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  1. #401
    Contributing Member Steve Bamford's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Speed Sport Engineering View Post

    Putting a street tire on a purpose built race car is about the fastest way I can think of to make it completely un-cool. If you're trying to attract new and younger people into the class, that is not the way to do it. Just people even thinking it's a good idea makes me sad and frustrated.
    I forgot about this one because the super skinny slicks look so much more like a race car then a wider spec tire

    Why not argue about aero or rolling resistance, that I can understand but saying the car will look un-cool is a stretch.
    Steve Bamford

  2. #402
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    Bam Bam & Amon

    You guys are being lazy. I assume you think all your babble is going to change something. WELL IT IS NOT. Get on the phone and start performing to a level equal to your rhetoric. You will have it done in no time.

    Brian

  3. #403
    Senior Member Amon's Avatar
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    Brian,


    The example you have provided was constructed in one region which happens to be
    the largest region in the SCCA, and therefore only one set of Administrators had to
    be convinced. When you throw 10-12 regions or 3-4 tracks into the equation, many
    more personalities with ego's are involved. In addition, what happens if a driver elects to go to a region/track that doesn't recognize the spec-tire agreement? I have eight
    tracks within 6 hours of my home, so what worked in your region isn't so simple in
    ours! If you don't like our babble then don't read or contribute to this thread, and
    you're probably correct about nothing occuring because of this thread. But this thread
    allows myself and others the opportunity to express our concerns and who knows
    where it may lead?

    Mark

  4. #404
    Senior Member Rolling Stone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bam Bam View Post
    I forgot about this one because the super skinny slicks look so much more like a race car then a wider spec tire

    Why not argue about aero or rolling resistance, that I can understand but saying the car will look un-cool is a stretch.


    F1 cars look so un-cool with the wide tires too

  5. #405
    Senior Member Rolling Stone's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hardingfv32 View Post
    Bam Bam & Amon

    You guys are being lazy. I assume you think all your babble is going to change something. WELL IT IS NOT. Get on the phone and start performing to a level equal to your rhetoric. You will have it done in no time.

    Brian

    I dont know about Amon,but Bam-Bam is NOT lazy I have seen him pushing his Mysterian lots of times

  6. #406
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    Mark,

    You seem to be very outspoken about a spec tire, but when I search for race results I don't see much. I'm curious how many races you run a year?

  7. #407
    Senior Member Amon's Avatar
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    Brian,

    Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it's my understanding that the FV (SCCA)
    numbers in the LA area are weak? If that's the case, what have you been
    doing to increase the numbers other than accuse others of being lazy and
    babbling?

    Mark

  8. #408
    Senior Member Amon's Avatar
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    Mike V.,

    Seriously? Actually, I raced 3 regional (Double) weekends and 1 National last year since you asked! You probably can't find me because the transponder # is under the previous car's owner and I never changed it etc.. So I hope that satisfies your curiosity but rest assured I raced last year. In fact, I met you last year at M-O
    when my son and I came down to watch Gary B. who's been a friend of ours for
    many years, and we started out in FV at nearly the same time and tracks!

    Thanks for asking!

    Mark


    92' Protoform P-2/05'

  9. #409
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    Quote Originally Posted by Amon View Post
    Mike V.,

    Seriously? Actually, I raced 3 regional (Double) weekends and 1 National last year since you asked! You probably can't find me because the transponder # is under the previous car's owner and I never changed it etc.. So I hope that satisfies your curiosity but rest assured I raced last year. In fact, I met you last year at M-O
    when my son and I came down to watch Gary B. who's been a friend of ours for
    many years, and we started out in FV at nearly the same time and tracks!

    Thanks for asking!

    Mark


    92' Protoform P-2/05'
    I think that was a fair question to ask since you are so strongly in favor of trying to make such a radical change to our class. I had a feeling we had spoke at mid-ohio, but I don't recall much of the conversation. It would probably help to put a face to the name, as they say.

    I wasn't trying to call you out for not racing. I wanted to make a guess as to how much of change in your racing program a spec tire would make based on what you must be currently spending in tires.

