In a message dated 6/15/99 6:14:55 PM EST, dgreen@kscable.com writes:
> Ok, then how would you like to compare?? Since there is absolutely no
> evidence that the current DSM folks have dominant cars. How can you know??
> (Give me an example) How can the SEB know?? The answer is, they don't. I
> still say it was a biased decision in favor of the "popular" ESP cars.
Before any of you guys wear out your keyboards.......
There are only two turbocharged cars that have appeared at the Solo II
Nationals in recent years that were (as near as we could tell) prepared to
the limits of the rulebook in their category, and driven by National
Championship-caliber drivers: Craig Nagler's 2nd-gen RX-7 Turbo in
which Craig won 3 National Championships from 1992-94, and Craig's
3rd-gen RX-7 Turbo which won the 1996 ASP National Championship.
Shauna Marinus drove this same car to the 1998 ASP National
Championship.
The key phrases here are "prepared to the limits of the rulebook" and
"driven by National Championship-caliber drivers". These two things
are the foundation of nearly every classification decision we make, and
many of our rules changes. This method is not perfect, but it's the
best one we have; the best-prepared cars driven by the best drivers on
the same courses under the same conditions. Yes, there is no evidence
that the DSM cars are dominant in ESP. Neither have we seen at Topeka
an example as noted above which would_establish_their_competitiveness_
(or lack thereof) against a John Ames, Ken Mitchell, or Gary Thomason
in a well-prepared Mustang or F-body. Until this happens, you're right....
the SEB doesn't know, and neither does anyone else, and no amount of
arguing over HP and quarter-mile times is going to change that. So the
SEB is left with trying to make two dissimilar cars equally competitive, one
of which is pretty much at the end of its development curve SP-wise, and
the other one that is still being developed. And we have no meaningful
National results on which to base any of our decisions. The DSM guys
go off in a huff because they feel they're being treated unfairly, and the
ponycar contingent in ESP is afraid that if the DSM cars are allowed too
much freedom under the rules that a National-caliber driver will seize the
opportunity to build one and dominate a popular class. It's a no-win
situation for everyone, including the SEB.
GH Sharp
Solo Events Board Chairman
As for the turbo update/backdate issue, the SEB discussed the current
popular notion that turbochargers are a part of the intake or exhaust
system (or both) for the purposes of the SP rules, an issue that to my
knowledge has never been officially ruled upon by any previous SEB,
and decided that if this interpretation was followed to its logical
conclusion,
there was absolutely nothing to prevent someone with a Camaro, M3,or
whatever in SP to add a turbo to their car. After all, if I can change the
turbo on a DSM car because it's part of the exhaust system and that is
an unrestricted area of the SP rules, by the same logic I should be able
to_add_a turbo to any car I want.
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