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Written by: Mitch Poremba
I=ve decided to write a blog about our club and how the Board along with the Rules Committee, I believe have too much control with regulations making it costly for racers, that members don’t have much of a voice within our club and see if we (the members) can get control of our club.
I also want to state that I only think the Board, Rules Committee and Pro Managers are hurting our club, that everyone else in our club are great people and with their love of racing, is what gives Our Club character and fun to be a part of.
What got me started was an article in Sports Car Magazine last fall that GT-1 racers should not be afraid to drive in TransAm races. I sent him an email here it is:
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I just had to respond about the piece in SCCA magazine about how easy it is for GT1 to run TransAm, SCCA people at the headquarters are so out of touch.
I have been with SCCA since 1983, haven't raced as much as I like because of trying my hand at a business or building a home, but I am now building a GT1 car, this will be my third and final car, I would like to try my hand at a couple of TransAm races in the future, but won't because of the rule differences. I was one of those along with Rick Dittman that had the first meeting to get the GT 1 group started.
When SCCA brought back TransAm it said that the series would follow the GT1 rules because the cars are the same, talk about a lie, I will start with a couple of things that are minor, the windshield supports (GT1 are 1" wide, TransAm are 3/4" wide, Gt1 will pass, but they could be the same rule), db noise (GT1 is 103db, TransAm is 125 db, again GT1 makes it but be nice if GT1 could be close to TransAm, I like to build mine with exhaust on each side, keeps so much heat from the center of the car).
Now to a couple of major differences, TransAm rules were changed last year on the driver's side roll bars and having to have a 1 3/4" round diagonal piece, it's impossible with some chassis and with my, with a 4 link setup, there is a diagonal piece but it's a small rect. piece, no room for a 1 3/4" round.
Fuel cell, GT1 is 31.68 gals and Trans-Am is 33 gals, yes we meet the rule in a way, but I believe that SCCA made the GT1 rule on purpose so if they want to disqualify a racer, they can, ATL and Fuel Safe are all 32 gals. So some racers probably run a 29 gal. or 22 gal., so they can't run a Trans-Am race.
The right side drivers net, the dumbest thing any liberal SCCA person came up with, maybe it needed to be for World Challenge cars, but because you did it on one car, you think it has to be on the Trans-Am cars, when both GT1 and Trans-am cars run NASCAR seats with rib support seats, there's no way that any part of our body will get over the tunnel side. It's also the stupidest idea because some GT1 cars, my older car included had the push button for the fire extinguisher over on the right side. I talked with some of the Trans-Am people last year, I heard their opinions and basically it is a stupid rule.
I saw back in the mid 80's when SCCA bought in the exhaust sound rule and I saw racers quit, then I crewed for a Cam-Am car at the 84 or 85 national runoffs, the racers had a way to keep the series alive and bring in more cars, they wanted a meeting with SCCA but couldn't get one. One year later we knew why, Nick Craw and SCCA decided to build their own spec Cam-Am cars, that's why they didn't want to hear from the racers, that series failed big time. So racers have a lot of disrespect for the people at the top of SCCA, we thought Steve Johnson being a racer would help steer the club back, but no, too many liberals running the club.
Hopefully some day, we can have a revolt like the Tea Party and throw you bums out and get our club back, the new CEO or President that was hired, never raced and saying we are going to turbo charge the club, bunch of B.S.
So until racers run their club, get the rules on the same playing field, you will never see many GT1 guys in TransAm.
Does any of this sink home, probably not, because you think your smarter then the rest of us.
Mitch Poremba
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Well I got a email back saying he was passing it on, something must of sunk in, I saw last fall in the later versions of the TransAm specs that the 1 ¾” round, the round was taken out, I see in the GT-1 section this year that the “31.68 gallon” is gone, but so much more needs to be done.
When you see the phrase “to control costs”, that is like our politicians who use words and phrases to make more regulations, to do what, control people and so people have less liberty. Well that is the same from our Board, Rule Committee and Pro Managers, it’s code for controlling us and actually every rule that’s been coming out makes racers spend more, what these Hippocrates don’t realize, labor is a cost. Also what adds costs and it’s been proven by our government and is happening within our club by the liberal elitists, making rules so only one tire manufacturer can be run (TransAm) or one company to make a body (TransAm) or one fuel supplier (again, TransAm) or one company to make fuel induction system for GT-2 and so on, it’s been proven that allowing a single manufacturer only, they can charge whatever they desire and cost racers more. So let’s go thru a few of the great costly rules that the committee has made:
Mid 80’s – db levels for exhaust, the biggest con that was ever put upon us, most GT-1 cars were running exhaust on each side, but SCCA said it was to help the corner workers with the noise level. What a crock, they put the mike on the outside of the track and most of the corner workers are on the inside, the corner workers also wear ear protection, but they made the rule so the db level was so low that a muffler on the drivers side wouldn’t work, so then exhaust systems went to the right side, more costly with all the special systems that had to be custom made, along with all the extra heat right down the center of the car, which also affects the drivers compartment. So now it’s at a 103db and guess what, the pro race cars are at 125db at the same tracks GT-1 race at, what a major con job and a costly one.
