Capital Driving Club Discussion Forum

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/811/12426 ... ation.aspx

^^^ great article about motorcycle racing but the sentiment transfers to other motorsports as well. One of the comments on the WERA forum did a really great job of summing it up

G.Irish wrote:Same story in every form of motorsport since day one. If you don't write a very tight rulebook someone is going to drive a truck through it when the series gets popular enough and someone wants to win enough.

The interesting thing is that people often lobby for more open rules that lead to said trucks driving through holes in the rulebook. "I want to run X on my bike because it's cheaper for me, or I already have it on the bike, or I have a sponsor, or..." Then when someone richer than the first guy exploits that rule, the original guy takes his ball and goes home because it's too expensive. Then the rich guy gets bored or his portfolio takes a dive and he quits too.

In pro racing the rich guy = factory team.

Even "spec" classes can get out of hand, though, if the organizing group is not careful and deliberate. Here in our region we've seen the very popular Spec Miata scene break up into the pro-level SM and entry-level SSM classes in an attempt to stem the flow of money needed for a top level SM car.

kyle.bowker wrote:http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/811/12426 ... ation.aspx

^^^ great article about motorcycle racing but the sentiment transfers to other motorsports as well. One of the comments on the WERA forum did a really great job of summing it up

G.Irish wrote:Same story in every form of motorsport since day one. If you don't write a very tight rulebook someone is going to drive a truck through it when the series gets popular enough and someone wants to win enough.

The interesting thing is that people often lobby for more open rules that lead to said trucks driving through holes in the rulebook. "I want to run X on my bike because it's cheaper for me, or I already have it on the bike, or I have a sponsor, or..." Then when someone richer than the first guy exploits that rule, the original guy takes his ball and goes home because it's too expensive. Then the rich guy gets bored or his portfolio takes a dive and he quits too.

In pro racing the rich guy = factory team.

Even "spec" classes can get out of hand, though, if the organizing group is not careful and deliberate. Here in our region we've seen the very popular Spec Miata scene break up into the pro-level SM and entry-level SSM classes in an attempt to stem the flow of money needed for a top level SM car.

Racing is never cheap. When wheels become consumables, you know your going down the right path to poverty

If I wanted the extra HP that is missing from my car while staying in SM specs, I would need to pay more for the motor alone than I paid for my car. Parts bin blueprinting and secret sauce costs a lot in a series like SM.

It seems that as people get creative with the rules in SM, unenforceable things seem to make it into the rules and then there are more associated costs. For example, adjustable FPRs and timing leads to another trip to the dyno and since where you want your power is affected by the course and how much timing you can get away with is affected by weather, you might end up with guys hitting the dyno multiple times.

The dyno'd and sealed engine thing in SSM has gone a ways towards keeping costs down, but you still get guys looking for the edge. I was told by one of the local shops that seals engines for SSM that guys bring it in with under inflated tires or thicker fluids in hopes of getting a little edge on the competition.