In a message dated 5/12/99 9:55:03 AM Central Daylight Time,
msirota@isc.upenn.edu writes:
<< GSMnow@aol.com wrote:
> For this year, HStock got a faster index than EStock. This was
> reflected at Nationals as well as here where we have some serious HS
> drivers and EStock is lightly perscribed, but due to the light index,
> we now have a few new EStock drivers. And EStock just won overall
> index at our last event.
This is exactly why I prefer the PAX index over the RTP. As I
understand it, the RTP is generated largely mathematically, while the
PAX is generated largely by intuition and common sense. Am I right?
Intuition and common sense say that ES should have more potential than
HS, the results be damned. >>
The decision to put the ES/HS index where they fell was voted on again by
members, and the hottest cars were taken into account. We had several fast
drivers in both classes, and one who jumped from an HSock Celica ST to an
EStock Celica GT because he even thought the PAX index difference was good
enough. The index difference is .780 to .781, so it is hardly at all. Per got
the win in his Celica GT, but he deserved it from watchng his run. Patrick
Washburn got second just .3 seconds back in DStock, Darrel Padberg got Third
only .001 behind him, and our hot HStock guy (in a Celica ST) who got 6th at
nationals came in fourth about .26 behind them. The next 16 cars are within a
second.
PAX does look beyond the numbers to some extent, but bases it heavilly on
nationals, but only moves it about 80% of how far nationals moved. (this is
based on looking at the numbers using the past and new indexes.) Not that
that is bad, and it does work well at big event sites. The EStock/HStock deal
was also looking beyond the numbers. The performance of some of the top
HStock cars appears to have exceeded the EStock performance. The cars in
question are scheduled to move there, so it makes sence. Some of the slower
cars in HStock are not real happy, but they know they have to chase those
times to win the class anyways. I am seriously thinking of getting a 94
Celica ST, and if it moves to EStock I still might. On sweeping courses where
you can carry speed, it can beat the bigger motored GT, but where you have
slow downs and acceleration, the torquey 2.2 can out pull the 1.8. So it will
be course dependant. I ran my second fastest run in my STU car with no turbo
boost since a hose blew off. I was smoother without upsetting the chassis as
much, and not spinning the tires out of the corners. If I was also 200 pounds
lighter like the ST-GT debate, I might have been as quick.
The cars are quite different, but run very close. The Neons are the same way,
the ES and DS ones are very similar, it is suprizing they get separate
classes. Both are 2.0L with similar torque. The ACR's have a suspension
tuning advantage, but the Sports have to run head to head in DStock. There is
no way everyone will be happy.
For now the RTP looks odd with ES being slower than HS but 3 clubs all voted
to use it around here. There was only ONE HS car and it finished 4th. I can't
say he was biased against. The rest of the HS cars were in Street tire and
the finished HS ES HS ES with a coule other cars fitting in between. How much
better does it get?
Total st finishes
SS,FS,FS,GS,HS,ES,FS,BS,HS,ES,DS,GS,GS,DS,GS,ES,BS,FS,ES,FS,ESP,CSP,GS,HS,GS,C
SP,HS,CS,AS,GS,SS,CSP,GS,CS,AS,DS,ES,DSP,FS,FS,GS,GS,HS,ES,CSP,GS,HS
For what we can see, it looks like the SP cars are at a disadvantage, but
other then that, it is a good mix up of classes from top to bottom. Of course
there are good drivers and not so good of drivers, so the lower in the list
the bigger the differences. But 20th to 30th was only a 1.9 sec spread.
Like we have all said here, no index is perfect, and we let the competitors
decide which numbers to lock in for a year. If we are wrong, we fix it next
year.
Gary M.
This is my last post to the list on this, I don't want to take up any more
bandwidth. If you want to discuss it in private mail I will , but I already
agree, indexing is a crap shot, who has the best dice throwing arm?
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