Sure! and for $100, your name goes on the car for the runoffs. Common guys...who wants their name on the car

 

Not such a bad idea J! If you don't ask the answer is "No!".

 

TC might have gotten pole for the MO race but like Jason said, he was back in 6th before Turn 7, also none of the Turbo cars ran that National and we all know that they have been both sandbagging and only doing the minimal number of events to qualify for the Runoffs in order to not show their hand. My prediction, top 8 places are turbo cars.....

Until the Turbos and the Camaros get restrictor plates or unless the Runoffs moves to Sears Point or Laguna Seca, the 350Z gets blown away on any straight piece of road. Fortunately for us, if the Turbos and Camaros do well, they will get restrictors and lead trophies for next year.

 

While I agree that T2 rules do not favor the 350Z, I believe there's a good possibility they could run up front. With drivers like TC, Bob Schader and Hines, there's a outside possibility for a Z win if the conditions are right. What conditions? Stricter tech enforcement over OEM boost levels might be one. Getting a clear track (with maybe a tow down the back straight) with a good qualifying run is mandatory. Crashes and race damage are always the wild cards that can alter any outcome.

The Runoffs are in their last year at M-O and next year moves to Topeka. Every year, there's someone who wishes they would move to Sears or Laguna, but- to my knowledge- no West Coast track has ever bid for the event. Let's forget about that one for now...

While M-O remains a power track, it does offer the Z some advantages under braking and transitions. As has been stated by others, a "legal" balanced and blueprinted VQ35DE would offer a useful advantage. My prediction is a mixed bag of cars (F-bodies, Z cars and the turbo cars) finishing in the top eight at this year's race.

 

David, the Turbo cars are legally allowed to run whatever boost they want. That is why they will steamroll everyone. For the race, they will all have special programs in their ECUs for huge boost.

Just for reference, one of the guys running a Mitsu EVO 8 out here was telling me how they just dynoed his car at 300 WHEEL HORSEPOWER, when I told him we were getting aprox 245hp at the wheels, he was absolutely amazed at the lap times we were turning. Keep in mind this EVO was running at a boost level that would keep the car reliable throughout the season. Come the Runoffs, the Factory Subaru's and the Mitsubishi guys with deep pockets are going to have Hand Grenade levels of boost and will just "toss" their motor after the race....

I know there are some good drivers in 350Zs this year but we should be realistic, running the MO pro course, vs the club course, definately gives an advantage to cars with HP. If TC, Bob or Rob can get ahead of the Turbos and V8s onto the backside of the course, they will just blow past them on the front straights. I dont care if your Ayrton Senna, if your 60-100 Wheel HP down, you can only do so much at Mid Ohio.

I wish good luck to everyone running a 350Z in T2, but the realistic consensus among most of us is that it is not going to be a good year for the Z and we are looking towards next year at this point.

 

T2 List so far

Chris Brannon T2 01 Pontiac GTO 2005 Pending Approval
George Biskup T2 02 Dodge SRT-4 2003 Pending Approval
Tom Mitchell T2 04 STI Subaru 2005 Pending Approval
William Ziegler T2 05 Mitsubishi Evolution 2005 Pending Approval
David Rosenblum T2 06 Subaru WRX STI 2005 Pending Approval
Dimitrios Gizikis T2 08 Mitsubishi Evolution MR 2005 Pending Approval
Robert Schader T2 12 Nissan 350z 2003 Pending Approval
Al Mitchell T2 14 BMW M-3 2002 Pending Approval
Michael Santos T2 16 mitsubishi evo 2005 Pending Approval
Ken Owens T2 2 Nissan 350z 2003 Pending Approval
T C Kline T2 21 Nissan 350z 2004 Pending Approval
Joe Hermes T2 22 Chevrolet Camaro 2001 Pending Approval
Spencer Gorham T2 23 Dodge SRT4 2003 Pending Approval
Max Zupon T2 27 Porsche Boxster S 2000 Pending Approval
Adam Dean T2 37 Pontiac Firebird Formula 2001 Pending Approval
Allan Wolfe T2 39 Chevrolet Camaro 1999 Pending Approval
Dennis AuBuchon T2 4 Chevy Camaro 2001 Pending Approval
Michael Pettiford T2 41 Chevrolet Camaro 2001 Pending Approval
Mike Kramer T2 42 Saturn ION Red Line 2004 Pending Approval
Rob Hines T2 44 Nissan 350Z 2003 Pending Approval
Mark Boden T2 46 BMW M3 2004 Pending Approval
Lawrence Webster T2 55 Mitsubishi Evo 2005 Pending Approval
Eric Ritchie T2 58 Chevrolet Camaro 2002 Pending Approval
Scott Culbertson T2 64 Nissan 350-Z 2003 Pending Approval
Kristian Skavnes T2 69 subaru wrx sti 2004 Pending Approval
Gregory Meindl T2 7 Dodge SRT-4 2004 Pending Approval
John M Buttermore T2 70 Cadillac CTS-V 2004 Pending Approval
Jeremy Lucas T2 74 Honda S2000 2002 Pending Approval
Dave Schotz T2 75 Chevrolet Camaro 1998 Pending Approval
Ryan McManus T2 76 Pontiac Firebird 2001 Pending Approval
Seg Quinones T2 77 Chevrolet Corvette 2002 Pending Approval
Dwight Faitz T2 78 Chevrolet Z-28 2002 Pending Approval
William Baten T2 8 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 2001 Pending Approval
Dimitris Karabinis T2 82 Dodge SRT-4 2004 Pending Approval
Tim Pick T2 9 Nissan 350Z 2003 Pending Approval
Stan Wilson T2 92 Dodge Neon SRT4 2004 Pending Approval
Chuck Hemmingson T2 95 Subaru WRX STI 2005 Pending Approval
Terry Eskind T2 98 Chevrolet Camaro Z-28 2002 Pending Approval
Jason Henderson T2 99 Nissan 350Z 2003 Pending Approval

