September 2025 Fastrack

This is a funny one, sent by the CRB to the BOD for approval:

When standard data collection practices have not been able to produce viable data, the following will apply and a note will be added to the specific car’s spec line:

SCCA Fastrack News September 2025 Page 6
1. AiM part #X47KPF-SOLO2R0 data box mount must be installed on the exterior of the car outside the driver compartment to provide the necessary mounting of the AiM Solo 2 data box.

Gonna look awful funny seeing a bunch of cars driving around with data boxes attached to their hood, nose, fender, whatever...and Thompson Speedway saying you can run unless you have it secured with a tether cable...
 
I saw that too. There must be a specific back story to that.

On my first pass I failed to see the specific car bit and was concerned that EVERY enclosed car was going to have an Lemons-looking cube stapled to it.
 
I inquired. Apparently some cars have carbon fiber or similar that blocks the GPS signals. So instead of adjusting their equipment (does AIM Solo allow an external antenna?) they're going to force people to tack plates on the outside of their car...somewhere...

It'll be fun at places like Thompson, which is adamant on the tether rule.
 
It's 2025 - the majority of cars at the national level run their own data aq system these days.... Why not just mandate that the data has to be downloaded and provided to tech if the car gets green stickered?
 
Even worse, different data formats. I have extensive experience with data acq, and even sold / supported data systems for BOP to SCCA and IMSA. It would be waaaay too difficult to try to use the data from 3 or 4 different brand systems for comparison as NONE file/data compatible and all have at least some signal conditioning.
 
I asked that the stock TR6 manifold be allowed as an alternate on the GT6.
This was a request for an addition to a single spec. line, on a prep. level 1 car.
The manifolds bolt to the same heads and engines.

We received the, "against Production Category philosophy" response in the prelim FastTrack.

31% of the 115 spec. lines in the EP PCS require or allow, "non-original intake manifolds".

What's the issue here?
When reading the Prep. level 1 rules and the PCS, I struggle to find any philosophy.

I actually thought this request would be an easy one to grant.
Simple, easy, cheap, and with small expected gains.
Heck, the stock TR6 manifold isn't even allowed on the TR6! That's how uncompetitive it is/was.

Is this a case of the PAC and/or CRB drawing a line in the sand, grandfathering preexisting spec. line allowances, and not entertaining further spec. line allowances for non-stock parts?
If so, does this inadvertently freeze the performance potential of older, underpowered cars, while the class performance target continues to increase? I certainly hope not.

Currently deflated, but after a break, will continue to advocate for performance increases for my car.
 
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