67 replies to this topic

[Ken SM94]

This event was attractive because the National status was going to bring a larger group of the most competitive drivers. We (mostly Oregon Region guys) have ben battling it out for the Division title for the last few years. You don't have to be going to the Runoffs to appreciate the accomplishment. It's a championship at a level above Regional races with the best drivers bringing thier "A" game.

The fact that National races inclues the best tracks on the west coast and the fact that between the wins and championship there's close to 10K up for grabs doesn't hurt. So that's why we run Nationals. I really wish more of the Cali bunch did as well but your tire choice has made it go from bad to worse.

I guess we (the Oregon guys) could run the Toyo's and let whoever decides to show have the National points. In hindsight it looks like adding the National wasn't such a good idea for the Miata group. I'm not interested in running another group. Five knock-down drag-outs in one weekend might be a bit much.

The best senario for us would be to allow the Hoosier's in the regional's for this one event. I'll even promise to swap back to the Toyo's for the Festival Race. The Hoosier's aren't any faster, check the results for yourself!

Ron, I expect nothing less!

[Ron Alan]

Ok...still learning(and lazy). Can you explain division and $10k Ken? At Laguna the Hoosiers were good for 1-1.5sec for those who ran 2 groups.

Brian, I'm glad you agree we shouldn't exclude any SM that shows up, and has toyos to run, from the festival race. But if the powers that be feel it will hurt the region drivers, how about a show of hands at the laguna drivers meeting?

Open tire for the weekend...hmmm??? (you have a evil streak in you Sutherland ) And truth be told, if the Oregon boys can't be on the front row for the festival picture, whats the point of coming

Rusty...if you want to claim the mid-pack gang...I've got some 8 sided tires for you to run! That ship has sailed...you've outed yourself!

[Brian Ghidinelli]

This event was attractive because the National status was going to bring a larger group of the most competitive drivers. We (mostly Oregon Region guys) have ben battling it out for the Division title for the last few years. You don't have to be going to the Runoffs to appreciate the accomplishment. It's a championship at a level above Regional races with the best drivers bringing thier "A" game.

Ken, nothing against a divisional championship, but in NorPac you're pretty much running against the same guys in the same cars at the Nationals as you are at the Regionals. That doesn't mean the competition isn't great or the accomplishment doesn't count but it waters down the National vs. Regional deal. Contingency money? Sure, I'll give you that.

Here's the 2011 NorPac Divisional Top 10:


NP 1 SM Matt Schultz Mazda Miata 352360 096 51 9 9 6 6 7 6 1x 9 12 5 4x 5 1678,1679,
NP 2 SM Jess Heitman Mazda Miata 169836 096 41 6 5 5 3 9 12 12 12 DNF 1344,1345,
NP 3 SM Ken Sutherland Mazda Miata 283190 096 38 7 5 DNF 12 12 0 5 DNF 9 0
NP SM Jason Rawlins Mazda Miata 411054 096 36 7 7 7 4 4 4 4 7 6 0
NP SM Bruce Wilson Mazda Miata 283191 096 31 5 5 9 5 5 12 0 0
NP SM Robert Linse Mazda Miata 391813 027 25 3 3 9 7 9 0
NP SM Thomas Micich Mazda Miata 415643 096 22 4 4 6 3 13 7 6 1678,1679,
NP SM Ed Zabinski Ford Mustang 151991 027 21 4 4 12 7 DSQ 2 0
NP SM Will Schrader Mazda Miata 343433 096 21 2 2 21 9 12 1678,1679,
NP SM Brody Goble Mazda Miata 431065 027 17 4 4 DSQ 5 12 5 7 1678,1679,

And the Oregon region 2011 SM Top 10:


