Well said, Andy.
This whole talk has halted my plans to build or continuing to developed my
Miata for DP...
As you rightfully say, there is no comparison to the AP cars V.
Mites...apples and oranges for sure. Adding to the already expensive budget
to develop (properly) a DP/AP or whatever Miata is a sure way to keep some
of us from going there.
To put the Miata in AP is ludicrous...I won't build the car to that class,
its too expensive for this car. If I want to run AP I'd build another car to
compete with and can do so for a lot less money.
Don't know why something has to be fixed when it doesn't seem to be
broken...
Charles Cox
#42 DP/CSP/SM2 Miata
mailto:charles@coastalbay.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Andy Hollis" <awhollis@swbell.net>
To: "autox" <autox@autox.team.net>
Sent: Tuesday, October 01, 2002 6:10 AM
Subject: Prepared Miata reclassing thoughts
> The Prepared category as a whole has participation issues right now. In
> fact, one of the topics SEB Chair Colan Arnold brought up at the Town Hall
> meeting was "How can we get more participation in Prepared?".
Participation
> can only be addressed by attracting new competitors while retaining as
many
> existing competitors as possible. Note that I didn't say "retain all
> existing", because any changes meant to attract new folks will likely hurt
> some existing players. And there's always some natural attrition due to
> unrelated circumstances anyway (e.g. marriage :-)
>
> The Miata is one of the few examples in the category where competitors are
> building new cars to compete in. The other obvious ones are the various
> Hondas and other small sedans that compete in EP. Why is this? I would
> postulate that Prepared embraces a modification style that reflects what
> folks did to hop up their cars back in the 50's and 60's. In fact,
Prepared
> specifically disallows and/or penalizes most new technology. OTOH, what
> today's generation wants to do for mods is embraced more by Street
Modified.
> And the cars they want to do it with are late model cars. Most of the
cars
> in a competitive position within Prepared are old cars with old
technology,
> neither of which match with the participant demographic. This is why,
IMHO,
> you don't see so many new Prepared cars being built.
>
> So, what to do to fix it? I don't have the whole answer since it will
> require a bunch of study. But certainly you want to embrace and nurture
> those areas where new participation exists. EP as a class is one that is
> working well, and the Miata as a car is another. To me, leaving DP as an
> "old British Car Class" is just asking for it to fade away into the
sunset.
> The cars are getting older, the parts harder to find, the cars do not
appeal
> to younger generations, and the technology is uninspiring (IMO). When
> asking for a class unto their own (i.e. remove the Miata), the British
> drivers best remember that expression, "Be careful what you ask for you,
> just might get it!".
>
> So, is a move to AP for the Miata a way to nurture that car? On the
> surface, it certainly sounds ludicrous. As a previous owner of a Prepared
> Tiger and a frequent driver of a Prepared Miata, I laugh out loud at the
> acceleration difference between the cars. But what about handling, you
ask?
> Can't a Miata handle better than a Tiger or Corvette? On something super
> tight and twisty, maybe. But Corvettes are no slouches either. What's
the
> fastest stock car out there? Yup, Corvette. Street Prepared? Yup,
> Corvette. And where is the Miata on that list? Uhh...three classes down
in
> Stock, and two classes down in SP. Hmmm....
>
> But what if we just HAD to put the Miata in AP? How could we make it
> competitive? Well, you could throw lots of weight on those V8 cars, but
> then you piss those guys off. Or you could allow the Miata to lose a
couple
> of hundred more pounds, but to get a Miata much lighter than they
currently
> are will require hi-dollar exotic materials (e.g. carbon fiber, titanium).
> And certainly that unlimited fuel injection will help, right? Sure. But
> add another $2500 to the shopping list. Oh yeah, and we can give them
> bigger wheels/tires! How's about 16x10? That should even the score.
> Ooops! Better get the checkbook out again. Those wheels/tires from last
> year are now junk. Looks like another $2500 per set of wheels. Oh yeah,
> and bigger tires cost more so you'll need to increase the ongoing tire
> budget.
>
> So, maybe a Miata *can* be competitive in AP, but at what cost? Will the
> folks who have already ponied up to build cars at the expected budget of a
> DP (or even the proposed EP) car want or be able to spend twice that much?
>
> How does this help nurture one of the few growth areas of Prepared?
>
> --Andy
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