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Re: ST tire options

To: autox list <autox@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: ST tire options
From: Loren Williams <Loren@kscable.com>
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 17:32:11 -0500

dg50@daimlerchrysler.com wrote:

> Add the word "National" in front of "street tire class" and you're right.
> Regional street tire classes make sense. National ones do not.

I can think of at least 15 people who disagreed with you enough to
compete in said class at Nationals.  Does that not speak for itself?
 
> > If a person is going to have a second set of wheels with tires
> > specifically for autocross purposes, they might as well compete in an
> > R-tire class.
> 
> Bingo! Not only is the performance better, it's cheaper too.

Let me ask you, how much money did you spend on tires this year?  Not
including my 16" tire experiment that I sold and broke even on, I've
spent less than $350 on tires this season, as I have every season for
the past 3 years.  This is my total tire budget for both street and
autocross.  If I'd opted for Yokohama AVS's, the total would be more
like $420.  Tell me you've spent less.

This is a VERY old argument.  The majority of people, like yourself,
believe that it's cheaper to run on R-tires.  And that's fine, if it
works for you, and you're happy with it, do it.  There ARE a few of us
who like to run on street tires, don't mind burning up a set every
season (I get fresh street tires every year) and would like the option
of competing Nationally on street tires.
 
> The problem here is that "street tire" (your fight) and "riceboy" (my fight) 
>are
> being intermixed and confused with each other, when they really are two
> speparate and distinct issues.

Can't argue with that.  I have nothing to do with the "riceboy"
movement.  Perhaps the two would be less intermixed if you (as the
popular voice of STU) would leave ST alone?  I did attempt to keep STU
out of this discussion because you are correct, the two classes have
nothing to do with each other.
 
> I am concentrating on the high-end in STU, where R tires are a given. But the
> contention that ST as a low-end riceboy class needs to be street tire based in
> order to attract and retain low-end riceboys is, in my opinion as a riceboy
> poster child, gravely mistaken.

I don't view ST as a low-end riceboy class... or a "riceboy" class at
all.  It's a class where those of us who prefer to autocross our daily
drivers on our daily street tires can compete.
 
The "real" "riceboys" out there won't fit into ST, anyway.  


-- 
Loren Williams | Homepage - http://home.kscable.com/shad
'94 Saturn SC2 | Wichita Region SCCA - http://www2.southwind.net/~scca

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