Post by dave FF 50-aka "Harm" on Aug 26, 2011 11:22:41 GMT -8
FF Newsletter, August 2011
1a) NEWBIE: Tim Wise, currently running his DB-6 in the Midwest, is in the process of moving to Santa Cruz and will be bringing his race car with him and intends to come play with us, possibly as early as the October Laguna event later this year. You may recognize his name in two ways: he is a regular poster on Apexspeed and is Dan Wise's brother. His email is being added to the contact list and a revised contact list will follow this email.
1b) POSSIBLE NEWBIE: Matt Eagan is a possible newbie for next year, he has inquired about running a FF for next season, trying to decide between FF and SRF. Matt is currently participating as a worker in SFR/SCCA region events and may be at the Sears Point/Infineon race so be sure to welcome him, get him to sit in your car, answer all his questions. Matt will also be added to the contact list and again a revised contact list will follow this email.
1c) Along with Sean Kelly changing his FC to an FF we might see double digit grid numbers next year if everyone that has run this year continues to do so next year.
3) CURRENT KRAUS RACING HOOSIER R60a STOCK: Spoke with Brandon Krause today (Friday) at Kraus Racing regarding their stock of Hoosier R60a's, they currently have two sets in stock that are available. If anyone needs a set from them you need to let him know as soon as possible as they will be ordering tires from Hoosier Tire West on Tuesday for Wednesday delivery so they can bring them to the track in time for the Thursday test day. As some of you have usable tires from the last race there may not be any need but I thought a heads-up would be appropriate. Of course you may have gotten tires from Hoosier Tire West, which is the other 'local' source for the R60a.
4) START THINKING ABOUT OUR 2012 TIRE RULE.
Our two year experiment/fact finding mission regarding tires is about to end and we have to start thinking about our tire rule for next season.
First, a couple of updates.
We are off the hook regarding our commitment to use up the stock of the Goodyear R430's, Goodyear/Akron and Roger Kraus have agreed to market the remaining stock nation wide. For reference Roger has just a few sets and Akron has about 25+ sets. Of course the R430 is a legal tire for our championship until we change the rule, if we change it. Up till now Goodyear haven't really marketed the R430 at all, other than listing it on their website (and even that just this year).
Goodyear's plans are in process, they may or may not make the R475/R430/R255/R160. They recently tested a new R475 (to replace the R430) and R255 (to replace the R160) but their plans to produce/market them and at what price point have not yet been made and probably won't be until late this year.
One of the reasons we tried a multiple tire spec rule was to give choice for those that wanted it but most seem to feel a single tire rule would be better in the long run. Part of the problem is one manufacturer can improve their tire at some point such that it becomes the tire of choice. This was shown dramatically at the recent Goodyear tire test where the new R475 was a full second faster than the current R430 and the Hoosier R60a. The older R475 that some of us used last year was about the same speed as the R430.
So the decision boils down to two basic choices unless anyone has other suggestions:
Keep the current rule (but take the risk that the new Goodyear R475, if they decide to produce it, will be the tire to have and we are back to needing to use a possibly more expensive tire to be competitive).
Make a single tire rule for next season, using the Hoosier R60a, eliminating all other choices (requiring the R60a to work on every car, but so far that hasn't been a problem).
For your information the American Racer AR133 has not been used by anyone the last two seasons in our regional competition and was found to need shock changes if you have VDP pistons in your Penske shocks (if your car is so equipped). As the Hoosier R60a does everything slightly better than the American Racer AR133 at just slightly higher cost and retains the "FF experience" (which the AR133 does not) its continued inclusion seems unnecessary.
If the choice is made to go with the Hoosier R60a only, it has been suggested by some to eliminate the tire marking rule. Many feel it is not needed because the small difference in performance between cycles makes putting on new rubber moot. It also allows you to qualify on your second best set of tires and race on your best set. It also eliminates the current draconian penalty of starting at the back of the grid if you have a damaged tire and have to replace it. This has proven to work very well in Club Ford and in FF when we had the Goodyear R430 single tire rule.