  10. #410
    Senior Member Amon's Avatar
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    Mike V,

    In all seriousness, I do respect your opinion and your accomplishments on the
    track and in your efforts to build one hell of a car. It's just that we don't agree
    on this subject, but no big deal because we're all just voicing our opinions, no
    matter what side we take. Maybe we can meet again and crack open several
    beers with Gary, Rick and the gang some time in the future.

    Take care!

    Mark


    P.S.: I'd race alot more but I want to keep the wife happy!
    Last edited by Amon; 02.02.12 at 6:38 PM.

  11. #411
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    yeah, no worries Mark. We all have strong opinions on these issues, as it's a big part of the racing life. I do have a very strong desire to see FV thrive, and I'm not trying to keep any "advantages" by opposing some of these ideas. I just differ in my opinion as to whether its good for the class.

    I'm hoping to be back at Mid-Ohio for the national this June if we aren't grouped with the FC's. It was fun last year.

  12. #412
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    A question for Mark, Greg and Bob. Why did you leave FST? It seems to have everything that you are looking for. Cars that will make minimum weight with a 400lbs. driver, dirt cheap engines, all the cheap parts god ever made, and SPEC tires. It seems odd you would leave Heaven on earth for a dying, broken down class.

    Dave

  13. #413
    Contributing Member lawyerbob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
    A question for Mark, Greg and Bob. Why did you leave FST? It seems to have everything that you are looking for. Cars that will make minimum weight with a 400lbs. driver, dirt cheap engines, all the cheap parts god ever made, and SPEC tires. It seems odd you would leave Heaven on earth for a dying, broken down class.

    Dave
    I can only speak for me. My change was driven by two things:

    1) I had a TERRIBLE year financially last year and decided to put the car up for sale. Ultimately, the proverbial "offer I couldn't refuse" came along that involved trading my FST for an FV and some $. Prior to that I had expected to just sit out a year and then regroup.

    2) The only downside that I found to FST was that (as of the end of last year) in order to have anyone to race with (in my region) I had to travel with the series. The series is a LOT of fun, but tow miles and hotel costs were really not helping, especially given the other financial junk that went down.

    Now having said that, it turns out there will be a number of FST cars running the local Cen-Div races next season. To be blunt, I'v kicked myself a number of times but done is done. If, and it's a big IF, a number of things were to happen in the next couple months, I still won't rule out a return to FST in 2012, but more likely, it will be 2013. If there are in fact a stable number of FST cars running Cen-Div races in 2012 it will almost certainly lead me back in 2013.
    Bob Stack, Hartland, WI
    CenDiv - Milwaukee region

  14. #414
    Senior Member Amon's Avatar
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    Dave,

    Fair question! I actually joined FST because of the spec-tire and left because unless
    I was willing to travel with the Championship Tour group, I had very few guys to race
    with in my class. In addition, one friend who converted was transfered to Canada, the 2nd
    quit racing altogether and the 3rd got a girl friend, never finished his project, got married and now is a proud father. So lack of other drivers plus at the time they (FST) we're experiencing engine troubles that were later solved by the addition of a dry-sump. I enjoyed the extra power with the 1600, 25+ heat cycle tires and Rack & pinion steering but you need two people to call it a race!

    Thanks!


    Mark
    Last edited by Amon; 02.02.12 at 7:04 PM.

  15. #415
    Senior Member AVR_Shane's Avatar
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    Post #415, and I don't believe one person has changed their minds about any of this...everyone has strong opinion though, I'll give that
    Shane Viccary
    #27 Citation-Zink Z-16

  16. #416
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    All this talk of a spec tire has me thinking. Is this the magic bullet that will save FV. Having experienced the results in the SF Region, I would have to say no. It has aided, but truthfully, it is, as it has always been. A group of racers that like to socialize as a group, and compete on the track. We have had our highs and lows in participation over the years, all with a spec tire. It was no different when tires were free. At the beginning of the year, the person responsible for bringing the spec tire to our region asked if it was time to abandon the spec tire and revert back. He thought it might increase participation. We have retained the spec tire, but it may have seen it's end.

