How to deal with class G?

[Loren]

I would vote for the 3-split because...
1. I want to see DS vs. FS.

The proposed split is:
1. SS, AS, BS
2. CS, FS
3. ES, DS
4. GS, HS

If you want DS with FS (and I'm not even going to ask why), try something like this and see how the numbers work:
1. SS, AS
2. BS, CS
3. DS, ES, FS
4. GS, HS

I suspect it's going to make group 3 too large and groups 1 and 2 too small... but maybe not by too much. Another option would be to move ES down to group 4... but I really don't like that idea. As it is, our slowest class is way too fast.

Jeremy, don't get me wrong, I don't want to see us have a class for every car and everyone go home with a trophy. I just think that for the size of our events, 6-8 cars in a class offers ample competition. Having too few classes is what led to this whole discussion in the first place...

[Loren]

That split I just mentioned, even if the numbers aren't "balanced" (and they don't have to be, btw), jives pretty well with the PAX indexes.

SS 0.852
AS 0.842

BS 0.832
CS 0.831

DS 0.812
ES 0.817
FS 0.821

GS 0.815
HS 0.792

I could really go with that unless the numbers are just plain awful somehow.

[miazda man]

as one of the committee members my vote is for the four class split
1)SS,AS,BS
2)CS,FS
3)ES,DS
4)GS,HS

[Dave-ROR]

Anybody remember who our official committee members are?

So far, it looks like we've got Jeremy outvoted with support for the 4-class split, and otherwise we're all in agreement with the proposed "method".

If there's nobody else that needs to chime in... let's put this puppy to bed.

I've been in our Cinci office and just got back so haven't been online, but I like my 4 class system

I also think the 4 class system makes the run group coordinator/assignment person's job a little easier since they'll have more to mix and match to create as equal of run groups as possible.

[Native]

Classing committee:

Jeremy
Loren
Dave
Bob

[miazda man]

well fellow committee men are we good to go with the new class set-up

[Loren]

I think we at least have a majority agreement to use a 4-class PAX-based system. The only question is whether to use Dave's original class-split, or the other one that I suggested. The difference is subtle, I could go either way.

[Anonymous]

That split I just mentioned, even if the numbers aren't "balanced" (and they don't have to be, btw), jives pretty well with the PAX indexes.

SS 0.852
AS 0.842

BS 0.832
CS 0.831

DS 0.812
ES 0.817
FS 0.821

GS 0.815
HS 0.792

I could really go with that unless the numbers are just plain awful somehow.

I like this one too. However, from the last event...

SS,AS (6 People)
BS,CS (4 People)
FS,DS,ES (16 People)
GS,HS (5 People)

[Anonymous]

The Lakeland event had a nicer distribution....

SS,AS (6 People)
BS,CS (7 People)
DS,ES,FS (11 People)
GS,HS (12 People)

I am voting for that one, as BS has no business running with SS.

[miazda man]

the only problem i have is the mustangs (FS) running with the miatas (ES and DS) cars. i think FS should be lumped in with b and c cars. or go back to daves example 1)SS,AS,BS
2)CS,FS
3)ES,DS
4)GS,HS

[Loren]

You're afraid of stock Mustangs?

Seriously, look at those PAX numbers:
CS 0.831 - (99+ Miatas)
ES 0.817 - (90-97 Miatas)
FS 0.821 - (Mustangs, etc)

The numbers are VERY close. In theory, the best Mustang with the best driver would finish 0.24 seconds ( (.821-.817)x60 ) ahead of the best Miata with the best driver. That's pretty darn close as far as classing goes. And, of course, it's very course dependent. Tight course, Miata wins. Open course, Mustang wins... but even if we pull FS out, the DS BMW's are going to smoke you on an open course.

Okay, that's my argument.

As for the attendance numbers, it looks like we see enough variance from one event to another that either method would work. I prefer the second split just because the PAX indexes for the groups are much closer. The fastest cars are lumped in the top group. BS/CS have a PAX that is almost identical, they should be together. DS/ES/FS are all pretty close.

Hey, any reason why we're running GS in the bottom class instead of DS? GS actually has a faster PAX than DS. If we're sorting our groups by PAX... let's sort our groups by PAX!

[Anonymous]

Hey, any reason why we're running GS in the bottom class instead of DS? GS actually has a faster PAX than DS. If we're sorting our groups by PAX... let's sort our groups by PAX!

I think the Cooper S skews the pax numbers for GS. Most GS cars are slower than most DS cars. I think.

[Loren]

Hey, any reason why we're running GS in the bottom class instead of DS? GS actually has a faster PAX than DS. If we're sorting our groups by PAX... let's sort our groups by PAX!

I think the Cooper S skews the pax numbers for GS. Most GS cars are slower than most DS cars. I think.

There is an active MINI club locally, and we've seen our share of Cooper S's show up. Do we want to hand them our slowest class?

[Anonymous]

I didn't think we had a choice.
OK, how about this then...

SS 0.852
AS 0.842

BS 0.832
CS 0.831
FS 0.821

DS 0.812
ES 0.817
GS 0.815

HS 0.792

[Loren]

Do we get enough HS cars to fill a class by itself?

[Anonymous]

on the 2 examples I already did, we had 3 and 4 HS cars.

[Loren]

While agree that the PAX splits there are ideal, I don't think we want an underpopulated class if we can avoid it. 3-4 cars is pretty slim.

But... with gas prices being what they are, will we see more cars like the Yaris, Aveo, etc? Maybe we should run it that way and leave a good place for cars like that to encourage them to come out?

[Dave-ROR]

Hey, any reason why we're running GS in the bottom class instead of DS? GS actually has a faster PAX than DS. If we're sorting our groups by PAX... let's sort our groups by PAX!

I think the Cooper S skews the pax numbers for GS. Most GS cars are slower than most DS cars. I think.

Yeah and once SCCA moves the Cooper S our classing will be off.

Generally, in my experience anyways, DS cars tend to be faster than GS.

I'm fine with moving BS with CS and FS.

[Loren]

Okay.

Looks like 3/4 of us are in agreement to go with:
SS, AS
BS, CS, FS
DS, ES
GS, HS

Bob's dissent is based on putting FS Mustangs in the same class as Miatas, but I don't think that's a big deal... and maybe I've talked him out of it. What say you, Bob?

And we're going to call them... F, G, H and J?

[miazda man]

i'm good with that lets call this thing done