Am I right to be suspicious of the mechanical legality of a certain ITB Volvo and a certain yellow ITB VW that are both capable, as proved by video, of outrunning ITA Miatas and keeping up with spec Miatas at Hallett?
Am I right to be suspicious of the mechanical legality of a certain ITB Volvo and a certain yellow ITB VW that are both capable, as proved by video, of outrunning ITA Miatas and keeping up with spec Miatas at Hallett?
Got anything more specific than some vague references?
Without seeing the level of driving by the ITA and SM cars... it’s possible. Hallett is such a technical track. If you don’t get off a corner well, you could easily run slower than a slower class car.
I don't know the specifics, but the Volvo B20 engine, properly built is capable of some surprising power figures - like North of 200 HP NA.
So protest them and have them prove their legality or stop it with the rumor-mongering because you're not as fast.
ITB as in a class not individual throttle bodies right
Everybody that is faster than me must be cheating!
If ya ain’t cheatin’, ya ain’t winnin’.
The old, farmer dude who used to build my KT100 kart engines had this saying: If you get throwed out of the tech shed, well, at least you was IN the tech shed. (He actually said "thowed" rather than "throwed" or "thrown." Always liked that.)
Titan4 said:Everybody that is faster than me must be cheating!
I'm not that fast yet! As proved when someone else (who didn't have to take a 21 year hiatus from track driving) drove my car (which is FAR from being properly sorted yet) and promptly ran 5 seconds quicker than I without even pushing it that hard. 
I'm not even fast enough for cheating to even help me, yet. I know those guys aren't cheating (not in any meaningful way, at least) on their engine builds due the speeds they are achieving (or rather, are not achieving) at the ends of the straights. I'm mostly expressing disbelieving admiration for how fast some drivers are.
As far as yellow rabbits/golfs, two words: Chris Albin. Protested often in 90s...always legal, always fast.
Ovid_and_Flem said:As far as yellow rabbits/golfs, two words: Chris Albin. Protested often in 90s...always legal, always fast.
Yeah, I have to admit his driving makes me absolutely green! He is really fun to watch. If the man is on your tail lights, he needs only for you to make the slightest bobble in a corner (invisible to all but himself, including the driver that bobbled) and he suddenly gains 6-8-10 feet on you. I like his car trailer, too 
I see similar things on track with the group I race with. A ITB Golf and Rabbit that's are as fast as my ITA classed 16V Scirocco. The driver's are both good I'll give them that but when I can't even pass them on the straights then I have to be just a bit suspicious of how much power those 8V engines are putting out.
jimbbski said:I see similar things on track with the group I race with. A ITB Golf and Rabbit that's are as fast as my ITA classed 16V Scirocco. The driver's are both good I'll give them that but when I can't even pass them on the straights then I have to be just a bit suspicious of how much power those 8V engines are putting out.
A better driver carries more speed through a turn, gets on the power sooner, and is able to make a slower car seem faster down the straights thanks to that.
I raced at Waterford Hills for years. Current SM lap record is 1:17.215, set this year. ITB record is held by a Volvo at 1:18.886 and that was set 14 years ago. Give that car a tune and today's tires and I'll bet it could lower the mark. Also, keep in mind that SpecMiata cars run a restrictor plate on the 1.8 engines. A dedicated ITA Miata should be quicker than an SM version because of better power and suspension.
In reply to WildScotsRacingCampbellCougarSeed :
Those ITB Volvos are fast. There use to be a couple here in the Northeast that could run down the straights with my ITS TR8, and Chris Albin is just that good.
In reply to dculberson :
I've been racing since 1988 so I know a good driver when I see one.
When you catch up to one of these guys or they to you and you exit a corner at the same speed and you can't pass them or they pass you then one has to get suspicious.
It can depend on the track, too. I used to have to go like steaming hell in my Neon at Gimli to stay ahead of Chris Brown in his CRX Si, but at Calgary I never saw him, and would lap him in a 20 minute race.
Short straight / long straight, horsepower / handling.
As soon as you worry if others are exploiting the grey areas of the rules racing gets not fun fast.
In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :
Chuck Mathis
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