    There has been talk of a spec tire from many parts of the country. We have given them all the knowledge of how it was done here. This idea is not new, it has been going on for over 10 years, probably longer and nothing has changed. There is always the response that they can not get a consensus. Now, some people think it will be different Nationally, when it has proven to be impossible Regionally. The fact that it works for one group does not equate to universal acceptance. I understand the angst of those that want FV to have an infinite life by throwing out suggestions but a spec tire is not a new idea and it is not a magic bullet. Truthfully the only magic bullet are the racers. As long as they race the class will live. The class is nearly 50 years old. Pretty much everything that can be discussed has been.

    The racers are the only true ambassadors, and the one thing that can be the silver bullet.

  17. #417
    Senior Member Diamond Level Motorsports's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce View Post
    All this talk of a spec tire has me thinking. Is this the magic bullet that will save FV. Having experienced the results in the SF Region, I would have to say no. It has aided, but truthfully, it is, as it has always been. A group of racers that like to socialize as a group, and compete on the track. We have had our highs and lows in participation over the years, all with a spec tire. It was no different when tires were free. At the beginning of the year, the person responsible for bringing the spec tire to our region asked if it was time to abandon the spec tire and revert back. He thought it might increase participation. We have retained the spec tire, but it may have seen it's end.
    Bruce,

    It's not meant to be a magic bullet. Just an idea along with others to potentially help improve the numbers.

    SFR FV entry's would go from 10-15 to 2-4 max if you took away the AR spec tire. That would be a great idea especially in this economy.....
    Scott

  18. #418
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt King View Post
    It's like politics--you can debate the big picture national policy issues forever, but most of what people really care about happens locally. In my experience, the reason a particular class thrives in one geographic region over another is because it has developed the right combination of personalities, participation and competition to make it a success.

    It starts with a group of guys who hang out at the track, have fun together racing and after the races, and don't take themselves or the racing too seriously. It takes that core group of racers who are committed to the class year after year to build a critical mass of participation that other people get excited about joining. People are attracted to the promise of affordability, fun, predicability, and stability. They like knowing they can expect to spend $XX a weekend to go racing so they can budget for it and knowing there will be XX number of cars on average entering every race. They like a predictable schedule of races that is practical and convenient to commit to for a year or more. They don't like uncertainly in the rules, unpredictable costs and schedules, and unpredicable event turnouts where they don't know if they will be racing against themselves week after week. They don't like spending two days traveling to and from the track for every day on the track.

    It's not really about the details of the cars or the rules, although those do have an impact. Classes like FV and SM that offer ease of entry, simplicity, and close competition without requiring obscene amounts of finanacial and technical commitment fit very well into this social model of amateur racing. Obviously racers have proven to be able to screw that up royally, but it is the appearance of those things that creates the initial attraction.

    Adopting a spec tire nationally is not a magic solution because it is not going to solve individual regional problems. It may be an important part of achieving success locally but all the other things on the list still need to fall into place.

    The energy put into these debates could be put to better use if smaller groups of racers got together and talked about what could work for their own regions rather than arguing back and forth about what other people should have to do in theirs.
    Well said. We need more post like this that help us understand the dynamics and what really drives what happens.

  19. #419
    Contributing Member problemchild's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt King View Post
    It's like politics--you can debate the big picture national policy issues forever, but most of what people really care about happens locally. In my experience, the reason a particular class thrives in one geographic region over another is because it has developed the right combination of personalities, participation and competition to make it a success.

    It starts with a group of guys who hang out at the track, have fun together racing and after the races, and don't take themselves or the racing too seriously. It takes that core group of racers who are committed to the class year after year to build a critical mass of participation that other people get excited about joining. People are attracted to the promise of affordability, fun, predicability, and stability. They like knowing they can expect to spend $XX a weekend to go racing so they can budget for it and knowing there will be XX number of cars on average entering every race. They like a predictable schedule of races that is practical and convenient to commit to for a year or more. They don't like uncertainly in the rules, unpredictable costs and schedules, and unpredicable event turnouts where they don't know if they will be racing against themselves week after week. They don't like spending two days traveling to and from the track for every day on the track.

