NASA changes their National Championship
Nov 7, 2013, 05:27 AM
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NASA changes their National Championship
If you guys didnt know.
November 4, 2013 5:00 AM — Napa Valley, CA - The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce an exciting new change to the 2014 NASA Championships presented by Toyo Tires. Beginning in 2014, NASA will transition what has traditionally been...
a single championship event format to that of a dual championship event format hosting its NASA Eastern States Championship at Road Atlanta on August 29 - 31, 2014 and the NASA Western States Championship at Sonoma Raceway on November 7 - 9, 2014.
This move will lessen the time required for competitors to attend the NASA Championships as long tows to reach an event on the other side of the country will no longer be necessary. Additionally, NASA will revamp the weekend schedule to provide competitors with a condensed Friday through Sunday format in place of the previous Thursday to Sunday schedule. This change will make the event much easier for a larger number of competitors to attend as it will greatly lessen the time commitment required to compete at the event.
"This new format is designed to provide more NASA competitors the opportunity to participate in a Championship level event", said Ryan Flaherty, NASA National Chairman. "We received a great deal of input from our members and considered numerous options available to us and concluded that a dual Championship format would best serve our competitors. A significant number of our members are not able to take a week off work and travel thousands of miles to attend, so it is clear that we needed to do something that provides them with the opportunity to compete in a NASA Championship event each year much closer to their home base. We look forward to hosting the big fields we expect to see at our events on both coasts in 2014."
The new dual Championship format will work much like the current traditional event with the exception that there will now be an event on the West coast and on the East coast in the same year instead of alternating between both coasts. Moreover, NASA will move the Championship event to different tracks on a yearly basis, which will add to the excitement and give drivers a chance to try out new tracks each year. Competitors can expect many of the same fantastic benefits available to them in previous years at the new format events next season. From the famous trackside gatherings and wonderfully lucrative contingency programs to the extremely competitive racing, both events will live up to the NASA Championships name.
Look for additional announcements regarding the 2014 NASA Championships events in the coming weeks.
a single championship event format to that of a dual championship event format hosting its NASA Eastern States Championship at Road Atlanta on August 29 - 31, 2014 and the NASA Western States Championship at Sonoma Raceway on November 7 - 9, 2014.
This move will lessen the time required for competitors to attend the NASA Championships as long tows to reach an event on the other side of the country will no longer be necessary. Additionally, NASA will revamp the weekend schedule to provide competitors with a condensed Friday through Sunday format in place of the previous Thursday to Sunday schedule. This change will make the event much easier for a larger number of competitors to attend as it will greatly lessen the time commitment required to compete at the event.
"This new format is designed to provide more NASA competitors the opportunity to participate in a Championship level event", said Ryan Flaherty, NASA National Chairman. "We received a great deal of input from our members and considered numerous options available to us and concluded that a dual Championship format would best serve our competitors. A significant number of our members are not able to take a week off work and travel thousands of miles to attend, so it is clear that we needed to do something that provides them with the opportunity to compete in a NASA Championship event each year much closer to their home base. We look forward to hosting the big fields we expect to see at our events on both coasts in 2014."
The new dual Championship format will work much like the current traditional event with the exception that there will now be an event on the West coast and on the East coast in the same year instead of alternating between both coasts. Moreover, NASA will move the Championship event to different tracks on a yearly basis, which will add to the excitement and give drivers a chance to try out new tracks each year. Competitors can expect many of the same fantastic benefits available to them in previous years at the new format events next season. From the famous trackside gatherings and wonderfully lucrative contingency programs to the extremely competitive racing, both events will live up to the NASA Championships name.
Look for additional announcements regarding the 2014 NASA Championships events in the coming weeks.
Nov 7, 2013, 05:56 AM
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How can it be a National championship if it's regional! It really makes NASA take a step back on it chance to become an organization that is respected for its champions.
Nov 8, 2013, 11:42 AM
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Winners of each region then get to go race MX5 cars.
http://www.nasaproracing.com/2013/11...mpions-ch.html
http://www.nasaproracing.com/2013/11...mpions-ch.html
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Nov 11, 2013, 10:08 AM
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I think this way is better. With the difference between the dates you are likely to see people compete in both, especially people in very close vicinity to one of the coastal events. You get more track rotation of better tracks. And better competition because the event is more accessible. The old way was limited in effectiveness and flamed out. This way truly can be two national championships. Way better format.
