List 1b Tyres banned from 2017

[jeffw]

Was he the one who agreed with it then?

[Gidz]

Jim was with you guys on the 1B tyres remaining.

I think it might be the right decision for Roadgoing Series Production cars to go back to the pre-2009 regs of being only on 1A tyres. It's further cost to "roadgoing" competitors, as Series Production cars don't typically get delivered on this type of tyre. I do think it's the right tyre for the Roadgoing Limited Production cars, as they typically run this type of tyre on the road.
The fact that most Limited Prodcution cars use this type of tyre on the road was the reasoning behind the MSA changing the tyre regs in 2009. It was changed for all the right reasons, but rather than introducing 1B tyres for Specialist Production they made them available to all Roadgoing categories. I believe this to be a case of the change being badly implemented, but I don't expect it'll get corrected. When this change came in it was discussed at the Speed League forum as some people were keen for SDMC to restrict the category further to stick with A1 tyres for Roadgoing Series Production classes, the room was polarised on the matter & it was decided that as it had been changed by the MSA we would adopt the change.

I believe this reg change has had an overall detrimental effect on the number of people who continued to compete. To "keep up" you'd have to go buy a set of R888's or A048's, which ramps up the cost of for what a lot of people was a hobby. The people who spend endless thousands on their cars & modify them right to the limit of the regs were understandably pleased to have tyres that helped them to put down all the power they had eeked out & enable them to ask even more of their racing callipers.
Gone are the days of people entering the occasional sprint in a relatively standard car & competing in a roadgoing class with a chance of placing well.
This is why I think Roadgoing Series Production cars would be better off going back to A1 tyres only.

[ambulocetus27]

Russ,

surely this is the role of the "Standard" classes A1 and A2 - to keep the costs down by severely restricting the modifications that can be made. The roadgoing classes A3 - A5 are for those who want to spend money on their cars to improve their performance.

Therefore no one is forced to spend the money and buy list 1B tyres - it is the competitors choice (unless you have an over 2 litre car or 4WD

[Jim B]

I agree with Russ, as an occasional sprinter, I'd prefer no 1b in road going production. I do agree with not changing for next year though, and carrying on with the 2015 1 b list

[Gidz]

Russ,

surely this is the role of the "Standard" classes A1 and A2 - to keep the costs down by severely restricting the modifications that can be made. The roadgoing classes A3 - A5 are for those who want to spend money on their cars to improve their performance.

Therefore no one is forced to spend the money and buy list 1B tyres - it is the competitors choice (unless you have an over 2 litre car or 4WD

Over the past 20 years the cars in "Roadgoing" have got more & more modified, this is evident in the fact the top guys in the over 2.0l class would often win the equivalent "modified" class too. Historically as people found the car they had developed couldn't put down the power they'd achieved, they would progress into the "modified" category as it gave them the chance to use a tyre with more grip. There was a time when people could competitively enter a car in "roadgoing" with some firmer springs & maybe an aftermarket airfilter & exhaust.

The current high specification of "Roadgoing" cars has lead clubs across the South East to create a "standard" category, but it doesn't currently exist in the blue book.

I think this statement of fact sums up the current situation:
I've bought a "standard" car that has the potential to be competitive in A1 & have replaced 2 broken rear springs, a radiator hose & have been through 8 tyres for less than the cost of buying 4 x 888's for my former "roadgoing" sprint car.

[ambulocetus27]

I agree with you - the only problem is the lack of an over 2000cc (and 4WD ?) standard class to give people with those cars the option to restrict their budget. Perhaps there should also be a cap on the list price of the car when new so people cant buy a Ferrari 458, not modify it and then enter in standard....

[jeffw]

Did you really have a sentence with "Price, Cap & Ferrari" in it?