    It's not really about the details of the cars or the rules, although those do have an impact. Classes like FV and SM that offer ease of entry, simplicity, and close competition without requiring obscene amounts of finanacial and technical commitment fit very well into this social model of amateur racing. Obviously racers have proven to be able to screw that up royally, but it is the appearance of those things that creates the initial attraction.

    Adopting a spec tire nationally is not a magic solution because it is not going to solve individual regional problems. It may be an important part of achieving success locally but all the other things on the list still need to fall into place.

    The energy put into these debates could be put to better use if smaller groups of racers got together and talked about what could work for their own regions rather than arguing back and forth about what other people should have to do in theirs.
    All that stuff is great but it does nothing to fix the obvious problems. It costs too much to race these cars and the cars are too small. Spec tires and increasing the min weight are about the two only tools we have that can be used without major restructuring of the cars and class. Time spent with all that other stuff is just delaying the inevitable reform, and will just sabatoge that reform, which of course, is why some people want to pursue that discussion. A localized regional tire program is not the same as a true National spec tire, and forces people to pick, choose, possibly duplicate, rather than unite and crossover.
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  20. #420
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    Quote Originally Posted by problemchild View Post
    A localized regional tire program is not the same as a true National spec tire, and forces people to pick, choose, possibly duplicate, rather than unite and crossover.
    How many Regional guys race a National race occasionally? Very very few. You are concerned about the majority. A localized regional tire program is the most 'politically' practical way to get a spec tire program.

    Who do you think a spec tire program is most attractive to: a regional or national competitor? Are the MAJORITY of Nat competitors that cost sensitive, no.

    The unfortunate part of a localized regional tire program is that someone has to step up and make it happen.

    Brian

  21. #421
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    Why is it that in SFR, where the regional competition is just as fierce and the drivers are arguably just as talented as the national guys, there is such a hard split between the two? Yeah, the national entry fees are $100 more.. But I'd be willing to bet having two different sets of tires is a much bigger deal.

    I am definitely against having regional differences in rule sets, as hard as it may be to get everyone on board nationally.

  22. #422
    Contributing Member problemchild's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hardingfv32 View Post
    How many Regional guys race a National race occasionally? Very very few. You are concerned about the majority. A localized regional tire program is the most 'politically' practical way to get a spec tire program.

    Who do you think a spec tire program is most attractive to: a regional or national competitor? Are the MAJORITY of Nat competitors that cost sensitive, no.

    The unfortunate part of a localized regional tire program is that someone has to step up and make it happen.

    Brian
    That may apply to some geographic areas. It certainly does not apply to most of the central and east coast. I am not as ideally located as many, but I can race in Ontario, Quebec, MARRS, NARRC, NYSRRC, EMRA, NEDIV,CENDIV,GLDIV, SEDIV, and about 10 other local series I don't even remember, all within 12 hrs of my home with my SCCA-legal FV. 75% of those events would be within 6 hrs of my home. Having a common spec tire would improve my ability to race competitively and economically. In the real world, its called standardization.

    While the current National drivers may not be as cost-sensitive to tires ..... that is the problem. There are not nearly enough National Fv drivers. Those who are tire cost-sensitive have left or are never getting there. It's the same with $30K cars or big money tweeks. There are just not enough people willing to spend that kind of money to race FV. If the common Joe suddenly gets that money, he's probably not going to spend it in this class.
    Last edited by problemchild; 02.03.12 at 2:45 PM.
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  23. #423
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    "Having a common spec tire would improve my ability to race competitively and economically. In the real world, its called standardization."

    Eliminating Canada, since if I'm not mistaken, we in the US would need to purchase rims along with a tire to compete. Besides, if I were to make this topic personal, I would immediately eliminate the Canada way. The fact is I will never compete in Canada and since I live in the SF Region the need of a rain tire is almost nill. Truthfully I can not remember when the last time I saw the need for rain tires. Tires are free, so each can chose what he wants to spend and compete on. The idea of standardization would eliminate a person's choice. If monetary along with competitive consideration are the main objectives, why put restrictions? Since you have made it personal, I think everyone should and then we will get nothing done.

