Sounds like we've lowered the parts cost and tripled the labor if we
start claiming parts (don't a lot of us run stock so we don't have to
wrench?).
First of all, if anyone is running a Stock car that costs more than
$20k and is concerned about costs sell your car and switch classes.
If your car costs less than $5k and you're concerned about costs, speak
up! I think whoever suggested having a "claim class" with a mandatory
$3k to claim rule has a great idea. Make two of these classes (stock
and mod--so those who don't know how to wrench won't have a huge
disadvantage). Nobody can just claim part of your car, they gotta take
the whole ball o' wax, so nobody has to spend an afternoon or pay labor
to have their shock inserts pulled off their car. And they gotta pay a
mandatory $3k (or whatever, I've heard of it being done at the $500
level, but then we may run into some safety issues). Stock class rules
would apply to stock, anything goes in mod.
Seriously though, I don't think most of us got into this sport because
it was cheaper than our other options. I too was suprised initially to
find out that you could do so much to a car in the "stock" class, but
then it became fun to tinker with the car a little and see the results
without having to do too much to stay competitive.
I think we also need to look at the sport from a blank slate
standpoint--If you have no car, what does it cost to get into the
sport--rather than the amount of money you need to put into your $50k
car to make it competitive.
Again, if you think it's absurd that you have to pay 1-2k to put
"competitive" shocks on your $50k car, maybe you shouldn't be racing a
$50k car. That's only 2%-4% of your car's value. It cost me almost $500
to put shocks on my $5,000 MR2 (replace with Miata where applicable),
that's 10%.
Also, think of all the money we'd (all autocrossers nationwide) have to
spend to switch everything back to OEM. And who's gonna buy my Koni's
then?
Randy
--- "John J. Stimson-III" <john@idsfa.net> wrote:
> > I don't see how all this machination achieves its goal; it just
> seems like a
> > communist way (from each according to his means...) way of everyone
> getting
> > good shocks, rather than paying for their own.
>
> It's not Communistic, but rather, charitable in a capitalist way --
> the supplier of the shocks does so voluntarily, to achieve a benefit
> for himself. He can stop selling used shocks at discount at any time
> that he feels that it is no longer a benefit.
>
> Yes, it would be annoying to swap the same set of shocks backs and
> forth at every event between the class leaders. With luck, one of
> them will become fed up with the practice, get a clue, and sell the
> shocks on eBay, showing up at the next event with more reasonably
> priced shocks.
>
> --
>
> john@idsfa.net John
> Stimson
> http://www.idsfa.net/~john/ HMC Physics
'94
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