Quote Originally Posted by lateapex911 View Post
....it begs the question: Does the IT category owe it to the club to become a Nationally eligible category for the better of the club? Or should it defend it's own health first and foremost?
And that begs the question of why people equate the health of the Runoffs to the health of the club. National races, as long as I can remember - and that goes back to 1973 - have always been a minority of the participants in the Club Racing Program. If we subtract those running their "home" National(s) to get only those participating in the National "Program", the importance of the program gets even smaller.

I would argue that defending a healthy Regional program is in the best interest of the Club and the IT Category.

Since the Pandora's Box of IT going national has been raised - I suggest we look at how the last Sacred Messiahs for the Runoffs and the National Program faired...

Let's see, Sacred Messiah came in to hosannas and then the Romans crucified it. Net result - no salvation for the Runoffs and a less healthy class at the Regional level. This year at the Summit Point National, we had six (6!) of the Sacred Messiahs run.

So, I'm having great doubts at how such a move will do anything but move water from one pot to another and spill most of that in addition.

Eliminate Nationals entirely. SCCA holds club races, period. The Runoffs are open to any and everyone who wishes to compete and who has finished at least 6 races during the past 12 months at a minimum of 3 different tracks. No tow fund for anyone other than the top X finishers from the previous year.

Eligible classes will be the top 24 classes in terms of participating from the previous calendar year.

Drivers will be required to meet the 107% or the 105% rule. Those not meeting speed will need approval of the 80% of the drivers in their race to compete.