GH & others:
Yes ST classes are a place where "Street tires" are the tire dejure.
Several people have posted that if you want to run street tires go there. SCCA
also has several classes that run R compound tires: SP, Mod., Prepared. There's
also the SM classes, I don't personally know the tire rules there. So the same
argument could be thrown your way.
Here's the problem with the argument for street tire preference people
to go to ST classes. ALL of the above classes are designed for those who have
modified, or plan on modifying there car is some way/shape/form. Some are
designed for Street tires, some for those who choose R compounds.
Many however who wish to remain "STOCK", hence the classing name, would
like the rules changed to more represent the nature of the class name. SCCA is
about grassroots motorsports (or at least it used to). Stock has moved away
from "stock" just as NASCAR has (all right not to the same point). I'll agree
that the cost for street tires vs. R compounds is cheaper for small tires, and
more expensive for larger tires. I guess the reality of the situation is that
those running large tires are currently being supplemented by the tire
manufactures for their R compounds at this time, and their not to interested in
giving up that savings.
The real question that started this discussion this time around is as
new cars off the show room floor get better, how do we slow them down, without
making painfully tight courses. The obvious answer is to remove some of the
allowances allowed in Stock that aren't "stock". The easiest starting point is
to go back to street tires.
Mark,
I guess I didn't read Chris' post the same way you did. Maybe my
personal viewpoint on a lot of this is a result of serving several years
on the SEB and having to try to please a lot of constituencies when
making rules for the sport, but I believe Chris was trying to say that
the people who have long advocated running on street tires instead
of R-tires now have a set of their own classes in which they can run
on street tires. And yet we continue to see threads on all the lists
several times a year still advocating the elimination of R-tires.
People DO have a choice. People who want a place to run street
tires now have one. There are people who still want to run R-tires,
and they still have a place to do so. Why is co-existence of these
two groups so difficult?
GH
|