A quick note from the Spring Meeting

As a further thread jack, I don't see why the Fit engine would be adopted for CF at all Rich. CF is only a regional class, so SCCA isn't really concerned with us, and never has been. The Fit is aimed at the national FF guys, and I personally hope it stays that way. I understand it's 12 grand per motor, and they live maybe 3 full seasons. But as I said before, that is 3 national seasons, which is only 12 to 15 races. A full Conference season as we're seeing could be 14 or 15 events, so that pricey motor would last one season, or perhaps two if you were lucky. The old Kent motor is still the way to go in CF, and per tradition it should remain that way as long as possible.
There is discussion that says the new technology may attract younger drivers, but again it's on a national level. I believe they are sealed, so there isn't much that you can do to them, which sorta negates the high tech angle, unless you can plug in a PC and fine tune the thing. I believe CF should go back to it's roots and run Armstrong shocks, steel wheels and treaded tires. Low cost, high octane fun for about the same price as any other class or car, and considerably cheaper than many.
 
westipton said:
As a further thread jack, I don't see why the Fit engine would be adopted for CF at all Rich. CF is only a regional class, so SCCA isn't really concerned with us, and never has been.
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Agree, Wes. That's what I said. The SCCA 'rule change' apply's to FF only, NOT CF which is indeed a regionally designated class. It will be up to the individual regions to go FIT or NO FIT for Club Ford. But, if a couple do it, the rest probably will follow.


westipton said:
..... I understand it's 12 grand per motor, and they live maybe 3 full seasons. But as I said before, that is 3 national seasons, which is only 12 to 15 races. A full Conference season as we're seeing could be 14 or 15 events, so that pricey motor would last one season, or perhaps two if you were lucky.....
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That is not true, Wes. The COMPLETE conversion 'kit' to put a FIT into a DB-1 or DB-6 is $12,000. I don't recall the full list of 'stuff' but it's much more then the engine. I believe engines alone from HPD (once you've done the conversion or used a kit) will be in the $3,500 range.

I haven't heard any comments on expected life for the FIT. Have you?


westipton said:
..... There is discussion that says the new technology may attract younger drivers, but again it's on a national level. I believe they are sealed, so there isn't much that you can do to them, which sorta negates the high tech angle, unless you can plug in a PC and fine tune the thing. I believe CF should go back to it's roots and run Armstrong shocks, steel wheels and treaded tires. Low cost, high octane fun for about the same price as any other class or car, and considerably cheaper than many.
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1.
Nahh, I don't think it will attract younger drivers any more then FF does now. Now that 15 year olds can jump in to an FA, FC or FM after running Karts, why would they start in FF?

2.
ECU and restrictor are controlled. Don't know if it's sealed.

3.
Well they are 'thinking' about a spec tire rule to try and reduce that cost.

NOTE:
We already HAVE a driver up here that's having a NEW FIT FF built with the hopes of running in ICSCC later in 2010. Hope this rule doesn't keep him away :redface:
 
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Richard, thanks for the support. The installation "Kit" from Honda Performance Development (HPD) for the DB-1 is set at $11,750 and includes all the pieces required to install Plus the Fit motor. A replacement Fit motor from HPD is currently listed at $2,500 A junkyard motor can be purchased for signifigantly less. The motors are not sealed ...... but they will have to run an SCCA approved ECU and a throttle body restrictor. The ECU mapping and the exact dimensions of the throttle body restrictor are currently being developed by SCCA and Quicksilver engines and will be set to guarantee that the HP and torque curves are no better than than a "good" Quicksilver national motor. I am feeling like an orphan here. I certainly had hoped to run with my friend JC in FF. (and like I have mentioned, I suspect the club ford guys will leave me in the dust) As far as going to SCCA ...... no thanks. Been there, did that. Let's face it, at 60 years old I'm not a national driver. I just want a competative, low maintainance, non-aero open wheeled car to run in group 3 and have fun. I certainly hope there is a way to make this happen. And if not ..... I,m certainly willing to run with my friends in Group 6. But, if I was forced to run FL ..... I can't see any reason to use the remapped ECU and restrictor plate! :) Oh, and I would love to see a spec tire rule for The FF's as well.