    Scott,

    Your analysis is slightly biased and I do see your point. However everyone will still be able to run on AR's, and would open up the market for those that race up in the Great Northwest as well as those in the LA area. Possibly increasing the fields. No one can be sure of the results.

  24. #424
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    You can't copy Canada, ie radial, but the philosophy behind the choice of spec and the reason we ended up with a radial can be valuable down in the US.

    philisophically we differ greatly between what vee racing should be when it comes to tires. period. especially those at the high end national level.

    off topic IMO rule sets that are wide open aren't very good. and rule sets that are completely closed aren't very good either, middle ground is best. however from a drivers only standpoint if i had a choice it would be a closed rule set. because i'm a driver not a designer.

    people who design and fab want open rules becuase that appeals to them.

    also i still say once you go slick it's like crack and you can't give it up! if we were handed some slicks up here in Ontario, undoubtedly some of us would not want to go back to a radial.
    Andrew McMurray
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  25. #425
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hardingfv32 View Post
    Who do you think a spec tire program is most attractive to: a regional or national competitor?

    Are the MAJORITY of Nat competitors that cost sensitive, no.
    Brian,

    My thought process is the folks who utilize more tires per season should be the ones more in favor of a spec tire. If you do 3 Nationals a year on one set of tires what difference does it really make? If you are doing 8 doubles and it takes 4 sets to do that with you might have different take on things.

    I'd also argue that the MAJORITY of FV Nat competitors ARE that cost sensitive or they wouldn't be racing FV.

    Every racers' budget comes down to priorities because very very few have enough money to race every weekend in the class we want at the level we want. So we have to decide what gets our dollar and what doesn't. In my mind tires are too highly consumable and too large of a factor in performance to not save money there if we can.

  26. #426
    Contributing Member problemchild's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce View Post
    "Having a common spec tire would improve my ability to race competitively and economically. In the real world, its called standardization."

    Eliminating Canada, since if I'm not mistaken, we in the US would need to purchase rims along with a tire to compete. Besides, if I were to make this topic personal, I would immediately eliminate the Canada way. The fact is I will never compete in Canada and since I live in the SF Region the need of a rain tire is almost nill. Truthfully I can not remember when the last time I saw the need for rain tires. Tires are free, so each can chose what he wants to spend and compete on. The idea of standardization would eliminate a person's choice. If monetary along with competitive consideration are the main objectives, why put restrictions? Since you have made it personal, I think everyone should and then we will get nothing done .

    Scott,

    Your analysis is slightly biased and I do see your point. However everyone will still be able to run on AR's, and would open up the market for those that race up in the Great Northwest as well as those in the LA area. Possibly increasing the fields. No one can be sure of the results.
    If you were following along ...

    You would realize that I am a proponent of having a current race tire manufacturer provide FV racers with a one-size-all purpose-built tire to fit on existing 15" FV wheels.
    While I think the F1200 model is an excellent example of spec tires saving an all-but-dead class, I have never promoted it as my solution to the US FV problems. Much like the spec intake manifold option, I would be in favor of F1200 wheels/tires as a theoretical solution, but believe that implementation today, would be more difficult to achieve successfully. Having seen spec tire programs implemented successfully in F1200, Canadian FF, and recently American FF pro, I have no doubt that 3 yrs after adopting spec tires, the strongest opponents would be the biggest fans, and FV would actually be growing. It needs to get done! It needs to get done soon! There is absolutely no reason that we cannot be testing options by spring, select a tire by summer, and have the tire companies manage their inventory so that we move forward for 2013 with a minimum of bother and maximum benefit..
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    Greg I don'think using the pro FF as a example is helping your cause. At about $900 a set plus M&B& disposal is more than we are paying now. The only restriction I believe is 6 tires a weekend (ie qualifying and race) practice and testing as many tires as you can afford. I was involved with the F2000 series two years ago and we used 2-3 sets of tires for test and practice per car plus the 6 tires for the Official weekend.
    I don't think there is a single case where Spec tires have helped a competitor in SCCA.

