Fastrack

[Sebastian Rios]

Jason, any insight on the reasoning behind the ITR going to BS and Cobalt to GS? Based on Kevin Dietz and FastMike's performance in Kevin's bone stock Cobalt on 2 yr old dead tires, I'm thinking if anything those should be switched!

Yeah I read about FM running getting one ready for DS. I guess if anyone can do it....

It all makes sense to me except for the DSMs (Eclipse/Talon) moving to GS, they are 4banger turbos AWD cars I think they belong with the WRX, R32, and TT.

[Kurt Rahn]

I'm prepared to fix what I can in case of a failure, but there are some critical and complicated repairs that I leave to an experienced mechanic.

You're a step ahead of me. All I know is there's a big black hunk of plastic on the top of my engine, and I've only seen the tangle of hoses and wires underneath once...it scared me.

It is if impound (not from a protest) requires competitors to suddenly have the knowledge to work with parts that I believe most ST competitors never touch.

Agreed. This is driving, not an engineering competition. At some point in the next few years, I think I'll be ready to try nationals, but I doubt I'll be spending any time between now and then in any of Citrus College's fine automotive technology classes. Autocross is no like any other form of motor racing...it's meant to be affordable and accessible, in a way no other forms of motorsport are. Forcing people to know how to access the innards of a stock-class car, travel with a mechanic or impose on friends who are dealing with their own nationals-related stress doesn't seem like it's either. Just my humble opinion as your resident mechano-moron.

[Aaron Goldsmith]

Just to make something clear, a "rail" is something that an object moves on, as opposed to the "brackets" that come with aftermarket seats.

Webster's: 3 a: a bar of rolled steel forming a track for wheeled vehicles

Not an exact definition of seat rails, but the closest in context. The rest of the rule is an improvement.

I think it's really just semantics, you can easily find Rail defined most basically as A horizontal bar. With that wording, to the letter of the rule, the seat doesn't need to be able to move.

[Jayson Woodruff]

This is driving, not an engineering competition.

Well, not exactly. Cars have to be chosen, driven and 'built' well to win, even in stock class.

At some point in the next few years, I think I'll be ready to try nationals, but I doubt I'll be spending any time between now and then in any of Citrus College's fine automotive technology classes. .... Forcing people to know how to access the innards of a stock-class car, travel with a mechanic or impose on friends who are dealing with their own nationals-related stress doesn't seem like it's either.

Now you're just hyperbolizing what's written in the fast track and the past experiances written here. No where has it been said you'd have to access the 'innards' of a stock car with trade school tech knowledge. Stock wasn't mentioned, and in my opinon, valve covers and compression checks although can be a pain in the ass, aren't what I'd call 'innards' and you don't need a UTI degree or personal mechanic to get to them.

Jay W

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

Jason, any insight on the reasoning behind the ITR going to BS and Cobalt to GS? Based on Kevin Dietz and FastMike's performance in Kevin's bone stock Cobalt on 2 yr old dead tires, I'm thinking if anything those should be switched!

No, I missed the spring meeting when this all went down.

[Steve Ekstrand]

Isley carefully set up "plausible deniability".


Impound teardown's aren't fun... But trust me. If I win, I'll be wrenching with a smile on. I remember the drag teardowns late into the evening on Sunday's after the race, with a long haul home facing you.

If you were the runner-up and tagged to teardown too, it sucked. If you were the winner it was a total high.

As long as its top finishers only and its kept somewhat reasonable in relation to the class, then I see nothing wrong with it.

I do wonder if at nationals dyno testing of some sort might be a better alternative than teardowns. Yeah lots of unaddressed issues on that toss out.

[Annie Bauer]

Jason, any insight on the reasoning behind the ITR going to BS and Cobalt to GS? Based on Kevin Dietz and FastMike's performance in Kevin's bone stock Cobalt on 2 yr old dead tires, I'm thinking if anything those should be switched!

No, I missed the spring meeting when this all went down.

Yeah, likely story...

Luckily I still have an "in" with that other Bauer character... I'll see if he has any insight before I craft any type of letter

[Keith Brown]

Luckily I still have an "in" with that other Bauer character... I'll see if he has any insight before I craft any type of letter

He missed the spring meeting too... the list of attendees is in the fastrack...

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

Yeah, likely story...

Luckily I still have an "in" with that other Bauer character... I'll see if he has any insight before I craft any type of letter

This working weekends it a killer.

I kept up with much of what was going on online... But somehow I completely missed the where/how/why on the Type R, I am sure it is part of the bigger SAC plan which should be out next month. They HAD to get this in this FT to get something on the table for 2009, July FT is the cutoff, but they did not have everything 100% done.

I would wait on any SAC letters till you see the whole thing next month. I am sure it will make more sense then.

[Mike Simanyi]

Well, actually, we do. It's called X-Runs and fun runs. But I'd still argue that in both cases it can be considered instructional.

Sure, but I think the key there is it's instructional and neither the driver nor passenger is allowed to do this until they complete their official class runs... assuming they aren't just taking two sets of X runs.

Mike

[Mike Simanyi]

Impound teardown's aren't fun... But trust me. If I win, I'll be wrenching with a smile on. I remember the drag teardowns late into the evening on Sunday's after the race, with a long haul home facing you.

If you were the runner-up and tagged to teardown too, it sucked. If you were the winner it was a total high.

