acme
Active Member
As a newbie to the class, the bottom line from what we see is: The rules are being mandated to keep the factories happy and influenced accordingly. Example: Why was a '16 allowed to race in season 15 and why mid year rules changes to allow for new models?
Broken record time: Having raced desert fairly competitively in a number of classes for 25 years, this is the first class I have ever seen where the rules are made to keep the suppliers happy and not protect the racers interests. It's also the only class that seem to have the attitude that a new car every year or two is acceptable. Another thing to consider is anytime you have a special interest or supplier mandated requirements or considerations the classes have wither floundered or failed. IE: TL, Minimag, Protruck, Baja Trucks... Jeepspeed is a great example of the opposite where they protect the class and racers and with very minor updates a 5 year old car can win.
We don't care about having the latest model as we race for fun these days and are over points chases. We just want to race the events we like within our budget, and we like the idea of large car counts so we have people to race against. But, if it continues this way, the growth bubble will burst as most racers can't afford to keep building a new car that frequently and others will go away. I know most are new to the sport and history doesn't mean a lot; but if we don't know and consider it, we are destined to repeat it... If a class 10, 12,16 or 6100 racer had to shit-can their new hardware every year or so to keep up with new developments, rule changes you'd see a lot less racers. It's happened a number of times while accommodating special interests such as engine builders and suppliers in an open supply chain type classes.
The big question is what happens when Brand X offers a 1100 or 1200 CC geabox as the racing sales only contribute a tick on their balance sheet and they all want the biggest, baddest/fastest machine from a marketing perspective??? Then the next mid year release is a Turbo 1200? Then maybe factory 33's or dual shocks? Under the current influences and direction the class is going, it'd be allowed and then you just flushed competitiveness down the drain... I know there are "UTV rules" but we also had laws that prohibited riding double on an ATV and now they market two seaters and we also have a Rhino at the river and watched the 800, 900, 1000 & turbo evolve.
Keep all the classes about the racers and not the mfr's and suppliers...
Broken record time: Having raced desert fairly competitively in a number of classes for 25 years, this is the first class I have ever seen where the rules are made to keep the suppliers happy and not protect the racers interests. It's also the only class that seem to have the attitude that a new car every year or two is acceptable. Another thing to consider is anytime you have a special interest or supplier mandated requirements or considerations the classes have wither floundered or failed. IE: TL, Minimag, Protruck, Baja Trucks... Jeepspeed is a great example of the opposite where they protect the class and racers and with very minor updates a 5 year old car can win.
We don't care about having the latest model as we race for fun these days and are over points chases. We just want to race the events we like within our budget, and we like the idea of large car counts so we have people to race against. But, if it continues this way, the growth bubble will burst as most racers can't afford to keep building a new car that frequently and others will go away. I know most are new to the sport and history doesn't mean a lot; but if we don't know and consider it, we are destined to repeat it... If a class 10, 12,16 or 6100 racer had to shit-can their new hardware every year or so to keep up with new developments, rule changes you'd see a lot less racers. It's happened a number of times while accommodating special interests such as engine builders and suppliers in an open supply chain type classes.
The big question is what happens when Brand X offers a 1100 or 1200 CC geabox as the racing sales only contribute a tick on their balance sheet and they all want the biggest, baddest/fastest machine from a marketing perspective??? Then the next mid year release is a Turbo 1200? Then maybe factory 33's or dual shocks? Under the current influences and direction the class is going, it'd be allowed and then you just flushed competitiveness down the drain... I know there are "UTV rules" but we also had laws that prohibited riding double on an ATV and now they market two seaters and we also have a Rhino at the river and watched the 800, 900, 1000 & turbo evolve.
Keep all the classes about the racers and not the mfr's and suppliers...