Let’s jump to the present with rules affecting both GT-1, TransAm and all other groups, certifying belts, helmets and fire bottles every two or five years, I just found out about the belts, I also learned that the certified date on the belts and fire bottles are not when they expire but if a design change happens, the date is for after a design change. What a con from our rules committee, but get this, Indy Car or ALMS don’t have any rule that everything has to be re-certified every two years or five years, A BIG COST TO SCCA RACERS!
NOTE: IF BELTS, HELMETS AND FIRE BOTTLES WERE GOOD TO USE, WHAT MADE THEM OBSOLETE? (Liberal Elitists on the rules committee, for control and more costs to us)
A right side drivers net, another con and cost, not only the cost but like my other car, has the kill switch and push button for the fire bottle on the right where I and a safety person can get at it. Not only the cost of the net, welding in mounting points, the cost of redoing wiring and everything else, a $75 net costing over several hundred dollars to change.
Trans-am tires, one manufacturer and one compound, unfair but the elitists want to control us. One fuel supplier, only unleaded in the future and 12:1 compression along with 8200 rpm’s. One can tell that these are not racers on the rules committee or even the Pro Managers or they all have brain fade, if we ever go to alternative fuels or ethanol, it requires a compression of about 14:1 to burn correctly.
There is a lot of Gt-1 and Trans-am racers that could run the series better than the head office, but let me give you my ideas;
1.) GT-1 race cars – max. of 120 db for sound level
2.) GT-1 and Trans-Am race cars – the same weight for different size engines with SB2 or other 15 deg. and 18 deg. heads,
- get rid of the 10 in. wheel rule in GT-1
- cars running 23 deg. heads, minus 50 lbs.
- cars running std sway bars (non-adjustable), minus 25 lbs.
- cars running 4-speeds, syncros or dog gears, minus 25 lbs.
3.) NO driver’s right side nets as long as a nascar style seat with rib supports is used and a Hans device is recommended,
4.) Any tire manufacturer and compound can be used, Trans-Am races, top ten qualifiers must report to tech and have tires marked and use the same for race, all other racers can use any tire and do any changes before the race.
5.) Racing fuel from either fuel supplier,
6.) Compression is unlimited and as well as rpm’s
7.) Belts and fire bottles to be supplied by approved manufacturers, no recertifying dates and tech inspectors will give safety a special consideration.
8.) Kill Switch and Fire Bottle push button can be mounted to the right of driver within easy reach for driver and safety worker if need be.
SCCA won’t hire within for the rules committee, I have learned Board members are voted in from each Area, but I believe SCCA doesn’t want the members to see what is really going on within the club. The two most fraudulent items, building a new head office and moving the operations (which was not needed) and the Convention every year, which logic tells us that it is nothing but a party at a different city for the head office, we know that very few racers or corner works go to it because of the cost. The Convention should be dropped and the money is to go to every Area division to help pay for the corner workers!
I don’t vote for anyone in my region for officers, they all say the same, everything is fine and just want the racing to go on, the only time I have voted was just a couple of years ago when Ron Tamborine ran for Area position, I had Ron as a Instructor back in 1984 and talked with him a couple of times in the 90’s, I know and believed he has a love for racing and our club, all you folks that voted for the same guy, just like people have done with politicians, which people now see that they have brought the country close to ruin, it’s same with our club, voting for the same people to keep going as is, HOW’S IT WORKING OUT PEOPLE? All the costly rules made and OUR membership money being spent for a new building along with a party convention for themselves.
It would be different if this was a manufacturing company making a product, but it’s not, everything is paid with member’s own monies, that we worked hard to earn,
BUT what I am really sick of seeing, our Board hiring President/CEO’s that have never raced a car, hasn’t been a member of SCCA or very little time with our club, then thinking everything smells sweet as a rose, travel around, see some people and business as usual. Is it against the rules not to move a Board member up to CEO position that knows SCCA history and has been with the club, for myself, how can I have respect for President/CEO that has never raced, never owed their own race car, worked on it all night long to get to a race, spending money on a sport and competition that one so loves doing, and being a part of. Then if there’s some disagreements from members, thinking we must be at fault because there is nothing wrong with the club, just pay our money and go race. The Board is made up of racers or previous drivers, they know what is that members go thru (well, most of them), I thought Steve Johnson was a good move, but it seemed from my view, he either didn’t get much done or couldn’t because of the make-up of the Board, but we need a Experienced SCCA Member for President/CEO, that understands all sides and can communicate to the members what our Club vision is. To be honest, does SCCA want all classes to be spec. race cars or do you want to retain the classes that are leaning more towards Pro type race cars, where they are not just one frame, a sealed engine, same tires, etc.
Another change would be the rules committee, have only two SCCA people and have three racers from each car class from the different areas, can be done by teleconferencing, go thru the rules, straighten them out, once that is done, there shouldn’t be many changes in the future and we cut down the personnel at the head office.
This is not only for GT-1 or Trans-Am racers, it’s for all of the club members, so if you feel like some of us and want to get control back in the racers hands, pass it on and let’s make a difference. I’m like a lot of you, I just want to race and enjoy the fun at the track, but my money is being spent where is shouldn’t be.
If you don’t agree with my opinions, that is fine, just be civil about it, I know there are some that like the way everything is running and the way our board is spending THEIR money.
This post has been edited by prt1983: 01 May 2011 - 06:52 AM
