Apologize if I missed an earlier thread. Anyone here thinking about running one of the WC Touring Car B Spec races? Anyone here thinking about B Spec at all? Love the idea of racing these little cars, have to think a lot of them will be built.
Funny you should say that, Will. Before Christmas, I called the shop that built the Fiat 500 B-Spec that was on display at the RunOffs. Pretty cool stuff! Got all the numbers and it's not too bad. Not sure it's competitive against the Fit, the Mini or the 2, but I've always raced cars I liked, rather than the sure thing. You know I like Abarths... <grin>
I am. The Fit and the 2 are the most developed. Everyone else will be playing catch up. The Mini looks like the best package once it's sorted, the 500 is the fashionista's choice.
That's why I'm surprised you're not going for that choice. <grin> Will, you buy it, I'll build it and we can run it!
I didn't say what I was going for, Peter! Sometimes, you go for the sure thing. Sometimes, you go for the adversity.
Now it would be nice if grand Am would get their rules pachage out , even the SCCA stuff seems to be like pulling teeth to get info , have a friend that wants to run one possibly 2 cars.
My understanding is that, besides tires, the SCCA "B-spec" is universal. NASA accepts it, Grand-Am will likely, too. All it takes is a call to Mark Raffauf, although he's a little busy until next week...
Forza Fashionistas! It's the only one of the cars I'd consider, and it's definitely heart rather than head. All those wonderful old Abarth cinquecentos .... Seriously, the rules uncertainty makes me hesitate - also, what will be done to the cars to "equalize" them. The Mini looked out of place to me in this group. Glad to find some interest here, it just seems to me a tremendously appealing class. I imagine a grid of 50 little cars. I assume it will be all about the draft. Do you have to use a manufacturer kit? I'm aware of the Fiat 500 built for Chrysler. I also imagine this series will buy college educations for children on body shop owners. Peter, Competizione and I are very interested in this series. Fiat only.
There's much to wonder about the rules , something as simple as oil could make a difference , a 0 wieght oil would probably ad 3-5 hp and on small power like that it can make a pretty big difference. As far as the kits so far it seems IF a manufactuer has a "kit package" you have to use that particular one , but then there are questions we had on some of the cars shown at PRI , namely the Ford , having the roll cage going thru the door jam when the rules that have been shared so far (up to the PRI show in Dec) specifically said the roll cage couldn't go thru body/chassis structure.
Yes. The rules are very tight, very few things are open. Yes, the rules are universal except for tires.
Here's a new article coming out in Autoweek : http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120126/MOTORSPORTS/120129885
Anything new on these cars? Anyone undertaking a real Fiat 500 effort? I've seen photos of a couple completed Fiat 500s, but am curious as to whether anyone serious has built a car to the rules and intending to race. Thanks.
Not that I can tell. Most recent solicitation to me to build one was from someone with ties to Chrysler/Dodge Performance here locally. Sure would like to see it happen.
Rally America announced B Spec in January and have had entrants thus far and other who are building. http://rally-america.com/news/latest/1121/ Early proposals to Fiat to build race or rallycars were promptly dismissed by Laura Soave. Now that she is gone and the Abarth is here, perhaps Fiat will go racing. Targa Newfoundland also adopted a class named Next Generation Challenge with the Fiat 500 in mind. Chrysler executive Ralph Gilles, a contender in four Targa events campaigned to create the class last year. http://www.targanewfoundland.com/news/entry/targa-newfoundland-creates-next-generation-challen/
I just heard that a 500 won the first World Challenge B Spec race this weekend. With the Fit and the 2 being longer in development, plus Kinetic-build Rios, a 500 win is a surprise.
haven't really followed the series recently, but a) why was the first race at Miller and not St. Pete or Long Beach (the first two Pirelli WC races)? why is the Mazda RX8 allowed? that doesn't seem to align with the concept for the series (small hatchbacks), and there's already another Mazda allowed to race (the 3)
What did they allow the Fiat to have to juice up the motor , with all cars being close in wieght and the Mazda & Honda having a pretty big advantage in power , what deal was done?
The 2 races in B Spec. I suffered the indignity of driving one last week. A bone stock RX-8 would eat up all the B Spec race cars. Must be some kind of timing and scoring error. This was the first WC B Spec race of the season.
