NASA Spec Focus Series - Focaljet

**Ted7rns** · 01-17-2006, 12:50 PM

It’s official. The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Spec Focus Series is here. After 18 months of work, testing, and going back-an-forth on the rules, they are finally finished and ready for release. I had submitted my drafted version of the rules to NASA on December 20th following our last test at Phoenix International Raceway and then NASA made their changes and now we have the finished product. We had 18 different versions of the rules before we came up with the final version that was okay by NASA, Ford Racing, Leo and myself. The Spec Focus rule only are specifically for the SF, All NASA series must follow the Club Codes and Regulations (CCR) as well.

I will be the National Director of the Series, and will over see all regions and work with the regions in the West. Leo Capaldi will be the Eastern Director and will work with regions in the East. If you have any question on the rules, go ahead ask Leo or myself. If you plan on building a car; all car numbers must be reserved through me. Right now only #32, #68 and #72 have been taken. My job (even though it’s on going) with the rules are done, for now. I must move into the Marketing and PR part of being the director….and of course running the series as a whole.

I personally want to thank everyone who has help to get the series started. There were a lot of people that helped out. But, it goes without saying that people like, Leo Capaldi, Ricardo Vega, Andrew Gillis, Charles Fabros, Andy Slankard, John Lindsey, Ryan Flaherty, Thomas Okihisa, Gary Kole, The people from Ford Racing Performance Products, Gillis Motorsports, LC Racing, Toyo Tire, Multimatic and F2 Motorsports this series would not have gotten off the ground. I also want to thank everyone in Focaljet, and Focaljet personally for their help in the series. I have listen, read and wrote down every idea no matter how crazy it might have been, but in the most part they were all great ideas. Sometimes the ideas just didn’t fit into the overall picture of the series; even some of my ideas were rejected by NASA.

At this point we’ll have to see how many cars will be made in the next few months. I do know I’ll have my car out at the Willow Springs Event on February 11th and 12th for a Non-Points race, and I’m sure Leo will have his car ready in the Mid-West Region. Also, there will be an Article in the next issue of Focus Fanatic about the Spec Focus Series and the event that took place at PIR. I’m also working on other magazines, newspapers and TV programs as well. Last November the Spec Focus was feature at the Motor Press Guide http://www.motorpressguild.org at Willow Springs, and many writers from Motor Trend, Road & Track, Car and Driver, Motorsport, and other got to drive our test car around at the Street of Willow and were very impressed how easy the race car was to drive, and love the idea of a Spec Focus Series. NASA was very pleased to hear that, which will make the Focus a great intro level racing series.

In the near future the Series Sponsors will be announced once we get each package signed and ready for release. The Series will also be released on the NASA website www.nasaproracing.com sometime today. Some of the sponsors we have lined up are Ford Racing Performance Products, F2 Focus, Toyo Tires and others.

If you have any questions about the rules, please feel free to email me at tseverns@drivenasa.com.

Spec Focus Rules (1/16/05) http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/Spec-Focus.pdf

**BUR_ZX3** · 01-17-2006, 01:52 PM

Ted-

It goes without saying... thanks for the hard work you've put in, and thanks to all that helped. I'm looking forward to readying myself for competition in '07.

Honest question: At what point are the rules up for reconsideration?

While I know everyone will be at the same "disadvantage" it hardly seems to be one to work with.

Case in point: On A032Rs, Coilovers (I think) and with a stock catalytic converter in place (IIRC), OmniFocus beat Andrew Gillis' lap time @ Buttonwillow this weekend. On a cold windy and rainy day.

Its a great start... no doubt... but in light of this, I think perhaps it might be worth takign a look at for next year.

**02_smurf** · 01-17-2006, 02:00 PM

Lorin runs Konis and H&R race springs, not coilovers. And yes, a stock cat.

