As I'm sure most of you know, the SEB is trying to get member input on the direction to take the fututre of SS, AS and BS. There are two proposals on the table, one to take the faster SS cars and move them to AS, the other to take the fast BS cars and move them to AS.

The S2000 is specifically mentioned as under scrutiny for a possible move, so now is the time to write a letter if you care or have an opinion on the matter. The proposal in SportsCar is somewhat vague, but reads like this:

Solution #1
SS - Z06/Viper/?
AS - C4 Vette, E46M3, BoxsterS, RX7tt, 993, 996, NSX, etc.
BS - S2000, Boxster, 968, E36M3, 240hp M-Cpe., Maybe RX8

As opposed to solution #2:
SS - Z06/Viper/BoxsterS/RX7tt, 996, 315hp M-Cpe, etc
AS - S2000, Boxster, NSX, 993, C4 Vette, etc.
BS - MR2t (+10yr old), 968 (+8yr old), E36M3 (4-8yr old)

Which one makes more sense to you? I think the SEB should present these two choices instead of the vague wording they use in fastrack. Use the above comments to base your own letter.

For the record, I think the S2000 will do just fine in either circumstance, with the notable exception of getting spanked on certain courses by the C4 vette. To me, having the C4 vette and S2000 in the same class is like having a Miata and Camaro Z28 in the same class... their times are similar, but the cars have no business being in the same class

Also for the record, my letter will be for proposal #1 above, (which I think the SCCA is calling #2 so I confused things even further.) I'll just write the above classing lists to be clear in my letter.

BTW, a belated congrats to Joe, Andy and Derek for making it another S2000 podium at the Atwater ProSolo. Hope it was a fun event for all.

Results: http://www.scca.org/amateur/solo2/prosolo/...er/results.html

 

I don't have any real argument with your suggestions or the proposals. One thing that needs to be dialed in, however, is what happens to the rest of the stock classes. Are we opening room at the top just to stuff other classes full of inappropriate cars? Of course, this will always happen but is there enough room to prevent either huge classes and/or spec classes (ones which are dominated by only one car)? We need to look at this as a whole.

There's been grumbling locally about the lesser classes. At least in part, it's due to the feeling that the upper end is getting all the attention at the expense of the rest of the classes...

 

I have to agree, solution 1 is the way to go. Jason's argument for not having the C4 and S2000 in the same class is the same for having the Z06 and well... anything in the same class. It just don't fit.

Is there a valid argument for adding another stock class? Possibly for slow BS and or fast DS/CS?
I dunno, just thinking out loud.

 

I *think* I also so saw something about the two proposals NOT being mutally exclusive. That could mean that we could end up running against the RX7 and BoxterS in AS, most likely rending our cars somewhat uncompetitive. I kind of which they stop messing with things since I'm sure many people had to scramble to get competitive cars after the restructuring. Classification is a very difficult thing because of the course dependencies as you mentioned with us running against a C4. Hopefully they will not choose to do both proposals.

 

IMHO, it doesn't seem that BS should be getting this much attention when there are high participation levels and at least three cars (Boxster, S2000, MR2) that can win in the right conditions. It seems like a better arrangement than the Spec Z06, Spec C4, and Spec Miata classes that surround BS. In any event, my vote would be for the first option in Jason's note.

 

In general, I think that class adjustments should be made in one direction only. As a particular car ages and loses its competitive edge, it should move down to a lower class. This would imply that the least competitive cars in a class should move down, and I don't believe the C4 is sitting at the bottom of AS. By taking the approach that a car must be moved up because it won, or even dominated a class, the upper classes get more and more crowded every year.

It was pointed out that there are some potentially competitive cars coming out soon that have to be factored in. Suppose that the S2000 is moved up to AS, and the 350Z, RX-8, and Elise all turn out to be more competitive than the S2000, then what? Put those cars in SS with the Z06? Move the S2000 back down to BS, for the third move in 3 years? I think moving the S2000 up leaves less classing flexibility in the future.

The reality is that not every car in every class is going to be "the car to have" no matter how the cars are classified. I certainly agree that there are currently some questionable classifications, though, like a two class difference between the Boxster and Boxster S, for instance. The C5 and Z06 are in the same class, how can there be such a big gap between the Boxsters? It would seem strange if the S2000 and C4, obviously very different cars, ended up in the same class, and there were still two classes between the Boxster and Boxster S.

Tim