Chuck,
Here's my take. Correct me where my assumptions are wrong.
I believe that there are not a lot of people who already have road-racing
formula cars who are anxious to come try autocrossing. Therefore, A, B, C and
F-Modified competitors are primarily already autocrossers who pick one of
these cars specifically to autocross it.
If there is a concern about dwindling interest in these classes, one has to
ask themselves, is it because the cars that are "the car to have" in these
classes isn't interesting enough? Because if the answer to that is yes, then
I can understand why someone would want to make some other road-race cars
competitive enough to be compelling.
But I don't think that's the problem! I don't think that if you added one
more available chassis to the list of potentially-competitive autocross cars,
that you'd find participation would increase at all. I think if there are
people who are leaning towards entering modified, they aren't stopping because
the FF2000 isn't competitive. They'll buy something that is.
I think the problem with diminishing participation is elsewhere -- the focus
of the sport is on production cars (and primarily, on stock cars), and the
Real Race Cars are treated like bastard children of the sport. The general
autocross population thinks of them as difficult machines to accommodate.
They are loud (which can affect site availability). They overheat (so they
make grid tough to run). They require more equipment on grid (all of those
jumper batteries, extra seats, etc). They have to be weighed in impound. It
is hard to read their numbers (due to lack of available space on the sides).
The owners aren't flexible about their numbers (because they are permanently
affixed). You can't see their engines in tech without dismantling them.
Etc.
Fundamentally, the staggering performance capabilities of new stock cars,
combined with the new interest in ST and SM, have made the desire to own a
Real Race Car smaller than it used to be. And I can't see how adding another
chassis to the mix is likely to have more than a very minor effect on that.
All of that said, if the FF2000 *with wings* was a competitive car somewhere,
it would be my pick of chassis to re-enter the modified ranks with. I'd hate
to see the FF1600 camp be the ones to fall in order to make that true though.
Josh
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