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NASA Championships Announcement


Will F.

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NASA Expands Championships To Both Coasts

 

November 4, 2013 5:00 AM — Napa Valley, CA - The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) is pleased to announce an exciting new change to the 2014 NASA Championships presented by Toyo Tires. Beginning in 2014, NASA will transition what has traditionally been...

a single championship event format to that of a dual championship event format hosting its NASA Eastern States Championship at Road Atlanta on August 29 - 31, 2014 and the NASA Western States Championship at Sonoma Raceway on November 7 - 9, 2014.

 

This move will lessen the time required for competitors to attend the NASA Championships as long tows to reach an event on the other side of the country will no longer be necessary. Additionally, NASA will revamp the weekend schedule to provide competitors with a condensed Friday through Sunday format in place of the previous Thursday to Sunday schedule. This change will make the event much easier for a larger number of competitors to attend as it will greatly lessen the time commitment required to compete at the event.

 

"This new format is designed to provide more NASA competitors the opportunity to participate in a Championship level event", said Ryan Flaherty, NASA National Chairman. "We received a great deal of input from our members and considered numerous options available to us and concluded that a dual Championship format would best serve our competitors. A significant number of our members are not able to take a week off work and travel thousands of miles to attend, so it is clear that we needed to do something that provides them with the opportunity to compete in a NASA Championship event each year much closer to their home base. We look forward to hosting the big fields we expect to see at our events on both coasts in 2014."

 

The new dual Championship format will work much like the current traditional event with the exception that there will now be an event on the West coast and on the East coast in the same year instead of alternating between both coasts. Moreover, NASA will move the Championship event to different tracks on a yearly basis, which will add to the excitement and give drivers a chance to try out new tracks each year. Competitors can expect many of the same fantastic benefits available to them in previous years at the new format events next season. From the famous trackside gatherings and wonderfully lucrative contingency programs to the extremely competitive racing, both events will live up to the NASA Championships name.

 

Look for additional announcements regarding the 2014 NASA Championships events in the coming weeks.

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Very good news coming out of the NASA camp today.

 

What is the requirements to compete in the championship weekend? Is it still 5 races? Is that 5 separate race weekends or just 5 races even on weekends with two races?

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I think this is a very good move. Not many at this level were willing to take a week off, and travel 2000+ miles to compete on the opposite coast from them. I am fairly confident that each of these championships will have a greater turn out and better class competition that the single format before.

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both will include TT competition, correct?

 

And Ken who is stuck in the middle of the two can pick and choose (or do both events)....

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I am sure that this was a tough business discision, but it is very dissapointing that there will no longer be any NASA "National" Champions

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I am sure that this was a tough business decision, but it is very disappointing that there will no longer be any NASA "National" Champions

 

 

+1

 

 

-Scott B.

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Maybe NASA could waive the fee (at the very least) for any East Coast Champion who wants to go to the West Coast Championship.

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Will a TT championship qualify you for the "race of champions"?

 

I wouldn't think so. What if the TT champ didn't have a comp license?

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a decent portion of them do, or could very easily make it happen in time

 

- KB, noting alot of former racers that are now TTers in nicer street cars in his region, or guys on the way up that still TT because the race class participation isn't quite there but are otherwise licensed and ready, etc, etc. And also notes that a race person could double dip in TT and maybe win there but not their race class, or whatever.

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According to our Regional Director (who is obviously in the know):

 

"You'll need a Competition License to do the Race of Champions but yes it will be open to anyone who wins their class at Nationals."

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I am sure that this was a tough business discision, but it is very dissapointing that there will no longer be any NASA "National" Champions

 

In a strange twist, there will be exactly 1 National Champion when all is said and done. Across 60 drivers, one will win the MX-5 race and be crowned the overall king/queen of NASA for the year.

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exactly, I have only been running TTD because there are zero PTD cars that I know of on the east coast, certainly not in FL or the southeast. So I have been developing the car while running TT and trying to set records in preparation for nationals. I built my car specifically to try to win nationals for a chance at the Mazda shootout. Now that we have this east/west deal I might have to rethink my class if TT will not be eligible...

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The real question is:

 

How much does the Mazda ROC cost?

 

Also, is it really open to anyone? Winning your class out of one car is hardly winning. Of course if you're paying I'm sure Mazda doesn't care.

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It's been in the rules (and usually enforced, last year seems to be an anomoly) that you need a minimum of 4 to be a class at Nationals.

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Let's hope that NASA makes both events top notch, and gives some recognition to people bold enough to do both events and give a discount for signing up for both. Success is in the details.

 

Maybe they can call it a 2 event national championship series and you get points for each event. Anyone who does not do both events is an East or West Champion (not necessarily national), but even if you don't win and get points in both events you can't be an actual national champion. I mean, isn't that how pro racing works. There are no superbowls in racing. I think it would motivate people to do both events. I would bet they could get a true Champion that way. Gives more people a chance to win an award, and more legitimacy to the "National" champion. I'm local to Road Atlanta, but even if it were VIR (5 hrs) Barber 3 (hrs), NOLA (6 hrs), I'd be willing to attempt those short hauls and still try to make it across country. But it certainly adds to the motivation if there is a concept behind the madness.

 

Thoughts?

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I'm with Paul Faessler on this one. 2013 was a poor turnout year for Nationals. We travelled over 1200 miles each way, others travelled much more, but there were few participants from either coast. On that basis, I agree with Paul...it would appear to be a business decision, but our team relishes the week-long event of Nationals and the opportunity to test both driver and car in class. Having a championship determined by a spec race is disappointing to those who modify and build cars within the guidelines of the clsss rules. And that week-long event will certainly be missed.

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Also, the number of events to qualify and cost for the East and West championships themselves would be good to know. Trying to schedule for next year already.

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Eligibility requirements are probably the same as they were this year: http://www.nasaproracing.com/nationals/RegsChamps2013_1.1.pdf

 

Possibly, but it's also possible given the format change that they may loosen the requirements (like may 3 or 4 events to qualify) to get max participation. I'm sure they don't want this to backfire. May be as likely as a price change, which might not be a consideration at all, but doesn't hurt to ask.

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