 

Much of the problem with the turbo cars have roots in the past. When SCCA tried monitoring boost levels back in the late eighties/early nineties, they found that "spikes" in boost levels could not be fairly monitored (or everybody running one could get DQ'd). Believe me, back when I ran SSB and had turbo Peugeots blowing past me at Road Atlanta (now THERE'S a place to show off HP) in my CRX (with 100 legal HP), I knew there was a problem. After a period of not classifying any turbo cars, SCCA was under pressure to put them back into the Touring classes. So, when they (WRX, SRT-4, Evo 8) were allowed back in, I wondered how SCCA was going to police them. The answer was, as Along has stated, to allow any and all boost levels. Not exactly the sort of answer you like to hear to level the playing field.

Having said that, SCCA tech inspections have the ability to keep cars closer to their spec lines, particularly at the Runoffs. As an example, they could require emission testing to see if cars meet Federal standards for tailpipe emissions. If the cars do not, turbo owners could be required to put their powerplants back into compliance and completely disrupt a carefully constructed engine management program. I do not pretend to have any information that SCCA tech plans to do this, but they have the option (and the license) to do so.

It's in SCCA's best interests to level the playing field in T2. Sometimes how they do it is somewhat counterintuitive, but, from my experience, there are efforts to do so. It will be very interesting to see how this race pans out, both on and off the track!

 

David, a lot of the problem has had to do with the fact that a member of the Comp Board was also running Subarus T2 program and blocked any attempt to get restrictors put on the Turbo cars. Fortunately for us, he has now resigned due to pressure being put on him regarding conflict of interest, unfortunately its too late to do anything for this year. However, once the Turbos make a clean sweep of the Runoffs and without this person on the Compboard anymore, next year the turbos should be penalized heavily...

I know what you mean about the Turbo cars, it was no fun to be actually held up by the Turbo cars in the corners and exit a corner all over their bumpers, only to see them pull 10-12 car lengths away down the straights.....

 

If you are on the Comp Board you should not be able to vote on things that effect the class you are in.

 

You cant vote, but that doesnt mean that you cant influence other people or give blatantly false information to the comp board in your position as the laison between the Touring Commitee and the Comp Board.....

 

Rob Hine's T2 350Z at VIR 8/7/05.

 

Looks like another TC Kline prepped Z! How was the T2 race and how did Rob do at VIR?

 

David, Rob was within a tenth of Stan Wilson in Qualifying. But found a broken right front shock (second bad shock) and had to race with it that way. Finished second to Stan. Car has potential in Rob's hands. I believe the shocks are the only thing Rob got from TC. He is looking for a Track cloth seat too. He ran with a leather Touring seat in the car. That will take some weight out of the car. All in all he did well for only the second time out in the car. First time was a test day.

 

FYI: If he puts in a cloth seat tell him to put a cotter pin in the seat tilt (bottom of seat) bar that comes threw the right side of the seat. I have pushed the seat apart from hard conering.

 

Mark- Thanks for the reply and details of the T2 VIR race. So Rob built the cage and spec'd this Z himself? I'm surprised that two of the shocks went out (and assume they are the revalved double adjustable Konis that TC is selling).

On to tires- since Rob is a Kumho guy, I assume he was on the 710 model. That may be good: there should be some strong Z cars on different rubber for the Runoffs!

 

Wish I could have been down at the T2 race, but I had to move last weekend. Rob didn't build the cage, but he prep the rest of the car. I'm quite suprised TC's dampers blew out... hmmmm

 

Excuses, excuses! You going to make it to the Runoffs John??

 

David,
Rob had the guy who does TC's cages do his. The shocks are the ones sold by TC. Rob isn't too happy about two already having problems. Hopefully a couple of the 350Z's will get to the front at the RO's.

 

I'll be up front Mark. Hope to see you at the Runoffs!

 

I hope so Jason. I am planning on it right now. There are two races I want to see and they are both Sat. T2 & EP. You have a strong run this weekend!