Nov 11, 2013, 01:15 PM
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Not necessarily. I'll be willing to bet the east coast nationals goes to Road America at some point after what will probably be VIR next year. Maybe the following year. It's sure to be between NOLA, Road America, Watkins Glen, Barber, Sebring and NJMP.
Unfortunately Miller was played out and not bringing the numbers. And there are no other top level crowd draw tracks in the vicinity. I could see the NCM (national corvette museum) track as an option once it's finished.
Road Atlanta is only 280 miles further than Mid Ohio from (South Dakota?). Fla and TX people need some relief too.
Unfortunately Miller was played out and not bringing the numbers. And there are no other top level crowd draw tracks in the vicinity. I could see the NCM (national corvette museum) track as an option once it's finished.
Road Atlanta is only 280 miles further than Mid Ohio from (South Dakota?). Fla and TX people need some relief too.
Nov 11, 2013, 04:00 PM
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I would agree that the numbers at a NASA national championship need some help. The TT's numbers are horrible and the race classes are not much better. Is this the right way to go about getting more "competitive folks" out to race? I guess we will see.
NASA is still not the premier club racing group out there and i do not think that this is the right direction to try and compete for that spot. If its all about numbers and getting people out, then why not just keep moving the 1 event around every year? The idea is to get people to want to travel long distances to get a chance to become a National Champion and compete against the best. If you dilute that, i believe you will dilute the whole idea of a National Championship. It's not much different then a regional class championship in my eyes.
NASA is still not the premier club racing group out there and i do not think that this is the right direction to try and compete for that spot. If its all about numbers and getting people out, then why not just keep moving the 1 event around every year? The idea is to get people to want to travel long distances to get a chance to become a National Champion and compete against the best. If you dilute that, i believe you will dilute the whole idea of a National Championship. It's not much different then a regional class championship in my eyes.
Last edited by jerdeitzel; Nov 11, 2013 at 04:07 PM.
Nov 11, 2013, 06:07 PM
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I don't think NASA is aiming to be "premier" but as far as organizations that span the whole country, what is premier? SCCA? They are a joke to me after the ridiculous rule changes and chasing dollars for so many years. They've gotten away with calling event's double nationals for years now, hard to tell what is what. And the debacles with Scott Tucker cherry picking the rule book and buying a championship every year for them to cater to it only makes it more laughable. The Ferrari Challenge cars put in the class with T1 Corvettes? lol. Andrew Aquilante (great driver BTW) dominated T1 and GT2 in the same car this year. Smoked both fields. So SCCA isn't faring much better. Runoffs have been struggling with attendance for several years too. If NASA and SCCA can't pull enough people together to make it interesting, who will?
NASA couldn't have made a better decision other than making this a National Series, so that the only way you get to be NATIONAL champion is attending both events, which is certainly possible with the split in time. Nationals for the past couple of years has not carried the prestige of a best of the best. It's been more of winner of a slightly bigger than normal NASA event.
NASA-SE has weekends more competitive than Nationals were this year on a regular basis. With the excitement of a championship event on the horizon, it's going to blow Miller out of the water by itself. And now there is the option of still going to Sonoma, which I have a group of friends planning to do together. It's going to be better than any single event ever could.
It wouldn't have made any more sense to make Road Atlanta or Sonoma individually the only Nationals event. That whole format seems to have flickered out in both NASA and SCCA. Doesn't much fit the grassroots mantra to have people travel to the opposite coast for an event.
Needless to say, I love the new format. They could tie the events together though to make it better. Until we can get COTA to get the stick from up their butts. But that may take a while.
NASA couldn't have made a better decision other than making this a National Series, so that the only way you get to be NATIONAL champion is attending both events, which is certainly possible with the split in time. Nationals for the past couple of years has not carried the prestige of a best of the best. It's been more of winner of a slightly bigger than normal NASA event.
NASA-SE has weekends more competitive than Nationals were this year on a regular basis. With the excitement of a championship event on the horizon, it's going to blow Miller out of the water by itself. And now there is the option of still going to Sonoma, which I have a group of friends planning to do together. It's going to be better than any single event ever could.