  28. #428
    Global Moderator Bill Bonow's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
    I don't think there is a single case where Spec tires have helped a competitor in SCCA.
    Dave,

    That is a pretty bold statement to make. Especially when it starts off with "I don't think....."

    As for Greg's comparison of the F1600 spec tire, it is an excellent example. The series is growing and the competitors are very happy (from what I read) with the tire program. This happiness seems to drive that series to grow more. What am I missing?
    Bill Bonow
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  29. #429
    Contributing Member Tom Valet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
    Greg I don'think using the pro FF as a example is helping your cause. At about $900 a set plus M&B& disposal is more than we are paying now. The only restriction I believe is 6 tires a weekend (ie qualifying and race) practice and testing as many tires as you can afford. I was involved with the F2000 series two years ago and we used 2-3 sets of tires for test and practice per car plus the 6 tires for the Official weekend.
    I don't think there is a single case where Spec tires have helped a competitor in SCCA.
    Dave, that $900 price in the Pro series is artificially high because of the prize money Hoosier pays plus they send their entire support team to the events for only two classes. The same r45 compound tires are provided to the FE class as a spec tire in national and regional races for considerably less money.

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    Senior Member Diamond Level Motorsports's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tiago Santos View Post
    Why is it that in SFR, where the regional competition is just as fierce and the drivers are arguably just as talented as the national guys, there is such a hard split between the two? Yeah, the national entry fees are $100 more.. But I'd be willing to bet having two different sets of tires is a much bigger deal.
    Exactly.........

    My wish, in case anyone following this thread has not figured this out yet, is a national spec racing slick that will last 15+ heat cycles (like the American Racer) so I can run regionals, and nationals without having to buy two completely different types of tires, another set of rims, and change the suspension settings because of the tire differences. BTW, I also would like 1050 weight so I can only be 20 lbs over weight.

    If those rules are implemented I promise I will run nationals and come to the runoffs in a FV.

    So, here is proof that making some minor changes to the class rules will in fact encourage more participation. I know that I am not the only guy in SFR that would join me in this promise.
    Scott

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    Senior Member Jim Nash's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
    Greg I don'think using the pro FF as a example is helping your cause. At about $900 a set plus M&B& disposal is more than we are paying now. The only restriction I believe is 6 tires a weekend (ie qualifying and race) practice and testing as many tires as you can afford. I was involved with the F2000 series two years ago and we used 2-3 sets of tires for test and practice per car plus the 6 tires for the Official weekend.
    I don't think there is a single case where Spec tires have helped a competitor in SCCA.
    Dave,

    As for the 1600 pro series comparison, one doesn't need to go deep into the specifics. It has a spec tire and is considered successful. Just like the F2000 series. Would it be successful without the spec tire? We'll never know. Just like we'll never know if FV would grow with a spec tire. It's not ever going to be a rule.

    As for an SCCA competitor being helped by a spec tire, I suppose it depends on what you mean by "helped". CFF has a few versions of spec tire rules across the country and I think the class has benefited. I started my racing in CFF but, ingnorance was bliss in those days. 20 years later I took the time and financial resources to design and build a VW based car and chose FST over FV because of the spec tire. I guess I'll never learn.

    Long live FV! Just the way it is. It is a great class that has stood the test of time like no other!

    Jim
    Last edited by Jim Nash; 02.03.12 at 11:33 PM.

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    I am a F5/F6 kind of guy (on the F600 committee) and I sort of tripped over this very long thread and about halfway thru reading it realized that no one has mentioned a "secret" that we F5/F6 guys just love - SIDEPODS!! When we first wrote the F440 rules back in 1983 the BOD imposed on us sidepods for safety sake - we bitched and moaned - but we found out quickly that you FV guys (and the FF guys too) suffer mightily trying to fit everything into the driver's compartment (or engine bay) thus there is no more room for the bigger drivers. We LOVE our sidepods and you can too come up with an appropriate size sidepod to move all your "stuff" out of the driver's compartment like battery, fire bottle, etc, along with a bigger oil cooler to help the motor. All you need are optimum size sidepods - not too big.

