Street Touring rule change for 2011

[Welacey]

can I run in ST? I am all about some skreet racing?

Yeah, we remember your GTO.

[Erv]

hey, hey , hey, the GTO was FS. Also don't you have to show up to vote

[rodhx]

I expect Derrin's good to go. I don't remember seeing any body parts that aren't factory parts for the kind of Focus he has.

Does anyone have a link to some of these discussions about ST competitors abusing the 'tuner body kit' rule to get real aero advantage? I didn't find anything pertaining to this on scca.org's forums.

Good news about Derrin.

Here is the latest thread on sccaforums.com

While Miata-specific, this will give you the jist of it also.

The takeback is a reaction to the growing necessity of aero to be nationally competitive in any of the ST classes. Think John Kilgore's wing or Darryl Engle's spoiler. Also, the allowance to modify stock bumper covers has led to this:

[Welacey]

hey, hey , hey, the GTO was FS. Also don't you have to show up to vote

Erv, i was talking about your quote on street racing and the condition that you left on your goat. (or skreet racin)

[e30Racer]

After reading through a few pages of the discussion on SCCAforums Rod posted, I just don't really understand why they completely took back the entire 14.2.f rule. I think its a bit excessive. According to the SCCAforum discussion, most of the voters who agree with the proposed "take-back" were doing so in response to people adding wings/spoilers and "swiss-cheese" bumpers. If the wings and the swiss-cheese are the problems, then address those problems. Don't take back the entire rule. Put a height/width/sq ft restriction on the wings/spoilers. For the bumpers, say that any replacement must be within a certain weight limit as the bumper it is replacing

On a similar note, I think its important for the people reading this thread to understand how proposed rule changes work for solo. I don't really know, so maybe some of you could chime in? Rod/Waight/Darryl/Wally.....

[ZX3Focus]

That pic clears some things up. My opinion is that Griffin's Civic illustrates the intent of the ST body kit allowance. I don't think the rule writers had taking a collection of hole saws after your stock bumper covers in mind.

I guess I ought to act more like a member and read a FasTrack from time to time.

[rodhx]

My understanding is that the process runs something like this:
1. Any SCCA member can write a letter to the appropriate committee suggesting a rule change/vehicle classification/etc.
2. The committee considers the suggestion, turning down the ones they deem without merit and soliciting member feedback on ones they are considering further.
3. Members are invited to send letters to the committees to show support/opposition/edits to the proposed rule.
4. The committees consider all the member feedback to ultimate decide what, if anything, will be changed.
5. The proposed change then goes to the SCCA Board for final approval. Since the committees are the experts, the BOD step is typically a rubber stamp.

I'm sure some of the more experience guys can expound on the list above, but that's the big picture as I understand it. The way we members know what is happening is by reading the monthly Fastrack.

Regarding the Street Touring body-kit takeback, apparently the overwhelming member feedback was "no aero in Street Touring", therefore the SEB/STAC (the appropriate committees) decided that 14.2.F should be deleted in its entirety.

And yes, Griffin's car is exactly what was in mind when the Street Touring category was developed. Then folks realized that a 5 square foot wing really does have a benefit at autocross speeds and they started popping up on everything. Track down some pics of this year's Nationals to see what has happened.

Rod

[TouringBubble]

For every rule, there are a few hundred people around to exploit it.

[rodhx]

For every rule, there are a few hundred people around to exploit it.

It's the motorsports way of life. A clever reading and implementation of the rules got Jenson Button & Brawn a driver's & manufacturer's world championship last year.

[rodhx]

Just to be clear since "ST" has been mentioned several times already...the rule change covers all the Street Touring classes: ST, STS, STX, STU (which includes your STI Erv), & STR.

[TouringBubble]

Erv is SM. External wastegate.

[rodhx]

He asked

[Erv]

Erv, i was talking about your quote on street racing and the condition that you left on your goat. (or skreet racin)

what happened to the goat had nothing to do with skreet racing, also, it was a joke... prime example of reading into "the rules"

[zukitek]

If you dont like it ...reply to the STAC about it . Im sure this went out for member consideration but I must have either not read it or just glossed over it .

At any event ....I have never been a protest kinda guy so I wont be putting up any fuss over body mods to competitors cars. If I see that the mods are creating competitive advantage then I will take notes and promptly one up his or her stuff or I will run away quietly

[rodhx]

Too late for the STAC I believe. It was out for comment over the last few months. STAC/SEB have recommended the deletion for BOD approval.

It's not a big deal to me either, other than the fact that if I go to a tour event I may have to take something off my car that has been on there for 11 years and serves no real purpose . I just didn't want this to catch out some of our other ST(?) folks.