EVO8LTW

iTrader: (41)

Here's my letter to the SEB. Not perfect, but better than nothing:

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Dear SEB Members:

The initial decision to put the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution and WRX STi in ESP was correct. Although there are a handful of vocal advocates for reclassifying these cars into a faster class, there is insufficient evidence to justify moving them.

I have been an SCCA member for over 5 years and an enthusiastic autocrosser since 1997. Please consider my points carefully as I believe strongly in my position. In the interest of not wasting your time, I’ll try to keep this letter short and to the point:

1. Many who initially advocated reclassification to BSP (including myself) have now changed their mind. – There is no question that there were many people in 2003 and 2004 who believed that these cars were a gross misfit for ESP, similar to the E36 M3 fiasco of a few years back. I was one of them. Many of these people, including myself, have now changed their minds and they are sharing their viewpoints publicly over the internet, including on sccaforums.com and ffrax.com (the f-body roadrace and autocross forum). Among the reasons cited for this shift in position are the following:

a. The sky didn’t fall at Nationals. While there is no question that these cars were competitive in ESP this past season, the extremely vocal Chicken Little’s of the autocross community who have been claiming all year that these cars would dominate ESP at the national level have been proven wrong. The so-called “rally cars” did not slaughter the pony car competition at the ’04 Topeka nationals or at the National Tour events of 2004. Even in the hands of former national champions, they still have not proven to be overdogs.

Is it possible that the issue is driver talent and not the car? Possibly, but classing decisions should not be made based on mere speculation and assumptions, or even on the basis of reasonable-sounding but purely hypothetical arguments. To remain credible to the membership, the SEB needs to base its decisions on FACT.

b. These cars have not proven as responsive to modifications as predicted. It’s been said many times that if these cars are so fast stock, then they must be much faster with modifications. While this is generally true for most cars, these cars have proven challenging to improve because they are well-sorted from the factory. Many have gone slower with expensive aftermarket suspension modifications and their differentials and engines have proven to be well-balanced performers in stock form. Also, they cannot fit wider than a 285 width tire, and even that is an extremely close fit. By contrast, the pony cars can and do run 315 and 335 width tires at all 4 corners. This is a significant point considering that the weight of the cars is comparable (Mark Madarash’s Firebird weights approximately 100 lbs. less than a stripped Evo RS). There is also an obvious power advantage for the pony cars and they are able to put this power down with the large tires, especially on the grippy concrete of Topeka.


2. The next generation of these cars (e.g., ’05 Evo MR and ’05 WRX STi) are not likely to prove faster than the cars available during the ’04 season.


a. The ’05 Evo MR is a disappointment. While there were many who said that the ’05 Evo MR would be a sure class killer with lighter weight and more effective gearing than the ’03 and ’04 Evo, despite the hopes of the Evo community the MR is a gross disappointment. The MR is here and it has been reviewed by all of the major magazines. Despite rumors that it would be 300+ lbs. lighter than a regular Evo with its aluminum roof and door bars, it is HEAVIER than a regular Evo because of the 6-speed transmission and new electronic center differential. Its acceleration numbers and grip levels are comparable to the older cars and the larger turbo nozzle of the ‘05s will likely increase top end power slightly at the expense of turbo lag, something that is not helpful for autocross. Finally, the 6-speed provides shorter gearing, which should be helpful for smaller local events, but it is likely that the car will run out of 2nd gear on large Nationals style courses and the 6-speed transmission will prove to be more of a liability than an asset. I believe that the ’04 Evo RS is the most competitive Evo available for autocross due to its light weight and seasoned driver John Tak’s 6th place finish in ESP at Topeka in an ’04 RS is at least some proof that the RS is not a class killer. Will the active center differential (ACD) of the ’05 Evo be an asset or a liability for the ‘05s? Who knows. Is speculation about whether it will help a reasonable basis for reclassifying the car out of ESP? No.

b. The ’05 WRX STi is a disappointment. The latest iteration of the STi has less horsepower than an Evo. Both cars were dynoed together in a recent Motor Trend article and the Evo has more horsepower and better acceleration. It is widely known that the STi had detonation problems on California 91 octane gasoline. Subaru reflashed the ECUs of a number of the ’04 WRX STi’s to make them compatible with this less than optimal gasoline. The ‘05s are suspected to have more conservative programming from the factory and, thus, they seem to be slower on average than ’04 models. There does not appear to be any PROVEN advantage for the ’05 STi over the older STi’s, and therefore the performance of the WRX STi cars that participated during the ’04 season should be representative of the performance of next year’s crop of ‘05s. Can we speculate about whether the new differential will be an asset? Sure, but is that a reasonable basis for making a reclassification? No.


3. ESP attendance numbers are falling and the enthusiast following for the Evo and STi are exactly what the class needs to maintain its popular status.

Although the Evo and STi are relatively new cars on the market, they have been showing up at autocross events in significant numbers and significantly increasing attendance in the ESP class both at the local and national levels. By contrast, the Camaro and Mustang are declining in popularity and sales and there has been a corresponding decrease in attendance by them in the ESP class. While some members of the pony car contingent argue that the “rally cars” will be the death of ESP, nothing could be farther from the truth. These cars are the new lifeblood that this class needs. And there’s no doubt that the contrast between the traditional ESP cars and the new generation ESP cars creates a great amount of spectator interest in the class. If these cars are banned from the class, ESP will go back to being the “muscle car” class, which is a lot less interesting to watch and participate in.


Thank you for reading and considering my letter

Trbo Dad

iTrader: (1)

Very well written letter. I think I am going to cry.

Silencer

iTrader: (4)

Well written! I'll shoot a similiar letter shortly. Out of the 38 driver entries in ESP at Topeka, 15 were Evo/Sti's and 5 more were off brand (not Pony cars and not competitive) which leaves the attendance at 18. Very weak.

SS RX7 r2

iTrader: (1)

Great letter, esp the MR details, I may quote Autoweeks test #s. It may be good to look up the real (A-X) world 20mph - 60 times, as lack of low end torque and lag make the evo slower than cars like the 350z not to mention V8s. I'll try to give an account of national SOLO2 events on the west coast since evo's started running.

jason33hs

iTrader: (1)

That is a well written letter. The key here is that you let the SEB know how you as an SCCA member feels about the classing decision. As the saying goes, it's your club too.

I don't know how it is going to turn out, but I will probably be surprised no matter how it goes.

The thread on SCCA forums might break the record over the last ponycar/EVO/STi ESP classing. Check it out.

http://www.sccaforums.com/ubb/ultima...p/topic/19/318

My 0.02's...