Supermiata S1 build - Vegas
11-21-2016, 04:54 PM
#83
Former Vendor
iTrader: (31)
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sunnyvale, CA
Posts: 15,442
Total Cats: 2,099
The goal is to build a race class for fast Miatas with good parity between cars. Requiring the same turbo on the same manifold/downpipe setup makes ensuring that parity far easier. Custom/DIY hotsides fly directly in the face of the goal of the class.
Reply
0
0
11-21-2016, 05:05 PM
#84
No it wouldn't. No series in the history of motorsports has ever successfully found parity among mixed specifications on every track. This is because it's impossible. You might just find balance on a particular track with one set of weather conditions say, then the clouds roll in and one particular config becomes advantageous.
Supermiata is not an attempt to encourage technical innovation or lure engineers out of their garages to out think the other guy. It is intended to offer the lowest cost, highest quality racing for everyone. That means fixed spec.
Some will argue that with an open rule set they can build something fast and cheap. That works until someone with a bigger budget (me) comes along and does the same thing with nicer parts. This then forces everyone to do what I did ($$$) to remain competitive.
So my answer to the open rules lowering costs theory is no. We have BTDT, you probably have not.
Personally, I do somewhat miss the days of out engineering, out thinking our competition in NASA PT. The tinkerer in me loved that. It proved to be a dead end however, and an expensive one at that. NASA even gave up on it. The largest and most popular road racing class in North America is SRF. The results speak for themselves.
__________________
Reply
1
1
11-21-2016, 05:23 PM
#86
SADFab Destructive Testing Engineer
iTrader: (5)
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Beaverton, USA
Posts: 18,642
Total Cats: 1,866
So is a $1000 welding setup to build a good DIY manifold.
Not to mention the cost of 347 weldels if you want the same material as the cast manifold. (hint, not cheap)
Not to mention the cost of 347 weldels if you want the same material as the cast manifold. (hint, not cheap)
Reply
1
1
11-21-2016, 05:43 PM
#88
Scenario #1
Say I let you race with your DIY build. Your car has decent spool. Then Andrew decides to build a one off manifold and downpipe using thin wall inconel. His spools faster, weighs less and costs $7000. He kicks your *** because his entire car is built like that. You lobby for a rules change because he out engineered and outspent you. SPM declines to change the open rules. You leave the series because you can't afford to be competitive. This, my dear friend, is reality. Day in, day out that is how racing works.
Scenario #2
SPM changes the rules in a doomed attempt at parity. SPM continues to chases its tail with constant rules changes and adjustments to match all the varied configs showing up. Ultimately, it fails at providing parity or cost containment as every other series that has attempted it has shown.
Scenario #3
Fixed spec rules set. You decide up front whether you can afford to race or not. If you can not, then so be it. If you can, there are no real surprises. You build the car, it's competitive, your expenses match your planned budget. It works.
Open rules set only works when either the competitors aren't serious about winning and unwilling to spend any real money or when there are arbitrary parity adjustments as in Lemons, Chumpcar.
When we planned S2 a few years ago, we were bombarded with requests to allow every variety of Miata (what I happen to have in the garage just now) and magically find parity between them all. We stuck to our guns. It worked.
We will again be bombarded with requests to allow mongrel builds into S1, we will stick to our guns. Truly, I am sorry if you don't grasp why. I'd much rather have you scrape your monies together, build an S1 just as fast as mine (although not as pretty) and come race with us.
I buy the beer.
In Supermiata, you get out driven and that's something that money can't buy.
__________________
Reply
3
3
11-21-2016, 06:34 PM
#90
Spec Miata and SCCA in general allows any amount of power you are able to get to the rear wheels. Cryo rem your diff? Sure. Ceramic bearings in the transmission? You bet. Narrowed gears in transmission? Of course. $15 per quart engine oil runs over a qt low for a few extra hp? De riguer.
There is a reason a supposedly "stock" build can cost upwards of $50k The simple fix? Power cap. Engineers hate power caps. Guys who can't drive hate power caps. Racers who just want a car race, not and arms race, love power caps.
Supermiata has a power cap. I can guarantee you, and it has been demonstrated in the past, that the top drivers in Supermiata can win in any car that is in the field. They are, I know it sounds crazy.. equal.
You're trolling and don't even know it. Honestly though, we don't mind. It actually allows us to further elucidate the mission we're on.
__________________
Reply
2
2
11-21-2016, 06:49 PM
#91
GT-250 wing kits are available through our dealers only at this time and not directly from us. Our existing wing mounts work for both the GT-250 and GT-1000...this is not a coincidence. For customers looking to use our mount system for a GT-1000 wing we do have an additional reinforcement plate that is welded in to compensate for the additional load on the mounts.
Reply
0
0
11-22-2016, 01:32 PM
#93
Reply
2
2
11-22-2016, 07:29 PM
#100
Elite Member
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Statesville, NC
Posts: 2,738
Total Cats: 319
He did and one of the big reasons were how the RC-1 performed evenly across various heat-cycles. I've experienced the different drop-offs of the R7s a few times now. They're still fast as hell at 15 cycles, but not nearly as fast at 3 cycles.
Reply
0
0
