or one that isn't 11.5 : 1 compression, like certain Acuras and Hondas, so that you don't feel like you need to run 'expensive' 100 octane for peace of mind......choose a car that is "reasonable' to run. Should the architects of the category ban all cars that have over, sys, 9.5:1 compression in an effort to save people money? Or only class common cars so parts are readily available? Or should we allow them to make intelligent choices?

Choose a car with leaf springs? Prepare to spend money on exotic dampers and other items to bring your car up to par with the rest of the class. Or torsion bars? Plan on hiring help ($) to do adjustments that take others 5 minutes. Love that car with the high compression ratio? Get ready to spend the money on fuels to ensure it doesn't go "boom" in a racing environment. Many of the changes you listed that you are not happy about have been made because it is actually cheaper to allow those changes in a racing environment than it is to remain "stock". Once a change is allowed however, (such as shocks), it is impossible to truly control costs. In the shock case, trust me, the two adjustment rule reigns in the truly expensive stuff.

Simply, we've chosen to race...and with that choice come costs. choose wisely, and you can contain those costs, to a degree, but you'll never control them unless you decide to run a "claimer" class. Look around, and tell me, what nationally sanctioned road racing category/class, with a pseudo "national championship", and mixed marques with hundreds of models to choose from is cheaper to run?