many of you know about the recent brew-ha-ha at runoffs in the SSB class with the miatas, the z4's, and everything else. there are all kinds of other things going on in the miata community which is less than desireable for many participants. also i'm informed that things aren't a lot better for the IT RX7 guys.

the founders of the Spec Miata class are proposing some pretty major changes which could include a formation of a new rules, maybe a new sanctioning body, much like BMWCCA or PCA.

i have no idea what is going to come out of this, but you might want to take a look.

http://www.specmiata.com/cgi-b...=1000

mostly check out the new sanctioning body thread

just a heads up for the few mazda guys roaming around here

 

That's a little ironic. A lot of non-Mazda drivers think SCCA is in bed with Mazda, while SM and IT7/spec7 people think they're getting screwed...

K

 

From my somewhat-limited understanding of all this, how you look at it depends on which class you're in.

About the runoffs: This was a SS class issue and to some it did look like Mazda used a little influence, to some it looks more like BMW, who knows with all the politics.

About SM: The main issue with Spec Miata is that the SCCA will not recognize it as a national class and keeps putting language into their guidelines that it is "regional only". The Spec Miata racers think this is insane since SM is the fastest-growing class and has brought so many people into the ranks of the SCCA. One good arguement I heard, however, was that the SCCA doesn't want to introduce a national class for one manufacturer as it would look like favoritism. I heard that before the whole run offs SSB incident which would mean it might be even more unlikely now.

As a Mazda driver, I'm not thrilled with the appearence of corporate influence at the run offs. I will say this however - Mazda does an excellent job of supporting racers on the grassroots level. Just for doing a couple autocrosses a year I get parts discounts, new car discounts, etc. Very cool.

- Markus

 

This whole mess reads: "Showroom Stock has been a car of the year class until the Miata showed up, and since it's been THE car to have for 4 years now, we don't want to change".
Whiners. To have so little foresight that their cars won't be competitive indefinitely, and to try to strong-arm the rules makers...
Go ahead, take your ball and leave. I know a couple of folks who have tried to start up a race series/class. It's one of those things where you'd better be careful what you wish for.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Markus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The Spec Miata racers think this is insane since SM is the fastest-growing class and has brought so many people into the ranks of the SCCA.
- Markus</TD></TR></TABLE>

Not really. It has done a fine job of getting racers who were already there to build a Miata, but hasn't brought in any more new people than any other class from what I've seen. JMO of course.

And it is popular, which means that it was doomed by its own popularity from the start (ask me how I well I understand this concept). No way something that big can keep its intended grassroots simplicity and affordability.

Just saw this on the ARRC website yesterday...
Approved tire list:
Toyo RA1
Kumho Victoracer V700
Hankook Ventus Z211
Hoosier SM
If rain conditions exist, tire choice is open, within the restrictions of this section.


So now Spec Miatas can use the evil and expensive Hoosiers that will cause the financial wreck of all grassroots racers everywhere (at least according to NASA).

Yeah. Good luck with your little low cost controlled race class thingy there. Pretty soon you'll have a couple of guys lobbying for turbochargers and CF hoods in a SMUnlimited class.

Scott, who understands that when you try to make everyone happy you **** a bunch of people off. Always.

 

from my understanding of the situation, the main beef with SCCA is that they keep altering the rules against the wishes of the SM community. IE, the Hoosier thing. other than those stinking pro guys with oodles of money, i don't think anybody in SM wants this. another example is the increase in min weight to iirc 2350lbs from 2250 last year. i think there's other stuff going on as well.

at the base of it the problem is SM is being misrepresented in SCCA, and that is a problem. is forming our own group encompasing all mazda racers the best solution? i dunno, maybe.

 

Cannot access the link (must be a driver?)

 

Here's the cookbook.

1. Somebody has a good idea for racing. This particular idea is Spec Miata.
2. Idea takes off, becomes popular.
3. As popularity increases, sanctioning body becomes interested in getting "more involved"
4. Meanwhile, a handful of racers / vendors / car owners / car wash owners / jiffy lube employees start asking for changes. To the format, the rules, whatever.
5. Sanctioning body listens to said folks and says, "Hey, that's a pretty good idea."
6. Immediately after that, the people from steps 1 and 2 get pissed off.
7. The pissed-offedness spreads to the people in step 4. Fighting on mazda-tech.com's RR/AX forum ensues.
8. Sanctioning body from step 3 starts wondering why everybody's so pissed off, because they know what they're doing.
9. Potential new racers who once thought the good idea from step 1 looked cool see the politicking and bickering and Internet chest-thumping, and punt and go back to doing DEs. Or they buy a used IT car.

Travis, I betcha any standalone organization that Spec Miata puts together isn't gonna have the infrastructure (read: money and clout) to get dates on the track, insurance, registration stuff, timing and scoring stuff...this is seriously seriously expensive stuff.

Maybe Mazda Club could pitch in? I'm sure that idea was floated by someone already on specmiata.com, but I'm not allowed to read the forum

 

hmm... I wonder where you got that cookbook... it looks sorta familiar for some unknown reason.

 

Karl and I wrote that cookbook completely by accident.

He actually forgot step 8.5 which is:
- The somebodys from step 1 decide that its pretty stupid to put forth so much work for something they have grown to hate and decide to play elsewhere.

The Spec Miata folks would do well to pay attention to the brief history of the Honda Challenge. There is alot to learn there.

 

yeah they changed the location of the thread so you now must be a registered and liscensed SM driver to even view the thread, which i think is a bit slimy and backdoorish, exactly what they're complaing about the SCCA doing.

i'm not saying that this is going to fly. it probably won't, but i'm not against trying either. i'm happy racing SM with Midwestern Council, i don't want to leave. but if i can run SM with both MC and this new org, i'm all for it.

there is a union element to this, which i really don't like.