In rule 18.4.A, IP classifications:

- Remove IP4 class.
- Remove IPA class.
- Remove provision for Spec Miata cars to race in IP3 class.

My reasoning:

There were only 2 IPA entries and 1 IP4 entry in all of last year - these classes are dead.  IPA cars can run in IP1 with no modifications, and IP4 cars can run in IP3 with no modifications.

Spec Miatas have their own class as of last year, and it is in the same run group as IP3.  The SM racing in IP3 provision is no longer necessary.

Good ideas!

trackrat wrote on Oct 22^nd, 2011 at 10:02am:


And if you get nice uniforms you may even win best looking pit crew 

Dont Now how this applies to me,   Other than i helped Norm S Bring the Miatas to IP3     Jordy is correct with his breakdown,SInce there is a SM Class in CW2 . Seems like they have a home ,,,  But for what ever the reason is,,  You have a choice,, Throw out the rule and 1600 SMs still have a IP3 Option. This would not allow the 1800 restricted SMs in IP3.  Remove the restrictor and its an IP2 car  CW1,,  I agree  that IP4/IPA are Dead Classes. Kind of agree with Criss leave the 1800SM rule alone for rite now. I dont think we will ever win the best pic crew trophy...LOL Dont have that one in our sites ,

I guess as the only participant to bring an IP4 car to an event this season I'm not going to win a vote if you guys are dead set against it. The reason why myself and if I remember K.R. proposed this class, was to give all the under powered IP3 cars a place to be competitive. Lets face it, a 1500cc (max displacement) and either carbed or single port F.I. will never be competitive with 1600 cc, multi port F.I. or certainly VTEC so that's why the class was created. If nobody is subscribing to the class then I guess the democratic process can judge whether or not the class deserves to survive but as the one participant who sees the benefit of the class's existence (and the fact that it doesn't actually cost anything to keep it alive) I will be voting to keep it alive. I hope that eventually or when others actually discover that their car would work in this class rather than doing an engine swap to make it work in IP3 (you know who you are !) we will see bigger fields but at least until then I can continue to run this car in it's competitive class and not have to park a completely adequate race car for a lack of a decent CACC class. I don't want to have to run just ICSCC weekends as the only alternative.

Paul

My 1500S (ex-Wong, ex-Doodson) has been in hiding since 2009. Logbook shows 4 entries in 2007, 1 in 2008, 1 in 2009. Wayne (McKinnon?) ran a red CRX in IP4 also, but car graduated to GTL? I recall a theory that former Honda/Michelin (and similar) cars may show up for a 1500 class, after the proposal of a spec Civic class didn't take off? I will run my car at some point next year, I have a job now!

Dave Adams

"Personally, I'd rather see fewer classes with more cars in them than more classes with the cars spread about so thinly that no real competition happens"

Well, that's the first comment I agree with. It seems like every sanctioning body has fallen into the same trap of creating new classes every year while the pool of competitors has remained stagnate. Years ago when the classes were fewer and grids bigger, most drivers were happy that they had someone somewhere in the pack to race with. Now it appears that if someone isn't in a position to win they want to create a new class. There are plenty of classes to find a place to race. If you happen to make a bad choice of vehicle to run then too bad. Lesson learned. The rules are public and clear. Do your homework and pick a car that would be competitive.

What I'd like to see is a return to hey days of motorsports when it wasn't so politically incorrect to burn off non-renewable resources without concern for our future. That isn't going to happen is it ? The IP4 class was created just a few years before our most recent global recession and as evidenced by dave's own participation numbers in the last few years I think it's unwise to be eliminating classes that might give more potential participants an opportunity to enter or re-enter motorsports activities with cars that at one time were competent and possibly competitive. Just because time has passed shouldn't mean the elimination of cars that once filled our grids. If they won't let them in a vintage grid now are they just supposed to wait till then ? Sure many have found a better mousetrap with which they can vie for championships in a faster class, but what about the guys that have ressurrected an old Honda/Michelin car or something that fits the IP4 class because that is all they can afford or want to compete in ? It might be that those participants who have less disposable income that want to race cars like that are the first to be affected by an economy that doesn't allow for such frivolities like motorsports. Do you want to turn them away now by eliminating a class (which still as far as I know doesn't actually cost anything to keep alive until somebody actually pays an entry fee to run in that class thereby paying for his own $12 plastic trophy, no offense to the trophy people !) or leave open the possibility that they may return one day once their situation improves and they have a place to be competitive with similar cars in their class ? Yeah I know that sometimes it seems we are creating a class for every whiner that wants to win a trophy but in this instance I feel that these type of participants aren't here for the trophy but just the opportunity to get out in their car whatever it may be and measure themselves and their cars against something that is somewhat equal and not going to blow them away because he doesn't have VTEC or whatever. Even SCCA has softened their stance on participation levels for national status classes in the hopes that they don't lose any participants because that class no longer has national status and although we locally, have nowhere near the numbers of competitors to deal with, I think it is unwise to affect the possibility of more participants coming racing in the years to come by eliminating a place/class where those potential participants will have a chance to compete.

Back to you,

Paul