So let's all think about this, discuss it and be ready for a vote after the season is over. So far 6 of the 10 participants in FF so far this year have informally endorsed making the Hoosier R60a the single spec tire for 2012. For your reference only those that participated in the class the previous year can vote for a change in the regional rules for the following year when rule changes are being proposed between seasons.
Personally I feel having a Hoosier R60a single tire rule and no marking rule is the way to go. An added benefit is it will make it easier to market the class if possible newbies know coming in that they will use tires that have a reasonable cost and last a long time. Hoosier has assured me they will keep the cost down and make just small increases each season to keep up with increased costs. I will keep talking to Hoosier about pricing as the last thing we need is to make the tire our single spec tire and then they raise the price a few hundred dollars.
4) Pacific Formula F Super Series race at Infineon September 24/25.
Apexspeed thread: www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44614
Not much attendance in the first two event, 3 cars at first event at Buttonwillow, no cars at Fontana.
5) QUALIFYING CHANGE: As you all probably know from an SCCA email there was overwhelming support for using ones fastest lap in the first race as the qualifying time/position for the second race in those 2 day events where there is just one qualifying (such as the upcoming October 1/2 event at Laguna).
The body of the SCCA email is: " We have completed the survey to gather input for qualifying in circumstances where there are two races and only one qualify session such as we had at Laguna in May. The overwhelming majority thought using the fastest lap in race#1 for setting the Grid for race#2 was preferable. Therefore for the October 1st/2nd two race one qualify (two day event), we will use the fastest lap in race#1 to establish the grid for race#2."
6) Swift DB-1's for sale
A) David Jalen's, he is looking at buying a different FF, possibly a Piper.
B) Jim Webb has a DB-1 he is putting back together and will be offering it for sale later this year. Car is in Grass Valley (across the street, literally, from me).
7) Head and neck restraints required for 2012 season.
See you at Sears.
Tom Duncan
1a) NEWBIE: Tim Wise, currently running his DB-6 in the Midwest, is in the process of moving to Santa Cruz and will be bringing his race car with him and intends to come play with us, possibly as early as the October Laguna event later this year. You may recognize his name in two ways: he is a regular poster on Apexspeed and is Dan Wise's brother. His email is being added to the contact list and a revised contact list will follow this email.
1b) POSSIBLE NEWBIE: Matt Eagan is a possible newbie for next year, he has inquired about running a FF for next season, trying to decide between FF and SRF. Matt is currently participating as a worker in SFR/SCCA region events and may be at the Sears Point/Infineon race so be sure to welcome him, get him to sit in your car, answer all his questions. Matt will also be added to the contact list and again a revised contact list will follow this email.
1c) Along with Sean Kelly changing his FC to an FF we might see double digit grid numbers next year if everyone that has run this year continues to do so next year.
3) CURRENT KRAUS RACING HOOSIER R60a STOCK: Spoke with Brandon Krause today (Friday) at Kraus Racing regarding their stock of Hoosier R60a's, they currently have two sets in stock that are available. If anyone needs a set from them you need to let him know as soon as possible as they will be ordering tires from Hoosier Tire West on Tuesday for Wednesday delivery so they can bring them to the track in time for the Thursday test day. As some of you have usable tires from the last race there may not be any need but I thought a heads-up would be appropriate. Of course you may have gotten tires from Hoosier Tire West, which is the other 'local' source for the R60a.
4) START THINKING ABOUT OUR 2012 TIRE RULE.
Our two year experiment/fact finding mission regarding tires is about to end and we have to start thinking about our tire rule for next season.
First, a couple of updates.
