autox
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: PRO/Car and Driver Schedule and Classing available now...

To: <Smokerbros@aol.com>, <autox@autox.team.net>
Subject: Re: PRO/Car and Driver Schedule and Classing available now...
From: "Steve Hoelscher" <stevehh@hiwaay.net>
Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2005 18:41:21 -0600
From: <Smokerbros@aol.com>
> Not sure what you mean about history being lost.

I was responding to Knuckledraggers comment regarding his opinion of the
state of SP and ST.  ST being "the cars that enthusiast have and the way
they modify them".  Such was exactly the case in 1983 when SP was created.
And that SP has matured, STS has not.  Understanding the history here will
allow you to understand what SP is, where it came from and why it is what it
is now.  One will also understand that STS will follow that same path, just
as every other catagory has.

> The difference is that SP
> allows things to be done that make a car not smogable (obvious), and
things
> that make it almost impossible to use on a daily basis (on-off switch
clutches).
> The rules made a lot more sense in 1983 than they do now because
technology
> has superceded the ruleset.  ST retains catalytic converters and all other
> emissions equipment, and doesn't allow swiss cheese flywheels with hair
trigger
> clutches.  It's my opinion that these differences will keep the category
> streetable.


Careful what you proclaim.  My 4 time DSP Championship winning car is as
streetable as any STS car and with a simple change of springs and tires it
would be as easy to drive daily as a completely stock example.  It is also
fully street legal.  That it is not licensed and insured is only by my
preference.

STS does allow changes in spring rate and it is 3 Hz ride frequencies more
than anything else that really make cars unstreetable.  Oh, wait... many of
our STS candidates are already riding on the bump stops so that doesn't
matter.


> I think you just made my point for me...
> But that 's not the only story because we have seen a range of entrants in
> STS, including a few with 'gray hair', but I didn't call them that. ;-)
> As one of those with gray hair, and one who has competed in every category
> except SM, I'm returning to STS.  I'm twice as old as most of my
competitors.
>

Again I was responding to Knuckledragger.  The 'gray hair' crowd in SP, P
and Mod are there because they can afford to be and because they have been
here a long time.   As for STS "growing because the rules make sense" is off
target.  STS is growing because it addresses a large market.  As for making
sense, that is open to debate.  As STS matures and the cars and drivers get
faster and more sophisticated, you will hear the lowered Honda newbie
autocrosser complain about having to compete against all of those high
dollar, dedicated racercars driven by Pro drivers in STS just as they have
complained about SP and even Stock for that matter, ever since I can
remember.

Note: The above is not an offical position of the SEB.

Steve Hoelscher
#84 ESP






<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>