How competitive are the RP cars

[Richard Pryor]

Just as a point of information there are half a dozen Spec Mustangs that run in AS in Regionals but rarely more than two in Majors/Supers. There is only one RP car running Majors/Supers here; that is Lynne Griffiths in her ex-T2 2014 Mustang.

Lap times at Laguna Seca during the 2014 Runoffs were Andy McDermid 1.38.382Q/1.38.898R, John Heinricy 1.40.165q/1.40.496R and with a RP Firebird, Aaron Bailey 1.40.385q/1.40.9R. Aaron is the only RP car that has run competitive times here. It's a combination of car prep and driving that makes him fast. For comparison, current SMG times are: AS - 1.39.856 Roger Eagleton and SMG - 1.38.639 Mark Drebban.

Just based on the times at Laguna it appears to me (eliminating the different day/track conditions variable) that FP, RP and SMG in AS are fairly equal for top car/driver combinations.

By way of comparison for Dave Mead the T2 lap record is 1.38.104, T3 is 1.40.745.

The next Major at Laguna is in mid-April and I'm sure there will be SMG, FP and RP cars there.

Christopher Qualls just won the Super Tour at Buttonwillow yesterday in his FP Mustang with a 2.01.590 but there were no direct points of comparison to T2 or T3 cars or other AS that didn't have problems.

[Scott Sanda]

If it were easy, we would work for the government......

Wait, that's not correct.

if it were easy, we would all be in SRF3's.......

[PamRichardson]

Scott --

So true! Pretty much in SRF3 there is little tinkering and it is driver focused. In AS, a LOT of the equation is who can build the better mouse trap. And then, add the very competent driver.

Good luck out there to everyone, and ultimately, continue to have fun!

Pam

[DHRMX5]

Originally Posted by Richard Pryor

Just as a point of information there are half a dozen Spec Mustangs that run in AS in Regionals but rarely more than two in Majors/Supers. There is only one RP car running Majors/Supers here; that is Lynne Griffiths in her ex-T2 2014 Mustang.

Lap times at Laguna Seca during the 2014 Runoffs were Andy McDermid 1.38.382Q/1.38.898R, John Heinricy 1.40.165q/1.40.496R and with a RP Firebird, Aaron Bailey 1.40.385q/1.40.9R. Aaron is the only RP car that has run competitive times here. It's a combination of car prep and driving that makes him fast. For comparison, current SMG times are: AS - 1.39.856 Roger Eagleton and SMG - 1.38.639 Mark Drebban.

Just based on the times at Laguna it appears to me (eliminating the different day/track conditions variable) that FP, RP and SMG in AS are fairly equal for top car/driver combinations.

By way of comparison for Dave Mead the T2 lap record is 1.38.104, T3 is 1.40.745.

The next Major at Laguna is in mid-April and I'm sure there will be SMG, FP and RP cars there.

Christopher Qualls just won the Super Tour at Buttonwillow yesterday in his FP Mustang with a 2.01.590 but there were no direct points of comparison to T2 or T3 cars or other AS that didn't have problems.

Richard, if the Runoffs was coming to Laguna that would be interesting information. I have already said multiple times that we could/should have won at Sonoma or Laguna. Where the problem lies is in the tracks like VIR and RoadAm where the power difference plays an outsize role... I don't give a crap about winning the local races. And given that the Runoffs isn't coming to the West Coast in the future...

[Richard Pryor]

Dave...you're absolutely correct. The Laguna Seca information means nothing in terms of the Runoffs courses back East. You wouldn't stand a chance there with your car. And since that's where the Runoffs are for the foreseeable future it appears the only course to having a winning car is still the Full Prep option. Spec Mustangs don't have the power for those courses and RP are at, IMHO, 95%...so the more things change the more they stay the same....but with the CRB giving RP more and more power, who knows, in a year or two a top prepped car and a top driver may win.

[PamRichardson]

Richard --

Yes, I'll repeat myself. NEVER FORGET THE DRIVER!!!!!

The thing is, if you keep giving a car or cars more and more power, awaiting one of those cars to "win the Runoffs" without considering the capability of the driver, you WILL over power that car. It DID happen in T2 in the past and then T2 cars had to be pulled back.

Pam