    On a separate, but related note, the BOD/CRB told us that they received several inquiries during the F600 class polling to make more room in our cars for bigger drivers so we have this same issue as well.

    Jim
    Been messing with F440/500/600's since 1982

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    Quote Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
    Greg I don'think using the pro FF as a example is helping your cause. At about $900 a set plus M&B& disposal is more than we are paying now. The only restriction I believe is 6 tires a weekend (ie qualifying and race) practice and testing as many tires as you can afford. I was involved with the F2000 series two years ago and we used 2-3 sets of tires for test and practice per car plus the 6 tires for the Official weekend.
    I don't think there is a single case where Spec tires have helped a competitor in SCCA.
    Don't be ridiculous.
    The spec tire was created to specifications desired by the Series for use by FF racers. Most of the competitors are using one set per weekend (2 races) and the using them for subsequent practice sessions, and then endless test days. Any suggestion that that spec tire is not an overwhelming success story is just ignorance. The alternative of having an open tire rule would be crazy.
    I am unfamiliar with any F2000 teams operating as your fear-mongering personal account suggests, and I know teams running on the podium that use their 6 per weekend and that is it. If there are teams with money to burn, that wish to test on new tires ..... let them, if it does them any good at all, it won't be during the race events.
    Neither of these tire programs were tailored to FV race cars or our criteria. Both of these Series are wildly successful and spec tire programs are a huge part of their success. Both are excellent examples of how a spec tire program builds race fields, growth, and success.
    Greg Rice, RICERACEPREP.com
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    Default "FV gets spec tires for 50th Birthday"

    A great way to use a spec tire as a marketing tool would be to have it in place for 2013 and promote it with the exposure generated by the 50th Anniversary. Whether spec tires, increased minimum weight, or other reform, co-ordinating it in time to be talked about in coverage of the anniversary would be win-win. Lets get it done!

    "FV gets spec tires for 50th Birthday"
    Last edited by problemchild; 02.06.12 at 1:59 PM.
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    Yep, I would agree. (changes or not). The 50th comes with lots of promotion and opportunity to do a lot for the class. Don't miss this window if you are serious.
    Jim
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    We were told over a week ago that the survey was completed and I'd like
    to know what the exact numbers are since it was revealed that the clear
    majority of drivers wanted a "spec-tire". Any chance we can get the
    breakdown in the next few days???

    Thanks!

    Mark

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    Quote Originally Posted by problemchild View Post
    "FV gets spec tires for 50th Birthday"
    So it's official, uh?

    (is this how rumors get started? :P)

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    "FV gets spec tires for 50th Birthday"

    I just thought it would be a great headline!

    The writers obligated to write reports before and after, could report about all the positive change to reduce costs and attract new racers as the class starts its 2nd half century.
    Last edited by problemchild; 02.06.12 at 2:10 PM.
    Greg Rice, RICERACEPREP.com
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    Quote Originally Posted by Amon View Post
    We were told over a week ago that the survey was completed and I'd like
    to know what the exact numbers are since it was revealed that the clear
    majority of drivers wanted a "spec-tire". Any chance we can get the
    breakdown in the next few days???

    Thanks!

    Mark
    Mark,

    I'm sorry for the delay. I have been traveling a lot for work and just haven't had time to get the results together and tabulated. There is a lot of scrubbing to do. I have to compare it to participant lists, and do a lot of comparisons. I hope to get it done this week, but I'm in Alaska until Thursday.

    Thanks for your patience.

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    [quote=problemchild;332663]Don't be ridiculous.
    The spec tire was created to specifications desired by the Series for use by FF racers. Most of the competitors are using one set per weekend (2 races) and the using them for subsequent practice sessions, and then endless test days. Any suggestion that that spec tire is not an overwhelming success story is just ignorance. The alternative of having an open tire rule would be crazy.
    quote]



    This is basically what we already have now in FV. Current FV tires easily last 2 races, several practice sessions, and many test day sessions.

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