SM Robert Linse OR 391813 32 40 ORP ORP 16 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 16 232
SM Matt Schultz OR 352360 0 30 20 14 20 16 14 ORP ORP 16 14 20 164
SM Bruce Wilson OR 283191 0 36 12 20 12 14 12 10 14 ORP ORP 130
SM Thomas Micich OR 415643 0 20 14 9 10 ORP 16 12 16 9 2 14 122
SM Eric Jones OR 376882 8 12 8 7 8 16 14 12 9 94
SM Thomas Ferrara OR 381628 7 16 5 9 12 16 12 8 8 93
SM Jason Rawlins OR 411054 10 10 9 8 9 10 56
SM Spence Gatrell OR 367993 9 7 5 7 14 10 52
SM Terrell Garrett OR 405182 2 6 6 2 9 2 7 7 41
SM Jim Graffy OR 67917 12 5 2 2 8 8 37

Gatrell and Graffy were both outside the top 10 in divisional points too. Down here, anyone serious about running Nationals registers as a SoPac competitor because the tows are way easier (I'll be the first to admit I'm a towing primadonna).

I don't think going from 1 National competitor to 0 national competitors is statistically significant to prove that tire choice has decreased the likelihood of SFR people running Nationals but that's another conversation.

[Ken SM94]

Hey Brian, you were the one that invited us down to run the National at Infinion. Go read your origonal post. Don't blame me if you don't tike how this is turning out.

Let me know what tires you want to get beat with and that's what we'll bring. Or maybe Infinion is too long of a tow for you?

Ken

[Ken SM94]

Wonder how many National entries we would have had at T-hill if you guys could run Hoosier's in regionals??

No comment on the lap times at T-hill? I kept hearing about how much faster the Hoosier's were going to be... Didn't happen.

[Ken SM94]

And one more thing.. You guys tried to poison me at the last Festival and it didn't work. I'm not falling for that again!!!

[Dan Cooper]

Or maybe Infinion is too long of a tow for you?

Ken

hahahaha...AWESOME.

Wonder how many National entries we would have had at T-hill if you guys could run Hoosier's in regionals??

No comment on the lap times at T-hill? I kept hearing about how much faster the Hoosier's were going to be... Didn't happen.

I don't think overall time is the only thing that needs to be considered with the 2 tires. Would you agree the drive of the car changes? straight line Braking? trail braking? At Infineon especially, theres a lot to be had with stronger brakes.

Correct me if i'm wrong please!

[Ron Alan]

Bruce...are you under Dr. orders no smack talk??? Awful quite up north(other than KS)

Ken, no doubt Hoho's are faster at all three of our tracks. Any of the guys who run 2 classes will tell you. But of course this is running both on the same day with same conditions. You can't look at track times from previous days. If I remember from the National at TH you had fast lap of the weekend with right around a 2:07 flat correct? The track was pretty green after weather that week if I remember. The region came out one month later in very similar conditions on toyo's...I think Cooper set fast lap of the weekend at 2:08.7 with only 2 guys getting under 2:09's. My point is the tires are close but a second is 100+ft a lap...8 miatas And as Dan alluded to, hoho's are faster under brakeing and cornering but slower accelerating and top end. Mixing in all cars together based on lap times would not be a good thing IMO...plus it messes with the regional battles.


If you guys come to Infineon and run Hoosiers...my guess(based on insider info )is a split start with the fastest qual times up front(National likely).

Still hope you guys get to run the 3rd race. Encouraging participation and not discouraging should be the regions goal.

Let me know what tires you want to get beat with and that's what we'll bring.

Ken

Toyos...settled! Game on...just figure Laguna as a tire scrubbing weekend or a chance to get to know the new cars in front of you

[Ken SM94]

I don't think overall time is the only thing that needs to be considered with the 2 tires. Would you agree the drive of the car changes? straight line Braking? trail braking? At Infineon especially, theres a lot to be had with stronger brakes.

I agree they feel different but not much different in the way they performed. If anything I thought they locked up easier under braking. I tried to find a difference in the data on cornering force and it just isn't there.

I do like the fact that you just bolt them on and you got what you got -no cycling them in or wearing them down or shaving to make them fast. I tested the same set I used at T-hill a couple of weeks ago at Portland and at 12 heat cycles was able to run within 2-3 10ths of my new set.

