There was a lot more to report than what appeared in out last edition. Here’s what else is happening around Kryderacing.  Reed has also decided to expound on a couple of things which have been bothering him. Feel free to skip over his commentaries if you desire.
 

2004 Kryderacing Regional Championship Series at Nelson Ledges Road Course

Here we go again. For the 22nd consecutive year Kryderacing will back this series of Regional level competition. The schedule is close to firm. It will include 10 or 11 separate events as well as the banquet.

May 22-23 Double Regional Steel Cities Region
June 12-13 Double Regional Neohio Region
August 7-8 Regional (*) Finger Lakes Region
August 28-29 Double Regional Mahoning Valley Region
October 16-17 Double Regional Mahoning Valley Region
October 30-31 Regional (double points) Western New York Region
November 20 Awards Banquet

(*) The Finger Lakes August 7-8 event will be either a “double event” or a “single with an enduro“. If it is a single the Regional race’s points will be computed and then doubled in the same manner the Western New York Region‘s event is handled. The enduro event is not considered part of the series for points purposes.

With one exception, nothing will change from a rule standpoint. A competitor must compete in a minimum of 5 events to be eligible for an award. Awards will again be given to the top three finishers in each class. The Regions will control all race weekend items include classing. However, the “classing” issue is where we have experienced a couple of problems in the past year. It seems a driver/car combination can be put in different classes depending on which Region is running the event. The biggest area affected is the Spec Miata class. There are National rules. But the Northeast Division has a slightly different set of rules. Usually the sanctioning Region picks one or the other set of rules. Last year one of the Regions decided there were enough cars to run two separate classes. We do not want to get involved in the internal politics of the Regions. So in the case of Spec Miata we will consider them all as a single class for the Kryderacing Series.
 

Commentary #1: SP versus ITE

There was another issue in last year’s series where a competitor’s car was classed ITE by some Regions and SP by others. As far as the series was concerned this became a non-issue. But the potential for problems exists. There is a difference of opinion regarding class rules, mainly centered around Super Production (which has now been divided into SPOver and SPUnder at Nelson Ledges). Both ITE and SP were intended as “catch-all” classes for cars which were not specifically listed in the rulebook. While rule interpretations vary a little, ITE was intended as a place for various pro-level cars to run. The most common vehicles in the early days came from the Firehawk series. One common thread between virtually all the cars found in ITE has been the use of DOT approved tires. Super Production on the other hand has its origins in Production and GT style cars which are not listed for a specific class. These can include tube-frame cars, such as our retired IMSA GTU Nissan 240SX (which just happens to hold the SP lap record at Nelson Ledges). The common thread in this case has historically been the use of pure race tires.

We bring this up because the definitions may be blurring into each other. Not only was the referenced car placed in different classes by different Regions in 2003, but the recently released rules for the “12 Hours of Nelson Ledges” include SPO and SPU. The rest of the classes are based around Showroom Stock, Touring, and Improved Touring. ALL of these classes, except SPO and SPU, specify DOT tires. Per the entry form, it would be possible for Kryderacing to enter its IMSA GTU car in one of the SP divisions. Obviously this type of car does not fit the spirit of this race. Of course rules are rules and if someone wanted to enter one of the original SP style cars (which were extremely common several years ago at Willow Springs) they could. By the way, these original SP cars were retired Trans Am and GT1 cars with big block engines. They were much faster than normal Trans Am cars.

I think some people are looking at SP as a class for upgraded IT class cars. That is probably a good idea, but, remember the SCCA rulebook definition of Super Production has its roots in Production and GT preparation rules, not Improved Touring. By this time some of you may have decided to contact me and explain the rules for SPO and SPU. Please redirect your efforts to the person(s) who has a different opinion then yours. The point I am trying to make is there are different (and apparently changing) interpretations for SP and ITE.

Personally I think the existence of both of these catch-all classes (ITE and SP) are necessary to provide places for people to race their vehicles. If the entry levels warrant it, then further splitting the classes (SP into SPO and SPU for example) may be necessary. However, there should never be any confusion between whether a car is ITE or SP. My own personal starting point would be to base ITE on street-legal style cars (including DOT tires) and SP on extensively modified (including racing slicks) vehicles which would never be considered street legal.
 