It wouldn't have made any more sense to make Road Atlanta or Sonoma individually the only Nationals event. That whole format seems to have flickered out in both NASA and SCCA. Doesn't much fit the grassroots mantra to have people travel to the opposite coast for an event.
Needless to say, I love the new format. They could tie the events together though to make it better. Until we can get COTA to get the stick from up their butts. But that may take a while.
Nov 11, 2013, 07:14 PM
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Every racing org in the country has been struggling for the past few years. The SCCA had over 500 driver come from all over the country to compete. How many did NASA have? They also have tried a few different things over the past few years in regards to the whole double national/majors/whatever the heck they want to call things to make it easier for people to qualify for the runoffs. That made a LOT of people mad that it diluted the field at the runoffs to include "just about anyone" (which is what NASA does). The fact is, that the SCCA IS the premier racing group in the country.
There are plenty of reasons that the SCCA is flawed and trust me, i could go on and on. NASA has its own set of issues with classing. So, i do not think that is really much of an argument.
As for the Tucker thing, you cannot tell someone they can't run if they are eligible.
Just my opinion on the whole thing. I hope it works out for NASA. I have always been envious of their TT program and have been trying to open up the minds of the SCCA for many years in regards to where we "lost" ground to them.
There are plenty of reasons that the SCCA is flawed and trust me, i could go on and on. NASA has its own set of issues with classing. So, i do not think that is really much of an argument.
As for the Tucker thing, you cannot tell someone they can't run if they are eligible.
Just my opinion on the whole thing. I hope it works out for NASA. I have always been envious of their TT program and have been trying to open up the minds of the SCCA for many years in regards to where we "lost" ground to them.
Last edited by jerdeitzel; Nov 11, 2013 at 07:48 PM.
Nov 12, 2013, 01:14 AM
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The SCCA has like 20 something race classes, some passed down for many generations, some with pro racing connections, 8 formula classes, a bunch of classes no one cares about, a rulebook that's an encyclopedia, and a propensity to sell championships to the highest bidder.
NASA on the other hand, caters to grassroots style racers, many spec series, cost efficient series like Thunder Racers, and while having some minor issues, are hardly sellouts like SCCA. There is also a huge DE program, the biggest in the country I bet, so some attention is diverted from being about all racing. DE with SCCA is an afterthought. However, watching Tucker be out driven every year at Runoffs but win because he bought and built a new car to exploit the rules is a joke. And for the guys like us who have slowly converted their DD or sports car to competition vehicle, it's not interesting at all. And that's why the people who run NASA, love NASA. Simple rulesets and run what brung, yeah, there are some issues, but hardly what you see in SCCA.
It's not very exciting when guys like Aquilante and Tucker, who race professional series (with the budgets to match) are bringing those budgets to SCCA. Mostly makes any regular folk field fillers. I don't think anyone racing NASA has and aspirations for NASA to turn into that. Anyone can build a car in their garage and have a chance to win NASA. Good luck beating Tuckers ill gotten gains sponsored Porsche Turbo with that. And he's not even fast for what he put into that car. Aquilante, at least, is a very good driver.
That being said, I'd still put the drivers I see in NASA up against those in SCCA all day and twice on Sunday. It's just more practical for the every day guy, and just as competitive, even more, because championships are not bought through the rule book and wallet every year.
NASA on the other hand, caters to grassroots style racers, many spec series, cost efficient series like Thunder Racers, and while having some minor issues, are hardly sellouts like SCCA. There is also a huge DE program, the biggest in the country I bet, so some attention is diverted from being about all racing. DE with SCCA is an afterthought. However, watching Tucker be out driven every year at Runoffs but win because he bought and built a new car to exploit the rules is a joke. And for the guys like us who have slowly converted their DD or sports car to competition vehicle, it's not interesting at all. And that's why the people who run NASA, love NASA. Simple rulesets and run what brung, yeah, there are some issues, but hardly what you see in SCCA.
It's not very exciting when guys like Aquilante and Tucker, who race professional series (with the budgets to match) are bringing those budgets to SCCA. Mostly makes any regular folk field fillers. I don't think anyone racing NASA has and aspirations for NASA to turn into that. Anyone can build a car in their garage and have a chance to win NASA. Good luck beating Tuckers ill gotten gains sponsored Porsche Turbo with that. And he's not even fast for what he put into that car. Aquilante, at least, is a very good driver.
