2012 GTS National Championships

[JSG1901]

In case there is anyone sitting on the fence, we still have room for a few more competitors in this year's GTS National Championship. In all liklihood, this will be your last chance to compete for a championship at Mid-Ohio, one of the country's great natural road racing courses.

 

In preparation for the championship races, I've sent the following letter to all competitors, informing them of the format and expectations for this year:

 

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Greetings and welcome to the 2012 NASA National Championships. I’m glad to know you’ll be joining us.

 

I’m Scott Good, NASA’s National Director for GTS and I have the pleasure of welcoming you to this fantastic event. This will be the fifth NASA championship I’ve personally attended and based on those that have come before I can assure you this will be an excellent and memorable event.

 

However, it is also a competition so we have to set and follow a few guidelines.

 

I’ve written this (much too long) letter so there will be no question about how things will be run at this year’s event. If you’ve attended any of the previous GTS National Championships, much of what I’ll describe below will be familiar, but not everything. Sprinkled throughout the following pages are enough changes that I encourage you to grab your beverage of choice, sit back, and suffer through the whole thing at least once so you aren’t caught off-guard by something new.

 

 

GTS officials

 

As with 2011, I will again have the role of GTS Series Director for the National Championship racing weekend. Unlike last year, however, I will not be competing so my full attention will focused be on ensuring that the racing is as good, and as fair, as possible.

 

As Series Director, I am in charge of GTS rules compliance. Specifically, that means I’m the person charged with making sure we’re all playing on a level field.

 

Our Race Director is Mark Siggelkow, a highly-experienced Race Director for the Great Lakes and Midwest regions, and a person with whom I work closely all season long. Mark is responsible for all on-track activities including racing, contact reports, passes under yellow, aggressive driving, etc.

 

Together, we are responsible for helping to create a fair and even-handed event, which allows the very best of us bubble to the top based on skill and preparation, and not due to an unfair advantage or dangerous driving.

 

But, in that effort Mark and I each have specific and non-overlapping roles so it’s important for you to understand who does what.

 

If you think your competitor is cheating, or if you have concerns about the scales or the dyno or any of our other measurement or impound procedures, or if you want to appeal a penalty assessed for being out of compliance, you’ll want to talk to me.

 

If you think your competitor passed under yellow, jumped the start, or you want to appeal a penalty you were given for something that happened on the track, you’ll want to talk to Mark.

 

Neither of us has the authority to speak for the other but we will be working as a team throughout the event.

 

 

A little homework before you get here

 

You are expected to know the rules and to follow them. Penalties for all GTS sessions and races will be per the NASA CCR. While it would be a good idea to read the entire CCR before arriving, I highly recommend you at least read and understand the following NASA CCR sections:

 

17.5 Protests, Request for Action, and Appeals

20.0 Competition Format

21.0 Scoring and Race Results

25.0 On Course Conduct

Appendix A

Appendix B

 

And, if you read nothing else, please study Appendix B and, in particular, section 27.11 Issuing Penalties as this is how penalties for on-track issues will be administered. Note that possible penalties include: (1) no penalty; (2) repositioning; (3) disqualification; and (4) one-race suspension, most of which can ruin a championship run.

 

You should also review the 2012 GTS Rules. Last year we had to disqualify a championship winner who was found to be underweight based on his having read an outdated set of GTS rules. Don’t let that happen to you.

 

NASA CCR: http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf

GTS Rules: http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/gts_rules.pdf

 

 

General competition format overview

 

The 2012 GTS National Championships will be decided based on the results of the National Championship race to be held Saturday, September 8.

 

The starting grid for the National Championship race will be based on the combined results of two qualifying races run on Thursday, September 6, and Friday, September 7.

 

Each of the qualifying races will be gridded based on each car’s fastest lap during a qualifying session earlier that day. Grid positions will be based strictly on lap times with no regard to class. Therefore, if a GTS2 car laps faster than a GTS4 car, the GTS2 car will start closer to the front.

