gums

I"m going to defer to Todd and Matt as both are making good logical sense.
I think the class is healthy and in good hands, and will continue to thrive if kept in check and intact.

gums

yeah, I was one of the droputs!

katmeho

Snooping here, have been coaxing myself into this class for about the past 6 months. Im 80% of the way towards a deposit on a SPB for the 2017 season here in Norcal. Ive been lurking, talking to a number of you at different events and watching the boards and discussions.

As someone who doesn't have a car yet or six sets of wheels but does have reasonable race experience, I'll offer up some equipment related thoughts for consideration:

- Some people have tons of spares to address weak points in the build, others do not. ("I don't run spec wheels cause I cant get them")
- Part availability varies from different parts of the country, hoarding happens. (How many of you have 4 transmissions?)
- Price is being used by established racers to protect their investment, but that blocks flexibility and can be a barrier to entry for new racers. I need to buy refurb wheels to be in spec when the weight should really the most important variable for spec racing right?
- "Leave it the way it is cause its great" sounds like something we should hear from a classics racing series. This isn't that to the best of my knowledge. Test, refine, test again, present real data, collective vote. (e.g. - spring rates)
- This class isn't going anywhere but could be harder to gain new people if barriers to entry around replacement parts isnt sorted out. At some point, things are just not going to be available. What then? Are we all forced to move upstream to newer hardware, or even a different car like the Caymans?

I do like what I see here. The community is better than anything I ever had in other racing...I will likely join you soon, no matter how much my cool suit and I top the scales at... keep up the good work.

audipwr1

You are 100% joining next year!

I'd add to your commentary (about west coast at least) a story

Last race weekend I blew my gearbox, my oil was leaking from bad drain washer, and I broke my gas pedal. I was qualified to start the points race in P2. I had none of those parts

My competitors loaned me the parts, The whole NorCal crew helped me install parts (I'm a mechanical idiot despite having gotten a MechE degree). They all knew that each part loaned and each minute they helped me wouldn't be awesome for their own results, but we all hold the sentiment that off the track we are friends and help one another

I then swept both points races, but if you ask them they would likely all say they would do the same thing again in a heart beat

Not on topics - but important point. That is why I race here instead of spec Miata or spec e46. I won't be the next Pat Long so I prefer the attitudes here in SPB

Re the car weight - yes I still do just fine being heavy - but I'd undoubtably be faster if I were 100 lighter Mueller - that is just what it is

I have heard the Texas boys hit weight dead on

toddlamb

UPDATED LIST:

• increase min weight
• allow aftermarket wheels
• option to run without top
• allow rear wheel spacers
• springs, square setup
• different rain tire
• add LSD
• battery weight - eliminate min
• allow aftermarket parts in transmissions (forgot this one)

Some criteria that can and should be used when considering any changes:

1. does it control costs?
2. does it improve the closeness of competition?
3. does it improve safety?

sbelles

Why not just propose a GT spec Boxster class?

toddlamb

I'm not saying these are good ideas, just ideas

Having some offline dialogue....will update tomorrow.

linzman

As someone who has considered SPB, but who is 6'8" and well over 250#, I have a few questions.

Matt, can you realistically get a 6'8" guy in a SPB ? My wife has an 05 Boxster, and I can drive it, but man is it tight. legroom and headroom. I couldn't imagine it with a helmet, cage and containment seat.

If I could fit, I'd obviously have trouble getting down to weight. I understand the cost control aspect of the weight limit, but why should it matter what my battery weighs as long as I make weight. If I can pay someone $$$ to chop up my wiring harness to save 10-20#, why can't I put in a 6# battery? It could be a cheap $50 tractor battery, that's what my SP3 has. and I'd be much more comfortable doing that myself than chopping up a wiring harness. Why should I be punished for being a tall guy? I'm not obese (well not too much), so as long as I make weight, why do these things matter?, If you don't want smaller guys to chop their cars up and put ballast down low to change center of gravity, ban using ballast to make weight, or put in a max ballast rule. SPB is growing on the east coast, but at my size, under the current rules, I could never be competitive even if I could drive well enough to have a chance, thus it would never be a realistic option.

mmuller

Yes, I believe a person that tall could be made to fit. I have a car in the shop right now that has the seat so far back and so low, I feel I can't reach the pedal's and wheel. I am 6'2".

I believe the battery rule was about controlling weight distribution in the car. There is also a limit on how much ballast can be inside vs outside the cabin for a similar reason. I assume this somehow is about cost containment.

The thing with the rule changes is not if they make sense or not. Sure, some things like non OEM wheels might make sense, but the class has grown within a very defined rule set so well in the last several years that adjusting something like a battery rule causes the class incumbents to either spend or loose out. If the minim weight is raised, all those at weight are in trouble.

Come join SPB. I believe a car could be built for you that is a reasonable, raceable weight.

sbelles

As Matt said, I'm pretty sure you could make it work if you mounted the seat directly on the floor and I think you could get pretty close to min weight. I'm only 5'6" and 150# but I still have both of my bumpers. If I took both out I would be quite a bit under weight.

gums

I had to modify my roll cage for head room when I I got the car, and now there is nothing over my head and I feel like there is 6" of space before the roof. I'm 6'2", I don't think headroom would pose a problem for you. I also slammed the seat to the floor and at times I feel like I'm too low.

linzman

I'm going to go look at your cage. Is it still at Aspen?

gums

yes, the car will be there for awhile yet. The cage originally made an X and it went right over my head, I had no room. I cut that member out and had a different pieced added front to rear. Plenty of room now, and really glad I did it because right after that I met the wall at Lime Rock and it would have really rung my bell.

KnowSomeStuff

Until I can get an admin to unlock my original account from 2002..

Anyone here from the original "PorscheFiles" days?? Mid 90's?? anyone?? lol

It's funny reading some of the responses here and *not knowing who is who based on screen names, but *figuring out who is who based on how we type (the same way we speak) lol

Todd Lamb?

I appreciate your efforts.. the class is now 11yrs old. The only major changes to the rules have been minor. Square. Lexan windshield. and 4 different tire manufacturers at this point (solely based on availability)

The original rule set had the car @2700lbs. We removed 50lbs easily and made it 2650.

The west coast was semi against going square based on the fact we *knew we would one day run out of stock rear wheels... (we knew this from the Spec911 class started by JerryWoods ent.) They ran out of stock 911 wheels before we started the class in 2005.

I tested the LSD and promptly blew up 3 transmissions. The extra weight/rotating mass took the teeth right off 3rd gear.. in all 3 boxes. Still want a LSD? We've killed it 5-6x before *most of these SPB racers bought/built an SPB. Circa 2007.

Believe it or not? There is *some very sound reasoning behind the rules..

What would I like to see? Chinese headers. Little bump in HP, and the cars would sound better. I do believe the class *can become stagnate if you don't make minor updates/changes every 5 years.


B

mmuller

I could get behind Chinese headers actually. But the rule would have to be written carefully so not to allow any high dollar or custom stuff, because that would ruin it.