77 replies to this topic

[Caveman-kwebb99]

I think a more accurate description of what happened at the IT Spectacular was a group of knowledgeable racers confronted a questionable compliance issue and threatened to become an "angry mob" (and throw paper) if issues didn't get fixed. The racer got the message so there was no "angry mob" (or thrown paper). Group diplomacy at its finest.

Tom that was not the only issue. someone clearly ran fuel as well. Who wants to drive in 8 hrs to have that crap going on, when it could easily be fixed. Nobody is even advocating tearing down a car, but there are lots of things that can be teched in the 20 minutes they make you stand around the tech area before they say ok guys you can all leave. The best regions I have seen with tech is Glen region and ATL region. other regions should get the picture when those fields have 40+ cars.

[Qik Nip]

My congrats to John Guthrie for his overall vicrtory and Kyle Webb on (apparently coming in a very close second). Likewise kudo's to Frank Todaro for being in 1st until he decicded that marital harmony (it was his 25th) outweighed the temporary glory of a GL Points Championship title!
Rick

[AJ Roderick]

I would like to be the first to Congratulate John Guthrie on his GL regional SM title (Unnoficial Title at the moment because the points have not been posted). He probably has no earthly idea he has won, as upon leaving he was congratulating me for winning the title. Little did either of us know that only the best 7 races would count for points total, and not our true totals. What a good sport John was about the event.

I havfe to say thanks to AJ hot Rod erick for the great coaching he did with me on practice day, the tips Charlie Campbell was willing to share with me about the tracks, the great clean racing that eveyone did, got to meet some new peeps.

What sucked about the event is there was Zero tech, and I mean Zero... How do you have an event with a huge impact on the regional title and have Zero tech? To me that is just not right...

I can say without reservation that John and I ran 100% legal I even ran 13 pounds heavy just in case they may decide to actually give a s-hit and put us on the scales. But every finishing possition of every driver has an effect on the championship, it should be scrutinized better than any other regional event all year. Without assurances from the region that there will be Real Tech at this event I will not run it again.

Way to go John, you have made it through a lot f adversity this season you deserved this championship!

I emailed some feedback to the NeOhio board about the event and I brought up the lack of tech so hopefully next year any NeOhio events will include tech such as weighing, check plates, maybe shocks etc. Plus talking to a couple of the board members to get them on my side of things. I may even have to run for board this winter

[Michael Novak]

They checked my belts and Fire system in tech. They looked under my hood---mainly because I opened it when I parked...

Why not start a self tech also?????? Top X amount of cars automatically go into tech and then the tech people also randomly grab others. Every racer techs the car in front of them. The tech people also do their parts seperately.

[AJ Roderick]

I don't know who it was, but I kept hearing that someone wanted top 3 restrictor plates checked. I guess they were told they could just throw paper if they wanted it teched...

Kyle was told they wouldn't be weighed because they "didnt" have enough people....

I will be bugging the NeOhio board about their events but Im afraid it will fall on deaf ears.

I think self tech can only do so much, yeah the guys in impound will know who is legal, but we are all friends with each other so who is to say its going to stop the rumors being thrown around the track about someone cheating.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

I'm not sure they really have a desire to tech... If we have a desire for tech we need to make them listen with our voice and our not entering an event. I personally think NASA in our region has more respected results because they do tech, they dyno cars, they do random inspections for weight and plates. They also have a SM director, who mandates to tech what will be done and to what cars at each and every event. There is no reason SCCA cannot take a similar approach. It is one of the few things that I prefer about NASA.

I have heard so many times from the mid pack guy that so and so they were just running with for 15th was pulling them on the back straight. If we had tech they would know its their motor, setup, driving or all 3. That is what keeps people coming back, the knowing its a more fair playing field, we all know some are blessed with more talents in the area of car prep, or setup, or driving. unfortunatly having some of those skill sets often get you labeled as a cheat. Up front I dont know of any local guy we race that I think ever cheats, we all have a mutual respect for one another even though not everyone likes each other all the time.

[Michael Novak]

IMO--Plates and weights should be checked by the whole field at least one time over the weekend and by at least 50% of the field twice. I had to race from the back of the field after a first lap spin and some of the cars were very fast for their positions.


The dyno thing might work at large events, but it is very beatable--thus I think in general a waste...

[Caveman-kwebb99]

The dyno thing might work at large events, but it is very beatable--thus I think in general a waste...

I am 100% with you on that but I can tell you that 75% or more of the field puts alot of stock in the dyno curbing cheating. Not eveyone knows or believes how easily you can defeat the dyno.