 

In an effort to give each driver the best possible chance at setting a good qualifying time, the qualifying sessions will be gridded based on each car’s fastest lap from that morning’s warm-up session. Again, this will be done without regard to class. Drivers who miss the warm-up session for whatever reason will be gridded at the back of the field in a sequence determined by the Race Director.

 

If for some reason the warm-up and/or qualifying sessions are unable to be run, the grid for qualifying and/or the race will be set according to the Race Director’s instructions.

 

Disqualification from any session will move the offending driver to the rear of the field. Note that this is a change from 2011 when disqualification only resulted in the driver being moved to the rear of his or her class.

 

 

National Championship race grid determination

 

As stated above, the starting grid for Saturday’s National Championship race will be set based on the results of the two qualifying races. The procedure for determining that grid is as follows:

 

1) Cars will be listed in the overall order of finish, regardless of class, and after all penalties have been applied.

 

2) The overall winning car will be given 1 point. The second place car will be given 2 points, the third place car 3, and so on through the remainder of the field.

 

3) Cars which did not start the race will be given a number of points one higher than the last finisher. If multiple cars did not start, they will all be given the same number of points.

 

4) This process will be repeated for both qualifying races and the finishing points for each car for both races will be totaled.

 

5) The car with the lowest total number of points will be the pole-sitter for the National Championship race. The car with the next lowest number of points will be gridded second, and so on, through the remainder of the field.

 

6) In the case of two or more drivers with identical points totals, drivers will be gridded based on their single fastest racing lap of the two qualifying races.

 

 

Impound procedures

 

Each car is expected to have a NASA Championships-issued impound sticker in the upper corner of the driver’s side of the windshield. This sticker must have on it the vehicle’s horsepower, torque, minimum race weight (including driver), and an indication of whether that weight is based on DOT or racing tires. These Impound stickers will be issued at the event.

 

Following all qualifying and race sessions, all cars must report directly to the designated Impound area and wait to be released. Once the vehicle has entered the hot pit for a qualifying or race session, neither crew members, friends, nor spectators may approach or touch the vehicle until it has been released from Impound. Failure to comply may result in penalties up to and including disqualification.

 

From Impound, some GTS cars will be required to be weighed and/or sent to the dyno. Failure to comply immediately, or failure to go directly to the scales or dyno as directed will result in an immediate disqualification for that session.

 

Although the NASA CCR makes provisions for a one-time 5 lb grace on vehicle weight, this does not apply to GTS cars at this event. Your car must be at or above the minimum weight shown on its Impound sticker for all qualifying and race sessions. Any vehicle discovered to be below the designated minimum weight will be disqualified. We highly recommend you check your car’s weight with the track’s scales before your first qualifying session.

 

Assuming you make weight and are subsequently sent to the dyno, the dyno results will be evaluated as follows:

 

1. The dyno operator will make at least three dyno pulls. Of these, we will use the results of the single pass which results in the highest multiplier (either horsepower or average of horsepower and torque, depending on the torque level) based on the GTS calculation formula.

 

2. The multiplier derived from the dyno results, rounded to the nearest tenth of a point, will be reduced by 4.0 and then multiplied by the appropriate class power-to-weight ratio.

 

3. The resulting weight, rounded to the nearest pound, will be compared against the car’s actual weight, as measured from the driving session.

 

4. Any car not equal to or greater than the minimum weight as calculated above will be disqualified from the session and the minimum weight will be adjusted to the highest figures from the dyno pulls not including the four-horsepower grace.

 

Note that any GTS vehicle may be held in Impound for as long as deemed necessary by race officials, including overnight or longer. We reserve the right to impound and/or send out for detailed analysis any vehicle, or vehicle system(s) including engine, engine management, fuel delivery, electronics, and/or any other parts deemed appropriate for further inspection by race officials.

 

 

Other measurement methodologies

 

We reserve the right to require some or all drivers to carry electronic monitoring and/or video systems in their vehicles for some, or all, on-track sessions. Such systems will be provided by NASA at no cost to the competitor, but the results of these systems will be used to augment the dyno and scales data and to inform officials regarding potential rules violations.

