Formula 500 as a whole!!
Posting this at the request of Leon.
Location: Indianapolis
Full Name: Leon Mitchell
.: SCCA Member
PostPosted: Tue Mar 31, 2015 8:05 pm
First the MC motors were to be brought in as a alternative "future of the sport" power-plant alternative. I was one of the first to express interest in this power-plant option, and myself and others with a interest finally after years of talking about it, a group presented it to SCCA. The proposal was from the beginning that it -if allowed- would be brought in under the current benchmark power-plants performance levels, and Competition Adjustments would be made accordingly. This proposed change unfortunately started a large separation in our class! A class that for the most part was a very close nit group. The proposal after a long period of time, due to some wanting to deviate from the original proposal of power-plant change only!! Not wheelbase, shocks, 13 inch tires.........................!!! The motor was allowed and was given a standard starting restrictor, then another small change in restrictor was made. Again with all knowing that the MC motor cars were subject to competition adjustments at any time, but the motor that so many were PASSIONATE about was and is now allowed to run on a National level!
If we take time to look at the facts -printed event time sheets-I think the numbers tell the true story!
WE ARE AS CLOSE AS THE TWO VERY DIFFERENT DRIVE TRAINS COULD POSSIBLY BE AT THIS TIME GIVEN THE COMPARATIVE DATA THAT'S CURRENTLY AVAILABLE!!!!!
Lets be honest, take a driver with experience driving a 2 stroke power-train car, he has a established part of the racing field he normally runs at competitively on a regular basis. Give the same driver ample amount of seat time to get acclimated to a completely different driving style needed to drive the MC powered car, and you will find he will still run at the same competitive level as he did before. He may prefer one over the other, but he will still compete at his given level! EXAMPLE = This years runoffs. Brian won because of Brian and his father!!! Brian drove as well as I have ever seen him drive, he hit his marks, he ran his own pace, and never deviated from his race! The car was prepared meticulously by his father and Brad Hueling. The car ran superb, and Brian drove superb!! But lets also look back throughout the season to get there. Brian drove MC powered cars to qualify to get there. At the races he ran in the MC car he ran where? Up front where he always runs, but his time and performance was not far above what few top running Snowmobile powered cars had run in times past, the top runners in that class had bad days, and failures, but the times are still the baseline past and current. I might add that if Brian would have been in a car that they owned or maintained on a regular basis, not a borrowed car the out come would have been different, he would have been a little faster but no faster than Clint or Calvin . Also Mike M had problems that were not a common thing for he and his father.But look at his past times. They have set the bar, and a very respectable one at that, and I really hate that they were so rudely accused of purposely being off their game! Also due to the constant drama and unrest a few of my drivers also moved on to other classes, and or have elected to not compete as much. I have encouraged all to compete together, stop the drama, and become ONE CLASS again.
The starting and finishing positions for any given driver will still be the same as they ran previously. I am a car manufacturer, and repair and support race cars and drivers so yes I have a agenda. But I also try to do the best I can to support my customers. If shifting was keeping you from this class like I have heard from people before, then it is not a issue now! But some prefer the simplicity of gas and brake = and some drivers don't necessarily need another thing clouding their thoughts -TED SIMMONS- JUST KIDDING Ted has done a good job of learning how to shift and adjust!!! But he is a example of someone who hasent really changed where in the field he normally competes at, he just wanted to shift!! And I will also say he doesn't limit his racing to one divided group or the other- he is like me I have supported both in a effort to return to one.
Myself and others involved hope to be announcing some things we are working on in hope of bringing some excitement and competition back to our class in efforts to grow and return to what we have been in the past! We hope that all will step back and think about things and come out and compete more! It would be so nice to see faces old and new come join in something that can be great again!!
As well the club is working hard to bring excitement and passion back to our racers, and I look forward to new and exciting news to come out of Topeka throughout the year to help grow our future!!!
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Seriously, switching to the mc engine/transmission has indeed not yet improved my race pace – but hoping to change that this year.
My observation of the mc vs. 2-stroke/cvt engine package - there is little if any difference. I felt like the cvt accelerated a little better from the roll-on speed of about 60 mph but the mc engine has a little better top speed. Daytona should be interesting!
And you better have the new nose ready for me at VIR.
Originally Posted by Leon Mitchell
