No Ken, PRO3 took several side tracks for several reasons and Spec E46 should be much cleaner. PRO3 started as ITS that was no longer competitive with E36 and other cars. PRO3 could be much cleaner if it were to start over too. The E46 platform has inherent advantages from the factory that PRO3 has to add. It is 2 generations and 14 years newer with improvements to keep the Ultimate Driving Machine status.
...and, SpecE46 is a national, sanctioning body-independent rule set, developed, constructed and "owned", for lack of a better term, but a group of SpecE46 drivers. NASA has adopted the rule set, in total, SCCA is in the process, and it looks like we'll be a class in ICSCC next year too. I expect BMW Club Racing will soon follow. One rule set, by reference to the national rule set.
The class is pretty cool - about 2 sec per lap faster than PRO3, so just barely out in front of the fast guys; simple suspension (simpler than PRO3); some "niceties", like power steering and ABS; stock engine internals, and sealed/spec tune, to severely limit run-away engine development programs.
Just in case this sounds to good to be true, we did actually have to make two nearly identical rule sets - one referencing the NASA GCR's re. safety, and one referencing the SCCA GCR's. Silly sanctioning bodies want to pretend the other doesn't exist. Be proud of our ICSCC leadership, though. They're ok with either reference (other than the fact NASA won't let us reference NASA in our rule set).
More to come - we plan on submitting the rule set and affidavits of participation to El Presidante Dave Bennitt and IRDC Rep Mike Olsen during the Mission weekend.
Dan
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