Ms Goodale-
This is a complaint letter regarding the ProSolo index for the new STU class.
I hate to complain about anything to the SCCA national staff, I applaud your
hard work and dedication, but I need to call attention to this issue.
I understand that STU is a new supplemental class, but the index is clearly
wrong. I understand that drivers will often complain about their indexes and
feel that CS is too stiff or ES is too soft. They might be right, but we are
in the ballpark.
The STU index isn't in the ballpark, it isn't in the city, it's not in this
solar system. I had hoped it was a typo.
At .853 it exceeds the three SP classes that most STU cars fall into (ESP
.830, CSP .839, and BSP .844). It even exceeds SM at .850.
The normal solo2 pax for STU is .818. STU probably won't be competitive this
year at .818.
I would like to point out that STU is not SP or SM, it is ST. ST is street
tires with a 245 limit on AWD cars. We use STX allowances, no flares, no
update/backdate, no induction changes other than the air cleaner/intake,
emissions legal exhaust including catalytic converter and stock rules as to
clutch and flywheel.
I would like a explanation for how STU can recieve an .853. I need something
to explain to my wife as she gets ready to run L2 this year in a street tired
FWD car and has to sit at the line against an AWD ESP monster with huge
R-Compounds that has an 8 tenths advantage built into the index on a 35 second
course. I have to explain to her that she's running in her little neon heads
up against Linay White in her ground pounding Viper or Christine Berry in the
ASP C5. And I have to explain how Patty Tunnell in the DSP Bimmer gets a full
second handicap on her.
Its unreasonable enough that the SEB placed what should be a DSP neon into CSP
(while the much faster AWD rally cars go to ESP). It was bad enough that STU
got slammed into BSP for nationals, but now ProSolo has told us STU needs to
run heads up with ASP? It enough to make a sane person give up on SCCA and
help start a NASA region.
Sincerely,
Steven T. Ekstrand
CalClub Region 19
SCCA Member #290730
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