Weights and plates at every event without a doubt, takes less than 10 minutes to pull a RP, another easy check is the part number on a shock... 5 minutes to pull a wheel off check a shock part number, put wheel back on. check the alterator to be sure its hooked up and working another easy tech item.

teching yor belts thats safety not performance, I concider you a freind Novak, but I dont give two shitts if your belts or fire system is out dated, I do care if your car is non compliant in a performance aspect. I know yours is always in complaince but I think you get my point.

[FTodaro]

IMO--Plates and weights should be checked by the whole field at least one time over the weekend and by at least 50% of the field twice. I had to race from the back of the field after a first lap spin and some of the cars were very fast for their positions.


The dyno thing might work at large events, but it is very beatable--thus I think in general a waste...

Mike, I have some ideas about how we could do this in a way that is not burdensome but we need SM guys in each region to push it with there club. I am going to make an effort through the GLD regional race committee to require it to have the race count for points, but it comes down to the fact that they do not have enough volunteers, in tech, who know anything about SM. So we could put together a two page tech guide for each model year, that spells out what to look for, Plate, if they have one, what size and color, and even a picture of where the plate is, and a go/no go tool to check the plate. A list of what should be checked and how to do it.

You need at least one volunteer from the SM group to oversee it. if we want this done we have to come up with a system to do it and provide the manpower, With so many classes in SCCA there is no way they can be up on it like we are.

BTW i was totally impressed with your driving this weekend I was watching each lap on race monitor and saw you get dumped early on race 4 only to come back to the the front, good job dude, and a big congrats to the wife to hang in there and do as well as she did on a track that takes some stones to drive. Good Weekend for the Novak's

I emailed some feedback to the NeOhio board about the event and I brought up the lack of tech so hopefully next year any NeOhio events will include tech such as weighing, check plates, maybe shocks etc. Plus talking to a couple of the board members to get them on my side of things. I may even have to run for board this winter

AJ i would encourage you to do that, we need people to get involved if we want to step out our game, and its not that big of a commitment. This is our club and its what we make of it.

[jguthrie]

I feel I backed into this champ . Frank had the points ,all he had to do was show up ,he took care of business at home ,the right thing to do . I had a 7 point lead on Kyle ,decided at last minute to go to nelson .kyle and I both had to learn the track .kyle learned it faster and erased my 7 points lead and left sunday with a 3 point lead and the champ . He earned it . I was surprised to here congradulations from Kyle on the champ due to rules that we were not aware of .
I had my doubts on what Nelson was like and why I was going , but I had a absolute blast fignting it out with Kyle . after you get the offs out of your mine and learn the line ,that track is a blast , that is balls out racing with some very fast clean racing SM drivers .
The best thing about the news today is it gives me a chance to say thanks to Frank and Kyle . We raced hard all year ,we would rotate the order we finish at every Mido event . Also ,the help I got from Charlie Cambell,Micheal Novak and Charlie Boehly on bring me up to speed at Nelson .Deb and Denny for pushing me to go and the support .

JG

[LarryKing]

John, you earned the championship with your performance all season. Congrats!

[Michael Novak]

Frank,

Kristen and I are will to help with planning and at the track. I agree --tech doesnt need to take long or be that hard to perform. A well though out plan with directions and help in tech will get it done.

Kristen and I had --and the rest of the group all had fun weekends battling it out. Last race was all me, came into 11 too fast and spun in front of the whole field. It was good to get to work back through.

[Jerry Cabe]

I'll caution everyone to hold off on congratulating anyone on the Championship in SM just yet. I have not received the official results, so I cannot do my massaging to be able to post them. Certainly, there were several that made good runs toward the Championship. It generally takes me about six hours to go through the results for all 45 classes before I can post the results.

There is probably almost no truth to the rumor that the pointskeeper can make calculation errors for cash.

[FTodaro]

Frank,

Kristen and I are will to help with planning and at the track. I agree --tech doesnt need to take long or be that hard to perform. A well though out plan with directions and help in tech will get it done.

Kristen and I had --and the rest of the group all had fun weekends battling it out. Last race was all me, came into 11 too fast and spun in front of the whole field. It was good to get to work back through.

Mike Kyle, Jerry AJ and others are working in it and will include you.

I'll caution everyone to hold off on congratulating anyone on the Championship in SM just yet. I have not received the official results, so I cannot do my massaging to be able to post them. Certainly, there were several that made good runs toward the Championship. It generally takes me about six hours to go through the results for all 45 classes before I can post the results.

There is probably almost no truth to the rumor that the pointskeeper can make calculation errors for cash.

Jerry every man has his price, we have heard yours is pretty low, something about more or less a case of cheap beer will get er done.

[LarryKing]

I'll caution everyone to hold off on congratulating anyone on the Championship in SM just yet.

You mean I still have a chance?

[AJ Roderick]

You mean I still have a chance?

Every moose has its day

[LarryKing]

and squirrels too

[Caveman-kwebb99]

no every squirrel will find a Nutt... lolol