That being said, I'd still put the drivers I see in NASA up against those in SCCA all day and twice on Sunday. It's just more practical for the every day guy, and just as competitive, even more, because championships are not bought through the rule book and wallet every year.
Last edited by bluestreak; Nov 12, 2013 at 06:39 AM.
Nov 12, 2013, 09:57 AM
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The SCCA has like 20 something race classes, some passed down for many generations, some with pro racing connections, 8 formula classes, a bunch of classes no one cares about, a rulebook that's an encyclopedia, and a propensity to sell championships to the highest bidder.
NASA on the other hand, caters to grassroots style racers, many spec series, cost efficient series like Thunder Racers, and while having some minor issues, are hardly sellouts like SCCA. There is also a huge DE program, the biggest in the country I bet, so some attention is diverted from being about all racing. DE with SCCA is an afterthought. However, watching Tucker be out driven every year at Runoffs but win because he bought and built a new car to exploit the rules is a joke. And for the guys like us who have slowly converted their DD or sports car to competition vehicle, it's not interesting at all. And that's why the people who run NASA, love NASA. Simple rulesets and run what brung, yeah, there are some issues, but hardly what you see in SCCA.
It's not very exciting when guys like Aquilante and Tucker, who race professional series (with the budgets to match) are bringing those budgets to SCCA. Mostly makes any regular folk field fillers. I don't think anyone racing NASA has and aspirations for NASA to turn into that. Anyone can build a car in their garage and have a chance to win NASA. Good luck beating Tuckers ill gotten gains sponsored Porsche Turbo with that. And he's not even fast for what he put into that car. Aquilante, at least, is a very good driver.
That being said, I'd still put the drivers I see in NASA up against those in SCCA all day and twice on Sunday. It's just more practical for the every day guy, and just as competitive, even more, because championships are not bought through the rule book and wallet every year.
NASA on the other hand, caters to grassroots style racers, many spec series, cost efficient series like Thunder Racers, and while having some minor issues, are hardly sellouts like SCCA. There is also a huge DE program, the biggest in the country I bet, so some attention is diverted from being about all racing. DE with SCCA is an afterthought. However, watching Tucker be out driven every year at Runoffs but win because he bought and built a new car to exploit the rules is a joke. And for the guys like us who have slowly converted their DD or sports car to competition vehicle, it's not interesting at all. And that's why the people who run NASA, love NASA. Simple rulesets and run what brung, yeah, there are some issues, but hardly what you see in SCCA.
It's not very exciting when guys like Aquilante and Tucker, who race professional series (with the budgets to match) are bringing those budgets to SCCA. Mostly makes any regular folk field fillers. I don't think anyone racing NASA has and aspirations for NASA to turn into that. Anyone can build a car in their garage and have a chance to win NASA. Good luck beating Tuckers ill gotten gains sponsored Porsche Turbo with that. And he's not even fast for what he put into that car. Aquilante, at least, is a very good driver.
That being said, I'd still put the drivers I see in NASA up against those in SCCA all day and twice on Sunday. It's just more practical for the every day guy, and just as competitive, even more, because championships are not bought through the rule book and wallet every year.
+1 here/ i actually sat down and went through all 700+ pages of the SCCA GCR (CCR for us NASA people) and its almost disgusting going through it. The SCCA is indeed the premiere racing sanction to be with, and is the next step up if you are chasing pro racing levels. I have been building this Evo to compete in SCCA T2 as well as TT2 in NASA as i wanted to eventually run with the SCCA and soon enough go to the World Perreli Challenge.
Although here is the elephant in the room... The rules essentially make it almost impossible to compete with the Evo (In my case an Evo x) They pit you against other vehicles that are about as unequal as you can get. On top of that the Evo gets heavily penalized, very little modifcations, and yet they expect its a competitive car against the likes of heavily modded R8's, vettes, and camaros.
NASA does have its problems, and sometimes i wish that they do move up in the world as far as being a premiere club; but after reading there GCR and talking to many SCCA racers, you might as well pack sand now and stick with NASA.
The SCCA is so heavily modulated with politics its a bit ridiculous. Get your checkbook out, mortgage the house, sell your children, and sign your soul over to the SCCA if you want to win. You either play the political game and fight with money, not words or you just stay a field filler.
