We have more than one issue and we have to get focused now on solutions. Only numbers can assure our RunOffs position -- so we all know the answer to the first issue: go racing. On that front, Rusty Cook and I will contribute at least 18 Nationals this year. We lost a double National to a blizzard that buried our rig, but we've changed our schedule to make it up. >From the discussion here, I'm confident everyone else will heed Stan's warning and get us through this year.
If, however, we want to move away from the precipice, I think we have to confront the harder issues of attracting new class members faster and providing assurances of continuous engine availability. As I see it, we have to capture far more karters and far more SAE graduates, while enhancing our appeal to others with the open wheel, but low budget, affliction. We're just not doing that fast enough the way we are going. And we have to assure those new folks that motors will be available. On the latter front, I did give Tony an open order for 5 493s, but no one else placed an order by his January 15 cut off date -- so, at least formally, his factory arrangement is over. He has told me that, if we put together a 15 motor request in the near future, he'll try to work something out with Rotax. Let me know if anyone wants to join me in an interim deal of this kind (see e-mail addresses and phone numbers below). In any event, you all know how this reads to a newcomer: what's going to happen next? We may very well know that remanufactured short blocks and used motors can carry us at the current level for years, but that's just not reassuring to newcomers. I'd like to step back, to provide some perspective, and then make a specific proposal to get us launched. What I thought I heard at the RunOff's meetings was that the club was striving to create the national classes that it believed met two criteria: one, classes that conceptually covered the full spectrum of road racing activity, and, two, that could reasonably be expected to generate the greatest interest and the increasing participation required to continue to keep a class in the top 24 that would qualify it for the RunOffs as the club's numbers continued to expand. I think I also heard that Formula Continental and Formula Mazda had made (or had made for them) engine decisions which appeared to be raising their costs, lowering their participation, and, generally not meeting the Club's long term numbers criteria. This led to establishing F1000, a motorcycle engined, winged class which it appeared would better serve the long range objectives -- because it offered self adaptive long term performance for the money in the mid-level winged formula car space. That takes care of the "B" car that is expected to survive. "A" is Atlantic, however it evolves as the premier formula car. And FV will be allowed to survive as an eccentric one off -- for so long, of course, as it makes its numbers. You then reach a "C" car, an entry level class, a smaller, less expensive formula car without wings. It could, as I think Stan has suggested, be FF based, as the F1000 was Continental based, but that would encounter two problems as I see it. First, FF is as dug in with its motors as Continental is, and, thus, might best be left to run that way for so long as it meets the numbers. Second, if you go with that size car, you're really specifying an F1000, just without wings, but, probably, with a 600cc bike motor. I think that's a much more expensive car than you need probably 50% more all in -- making it, with reduced performance, an especially hard sell when compared to an F1000, for which you're also simultaneously trying to build RunOffs numbers. That leads me to F500. Many believe that what the class needs to really take off again is a 600cc bike motor with an integral 6 speed transmission. Quite a few believe that a spec, coil over type shock would be a very desirable feature as well. I now believe both that these are correct assessments, and that, in contrast to 13 inch wheels, both of these modifications could be incorporated in virtually all the current, nationally competitive cars without complete reengineering. This leads me to propose a new, evolved class: F500/600. There would be no changes to the current F500 spec other than the allowance of (a) a 600cc bike motor and/or (b) the spec shock, both at the competitor's election. (Specifically, all other defining dimensions, including wheel/tire size, would be retained, as would the solid rear axle.) This would preserve the existing cars, so that the class would not slip out of the RunOffs -- if we get our act together now. I propose that any 600cc bike motor in absolutely stock configuration (except for racing clutches, if elected) be permitted. This parallels the already approved F1000 motor approach. Based on the SAE experience with these motors over many, many years, I would, if needed, impose an intake restrictor tube, just as SAE does, to "equalize" performance both (a) among the bike motors, and (b), even more importantly for this concept to work and sell to the class, with the current Rotax motors. (I would use the 493 for equalization testing purposes.) If we can reach a consensus in a timely manner, I am prepared to sponsor a reasonable amount of independent dyno work to define this motor concept this year, as well as to build a prototype (using a Maverick chassis, which is substantially the same as a Scorpion underneath the skin) that could be tested this season against several nationally competitive cars/drivers to finalize a restrictor tube selection, if needed, and car weights. Conceptually, for weights (including driver), I propose starting with 600cc/850pounds; 493-494/800pounds; other (AMW, KAW, Chapparal)/750 pounds. I'd appreciate your specific thoughts on this proposal, including proposed membership of a class committee to oversee the motor and shock testing and selection, and what more Stan thinks we have to do to make it happen, hopefully for 2008. Jack Walbran F500 #67 Office: 314-259-2959 [EMAIL PROTECTED] Home: 314-962-9989 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ________________________________ FormulaCar Magazine - A Proud Supporter of Formula 500 The Official Publication of Junior Formula Car Racing Subscribe Today! www.formulacarmag.com or 519-624-2003 _________________________________ _______________________________________________ F500 mailing list - [email protected] To unsubscribe or change options please visit: http://f500.org/mailman/listinfo/f500 *** Please, DO NOT send unsubscribe requests to the mailing list! ***
