----- Original Message -----
From: Smokerbros@aol.com
To: autox@autox.team.net
Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 6:16 PM
Subject: Re: The death of prepared?
Eric writes:
>>I've inserted my comments below too:<<
> Now we will have to buy Injection, expensive 17+ inch wheels, re-do
> suspensions and gearing for DOT tires AND for some really silly &
> unexplained reason have a shop manual?
It's February '04, and these are PROPOSED for 1/1/05. It's not a done deal.
Write a letter!
>>Charlie, I've written my letter...will send a copy in separate email by
attachment but basically as below:<<
> 1. Injection, well heck that's the way the world is moving maybe we
> shouldn't stand in the way. Most of us would have done it eventually
> anyway.
It's pretty obvious that no one is using unlimited FI in Prepared cars with
a
10% weight penalty. Is 5% acceptable? 3%? If there's a weight penalty
other than 0% or 10% that equalizes FI to carbs, let us know what it is.
But
realize that one of the most often cited reasons for not moving from Stock
or SP
to Prepared is the FI restrictions.
>>In my opinion, no penalty is acceptable. It plain isn't worth it. In the
Miata, there is virtually no advantage to ITB over the modified stock
injection and cost is about the same...modify the stock to be competitive or
buy ITB. I'd rather buy ITB. Simpler, lighter. Easier access to injectors,
easier to tune, etc.
Don't phase it in, do it at once otherwise I've got to do two modifications
to the car to get there and I'm building now.<<
> 2. Unlimited wheels with DOT tires. Why? So the ESP cars can come beat
> the CP cars without having to make any effort? Was there anybody that
> drives a P car on the committee that dreamed this one up or was it just
> SP drivers? Did it occur to anybody that many Prepared cars have custom
> gears to play nice with a specific set of tires.
Again, SP competitors have to go backwards in wheel size to compete in
Prepared. Personally, I think that you had to buy wheels when you went from
Stock
to SP, why shouldn't you buy a set of wheels to go into Prepared? I'd
prefer
not to have to junk a bunch of 16 X 12" CP wheels if 17 or 18" tires prove
to
be faster. One possible compromise is to allow the SP people to come into
Prepared with their bigger wheels, but their DOT tires... Again, if you
don't
like it, let us know what you like better...
>>No going backwards. Go unlimited but no bloody DOT tires, those are a step
backwards. They cost the same or more, less traction and don't last as long as
slicks. Further, the current crop of cantilever slicks on narrower rims may
not have any disadvantage over wider wheels and the other "wider" slicks that
fit (up to a point). See the list of available sizes. Biggest problem is that
the track has to be unlimited too as the cars won't make the maximum track
limit with wider wheels like the CSP Miatas going to DP...wouldn't work. So,
if wider wheels, must have unlimited track.<<
> 3. Have a shop manual? That just cute, a shop manual for a low
> production decades old car, a car that has VERY few stock parts. It's
> the april FasTrack so maybe it's an April Fools Joke.
Okay, you get protested for having too narrow track, or altered wheelbase.
How do you prove your legality?
>>The rule says, shop manual if available. How can you propose to build,
own, modify or otherwise work on, particularly a P car, without having a shop
manual? You should have one anyway. That being said, if you protest, the
burden should be on you to prove it doesn't comply...in my opinion, not the
other way around. You should be required to have evidence that a rule has been
broken, not just speculation...prove it.<<
> In summary it seems to me the idea of keeping the jump from SP to P
> modestly priced makes a lot of sense, but please let's not do this by
> making it MORE expensive for the P cars just to stay where they
>
With the idea that Prepared is stagnant, and needs new blood to survive, let
the SEB and PAC know what you think needs to be done.
Charlie
ex-SEB, now PAC member
>>Prepared is stagnant except Nationally. Locally, at least my class (DP)
was a lot more popular before adding 300# to the Miata weight...maybe a
coincidence but all I know is when I was running it two years ago, the
participation was mostly better than now, although coming up. For the CSP cars
to take these steps backwards in both weight, wheel size and injection is no
way to promote P cars and these kind of rules changes are necessary to provide
the impetus for added participation. I know a number of top competitive SP car
drivers looking to move 'up'. P cars are not a move up as the rules are
currently written so unless the rules change, the will go to SM or SM2, which
proposes a whole other bunch of problems. I chose to go the P route because
that is the kind of car I like. Is a step down from SM2 but more to my
liking.
Charles Cox
#42 Miata
DP, CSP, SM2 now DP<<
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