 

Competitors may not touch or adjust these devices in any way, including turning them off after the session has ended. Refusal to allow such monitoring devices, or any efforts to tamper with them in any way, will result in immediate ejection from the event.

 

 

Drivers’ meetings

 

Drivers’ meetings will be held each race day at a time and place to be determined later. There will likely also be a GTS drivers’ meeting Wednesday night. This will be confirmed after the event schedule has been firmed up.

 

 

In-car video

 

I highly recommend you have an in-car video camera and use it for each and every on-track session you participate in. Without video, you will not be able to effectively argue your point should you be penalized for passing under yellow or for being at fault in body contact. You also will not be able to prove infractions you’ve witnessed by your competitors.

 

A working video camera is cheap insurance at an event like this.

 

 

Required paperwork

 

Unless you are racing in GTSU, prior to competing at the championships I need THREE documents from you.

 

Current dyno sheet

 

Dated no earlier than September 9, 2011, the dyno sheet must have been made from your car as it will be presented for the championships. Any modifications or changes to the engine, transmission, or drivetrain (e.g., lighter flywheel, different gearing, etc.) require a new dyno sheet.

 

Dyno Certification form

 

Along with the dyno sheet should be the standard GTS Dyno Certification Form, filled out by yourself and your dyno operator.

 

http://nasagts.drivenasa.com/images/stories/GTS_dyno_form.pdf

 

GTS Declaration form

 

New for 2012, this form is a more comprehensive set of questions regarding the exact setup of your car with regard to performance adjustments.

 

http://nasagts.drivenasa.com/images/stories/2012_GTS_Declaration_form.pdf

 

Please send these (ahead of time, if at all possible) to: [email protected]

 

 

Contact information

 

If you have questions regarding any of this information, please feel free to write or call. I can be reached at 614-530-5544 or via e-mail at [email protected].

 

I look forward to watching a fantastic week of GTS races at one of the great natural road racing facilities in the United States.

 

See you at the track!

 

Scott

[Zach H.]

So just to confirm, the grid for the qual races will be like a regional race where a gts2 may start ahead of a gts3 car based on lap times from qualifying. for the champ race on Saturday the grid will be based on points accrued throughout the qual races. my main question is will the grid be separated by class as well? Or if I have more points than a 3 car will I start ahead of him or her?

 

Thanks

[JSG1901]

So just to confirm, the grid for the qual races will be like a regional race where a gts2 may start ahead of a gts3 car based on lap times from qualifying. for the champ race on Saturday the grid will be based on points accrued throughout the qual races. my main question is will the grid be separated by class as well? Or if I have more points than a 3 car will I start ahead of him or her?

 

Thanks

The car with the least points will be gridded further forward, regardless of class, and unlike last year.

[Zach H.]

even for the champ race? i.e. cars will not be gridded by class and then by points? sorry for the confusion/thanks for the clarification.

[JSG1901]

even for the champ race? i.e. cars will not be gridded by class and then by points? sorry for the confusion/thanks for the clarification.

That's right. The grid for the final race will be based on points, not on class.

 

I discussed the reasons for this at some length back in March in my post about lessons learned from last year. You can find that here: http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=44&t=55612

[Zach H.]

Thanks for the clarification. Not that it matters now, but doesn’t this situation still put us at risk for having WAY faster cars starting from the rear and vice versa? At the end of the day there will always be a mix and at this track with this many competitors a big risk for contact. Part of racing imo

[JSG1901]

To some extent that's true, but once you get past the first corner--which starts you into the twisties at Mid-Ohio--you're into the drivers' part of the track which will give the fast guys (which is not necessarily the fast CARS) get a little breathing room.

 

Consider that the first three GTS1 cars last year all turned laps faster than the winning GTS5 car (for the record, there were other GTS5s that were considerably faster but finished lower). To me at least, it's a pretty strong argument for organizing things on lap times.

[Zach H.]

I miss read sorry