Former Spec RX7 cars are the first thing that comes to mind. Or is/was that just a local class at the club track near me?
Former Spec RX7 cars are the first thing that comes to mind. Or is/was that just a local class at the club track near me?
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not actually the face of WRL, but TracksUnlimited has contracted with WRL to run events in the Southeast. I'm buddies with the founder & owners of TracksUnlimited, and if they do well, I've got more opportunities to go race at really cool tracks 
These guys are doing it right, trying to keep it more fun than oppressive rules, and I'd like to see them succeed. I had a difficult time drawing entries while doing Time Trials 15 years ago at Nashville Superspeedway since the SCCA didn't give enough of a crap about TT back then to try to support it, and I'm working with WRL to reach any markets we might be overlooking. GRM has one of the most widespread reader bases and one of the best forums that I've ever been involved with. I figure if we can tap into the collective hive's knowledge, we can target better, hopefully provide some overlooked cars a place to race, and be able to continue renting race tracks for everyone to play at.
Another thing I'd consider as it pertains to old IT cars that are no longer competitive in Sprint races but are dirt cheap to run, is adding a Euro style rallycross format to the race weekends to appeal to those who may not be interested in the long run commitment and additional expenses of Enduro racing. When GRC abandoned the 2WD class budget euro rallycross was all but killed in North America and it was a fantastic place for IT cars to run.
I'd seriously look into it for weekends at facilities with multiple track configurations, especially where portions of medical staff can be shared
In reply to HoserRacing : Ah, I see. So are they considering adding classes to endurance races, or taking just any suggestions to get folks out to the track by adding anything type of race that would draw people?
In reply to jj :
Yes, but as GRM as proven, not always the best way to go endurance racing :)
Would be wrong to suggest 1.6 Miatas?
I do think old I.T. cars are a good pick.
BlueInGreen-Jon - not sure if it was a SEDIV class or a nationwide class, I've seen a few at hillclimbs and in Chump/Champcar
CaptDownshift - not sure that we could work that in at tracks like Daytona or Barber, loved the series, but it doesn't fit in at all tracks. They're considering possibly a sprint crossover at events that are 2 day races and have the time for something along those lines.
Not a TA - not looking at adding classes, the key is to keep it simple. With a weight/hp method of classification, there is already a class for almost any car except for the ones that are less than 9 lbs. / hp after factoring in modifications. We are looking at how to reach groups that don't realize they can bring their under-utilized race car out and still use it. Old CRX's, Rabbits, Corvairs, RX-7s, RX-8s, Accords, etc. New cars like the NP01 that doesn't have full acceptance across the different organizations yet. What cars do you know of that have dropped out of racing because they're no longer competitive in their designated class? What cars do you know of that have been affected by recent rule changes and don't fit in current classifications and are now orphaned without expensive changes? Who are these groups, and where are the best places to reach them?
In reply to Tom1200 :
No, in fact, those are perfect. Can't afford that high dollar motor to be competitive in Spec Miata? Just put together a solid motor and come run. My last motor in my '87 300ZX was a bone stock bottom end, 150K mile junkyard motor with a valve job & cams that did 8 14-16 hour weekends before we hurt it last weekend. The motor I'm putting back in it is motor that probably had that much on it, someone didn't do a timing belt, pulling those heads & putting on some fresh heads & going back out.
Spec Panther, Spec Fox, Spec G-Body etc.
So not so much a specific car but any car built on a specific platform.
In reply to Joe Gearin : I could comply with your rules, except you’re too far away.
Realistically 8 hours travel time one way is my limit. Not because I can’t drive further but because if you get off Friday at 6:00 pm you’d arrive at 2:00 AM asleep by 3:00AM you get maybe 5 hours of sleep before track time
the Race ends at 4:00 PM Sunday pack up and on the road by 5:00 means you get home at 1:00 AM in bed by 2:00 AM you get maybe 5 hours of sleep before heading out to the morning commute.
In reply to NOT A TA :
"Take off Hoser!"
Justjim75 said:In reply to NOT A TA :
"Take off Hoser!"
Good day, and welcome to the Great White North :) I listened to that comedy album WAY too much when I was younger, can you tell?
I'd like to see a hybrid class. Cars that were sold as hybrids are the system still works. I suspect someone would find the "best" car pretty quickly and it would become a de-facto spec class, but the problems associated with actually racing these cars are interesting. Think of it as the lowest tier of the current F1/Prototype regulations.
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
The only issue might be safety. With the various battery construction options out there, any incident where a battery is punctured or catches fire may require a different protocol than just pointing a regular BC extinguisher at it. I love the idea, and we could pitch it at tracks that are already familiar with hybrids (such as Daytona), and possibly even run it as a concurrent shorter length endurance race. I'll definitely pitch that idea to the guys.
Lots of great ideas!! We are able to do sprints and Mini enduros during the main race. We are all racers that are involved with the WRL SE series. We come from PCA, NASA, SCCA and Lemons and Chump. The series is nationwide in case it wasn't mentioned. www.racewrl.com WRL The SE region has NCM, Daytona, Road Atlanta, Barber and NOLA on the schedule and that's just the SE region. Here is a link to the rules :RULES
If you have any questions feel free to email me at : tracksunlimited@yahoo.com
Thank You
Micheal Peden
I want to see a CAM autox class for T-buckets: must keep stock-type frame, steering & suspension. Unlimited drivetrain, wheels & tires. Full rollcage strongly encouraged.
I think that would be quite entertaining.
Well, I kind of like that idea, this just happens to be sitting in my back yard at the moment 
In reply to HoserRacing :
I did wonder about safety. Do "regular" series specifically prohibit hybrids right now?
In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :
I'll be honest, I don't know. I was a Safety Steward for SCCA for well over 15 years, and never had the issue come up, but I have been pretty inactive with them the last few years.
In reply to HoserRacing :
I'm a rallycross safety steward and I really have no idea either. I know we've allowed them to run in the past on dirt and I've run my Volt in autocross, but actual wheel to wheel is a bit different. You're making me want to build one just because. 
I raced a Prius in Lemons. It had all the stock stuff, and the builder went through the procedure for how to disconnect the big battery with the head of tech just in case. It was great for one lap after a full course yellow, then not so much.
In reply to Sonic :
That just sounds like a technical challenge! If Formula 1 can figure it out, surely you can.
Oh totally, the opportunity is there for an enterprising software and electrical engineer.
Ok, so we've got some groups to start reaching out to. Now, where is the best place to reach them? You can search the forums, but you don't know which ones are the good ones and which are dead without spending a bunch of time (which I don't have). Can y'all help me with starting points for these groups? NP01, IT racers, Showroom Stock, GT3/GT4, possibly GTA, Production cars, Spec RX-7. Did I leave anyone out?
JDM imports.
So popular right now but events like Autocross basically have banned them even though they have classes like CAM which are "anything goes so long as it's american" classes. Should be a similar one for imports.
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