Questions for you OC Racers

[Stangfireman]

I have a few questions for the OC racers. Now being that my car isn't finished and Lord knows when it will be, I want to race. But I've seen in one of the posts that most don't want to race a slower car due to the speed difference and a chance for an accident. I plan to attend every event and would much rather be racing. And hopefully it will be a Mustang if they can promise me that's what I will get. I'm not wanting to run brackets since they really aren't a prt of the NMRA format. I think that was pretty obvious at BG last year when they let any make run.
Now here's my questions.
How would everyone feel if I raced with a rental car?
Will there be any problems with anyone racing me? I'm sure I'll be easy pickings. :D So take me for the first round!
I thought I had more questions, but none come to mind at the moment.
Please give me your input and how you would feel about this. And please, don't hold back. Be honest and up front. I'm a man and can take it. ;)
Thanks for your input.

[red 408]

with all the rental fees you'd rack up it may be cheaper to slam the plastic and finish the car:p i personally don't have any problem with it (in fact i have been thinking about it myself, its gonna be a ***** getting two cars to fla and tx from cleveland). the rules allow it, and one slower car or ten its gonna happen (even in the brackets). my beef with the 9.10 cap is that this class was not designed or intended for cars which require pro liscensing. i was lobbying for a 10.10 lower limit.
Adam & Pam
O/C 10 & O/C 9245

[Stacy9054]

I don't see any reason in the world why someone would have a problem with a racer showing up with a rental car. My view is if you pay your entry fee like everyone else then it doesn't make any difference what kind of car you are in.(as long as it is a ford):D So come on out and have a good time. Us Open Compers are a good group of fellows!

Adam.... I don't want to start any arguments on here but the comment about what Open Comp was designed for is sort of incorrect. Open Comp was designed for a racer with a car that just doesn't fit a certain class for whatever reason. Thus the name "OPEN" Comp it is open for any car. The only restriction from the get go was no Rail Cars and we know the reason there. I don't understand the 9.10 et but I don't enjoy running 18 second tow vehicles neither but I will if I have to cuz they paid there entry fees and we shouldn't discourage anyone from coming out and having a good time. I hope this isn't taken in the wrong text. Looking forward to seeing you and Pam in Florida. We only have 40 days!

Stacy Estel O/C #4

[red 408]

Stacy, no arguement, just my feelings. the only question about fla. is if i can finish pams car in time, or if she'll be in a rent-a-racer:p
see ya at the beach!
Adam

[KJ Jones]

Stangfireman, do NOT consider yourself "first-round meat" if you race a (slower) rental car. I've seen it first-hand, a guy go as deep as the semis in O/C in a rental car, at a PSCA race last year.

As you guys know, I don't race in Open Comp with NMRA (qualified #2 in NMRA O/C in '99 and '00 when the series raced in Phoenix) on a regular basis, but I did compete in O/C last season with the Pacific Street Car Association here on the West Coast (where it's still done the "real" way, on a .400 Pro Tree). And, I'm most-definitely a BIG fan of the class and keep a CLOSE eye on what you guys are doing.

In 2002, with a car that all season ran a "best" of 14.90s early season and averaged middle 15s through the heat of Summer, I managed to finish #2 overall in points in Open Comp out here. That's with racing in 30+ car fields, of MUCH faster door cars (our minimum is 7.50) at every event in our 7-race season. Slow cars can be found lined up next to much, much, much quicker cars almost any race day at a bracket event. So, the "they shouldn't be paired in O/C" argument is really weak. Bad luck, if you will, in the form of cars coming together unfortunately can happen between ANY two cars on the dragstrip. Both fast, both slow or one of each. WHENEVER it happens, it's not good. To say that slow vs fast "shouldn't" happen--or to increase the "minimum" ET (further slow down the 9.10) or set a "maximum" limit ("you can't go slower than X") on ET is pretty much saying that O/C may as well not exist. I have been "hit" plenty of times by BIG mile-an-hour at top end--in the SHUTDOWN area even. My "just-about 90mph," to opponents' 120+, 30+, 40+ AND 50+ at various times. All you can do is look in that mirror and think to yourself, "man, that thing seems like it's REAL angry" as it bears down on 'ya. On the honest safety side of it many of you have a good point, if a mishap were to happen, I probably wouldn't be typing this right now. But, when the win light is glowing on my side of the track...

I know, it absolutely SUCKS to wait on ANY slower car. No doubt about that. That's just the way of the brackets. But, part of the reason Open Comp came about is to make racers be drivers, and not have a racer relying so much on the car. One of the catch phrases out here for O/C is, "you GOTTA be able to cut a light in that class! that class is tough!" That's something that not only O/C racers here say, it's echoed by drivers in the true heads-up classes as well. I see that as a small form of respect for the abilities of the O/C drivers. Last season, damn near EVERYBODY was good--especially the guys in the Top 10. Car and DRIVER have got to be on their game. For the most part, that's how just about everybody in PSCA O/C came to play at every event...READY...no matter how slow or fast their vehicle was. And, in all honesty, my car was pretty much the "slowest" regular player all season. Of course there were races here and there where someone would enter a rental, or run their tow vehicle in order to get points, block, etc. But, for the most part, I had the slowest (14s/15s) car on the PSCA tour in '02, and I finished as season Runner-Up with it.

Get out there with that rental car, bro! No reason why you shouldn't. O/C is a helluva lot of fun, there are great guys racing in the class and it's FAR FROM "easy" racing. I'll be watching here and in Race Pages to see what kind of driver you are. If you're a good one, your name should be showing up deep in the box scores after every event you enter. When you're good, you go rounds...in anything!

http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?eventorder?photo=024S0040000005&start=0&album=0&adjust=-1

At this time, I'm in the process of "sitting out" and trying to put together another (faster) car, my "new" '88 Mustang LX. Plan is to race it on a Drag Radial tire, but if things don't work out with that, you can BET I'll be racing it in Open Comp! No doubt!

Kaje

KJ JONES Racing
Reseda, CA
www.kjjones.com
Pacific Street Car Association
Orme Brothers Open Comp
Runner-Up
2002

[FlashBack]

There's been alot of discussions on a few different boards about the ET breaks in the OpenComp world...

Since O/C is such a huge class on a regular basis how about splitting the class in two?

Run a 9.00 to 11.99 break(ProComp) and a 12.00 and up(Open Comp)????

The 'Pro-Comp' class could run a .400 ProTree
The 'Open Comp' class could run a .500 ProTree

All other rules would remain the same.

May try this setup at the www.mustangcentral.net June 28th race at CFR...IF...there are enough cars to warrant two classes, otherwise we'll revert back to the normal deal.

G.

[Stangfireman]

Thanks for your replies everyone. I'll give it a shot and see everyone in the winners circle. :D
I know at the track I raced at they had a gamblers race for everyone that went out in either round one or two. I've seen many times where a 7 second dragster went up against a 15 second street car. Never seen any problems.
I did read where someone mentioned something going wrong with the slower car. My thoughts would be that something on the quicker car would stand a better chance of breaking then on a slower factory car considering all the stress and pressures from a high HP motor and such. But then we all know we try to build our cars stronger to account for these things.
I wish everyone the best and I'll see you in Fla.

[FlashBack]

Never seen any problems.

Just cause you've never seen air, it doesn't mean it's not there.


Everybody have a good & safe season!!

G.