12 replies to this topic

[Adam Figarsky]

I cant stand it anymore...
I dont know what to do...
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What are your season plans if you're in a 90-97?
SM, SM2, SSM?
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At this point, I am seriously leaning towards SM2...anyone else coming?
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[Cy Peake]

Do both. SM runs alone, SSM and SM2 run together and us 99ers will be running ITS in the same race group this first Rational weekend ;^)

[Adam Figarsky]

Do both. SM runs alone, SSM and SM2 run together and us 99ers will be running ITS in the same race group this first Rational weekend ;^)

ohman.would love too...
I am going to NJMP for Enduro that weekend...
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[Philip Springer]

Spec Miata (SM) and Showroom Stock Miata (SSM) I get. What is SM2? Assuming it is based on the same cars that you referenced (90-97 NA Miatas) in your OP.

[dstevens]

Yep, SM2 are 90-97 cars built and prepped to SM specs. No evil 99s allowed... SSM is a more restricted class. In NASA SSM is a "national" class (like all NASA classes) and every region runs the rules package. In SCCA it's a regional class so there may be some variation between regions. SSM was designed to keep the racers off the teet of the pro motors.

[Adam Figarsky]

Spec Miata (SM) and Showroom Stock Miata (SSM) I get. What is SM2? Assuming it is based on the same cars that you referenced (90-97 NA Miatas) in your OP.

SM2 is a regional class...
It basically came about because the 2nd generation cars (99s) are just superior to the 1st generation cars (90-97)...
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same rules as sm for 90-97 car no matter what displacement.
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Im sure that my car as well as other 1st generation cars would be pretty competitive in SM still, however a well prepped 99 with a decent driver will just walk away...
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see below
the pole sitter spun out and caught up
and the car to go off left caught up also before he got involved in that late lap incident with red car.
thus formation of sm2:
http://youtu.be/Sulc2YoV3Is

[Cy Peake]

SM2 is a regional class...
It basically came about because the 2nd generation cars (99s) are just superior to the 1st generation cars (90-97)...

Im sure that my car as well as other 1st generation cars would be pretty competitive in SM still, however a well preped 99 with a decent driver will just walk away...

I respectfully disagree. How many regional races did Payson win 2 years ago with an NA? How about Yiannis last season in his 95? I remember him sweeping a weekend at NHMS in every class he entered. Duman with his 1.6...very strong with multiple wins too. The 99 is hardly an overdog in our region.

[Brandon]

Cy,
I'd have to agree with our region not being "one car dominant" primarily with the varied tracks we have in the region/division.
I think The Glen (short) is about the only place where the '99 really is 100% the overdog with its long straights (similar to Road America); perhaps Pocono (north?) but I've never driven it so can't say.

However, I'll temper your statement and my agreement with what I heard 3rd hand @NJMP (his last event of 2010 season?) what Yiannis said about his new '99:
This feels like cheating.

So whether that was due to the tracks he was running last year in his '99 (not a full season with the car?) or if that's even applicable divison-wide, the '99s do come with an overdog perception. And we all know perception quickly becomes reality in a political organization.



I'll still be in my SSM NA1.8 car this year but I may consider the full-on jump to SM for 2012 - especially if I'm sharing the car with the wife for that season!

[svvs]

I always raced SSM because I didn't want to spend the extra couple of bucks to go SM. I would double dip anyway and just drive and have fun.

Now that SM2 & SSM are combined, I may pick up an intake and a "better" exhaust than the mazda comp and turn my car into an almost SM (I probably couldn't tell the difference with the shock hats anyway). I'll still have a lower prepped SM2 and SM....but at least I will know what I'm not leaving on the table when I race in SM or with NASA.

I felt like SSM was starting to get flat in our region....what are everyone elses thoughts on that?

-Vick

[Brandon]

I felt like SSM was starting to get flat in our region....what are everyone else's thoughts on that?

-Vick

Don't get me started?
I'm not certain the reasons for it but SSM overall (outside of WDCR) does seem lacking. Most of the races I ran had "only" 12-15 cars in SSM (with the outliers of 20+ at some tracks) but something tells me it things may have been down overall regardless (economy, weather, blah, blah, blah...)

One item I did find frustrating (and I'm glad Terry piped up in that other thread) was being unable to find SSM rules anywhere other than the DC region website. Granted, they shouldn't be that different but I can say there are divergent goals between "WDCR SSM" and "Other NEDIV SSM". One side wants more participants (and feels they can get them from double-dipping/cross-polination from SM) and others wants to maintain their numbers with less allowances. I attempted to restart a "meeting of the minds" (okay the NEDIV SSM Committee) during the off-season but was quickly discouraged from continuing.

*shrug*
What it boils down to is some are willing to be the bigger participants in the process and get their positions established and approved whereas some don't have the political backing (or driver backing for that matter) to change things.

I honestly don't quite understand how allowing adjustable end links, shock hats, R-package tie rod ends, or adjustable sway bars (NA1.8) is a sign of "rules creep" or an undermining of the spirit of the class. It's not like engine specs are constantly changing in some way requiring the annual expenditure of more money (dyno time).

Buy the links/hats/bars/ends once and they're installed & done (and you don't have to buy them all at once either). You get to play with setup as much as you want after the fact and do what feels right to go fast.

Wait - you got me started Vick!

See you guys (and gals) on track this year!
Brandon

[Kevin Anderson]

I never understood the reason for SSM, But I raced it anyway, and actually my car was more competitive in in SSM then SM. But I always felt that there should be just one class. go figure, now we have 3.
personally I think there should be 3 classes but they should be 1990-1997, then a 1999-2005 unrestricted class, and finally a 2006 to current SM class

[Adam Figarsky]

so why did they create sm2 if there wasn't a disparity between 90-97 and the 99s..
just saying, they dont just pull new classes out of the air...

[Cy Peake]

Ask Jerry R. the next time you see him.