We are off the hook regarding our commitment to use up the stock of the Goodyear R430's, Goodyear/Akron and Roger Kraus have agreed to market the remaining stock nation wide. For reference Roger has just a few sets and Akron has about 25+ sets. Of course the R430 is a legal tire for our championship until we change the rule, if we change it. Up till now Goodyear haven't really marketed the R430 at all, other than listing it on their website (and even that just this year).
Goodyear's plans are in process, they may or may not make the R475/R430/R255/R160. They recently tested a new R475 (to replace the R430) and R255 (to replace the R160) but their plans to produce/market them and at what price point have not yet been made and probably won't be until late this year.
One of the reasons we tried a multiple tire spec rule was to give choice for those that wanted it but most seem to feel a single tire rule would be better in the long run. Part of the problem is one manufacturer can improve their tire at some point such that it becomes the tire of choice. This was shown dramatically at the recent Goodyear tire test where the new R475 was a full second faster than the current R430 and the Hoosier R60a. The older R475 that some of us used last year was about the same speed as the R430.
So the decision boils down to two basic choices unless anyone has other suggestions:
Keep the current rule (but take the risk that the new Goodyear R475, if they decide to produce it, will be the tire to have and we are back to needing to use a possibly more expensive tire to be competitive).
Make a single tire rule for next season, using the Hoosier R60a, eliminating all other choices (requiring the R60a to work on every car, but so far that hasn't been a problem).
For your information the American Racer AR133 has not been used by anyone the last two seasons in our regional competition and was found to need shock changes if you have VDP pistons in your Penske shocks (if your car is so equipped). As the Hoosier R60a does everything slightly better than the American Racer AR133 at just slightly higher cost and retains the "FF experience" (which the AR133 does not) its continued inclusion seems unnecessary.
If the choice is made to go with the Hoosier R60a only, it has been suggested by some to eliminate the tire marking rule. Many feel it is not needed because the small difference in performance between cycles makes putting on new rubber moot. It also allows you to qualify on your second best set of tires and race on your best set. It also eliminates the current draconian penalty of starting at the back of the grid if you have a damaged tire and have to replace it. This has proven to work very well in Club Ford and in FF when we had the Goodyear R430 single tire rule.
So let's all think about this, discuss it and be ready for a vote after the season is over. So far 6 of the 10 participants in FF so far this year have informally endorsed making the Hoosier R60a the single spec tire for 2012. For your reference only those that participated in the class the previous year can vote for a change in the regional rules for the following year when rule changes are being proposed between seasons.
Personally I feel having a Hoosier R60a single tire rule and no marking rule is the way to go. An added benefit is it will make it easier to market the class if possible newbies know coming in that they will use tires that have a reasonable cost and last a long time. Hoosier has assured me they will keep the cost down and make just small increases each season to keep up with increased costs. I will keep talking to Hoosier about pricing as the last thing we need is to make the tire our single spec tire and then they raise the price a few hundred dollars.
4) Pacific Formula F Super Series race at Infineon September 24/25.
Apexspeed thread: www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44614
Not much attendance in the first two event, 3 cars at first event at Buttonwillow, no cars at Fontana.
5) QUALIFYING CHANGE: As you all probably know from an SCCA email there was overwhelming support for using ones fastest lap in the first race as the qualifying time/position for the second race in those 2 day events where there is just one qualifying (such as the upcoming October 1/2 event at Laguna).
The body of the SCCA email is: " We have completed the survey to gather input for qualifying in circumstances where there are two races and only one qualify session such as we had at Laguna in May. The overwhelming majority thought using the fastest lap in race#1 for setting the Grid for race#2 was preferable. Therefore for the October 1st/2nd two race one qualify (two day event), we will use the fastest lap in race#1 to establish the grid for race#2."
6) Swift DB-1's for sale
A) David Jalen's, he is looking at buying a different FF, possibly a Piper.
B) Jim Webb has a DB-1 he is putting back together and will be offering it for sale later this year. Car is in Grass Valley (across the street, literally, from me).
7) Head and neck restraints required for 2012 season.
See you at Sears.
Tom Duncan