**s2d2** · 01-17-2006, 02:15 PM

Todd, without SF having run a single race, i think calls for a rules update is a bit premature. we have yet to see how the class runs against the other cars in it's run group. Lorin is also a freakishly good driver. give it some time

**Ted7rns** · 01-17-2006, 02:18 PM

Some rules (but very few) can be changed through out the season. The rules for the 2007 will be reviewed in November and December of 2006. Bare in mind that absolute speed is not what the Spec Focus Series. It’s a Low Budget Entry Level Spec Series that fall in NASAs Small-Bore classes. There could also be a more extreme Focus Series as well (hint).

That was a good time for OmniFocus at Buttonwillow. But, the Spec Focus will have a quicker time then what Andrew did last year. That was our test car, and it had OEM heads, Cams, Brakes and etc. With the FRPP heads, Stage3 Cams, 70MM TB, and SVT Brakes; I would expect a SF to run a 2:10.00 at Buttonwillow or less under the new setup. Which Falls within the Small-Bore Cars.

**BUR_ZX3** · 01-17-2006, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by s2d2

Todd, without SF having run a single race, i think calls for a rules update is a bit premature. we have yet to see how the class runs against the other cars in it's run group. Lorin is also a freakishly good driver. give it some time

I normally wouldn't be so preliminary... But Lorin is not a USTCC driver like Andrew... so I'd just be guessing Lorins skills are not quite on par with his. (No offense Lorin

)

Of all the rules... this one stands out and just screams that it doesn't make sense. Its basically like riding on street suspension.

Now I'm not intimate with other spec series, but I thought spec miata at least upgraded to some stiff eibach springs and bilsteins, no?

**Ted7rns** · 01-17-2006, 02:34 PM

The Suspension that the SF has is a similar setup to what the Spec Neons use.

I understand the concerns about the Dynamic Suspension. But, we have had three different drivers race this car in a NASA Sprint and Enduro Race. All of them have said the suspension works well in race conditions.

**BUR_ZX3** · 01-17-2006, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted7rns

That was our test car, and it had OEM heads, Cams, Brakes and etc. With the FRPP heads, Stage3 Cams, 70MM TB, and SVT Brakes; I would expect a SF to run a 2:10.00 at Buttonwillow or less under the new setup. Which Falls within the Small-Bore Cars.

Remains to be seen... but my concern is how close to stock Lorin's car was. I mean, no weight reduction, no nothing. And I stand corrected.. he was on H&R Springs with Konis that he's had for 80K miles.... Scott Laird's car (though I don't have all the laptimes) I don't think came close and IIRC he's pretty much there in terms of being a Spec car... isn't he? (he was on 17" SVT wheels, RA-1s, Dynamic Suspension and I think a few more mods than are allowed in Spec on his SVT even and he couldn't break 2:15.....)

**Penguini66** · 01-17-2006, 03:45 PM

Omni's Zetec is and has always been a freak of nature. And so is Omni.

**Knestis** · 01-17-2006, 03:58 PM

Congrats on the new baby. I asked elsewhere (wrong place, I'm sure) about how/if this integrates with the rumors of a SF rally class. The primary reason it would be interesting to me is becuase it would provide crossover opportunities between circuit racing and rallying. Is there an effort to coordinate with NASA Rally?

**Ted7rns** · 01-17-2006, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BUR_ZX3

Remains to be seen... but my concern is how close to stock Lorin's car was. I mean, no weight reduction, no nothing. And I stand corrected.. he was on H&R Springs with Konis that he's had for 80K miles.... Scott Laird's car (though I don't have all the laptimes) I don't think came close and IIRC he's pretty much there in terms of being a Spec car... isn't he? (he was on 17" SVT wheels, RA-1s, Dynamic Suspension and I think a few more mods than are allowed in Spec on his SVT even and he couldn't break 2:15.....)

I think we're comparing apples to oranges as far as one car setup to another. All that matter is the car is safe, raceable and equal.. And we feel it is. If you're looking for absoulute speed...then the Spec Focus Racing Series might not be for you.

