First, the disclaimer: while I now work at DaimlerChrysler, I work on trucks and
have absolutely zero
contact or connection with the Neon folks or the motorsports marketing folks who
do all the contingency
programs. And no, I can't fix your Dodge truck or get something covered under
warranty after the warranty
expires. :)
That said, regarding the announcement of the elimination of Neon contingency
money, note the timing - it
doesn't affect the Solo2 Nationals, Pro Finale, or Neon Super Solo, but goes
into effect the first Monday
afterward (9/20/1999). This is designed to get the SSB and SSC racers up in
arms at the Valvoline Runoffs
at Mid-O, I'd guess, and, as others have said, likely because of the
proliferation of trunk kits in SS racing.
The short version is simply that the Neon folks aren't getting the advertising
mileage out of their investment
that they once were, and they apparently feel the reason is the advent of the
trunk kit.
Mind you, SS is on its way out already anyway - SSGT went first, then SSA, and
SSB and SSC will follow,
evolving into T3 and T4, most likely. For those who aren't familiar with SCCA
Club Racing categories, the
Club Racing Touring category specs are basically a melding of Solo2
Stock-category prep specifications
(shocks, brake pads, air filter elements, front sway bars, cat-back exhaust
systems, the wheel allowance)
and the Club Racing safety requirements (roll cage, harness, airbag
disablement/removal, fire system,
electrical cutoff, taping of light lenses, allowance for a racing driver's seat,
etc.). There are additional rules
on a vehicle-specific basis, such as air inlet restrictors, minimum weights, and
tire size limits (no cramming
255s onto a 7" rim, for example).
Many of the Touring allowances have already crept into SS - for example, I get
to hear the flatulent blat of
unmuffled Neons when I'm working F&C now, not just at Solos anymore, and they
allowed aftermarket
brake pads several years ago.
Even in the "good old days" of Showroom Stock, to win you had to have deep
pockets - parts bin
blueprinting (buying 160 connecting rods and selecting the 4 "most perfect", for
example) and other ways
of exploiting the "grey areas" of the SSCS while providing a stock appearance
aren't cheap. I know of
one team who discovered the measurement method for cylinder head deck thickness
on a particular
engine allowed them mill the head and cover their tracks by building up the cam
cover rail with weld and
remachining it to the proper height. Instant compression ratio boost,
undetectable in the tech shed. Result:
a podium finish at the Runoffs. And they were far, far from alone in finding
that "unfair advantage" that
Mark Donohue always talked about.
I sorta understand what the Comp Board had in mind with the trunk kits (and that
they were brought to the
Comp Board's attention by car manufacturers who said "We'd love to come play in
SS, but instead of a
'factory' ACR or R package, it would be easier for us to offer those components
as a 'kit' for the buyer
to install if they wish."), in that it would add a little variety to the mix in
SS and get more manufacturers
involved (so far, Ford, Honda/Acura, Nissan, and Saturn have stepped up) as the
category transitions
from SS into Touring. From a Solo perspective, SSB was a lot like B Stock -
lotsa Miatas, not much else
really competitive (even the DOHC Neons) on a regular basis unless you were
Erich Heuschle, and SSC
was a lot like D Stock - lotsa Neons, not much else competitive at all. With
the advent of the "trunk kit",
there are more different cars competing and winning.
That said, my personal opinion is that the Comp Board should have just sped up
the transition from SS to
Touring and left the trunk kits out of it. Let the manufacturers offer a ACR-,
R-, or 1LE-type package if they
wanted to have special springs, rear sway bars, etc. and let the competitors
have the allowance to change
shocks, front bars, exhaust systems, etc. on their own.
What relevance does this have to Solo? Well, the Touring rules are pretty much
the Solo Stock Category
prep rules, and I'll admit that T2 looked somewhat tempting for my retired G
Stock Probe GT - a way to
go road racing somewhat on the cheap. Job changes have a way of changing one's
plans, though. :)
Sorry this got so long, but as someone involved in both Solo and Club Racing, I
figured I might offer up
a little insight for those here who are strictly Solo.
Jim Crider
99 Mustang Cobra ESP #65 "Yes, it has IRS. No, it's not fully sorted."
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