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So long as the new wheel doesn't negate the ability to competitively use the oem wheels it's all good and folks who run a higher end program will benefit from the aesthetics and ease of procurement of your product - just wasn't what many of us had hoped for
Tim there are some rare 10 spoke oem boxster wheels that weigh 20 pounds each (complies with the rules). This should not matter for you (other than sprung weight), but for us regular size men, its a lot of weight savings. The wheels are very hard to find and cost a premium when found on the used market.
“Based on comments and requests from the racers”? Anyone know where these requests came from?
OEM wheels are ~22-23 lbs. Hope these are similar.
The rules committee took input from the class advocate and submissions from racers. I don't know how many racers mentioned the fact that stock wheels in good condition are getting harder to come by, but that was the input and through that we were able to come up with this program. There were other wheel manufacturers considered, but none were anywhere near this price point, and we were not going to let cheap knock-off wheels in the class (no regulation, no guarantee of quality or consistent weight per wheels etc). Hopefully this will be a good thing for the class, they may not be as inexpensive as some options, but they are better quality than the cheap ones out there, and an entire set is about the price of one wheel from some of the other manufacturers. John is working with Jongbloed on the specifics for the wheel to make sure it meets the rules requirements.
The announcement was sent to all Club Racers yesterday afternoon:
New Wheel for Spec Boxster – Limited Introductory Price Offer!
Based on comments and requests from the racers, PCA Club Racing has decided to make a 2019 rule change for the Spec Boxster class effective immediately; this will allow racers to place orders now and have the product ready for next season. Due to the age of the Boxster platform, and the diminishing supply of OEM Porsche wheels that meet the class specific rules, the class will also allow a specially made aftermarket wheel to be used in competition.
The wheel is made by Jongbloed Racing Wheels specifically for the Spec Boxster class, it meets the current rulebook requirements for size, weight and offset to match the OEM 17 x 8.5-inch rear wheel and will therefore not offer any competitive advantage over the OEM wheel. The allowance of this wheel gives racers a choice in wheels while keeping the competition fair for those continuing to run an OEM wheel setup.
The Jongbloed wheel will be stamped with “SPB” to enable scrutineers to visually identify the SPB legal wheel from other models that do not meet the specific requirements of the class. The wheel will retail for $349, however Jongbloed Racing Wheels will offer an introductory price of $299 for the first 30 racers who place an order (120 wheels). The part number for the wheel is JRWPCA17x8.5/48SPB and can be ordered from Jongbloed Racing at 408-776-1380, or through their distributor network, https://www.jongbloedracingwheels.com/?_rdr. Contact SPB class advocate John Gladwell, jlg0861@aol.com, for questions.
I welcome the fact that PCA took input and opted to make a rules change to support the feedback. I was one of those who voiced for a change, but this is not the intention of what I was asking for. When I joined SPB 2 years ago with zero wheels, I had to fight for inventory from guys who were hoarding wheels because the non swirlies are prone to bending and some guys were not trusting them once damaged. This was driving down supply and upping the cost from the used market. There is also the common practice of buying whole sets only to throw away (waste) the fronts because everyone is running a square setup. The amount of time and $ needed to get 2 full clean sets for the season seemed ridiculous as a precursor to getting on track. I know 3 more racers in the same boat that have joined up since then and it seemed silly. We also found it silly that cars that were being bought from builders were shipping with "illegal" Tire Rack wheels that were less than $200 a piece which had to be taken off and tossed. In watching video from across the country, you see cars with "illegal" wheels mid pack, which I assume nobody contests because why would you? But why are PCA Scruts letting it go? Mainly because there was a wheel issue that needs sorting out. So it seemed to make sense to allow another wheels, which I think only fail the rules based on offset. I think many who wanted to solve the supply problem and commented were in the same mindset. Leverage something thats in the market and cheaper and less of a headache than what everyones experiencing. Instead, I think PCA just jumped at a chance to answer a question they didn't understand nor did the legwork to solve the problem to assist the field. I may be wrong, but no data has been put forward from testing that may have been done on these shunned "cheap" wheels. No cross series feedback has been provided, like if SCCA said "we allowed people to run these and they failed 3 times last year so stay away" and nobody in the field was granted any session exceptions to actually shake down and test any wheels and provide the national team real data or feedback. If they had done true due diligence on the wheels in the market, determined that nothing has the quality and safety needed for the racing this class is doing, and then brought this offer forward, then I think feedback would be different and more supportive. I believe PCA listens, but only via selective channels. Strive to hear and understand your whole community. Where I race, SPB is the only class thats paying the bills for the events. It would be good to keep that class in good standing with lots of options and flexibility to keep and grow that field.
That said, I truly applaud Jongloed for stepping into this role and providing a product that meets this very specific need. It's not easy to satisfy a very small audience and frankly, their R&D costs to put something out that they are proud to their name on and are willing to produce for us means we need to support them as much as we can. I don't doubt that their product will be superior to a Tire Rack offering. The design is awesome. I'll be looking there for any future wheel needs, and hope they get enough business out of this product to keep offering it to all of us for years to come.
Now if we could find an answer to our transmission problems....
The rules committee took input from the class advocate and submissions from racers. I don't know how many racers mentioned the fact that stock wheels in good condition are getting harder to come by, but that was the input and through that we were able to come up with this program. There were other wheel manufacturers considered, but none were anywhere near this price point, and we were not going to let cheap knock-off wheels in the class (no regulation, no guarantee of quality or consistent weight per wheels etc). Hopefully this will be a good thing for the class, they may not be as inexpensive as some options, but they are better quality than the cheap ones out there, and an entire set is about the price of one wheel from some of the other manufacturers. John is working with Jongbloed on the specifics for the wheel to make sure it meets the rules requirements.
The announcement was sent to all Club Racers yesterday afternoon:
thanks, Ryan. John G knows what he’s talking about.
They will be a Flow Formed wheel and yes we can make them weigh 20lbs. Yes I know its not a spec boxster but wanted to show what the wheel will look like.
Thanks
Ryan Dettling
Jongbloed Racing Wheels
At 20lbs this will be the lightest SPB wheel available and it looks good too. If it could be permanently offered at $299, then a set wouldn't cost much more than a set of stickers. The lighter OEM used wheels in good shape are almost impossible to find for under $250 a piece and, refurbished or not, they are all getting to be close to 20yrs old.
08-21-2018, 07:52 PM
