4 replies to this topic

[GoRacingTV.com]

In this week's Insiders Report we talk about:

World Challenge season finale overview
NASA and SCCA Championship preview
2nd year of the Baltimore Grand Prix
Calls for another B-Spec Test

[MPR22]

Thanks for the post, love watching this just forget to unless you guys run the link here.

Little disappointed that Steve Ott got no love in the World Challenge section. Former SM pilot running against factory drivers held his own and then some all year. Showed he could keep the car on the track and make moves when car was right.

I think Daniels was a bit off on the high level of tech running off competitiors. If I am taking my time to go across country I want the tech to be top notch. I think we covered this here in another thread, the Runoffs are too long and Road America is not the track most people want to show their driving skills,especially if their car is 3+hp down to top dogs.

B-spec, looks dead to me. Who wants to spend the money to go race 6-10 people.

[Rob Burgoon]

"We've got a lot of classes that makes our event take a week and there's nothing we can do to change that."
"Can't imagine championships without having a DSR and FA in it"

Oh, bull. Split it in half.

[john mueller]

Thanks... Always enjoy these.

[Jim Daniels - FIG]

Thanks for posting guys!

First, if you want more info from an insiders view then send those requests to us and we will try to fit them in.

I'm new to this show having done three thus far. The news of the day unfortunately did not include Steve Ott. However, I think I did give him props on the other show I did for GoRacingTv and I know I blogged about him earlier in the year. The classes are filled with past Spec Miata drivers and current drivers that use SMs to train in. Given my bias to SM I could talk that for days but it is not inline with the format of the show. Steve is a friend and he did great! Had I been on this show all year I would have highlighted his success but it was not to be in the last three shows of the season.

On the tech issue my reporting comes from what is the most talked about and most petitioned issue among the teams there or teams not there but who own cars. This was evident at Mid-Ohio with the Mustangs parking in protest. They want their relatively stock cars (no Motec, stock motors etc...) to be the bench mark less having to build their cars to the limit of the rules. Ford strongly supports this view. Keeping the rules from creeping with traction control, electronic shifting trannys and a host of other engineer required preparation is what hounds Mr. Carter. From my interviews with the teams I'm friendly with, keeping up with prep and tricks is "a" main issue.

I was not talking about starter teams looking for budgets and scraping by but the core teams and their concerns going forward. Right down to Realtime and their rather large investment this year to retrofit their cars to V6s to keep up. A needed upgrade that yielded a championship and a monumental amount of engineering and expense.

I've been involved in my share of budgets over the years and the number one way to cut expenses is by having less crew members. The more simple the car the less folks its takes to operate. Everyone has cars, truck & trailer, hotels, air fare etc... its the same basically. But when one team then adds a 7 post shaker, professional engine builder who comes to the track to tune, an electronic engineer, track-side shock dyno, extra testing etc... the cost to operate and compete greatly increases.

Anyway, great comments and thanks again! Send me any ideas you have or better yet any unfinished or under reported topics you are curious about. We will focus on what the masses want and the NBC broadcasts fall short on but I can also sneak in other note worthy topics as merited.

JD