Bill Pintaric’s GT4 Nissan 200SX

The car is back from the paint shop and it looks terrific. Silver and two shades of blue are the primary colors. Further detailing is scheduled in the next couple of days. We will try to get a photo or two on www.kryderacing.com in the near future.
 
 

www.kryderacing.com

The Website has been getting a few revisions lately. Sandi has been working on the home page to make it easier to follow and make the higher priority items more prominent. Another area getting extra attention is the garage sale items. The reasons for this stem from a combination of “clutter” and “greed“. The amount of pieces and parts we have accumulated over thirty-plus years of racing creates a lot of “clutter”. While we have scrapped tons of parts over the years we just can’t seem to throw away perfectly good and usable parts, even if we never expect to use them again. Obviously the “greed” part is our attempt to exchange some of these parts for money.

Therefore, we have expanded the garage area section of the Website. We are adding photos of many items. So if you know someone who needs an legal wing for SCCA GT1 or pro racing have them look on our Website. There are also illegal wings listed. Airbags from some of the cars we have converted to racers are shown. Wheels and seats are being added next week. Future additions include various driving lights (used for endurance racing), refueling rig equipment, timing stand, new headlight cover kit for Nissan 300ZX, Nissan L6 engines and parts, and so on. We also will be listing some new and used fiberglass body panels from the Nissan 240SX we raced in IMSA. These are the SCCA GT3 style pieces based on the S14 body style. The car itself is planned to be rebuilt in its S13 IMSA body configuration for Vintage/Historic racing.
 
 

12 Hours of Nelson Ledges

The event is scheduled for July 23-24. It will run from noon to midnight on Saturday. Three cars will be entered under the Kryderacing banner. The initial entry checks for a SSC Honda Civic, an ITE Merkur XR4Ti, and an ITB Capri have all been sent. Kryderacing’s Matt Miller is coordinating this program. We checked with Matt today and all but one (maybe two) driver spots are reserved. Call us if you are interested in driving or helping with the crew.
 

Kryderacing - International Division

We heard from Matt Carson, our employee who recently found himself back in a soldier’s uniform and stationed in Iraq. It seems he has a request for numerous modification parts for a Honda and was asking us to answer some questions. We believe the parts would be for a fellow soldier’s car back in the USA, but we aren’t positive. The thought of watching the evening news and seeing a lowered Civic with extreme body panels and a wing blast down a street in Baghdad wearing a Kryderacing decal seems farfetched. But who knows?
 

NEOHIO COMP CLINIC

One thing we are sure of is the quality of the upcoming Neohio Comp Clinic. It is scheduled for Saturday, March 20th and if you are new to road racing you need to plan on attending. In one day you will get the chance to hear seminars given by experts from organizational side of racing as well as people who know how to prepare a car. Even experienced racers can benefit by learning about new rules as well as new or different preparation techniques. Contact Sherrie Weitzenhof at 1-330-666-2627 for details.

Kryderacing will be represented at the Comp Clinic and information will be available on the Kryderacing Series at Nelson Ledges, our rental vehicles, and our shop services.
 

TrackTime Performance Driving Schools Schedule

The 2004 schedule currently includes five events. They are:

June 17-18 Virginia International Raceway
July 7-8 Watkins Glen
August 14-15 Michigan International Speedway
August 23-24 (*) Elkhart Lake’s Road America
September 17-18 BeaveRun

(*) We have conflicting dates for the Road America event. We believe this one is correct. August 25-26 is the original date and it was received during a phone conversation. The August 23-24 date appears on the TrackTime Website.

Kryderacing plans on being in attendance at most, if not all, of the events. As we have for many years, we will be there to assist students who are experiencing mechanical problems. If you are planning on attending an event and want us to do some early work on your car (tire or brake bad swapping are frequently done prior to the first session on the track) please contact us prior to the event.
 

