Steven My proposal was to convert existing cars as well as build new ones for a 600cc 110 hp motor.Although a 1000cc suzuki would fit into the invader w/o much work,The 1000cc puts out 170 hp. The structural strength of the chasses,suspension,steering, hubs, brakes, ect, would make the car unsafe.I will attach some pictures of a f 500 to d sports .The only requirement to meet the d sports rules was to open the cockpit going forward a few inches..Again the added loads on the present f 500 cars makes it unsafe in my opinion. There fore we did not proceed with the conversion.I do believe the car would have done well at topeka. .At half the cost of the present d cars..The proposal is to make the cars f 500 /f 600 more attractive to get more people interested and still be affordable. Jim
> > From: "Steven Dodd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2007/03/27 Tue AM 12:00:09 EST > To: [email protected] > Subject: [F500] Jack & Jim new build proposal > > So Jim, with the below proposal in mind, can you build me a 15k roller > (tubeframe) with 13 inch wheels, swaybar etc. I would need to spend the > extra 400 bucks for a 1 litre motor vs 600 and a couple of grand for wings > but you may have just proposed the worlds most economical F1000. Sign me > up! > > Seriously can you do it that cheap? I don't mind racing two classes. > > In sales and marketing a positive spin usually works better than the blues. > When we start braggin about beating Fords more than worrying that a bunch of > kids aren't jumping in our class, we may see some growth. In my > professional life, I wouldn't dream of telling a customer I haven't sold any > XYZ product. I would emphasize the positives and let the sales follow. > Ford & Gm never go "hey sales are in the crapper, C'mon down and lets make a > deal". > Regarding what Spec is doing right- SCCA enterprizes and SEXY ads. Sex > sells. Put a female SAE mastertech that looks like Hennesey in front of our > cars and you may see some orders. > > Steven > > > > > >In regards to the survivial and growth of the F500 class some major changes > >have to occur. I agree it should be a 600cc motorcycle engine with 6 speed > >sequential gearbox. I agree with Jack Walbran that the dyno work should be > >done so as the speed performance is in line with where we are now with the > >493/494 if not a little stronger. Clints 493 is running down top run off > >Fords in a straight line. I would also like to see a spec shock spring and > >I > >would take Jacks suggestion one step further and allow 13" wheels. This > >would > >bring the Goodyear compounds back into play. The cars need to look larger > >to > >be more appealing to bring in new drivers, and some of us are growing > >sideways > >and need some more room. All of the larger Formula cars, FSCCA , F1000, FC > >are > >all in the $50,000.00 range. We need a car that is not much more than what > >we > >are paying now with no wings as an affordable entry level car and still be > >the > >best bang for the buck. Our Invaders were over $20,000.00. Of the 7 Mike > >sold, 6 were to us. 5 are for sale now and I am not getting any calls which > >is > >why we are having this discussion. There is no interest from new drivers. > >There was a lot of talk on Apex concerning the F1000 because the cost > >immediately went too high and eliminated lots of prospective buyers thus > >the > >need for an affordable wingless formula car. Our present manufacturers > >without > >too many changes could make these changes and do it affordable. A 600cc > >Honda > >will fit in the Invader with only changing the rear shock location. 13" > >wheels > >and tires are only 1 or 2 inches more in overall circumference to our 19" > >tire. > > > >Having been active in this class since 1989, even though it is the biggest > >bang > >for the buck, it has not drawn enough new participants to keep the class > >alive > >and the reasons for that, as I stated above, the cars are a little too > >small, > >you cannot shift them and they are extremely high maintenance vehicles. We > >work on them constantly while at the track. I have been asked thousands of > >times, why are you guys always working on your cars? A massed produced > >motorcycle engine, transmission chain drive to a solid axle would make it a > >lot > >less tedious during the weekends, maybe we would even make it to the social > >for > >a cold one. > > > >Going along the F1000 rules, any 600cc motorcycle engine can be used in > >stock > >configuration with limited modifications, to the oil pan for clearance > >purposes > >and an open air intake system. I agree the dry sump system is the best but > >I > >presently have a Dsports with a modified oil pan for wet sump and he has > >run > >it > >for 2 years with no problem and just received brand new Stohr F1000 with a > >Billet oil pan wet sump also. > > > >Right now you can only buy Formula Vee or Formula 500 for under $20,000.00. > >Formula Fords are over $30,000.00 and we go faster than most of them and > >then > >you jump up to the $50,000.00 range. If we could get a car as fast as the > >top > >F500 guys are running, which is faster than most of the Fords this packaged > >with a low cost mass produced motorcycle motor, the option of a paddle > >shifter and no CVT to work on you would attract a lot of newcomers who > >cannot > >afford $50,000.00 for what is available now. > > > >Projecting out a few years I see only these Formula Classes at the runoffs, > >Formula Vee, this new class F5/6?, F1000, Formula SCCA, FC and FA. Without > >some major changes you will be racing against 1, 2 possibly 3 other guys at > >regional events only. I have always been a strong supporter of this class > >but > >there is no fun in it when you are only racing one other person. At our > >first > >2 winter nationals we had 3 starters at Sebring and 4 starters at > >Homestead. > >These numbers speak for themselves. At our first regional at Sebring there > >were only 3 F500s, 2 of which were Dolphins. The 3 F500s out qualified the > >Spec Racers but they split started them because there were 45 of them so > >they > >put us in the back with the 6 Formula Vees. The spec racers are doing > >something right. These cars are over $30,000.00 and are a lot slower than > >ours > >but continue to attract new people. All they do is gas and go all weekend. > >For $30,000.00 I would rather be driving an F600. And by the way, the young > >driver who works with us , Matt Strand, did pass all 45 of the Spec Racers > >to > >get the overall win in just his second race. > > > >As for advertising we have advertised heavily in print as well as e > >magazine > >s > >and got little response from the karters. They were not interested in F500 > >once they turned 16. If they could afford it they went into wings and > >things > >not 500s. All this being said does not end what is presently in place. If > >those who want to run what we have now 493/494 CVT thats ok too, but lets > >try > >something new. The present package only appeals to a few. We need to > >attract > >new drivers. And remember, nothing changes if nothing changes. > > > >P.S. Check out www.formulajedi.com its a F600 class in the U.K. > > > >Jim Elder > >Dolphin Motorsports [demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type image/pjpeg which had a name of F 500 d sports 003.jpg] [demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type image/pjpeg which had a name of F 500 d sports 005.jpg] [demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type image/pjpeg which had a name of F 500 d sports 001.jpg] ________________________________ 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! ***
