>Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 07:37:57 -0500
>From: Mike Bultemeier <hottvr@tfs.net>
>Subject: Pax, Ok hurt me
>Can anybody tell me what the acronym "Pax" stands for? I hate the whole
>Pax idea but have always wondered what it stood for? To me the whole
>Pax thing is sort of like the Wind Chill. How does anybody else know how
>cold I feel or how fast I would have been in another car? Pax= Pretend
>Auto-X?
>Ok Stock guys, Flame Me
>Mike(We don't need no stinking Pax)B. TLS#1
Mike and all:
PAX stands for Pro Autocross. The name was coined in 1979 to describe a
series of spectator street autocrosses that were run in Springfield, IL,
Milwaukee, WI, Bangor, MI and Portage, IN (where the series started.)
Because these were spectator events we wanted to cut through the confusion
of a possible 50+ class winners, and crown a Grand Champion of the event
and of the series.
This led to the creation of the PAX Index, which attempted to handicap each
class according to its best performance in the hands of a national-level
driver on national-level courses. The data came from National Runoffs
results, as well as Divisional and other major, well-attended events,
modified by known weather anomalies, plus knowledge of the sport and common
sense. It was originally developed by George Saxton and Jim McKamey and
currently is computed by Dave Beck and Jim.
The series ended about 1986 but the Index proved useful to quite a few
drivers and regions and has continued to be refined. The Index does not
index drivers or individual cars. It indexes classes of cars. By only using
data from top-level events it assumes that the results it uses are based on
the best available approximation of the potential for the class.
Nobody, least of all Dave Beck and Jim McKamey, would state that the PAX
Index is perfect for all courses and events, regardless of weather. But it
is as useful and accurate as possible considering the slender pool of data
available. To try to create a "rain PAX" plus a "short course PAX" plus an
"asphalt PAX" plus a "cold day PAX" and all the other variables you could
imagine, would take more time than is available, working with an even
smaller and less reliable data set. With poorer data the index would be
even less reliable.
Enjoy the PAX Index, or ignore it. The choice is up to you and the clubs
staging events. May all the events you attend have the best national
driver/car competition for you and all the classes full. And may there be
nobody wondering who was the best car/driver combination of them all.
Lloyd Loring <lloydl@skyenet.net> (now on the digest)
|