Tracquest

Since the early days of TrackTime there have been numerous schools who have copied the TrackTime format. While we still consider TrackTime to be the best we have recently heard of another group which appears to have a good program. We have not attended any of their events, but reports from other drivers are all positive. The group is called Tracquest and a portion of their schedule is as follows:

March 1-2 Laguna Seca
April 17-18 Buttonwillow
May 17-18 Watkins Glen
May 31-June 1 Mid-Ohio
July 5-6 VIR
September 6-7 Mid-Ohio
October 30-31 Watkins Glen
December 6-7 Sears Point

We have heard one of the highpoints of these schools are their social gatherings. If we get a chance we are going to check them out sometime this year.
 

Open Track Challenge

We were going to attend the Buttonwillow Tracquest School because the schedule meshed perfectly with the OTC event. The plan was to test at the school and then travel the short distance to Willow Springs for the start OTC on April 19. But they changed the OTC schedule. We are now starting in Las Vegas on April 18. There will be daily competitions at five different tracks from April 18 through April 22. The Russ Wilson/Reed Kryder Corvette ZR-1 will be running in the T1 class. In this class the cars must be street legal and driven from race track to race track. An early look at the entry list shows competition from Corvette Z06’s, Porsche 996 TT, and Viper. In the previous two events Russ and Reed have picked up a Second and a Third Place Trophy. We plan on completing the set this year with a First Place Trophy. Walt Minato will be joining us again this year to provide trackside assistance as well as good companionship while driving between tracks.
 

One Lap of America

Reed will only be home a day following the OTC before he must head for South Bend, Indiana and the start of One Lap. As mentioned in the previous newsletter the car of choice this year is a Cadillac CTS-V. John Bender acquired one of the first five customer cars. He hasn’t even driven it yet and the engine has already been pulled. This will be John’s daily driver following the event, but it is receiving some tweaks by Chuck Mallett prior to the event. Chuck hopes to offer a Mallett Hammer version of this car through Cadillac dealerships. Chuck has also received one of the first cars off the production line. Chuck is using his car to check out some of his ideas and then transferring the finished results to John’s car. The One Lap will be a debut of his Cadillac “Mallett Hammer”.
 

NASA

Since we have been publishing schedules in this newsletter, let’s add another one. The Ohio/Indiana Chapter of NASA has a busy scheduled planned for 2004.

March 13-14 Nashville Includes 100 Mile Enduro
April 2-4 Mid-Ohio Includes 1 Hour Enduro
May 22-23 Putnam Park Includes 100 Mile Enduro
June 5-6 BeaveRun
July 17-18 Gingerman Includes 3 Hour Enduro
August 21-22 Mid-Ohio Special Triple Crown Tuner Challenge event
September 4-6 BeaveRun Includes 3 Hour Enduro
October 9-10 Putnam Park
October 29-31 Road America Includes 200 Mile Enduro

We have included the Enduro information because we have a desire to run at least one of these races this year. If you are interested in co-driving one of the Kryderacing cars or have a need for a driver in your car please contact us.
 

Commentary #2: Press coverage of races

Recently I was watching a television report on Dale Earnhart Jr’s request to the press to “move on” from constantly asking him questions which tied together the present with references to his dad. I was impressed with the way he handled a difficult subject which was being forced upon him. But it got me to thinking.

It seems like many of our past heros (especially race drivers) were famous for characteristics which made them unique amongst their fellow drivers. These characteristics usually became trademarks when the drivers (or ball players, or whatever) reached success in their professions. If you have ever watched any of the various history profiles of famous legends you are usually amazed by the depth of their stories. What bothers me about many reporters today is that they are trying to create the story as they want it to happen, not write it as they see it developing before their eyes. “Predictions” and “analysis” by the press are necessary and can be entertaining. But when the “analysis” concerns itself with the reasons their “predictions” were right or wrong, then the story is about the announcer (or writer), not the racer. Maybe another way of putting it is “I watch races to see who is going to win and how they accomplish it, not to see if the announcer‘s forecast was correct.” If they want to do this type of reporting let them do the weather.