My turn to beat the drums.... The SCCA SEB has submitted a proposal to bump the Evo and STI out of ESP and up to the next higher class, BSP for the 2005 season. Several of us have been running the Evo all season (in Rick's case since last summer) in ESP and it appears to be well-classed. With the right mods, setup and driver, it can win if conditions favor it (weather, track layout, surface, etc.). But sometimes it isn't enough. In other words, I don't believe, and I don't the facts show that the Evo and STI are overdogs in ESP. The car has a chance of winning, but it is not a given.

If you agree, please take 2 seconds to write the SEB and let them know what you think. They will make their determination based partly on the volume of email they receive and the arguments put forth. In other words, no need to hurl insults or make threats. Just tell them what you'd like and a couple reasons why. If you can back up your statements with actual autocross results, all the better.

If you'd like, post after you've sent an email.

seb@scca.com

Thanks all!
Joe
www.joe250.com

 

I tried to set a good example. I just wrote them a quick email. Took 2 minutes. Please help your fellow Evo autocrossers out.

Joe
www.joe250.com

 

Good idea Joe.
The SEB will be collecting and studying data and will make a final decision probably in Dec for Jan 2005 on for ESP. Most of the info they have been, and will receive is skewed agaist the Evo as seen in the SCCA forums.com and the evolution school forums from the very vocal Camaro and Mustang drivers. We need to submit facts to the SEB to counter their limited observations of the Evo's performance.
I think some of this has started to affect other classes as evidenced by the tire limitation size for AWD in the STU class, the only street tire class the Evo and STI are allowed in.

Rick

 

Sent today..

To Whom it may concern,

I am writing to voice an opinion on the SEB proposal to re-class the lancer Evolution and WRX STi to BSP. I know that there are a lot of veteran ESP drivers who are crying foul and complaining about these cars being horribly mis-classed and a big Overdog in ESP. I am curious as to where their complaints are coming from since, the EVO had yet to actually win a National level tour event in ESP for Solo2 when teh SEB proposal was issued. If the EVO were an overdog to the extent that people are saying at this point, should it not be destroying the filed in ESP at any event it enters. Looking to the results form regional events, as well as tour events, I have yet to see this as the case..


I understand the desire of the F-body and mustang crowd to not want new competition. With the demise of the F-body from the GM lineup however, the Ford vs. Chevy Battle they are talking about becomes somewhat of a moot point, as there will be no new GM entry in the fight.

I am not advocating placing a vehicle into a class where it is easily and instantly successful. Winning at the national tour level should take a lot of work and dedication. The problem that I have with the current ESP people saying that the evolution should never have done as well as it did in it's first year out (last years nationals), is that while the EVO has only been in the US and therefore SCCA competition for 1 year, the model has been around for 8 development generations in Japan. The parts used for higher level tuning of the car are still mostly of Japanese manufacture, and significant R&D Dollars have gone into the fine tuning of those components. IT is also telling that the even that started the whole argument was one run in conditions that favor an AWD vehicle (That being the rain on Saturday).

My questions for the SEB are; If the EVO is such an overdog as to warrant re-classification, how is it that this has yet to be demonstrated in the results of National caliber competition? Has the EVO destroyed the field in such a manner as to remove all doubt that it is mis-classed? Have the wining margins demonstrated by the EVO in solo2 ESP been so extreme that the historical ESP vehicles stand no chance? Unless I missed something, then the answers to all of these is no.

Having a horse in this race as they say (I drive an EVO), I am not looking to be classed so that I can automatically win out of the box. I do not want however, to be penalized in my classification, because the old guard of ESP do not think it is fair or right. Especially when they do not have hard data (Event Results), that demonstrate the horrible mis-classing of the EVO that they claim.

Thank you for your time,
Scott Hawley

 

Is it true that ESP was created solely for pony cars or is it in fact the pony car owners have tried to make it that way over time? Seems to me that the spirit of the SCCA has always been to mix various types that are similar and balance the competition within a class via the rules.

Heck, the EVO has a long hood and short trunk!

Rick

 

FYI, ESP was created to give the pony cars a place to run competitively. Before ESP all Camaros and Mustangs were classed with Corvettes in BSP.

 

fine, then I guess we all drive the new "modern pony car" equivlent.

 

A fellow auto-X'er's 300Z is classed F-stock & ESP. There has never been a complaint from the pony car guys about his car, which weighs the same as theirs, but has 50-80 less hp. He's never won or threatened to win so the Mustangs etc, have been happy to have him.

 

Very nice idea. I need to email them about front clips and air intakes in STS anyway. But it seems obvious to me that the car is a bit top-heavy to be competing in BSP. Although what seems to make the best impression is doing some research yourself and emailing them the results. When I wanted the Lancer classed in SP, I emailed them a list of the stock curb weights, horsepower ratings, and torque ratings of 10+ cars classed in FSP as well as the ratings for the Lancer. I got a thank you letter from the SEB saying that the information was very useful and that it would be brought to the table at the next meeting. 2 months later, the newsletter had a ruling putting the Lancer in FSP. Too bad I decided to stick with STS though.

edit: Joe, that's a tight Mustang! Makes me drool.