As long as its top finishers only and its kept somewhat reasonable in relation to the class, then I see nothing wrong with it.

I do wonder if at nationals dyno testing of some sort might be a better alternative than teardowns. Yeah lots of unaddressed issues on that toss out.

There are some problems that I hope they consider. In the BMW realm, if they force a teardown to the point where the cams are removed, it takes a number of BMW-specific - and expensive - tools to ensure the cams aren't damaged and the variable valve timing stuff is properly reassembled. Trying to remove the cams without the proper tool *will* damage them. The basic price of the various tools exceeds $1k.

I'm sure the BMWs aren't alone on that. On the other hand, pulling the valve cover is relatively simple.

Mike

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

There are some problems that I hope they consider. In the BMW realm, if they force a teardown to the point where the cams are removed, it takes a number of BMW-specific - and expensive - tools to ensure the cams aren't damaged and the variable valve timing stuff is properly reassembled. Trying to remove the cams without the proper tool *will* damage them. The basic price of the various tools exceeds $1k.

I'm sure the BMWs aren't alone on that. On the other hand, pulling the valve cover is relatively simple.

Mike

The BMW is not competitive, so problem avoided.

[Giovanni Jaramillo]

The BMW is not competitive, so problem avoided.

Oh that's a low blow! I felt that all the way on the west side!

[Jason Isley BS RX8]

Oh that's a low blow! I felt that all the way on the west side!

How did you feel that? I would have thought you were numb from sitting in your heated leather seats.

[Giovanni Jaramillo]

Oh that's a low blow! I felt that all the way on the west side!

How did you feel that? I would have thought you were numb from sitting in your heated leather seats.

Actually non-heated, and manual with cloth(alcantara) interior

[Steve Ekstrand]

You shouldn't have to remove the cams to check them. Can't you get a dial indicator on the cam, the follower, the arm, the valve, something?

[Bob Beamesderfer]

Just to make something clear, a "rail" is something that an object moves on, as opposed to the "brackets" that come with aftermarket seats.

Webster's: 3 a: a bar of rolled steel forming a track for wheeled vehicles

Not an exact definition of seat rails, but the closest in context. The rest of the rule is an improvement.

I think it's really just semantics, you can easily find Rail defined most basically as A horizontal bar. With that wording, to the letter of the rule, the seat doesn't need to be able to move.

Yeah, semantics is never part of a rules argument is it? More important, there's no language in the rule that says the seat can be in a fixed position.

[Mike Simanyi]

Oh that's a low blow! I felt that all the way on the west side!

How did you feel that? I would have thought you were numb from sitting in your heated leather seats.

Gio,

Please don't feed the bear. Jason is on a roll!

Mike

[Aaron Goldsmith]

Yeah, semantics is never part of a rules argument is it? More important, there's no language in the rule that says the seat can be in a fixed position.

What? Dude, we both know you're gunna be able to mount a seat fixed. I'm not arguing..

[Bob Beamesderfer]

Yeah, semantics is never part of a rules argument is it? More important, there's no language in the rule that says the seat can be in a fixed position.

What? Dude, we both know you're gunna be able to mount a seat fixed. I'm not arguing..

Hey, I'm just sayin' it's not there.

[Giovanni Jaramillo]

Oh that's a low blow! I felt that all the way on the west side!

How did you feel that? I would have thought you were numb from sitting in your heated leather seats.

Gio,

Please don't feed the bear. Jason is on a roll!

Mike

It must be a slow day at Haymarket Publishing

[Aaron Goldsmith]

The SAC is going to propose changes for 2010 in an upcoming Fastrack. The final proposal is not completed but most classes
will be affected by a designation change (class letters). A few classes will have significant proposals for the membership
to consider.
STAC and SMAC – Class renaming for better consistency

So, i'm sittin here thinkin about this. Now it seems to me if you're changing the class naming for consistency, that probably means you're gunna rename STS-STU to follow the standard A,B,C structure of the older classes.

i.e.
STU=AST
STX=BST
ST2=CST
STS=DST

Which all kinda makes sense, funny that the miatas always seem to end up in the Cs.

Which also would mean the SM's, if there names were changing, would become something like

SM2=ASM
SM =BSM

Then you see this:
The SEB has asked the SMAC to investigate possibilities for a new SM class focusing on FWD cars.

So.. um.. CSM then eh?

All I'm saying is all you CSM competators better watch out for bill hogan and his FWD civic in 2010.

[Giovanni Jaramillo]

Then you see this:
The SEB has asked the SMAC to investigate possibilities for a new SM class focusing on FWD cars.

Maybe the STAC should do the same thing for AWD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aaron Goldsmith]

Then you see this:
The SEB has asked the SMAC to investigate possibilities for a new SM class focusing on FWD cars.

Maybe the STAC should do the same thing for AWD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Haha, that's SM (future BSM.. hmm only one letter from BSP).

[Jayson Woodruff]

This type wouldn't be bad. I'm actually have a really hard time calling in cars that have classes with numbers in them. It makes me stumble on the call-in thinking I mixed car number and class. really screwed me up at our ProSolo with lots of STS2s, SM2s, L1s and L2s while I was working.

Jay W

.
STU=AST
STX=BST
ST2=CST
STS=DST

SM2=ASM
SM =BSM