> OTOH, if we had STU-small and STU-big, I would like Proposal B real well
> or STU-small and then same thing with larger limits for STU-big.
Something like this has been bouncing around my head for some time:
- Take the STU rules as currently written on the website
(http://autocross.dsm.org/stu.html)
- Pull the eligibility language, but otherwise keep the rules the same
- Subclass STU into
a) Street Touring Unlimited (Proposal B w/ the turbo limit 2.5l)
b) Street Sports Unlimited (Proposal B for 2-seaters, no engine location
restriction)
c) Street Grand Touring Unlimited (for big motor, front-engine 4-seaters)
d) Street Exotic Unlimited (for big motor 2-seaters, no engine location
restriction)
Ta-daa! A place for everyone!
Best of all, if we use the "smaller motors can be turbocharged, larger
displacement limit for NA motors" philosophy that we have in STU as it is
currently written, then the Grand Prix and supercharged M3 guys fit very nicely
into SGTU.
Everybody wins - and these classes fit nicely into easily-understood marketing
niches, so they'd be easy to explain to SCCA-ignorent media.
I worry, though, about biting off more than we can chew.
Firstly, I figure STU-as-written-above as the largest potential market, with
STGT second, SSU a close third, and SEU very small. (How many ASP cars are there
out there now?)
I'm afraid if we tried to get all these classes approved all at once, that we'd
dilute our efforts and not get anything done.
If instead we concentrated on STU, on attracting as many people to the class as
possible, we could use it to sort out the bugs and then go after the other 3
classes once STU was well entrenched. I could then feel less guilty about
adopting the Proposal-B STU displacement limit (which really makes for a better
- read "more fair" - STU class), because I'd know that they'd get SGTU in time.
I really hate telling people they can't play. :(
I'd change my mind on this, and redo the rules as published on the website to
include all four "Unlimited" classes, if I could find a Champion for each one.
By Champion I mean someone who would:
- run a high-profile car in their championed class
- travel to a reasonable amount of Pros/National Tours
- talk to RE/Solo Directors to get the class established in their region
- take the car to Nationals - even if it's a demo class that year
- act as an media ambassidor
- act as an advocate of the class to the SEB
- make the effort to recruit and retain members of the class in their
region.
- and so on.
Ideally, I'd want to see someone like this for each region in each class. I
think it's possible (but tough!) to get one for STU in each region; to get one
for STU and SSU and SGTU and SEU in each region seems like a tall order.
It's a given that I'll be the STU Champion (note: in the political sense, not
the performance sense :) for Detroit Region, and Nationally. I have ties with
people, mostly Talon guys, who I think can be coaxed into the same job for a few
other regions. But I'm not interested in championing the other "Unlimited"
classes. It's just too much work.
If I can get a volenteer to be the National Champion - no, let's change that
word, "Champion" means something else. Let's use "Representative". So if I can
get someone who will take on the job of National Representative (with all that
implies, including recruiting regional representatives) for each of the other
"Unlimited" classes, then I'll rewrite the rules I'm submitting that way.
Otherwise, I'll stick to only what I can chew, and do STU only.
It's ***SO*** important to realize that just getting the rules into the rulebook
isn't enough to make the class work. You gotta run a high profile car to attract
attention. You gotta actively recruit members. You gotta actively seek out and
talk to first-timers at races to help them get over the overwhelming aspects of
their first race. You gotta lobby Denver to promote the class. And so on and so
forth.
I understand that That Fessler Woman has been doing this with ST in NWOR, and
has had some success. Well, then we need to clone her, one per "Unlimited" class
per region. Debbie, are you out there? Care to comment on your ST experiences?
As well, the F-Mod guys seem to have the right idea with their F-Mod driver's
association deal. F-Mod had an 8 car class at last weekend's CENDIV - the
largest Mod class I've seen outside of Nationals. Formula Vee's fer crissakes.
:)
If they can do it, so can we. More to the point, we HAVE to do it at least as
well as they are if we're going to pull this off.
DG
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