David VanAmburg
 
Since Tech does not inspect for class compliance, only safety items, you could enter the races with your Fit powered car, race, and collect points. Unless someone in the class decided to protest you.

That would probably depend largely on whether or not you end up being consistently faster, and if the general feeling amongst drivers in the class was that the Fit power is the reason.

Or it could be a matter of someone in the class simply being hung up on technical integrity, whether or not there is any actual practical performance difference, and this is more important to them than having more cars turn out to race and share the thrill of the activity and the social aspects after the races.
 
And of course, Formula Libre would welcome any Fit motored formula car - there is always a place to play in Conference.
 
David,

THANKS for the clarification on the price of the FIT replacement engine. MY brain must have been thinking Zetec engine when I said $3,500. Really glad to see you're totally committed to ICSCC with the car. It's gonna be great seeing that new technology on the track here

Randy Blaylock said:
Since Tech does not inspect for class compliance, only safety items, you could enter the races with your Fit powered car, race, and collect points. Unless someone in the class decided to protest you....
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That's very true, Randy. But the FIT engine doesn't even come close to 'looking' like a Kent engine. So it's pretty obvious to even the casual observer who has seen more then 2 FF's that something is way different in the engine bay.

Considering JC ran ELEVAN races to take the FF Championship and the 2nd place FF ran 3 races (plus another with 3 and 2 with just 2 races), JC was probably the ONLY FF driver who would be effected by this decision... LOL When the Zetec was introduced to FC as an option to the Pinto, we (owning 2 FC's) wouldn't have suggested keeping the Zetec out of ICSCC. In fact, we don't have a Zetec in ICSCC FC, yet.

This entire FIT deal is a real touchy issue within the SCCA. If the 1st FIT cars prove to be run away winners, the SCCA will be quick to make an ECU or restrictor change to bring it down. UNLIKE the good way ICSCC does its rules changes, they will change the rule every month if they have to. As long as ICSCC rules state that FF's must meet SCCA FF rules, any changes would have to be made to FF's running with us WHEN they are deemed to be effective.

Was this rules freeze voted on by actual FF drivers or was it CF drivers who thought it applied to them? Saying that CF rules were forzen (a GOOD idea but not really necessary) would have protected them and allowed FF to progress as it will regardless of what ICSCC does.

The Northwest has not been a 'hot bed' of open wheel racing. But in 2 short years, FC has grown to have 8 drivers (at least 1 new one coming in 2010) plus a good quantity of FB's (running FL in ICSCC). Hate to see anything happen that would restrict the growth in open wheel classes.
 
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It wasn't voted on by drivers at all, other than those who are also E-Board reps. There was much discussion about possible ways to handle Fit-engined FFs and one of the options was to freeze CF at 2009 GCR (which was done) while allowing Formula Ford to become Formula F. In the end, the E-Board decided to freeze both classes at the 2009 GCR rules for this year and leave it up to the FF drivers to put forth a rule change to change Formula Ford into Formula F this fall for competition in 2011 if they want to.
 
David, please run both groups and we'll sort it out if needed. Conference was a hot bed of racing long ago, and our ranks are growing again, albeit very slowly. A few of us will be running Goodyears in group 6 this year, so come and play there for sure. BTW, I've seen you drive your FV, and I know your speed. Age regardless, you'll be qucik and have a great time.
The price stated for a Fit motor is phenomenal after the conversion is complete. I'm very happy to see the info I was given on that was incorrect, or probably just not understood by yours truly. We'll need to hash this out over the summer and choose a path that will make us all happy. If the motor is detuned to approximate a national motor it will be hotter than the normal CF motor, but by the end of the this year we will have your base platform to go from. So looks like you're the guinea pig for 2010!

Wes
 
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