PCA club racing GTC3/4/5 spec tire
01-17-2012, 10:15 AM
#16
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Bryan's response was spot on. We're lucky to have him at the helm of Club Racing. Most outsiders are surprised when they hear the Club Racing Chairman position is a volunteer one.
I also want to add that PCA publishes its financials in Panorama. In fact, the most recent was the November 2011 Panorama. However, we do not publish what our sponsors contribute because it puts us at a disadvantage when we're competitively bidding for sponsorship.
100% of the funds from the JMG as well as other sponsorships go back into PCA. Having spent the weekend holed up in a conference room with the rest of my Executive Council, I can tell you that everything we do is to improve member benefits as well as prepare the club for the future.
I also want to add that PCA publishes its financials in Panorama. In fact, the most recent was the November 2011 Panorama. However, we do not publish what our sponsors contribute because it puts us at a disadvantage when we're competitively bidding for sponsorship.
100% of the funds from the JMG as well as other sponsorships go back into PCA. Having spent the weekend holed up in a conference room with the rest of my Executive Council, I can tell you that everything we do is to improve member benefits as well as prepare the club for the future.
01-17-2012, 01:11 PM
#17
Rennlist Member
Spec tires are not new ground. However in 944 spec the tire selected was primarily to limit costs. We (as in me along with the other series directors) choose the Toyo RA-1 not because it was the fastest tire, but because it would provide the lowest opeating costs over the life of the tire. This tire is slower than many other options and would not be the the tire most would run if we had an open tire rule. Most would probably run hoosiers, but despise the cost. Our class would be smaller and less popular on hoosiers. We could in fact spec a hoosier tire for our class, but since we are cost based series it made no sense.
Spec boxster and spec 996 also use spec tires as a way to control operating costs. Point is while you can certainly state these other spec series have controlled tires they are one of most value oriented tires rather that being the fastest tire or "what everyone was running". So not really apples to apples.
Spec boxster and spec 996 also use spec tires as a way to control operating costs. Point is while you can certainly state these other spec series have controlled tires they are one of most value oriented tires rather that being the fastest tire or "what everyone was running". So not really apples to apples.
Other spec cars were not designed & built with one particular tire, so budget considerations were paramount. With Cups, (a) it's not a budget car
, and (b) Michelins are what the factory uses to design the car's characteristics.Bryan's response was spot on. We're lucky to have him at the helm of Club Racing. Most outsiders are surprised when they hear the Club Racing Chairman position is a volunteer one.
I also want to add that PCA publishes its financials in Panorama. In fact, the most recent was the November 2011 Panorama. However, we do not publish what our sponsors contribute because it puts us at a disadvantage when we're competitively bidding for sponsorship.
I also want to add that PCA publishes its financials in Panorama. In fact, the most recent was the November 2011 Panorama. However, we do not publish what our sponsors contribute because it puts us at a disadvantage when we're competitively bidding for sponsorship.
01-17-2012, 02:26 PM
#18
Race Director
I guess I really don't see what the fuss is about here. If 90% of the racers are running Michelins, AND the car was specifically desinged wit & for Michelins, it sounds as if it is the right choice, especially considering the free mounting, and/or shipping, etc.
Other spec cars were not designed & built with one particular tire, so budget considerations were paramount. With Cups, (a) it's not a budget car, and (b) Michelins are what the factory uses to design the car's characteristics.
Other spec cars were not designed & built with one particular tire, so budget considerations were paramount. With Cups, (a) it's not a budget car
, and (b) Michelins are what the factory uses to design the car's characteristics.The reasons to require a spec tire on cup car and the reason to choose a certain tire are very different from budget series that were mentioned. Apples to oranges. Both are roundish and fruits, but that is about it. Just because you peel an orange before you eat it does not mean you need to peel an apple.
The fact is the PCA GT-C stock Cup classes are spec classes. They are probably more spec than Spec Boxster or Spec 996 or Spec 944. Spec classes run on Spec tires pretty much everywhere. This is not new ground. Michelin is the tire that the large majority of racers were using last year and that was a consideration in the selection process. This should provide the least disruption to the racers given the short time frame. The next time we should have a longer time frame.
Bryan
Bryan
Point is that I don't believe that saying the cheaper spec series require spec tires has really any bearing on what the GTC class should do unless you are trying to contain costs. If that was the goal then I believe the mission failed by selecting the most costly tire. If the mission was to standardize to close up the spec and to generate a sponsorship opprotunity then just say that. Don't bring up a oranges when you are talking about apples.
BTW... In PCA and club racing in general, selecting a spec tire for any series without consideration of total cost containment is something new. Normally only in the pro ranks are spec tires selected as some sort of sponsor package. At the club level if a spec tire is selected driver feedback on the actual tire selected is factored in and if not all hell tends to break loose.
BTW.. not all cup cars were design for michelins. The early 996 cups ran under Pirelli sponsorship for at least a couple years.