Do you plan to run the Nationals at Infineon?

[Johnny D]

Do you plan to run the Nationals at Infineon?

Ding, Ding, Ding, we have a winner !!!
But I didn't want to suggest to change the whole schedule for next year, but now i'll throw some things out.
I'm sure there reasons but...
Why not Nats at Infineon?
Why not have the Spec Miata Festival at Laguna Seca, big Mazda sign to take a pretty picture.
Have the West Coast Champions at Infineon, Maybe some heat races leading up to the big one. Liked the NASCAR All-Star race.
Gloves off, best of the best on Hoosiers. Points? Contingencies? Prize $ ? maybe get some guys from back east to come.
Not sure why NASA isn't doing it, easier for SCCA to cross over and NASA has more Infineon dates.
Ok, I'll be quiet now.
J~

[Dan Cooper]

Do you plan to run the Nationals at Infineon?

Depends how the regional at Laguna goes. We'll have to wait and see.....

[Bruce Wilson]

Bruce...are you under Dr. orders no smack talk??? Awful quite up north(other than KS)

Should I send my sister down to help you all make up your minds???

-bw

[Ron Alan]

Should I send my sister down to help you all make up your minds???

-bw

Now we're talking. If she cooks, hunts and cleans fish! In return we'll start a pool to hire a coach for you guys who can show you "how to drive faster on r compounds"

[Brian Ghidinelli]

Ken, I thought about my post after I wrote it yesterday and I wanted to clarify - I am NOT criticizing any of your motives and, obviously, not trying to discourage you from coming down. You guys always bring a lot of competition and we have, for many years, been having something of a west coast shootout when we all meet up at the same track at the same time. That's a large part of why I've pushed to open up this event as a Rational and attract more people. I'd love to see some of the SoCal and RMDiv people come out as well. Is it going to be a phenomenon in year 1? Like most things, it will take time to grow...

My only point above is that I know you like a good hard race and some of my favorite races have been battling with you. I don't think the National vs. Regional really means anything to anyone on the west coast (outside of one particular guy dumb enough to go alone to the Runoffs last year...) than another podium and (maybe) some contingency money. You'll get more competition if you run the Regional component and a bonus race this year. Maybe not your first choice and a compromise based on where we are in 2012, but like I said, we have to start somewhere.

I will be at Infineon with bells on running Regionals. If you come down, you're invited to our pits for wood-fired pizza out of our paddock space for lunch on Sunday. We'll be eating the same food and I plan to win so there's no way we're getting sick.

As to John D's question about Nationals at Infineon. These *are* Nationals at Infineon. What's your question?

[Brian Ghidinelli]

BTW

Attached Files

•  sonomasprints.png   42.28KB   10 downloads

[Johnny D]

As to John D's question about Nationals at Infineon. These *are* Nationals at Infineon. What's your question?

You said this wasn't a WCC, but a starting point.
No questions, just options/ideas at either the Infineon Reg or Nat event.
Sorry, I must have misunderstood.
Carry on.
J~

[Grant W]

Hi Brian,
Long over due but 3 - 5 of us will be coming up for the first time and will run the National. We probably wont be able to make the Festival race so we can get back on the road early. Do you know if there is a double dip for STL?
Thanks and looking forward to meeting everybody,
Grant Westmorland

[Brian Ghidinelli]

Grant - awesome news - you guys are picking a good one to come up for! Yes, you can double dip in STL (and triple dip in ITE if you are so inclined...). Event schedule is here: http://www.sfrscca.o...tionalsched.pdf

For those who haven't been to the Spec Miata Festival in the past, we have a BBQ and raffle on Friday night in the paddock so be sure to hang around and we take an on-track photo with all of the cars in SM. We'll get more details as the event gets closer.

[plane]

Sm to STL? I though SM doubled to ITA? I am new. What am I missing?

[MPR22]

Sm to STL? I though SM doubled to ITA? I am new. What am I missing?

SM to STL National
SM to ITA Regional