SCCA Solo D Street discussion

[renfield90]

Originally Posted by chucky12012

If you bring them to College Station this weekend, I'll give you a couple of bucks for two! I have to relocate my damn external reservoirs now, why the drama people?

No promises, but they shipped today from Anaheim via USPS so hopefully they get delivered Thursday and I can pick them up on my way out of town.

I will supply free to anyone in College Station (and Fontana) as long as I have some and you're taking only what you need. All I ask is that you pay it forward some day. Autox karma is a thing.

Black FR-S #86 STX. See y'all Friday.

[justinco]

Originally Posted by bslate3

Crap I never realized those had to stay in. I guess I gotta go hunt for them for next weekend's national tour.

Originally Posted by chucky12012

If you bring them to College Station this weekend, I'll give you a couple of bucks for two! I have to relocate my damn external reservoirs now, why the drama people?

I don't think anyone is going to give you any crap over those things at a National Tour (I know I wouldn't). I did not have any of that stuff in at Spring Nats last year and placed ok...nobody cared. We did talk about it with a few other guys in the class though, and agreed it was probably a good idea to put that stuff back in for Solo Nats, just to be safe.

Now, at least it is clear cut in the rules. But, I wouldn't expect anyone to go throwing protests around...there is really no drama except what is conjured up on these forums sometimes.

[chucky12012]

I wouldn't expect anyone to, but now all you have to do is point to fastrack and it's no discussion. I don't know of anyone in DS or STX coming to College Station that cares, but might as well do it right. Never know when someone is going to have a grumpy kind of day.

[bslate3]

How about a gentleman's agreement. There's absolutely no performance benefit to removing these versus keeping them in.

[justinco]

Originally Posted by chucky12012

I wouldn't expect anyone to, but now all you have to do is point to fastrack and it's no discussion. I don't know of anyone in DS or STX coming to College Station that cares, but might as well do it right. Never know when someone is going to have a grumpy kind of day.

Yea, being that it is clearly written now, better to be safe. It is still $25 bux to protest, which isn't all that much. But, if it meant the difference between 1st place contingency or not, I guess I could understand someone protesting it.

[justinco]

Originally Posted by bslate3

How about a gentleman's agreement. There's absolutely no performance benefit to removing these versus keeping them in.

Pretty much my personal approach

[renfield90]

Originally Posted by bslate3

How about a gentleman's agreement. There's absolutely no performance benefit to removing these versus keeping them in.

All it takes is one salty mofo who doesn't want to play along.

Generally nobody springs for paper at a tour though, unless it's obvious - like the "ES" Miata in San Diego that ran with coilovers (I'm not kidding, and yes, he was protested).

If I saw actual protestable material like obvious weight reduction not allowed by the rules, I'd simply tell them to fix it before nats (unless someone shows up in STX with a blower). Again, autox karma is a thing - when possible, you should give your competitors every possible chance to fix a non-compliant car before you throw paper.

[Locust]

I didn't write the letter but I definitely remember we had this exact discussion last year in the C-Street thread so maybe someone read that and wrote in. I'm actually surprised so many of you thought you were allowed to remove them to begin with.

Pretty sure cjd is right that it's to avoid a rabbit hole of per-car exceptions and it's also to avoid exploitation. Far easier for them to write a rule that says "if secured by anything then you can't remove, with exception of tools/spare tire" than for them to say "if secured by plastic clips but not of significant weight savings you can remove...". If they let a loop hole for a small piece like that then someone is going to go remove every plastic clip on their car and figure out the minimum they can make due with.

I know this is the street thread so most of you in here haven't nickle and dimed every ounce of weight off a car. As such I'm sure there's at least one person who is all set up to write a reply saying "it's only half a pound it's not going to change anything". The thing is if you can cut a few ounces in several different spots it starts to add up. On an Evo forum I'm a part of we have a guy who removed all the plastic clips, nuts, and bolts that weren't absolutely necessary to keep his car together and he kept it all in a bag. It added up to something like 15-20lbs in the end. Obviously a different story than having some broken/trashed styrofoam but just illustrating why the rule is what it is.

[Locust]

So what's the word boys and girls? I'm seeing BFGs taking the top spot in many classes and it looks like the twins took D-Street (although there was only 1 WRX and 1 BMW up against 4 twins).

[renfield90]

Originally Posted by Locust

So what's the word boys and girls? I'm seeing BFGs taking the top spot in many classes and it looks like the twins took D-Street (although there was only 1 WRX and 1 BMW up against 4 twins).

Keep in mind that BFG pays contingency for tours and Bridgestone does not, which probably influences some decisions. That said, the results speak for themselves IMO. I've been keeping quiet about the 1.5s but it seems this cat is out of the bag.

I think Chris was on Bridgestones last year. He looked pretty happy and drove brilliantly.

[Twinz]

Bridgstone pays contingency for tours, it's just the $ they offer is less than what a pair of tires cost.

It's the Pro's that Bridgestone doesn't cover.

I think the 1.5's may sharpen up on wider wheels, but 225/45 on 7" wheels feel "messy" compared to the same size RE71R on the same size wheel. The grip is great but the feel is meh.

[chucky12012]

Thanks Manfred. It was partially because of contingency, but in our testing, we have found the 1.5's to be a touch better than the RE-71s, so I'm planning on campaigning them the rest of the year personally. So you are on the money. Awesome drive on your side as well. Here is video of my day 2 run.

Originally Posted by renfield90

Keep in mind that BFG pays contingency for tours and Bridgestone does not, which probably influences some decisions. That said, the results speak for themselves IMO. I've been keeping quiet about the 1.5s but it seems this cat is out of the bag.

I think Chris was on Bridgestones last year. He looked pretty happy and drove brilliantly.

[jwisjw]

Originally Posted by renfield90

Keep in mind that BFG pays contingency for tours and Bridgestone does not, which probably influences some decisions. That said, the results speak for themselves IMO. I've been keeping quiet about the 1.5s but it seems this cat is out of the bag.

I think Chris was on Bridgestones last year. He looked pretty happy and drove brilliantly.

If everyone is on BFG's, how is the cat out of the bag?

How can you compare the two tires without your own testing?

[Twinz]

I'm going to do some testing this weekend on our local test & tune course and try to nail down what's what. (For the 225/45 size tire, on my 17X7 RPF1 wheels, on our concrete)

I threw them on at the last minute for the Pro, then just did 3 runs with each tire on the Dixie test and tune course I just met....got same the same 29.5 with both tires and went with the Stones because we were running first heat (cold) and I subjectively just like the way the Stones "feel". My tire pressures for the BFG's were set by old-school roll-over eyeballing at both venues, but I will use a proper pyrometer/probe for this weekend.

I will hopefully have some useful data after that.