**02_smurf** · 01-17-2006, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ted7rns

I think we're comparing apples to oranges as far as one car setup to another. All that matter is the car is safe, raceable and equal.. And we feel it is. If you're looking for absoulute speed...then the Spec Focus Racing Series might not be for you.

Not absolute speed when you look at a full interior near daily driven 105k mile zetec with next to nothing done to it running as fast as the spec focus cars. I understand making the cars equal, and I know Lorin is on a different level than most when it comes to driving, but all your test are being done by Andrew, not exactly your average driver either.
You can throw all these new parts on there and say you'll run faster, but what are the average SF driving going to be running? I guess I just don't see why near stock focus should be running faster/as fast as the spec focus cars.

Sounds like something in the equation needs to be looked at.

**s2d2** · 01-17-2006, 04:20 PM

let it run. see how it does. maybe nothing needs to be changed. strange things happen. case in point: i got FTD once

**OmniFocus** · 01-17-2006, 04:34 PM

Excellent work getting this series up and running.

What excites me the most is the prospect of piles of Foci running door to door, occasionally swapping paint.... all for a reasonable budget.

I certainly plan to spectate an event or two.

**scottishsvt** · 01-17-2006, 04:45 PM

I ran high 2.15s and reading the rules package I might have to change a couple of things but I am pretty close to the spec. I just feel that series is not set up for an SVT I am pretty well gutted maybe another 100 lbs off the car but that still makes me around 300 to 400lbs heavier than the F2 car. I am far from anywhere near Andrew Gillis as a driver but I don"t think that Andrew alone is 5 to 6 seconds a lap faster than me so it is all about the car. Again SVT owners are not getting a fair shake as car owners, I would love to bring my car out and run some events , but I dont want to be a speed bump (of course you always need a back marker to go around Ha-Ha) Ted I think you have great job in getting the series up and running and you should give yourself a big pat on the back for the work you have done. I was wondering if you have any SVT test data it would be fun to see how my car stacks up. Maybe I will come out and get a drive in one of the spec car to see the diffrence. Again keep the series going we need it as focus driver for it to be a hit .
Scott
Team Haggis racing.

**slidemaster** · 01-17-2006, 04:52 PM

It looked like 200 lbs was about 2 seconds last weekend, based on hauling around passengers. Scott the heat cycle of the tires with additional weight would be another deal. A fast lap and a fast race are two different things

**Ted7rns** · 01-17-2006, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scottishsvt

I ran high 2.15s and reading the rules package I might have to change a couple of things but I am pretty close to the spec. I just feel that series is not set up for an SVT I am pretty well gutted maybe another 100 lbs off the car but that still makes me around 300 to 400lbs heavier than the F2 car. I am far from anywhere near Andrew Gillis as a driver but I don"t think that Andrew alone is 5 to 6 seconds a lap faster than me so it is all about the car. Again SVT owners are not getting a fair shake as car owners, I would love to bring my car out and run some events , but I dont want to be a speed bump (of course you always need a back marker to go around Ha-Ha) Ted I think you have great job in getting the series up and running and you should give yourself a big pat on the back for the work you have done. I was wondering if you have any SVT test data it would be fun to see how my car stacks up. Maybe I will come out and get a drive in one of the spec car to see the diffrence. Again keep the series going we need it as focus driver for it to be a hit .
Scott
Team Haggis racing.

Since the Motors are the only difference between the models; We had FRPP do an engine dyno test on all the motors. Even though the SVT has slightly more HP then a Spec Zetec or Spec Duratec... We've thought it was best to keep the weights for all models the same. So, based on HP-to-Weight ratio, the SVT is slightly better.

Edit-------------
Remember Scott... all the cars must weigh 2600lbs with driver min. This is about 150lbs heavier then the Test Car. But we were also 30-35 hp less. Don't worry about the 2:15 time. I'm sure you would pick that up during a race. Normally our racers run a second to a second and half faster in their races, then they do in Time Trial. So, if you ran a 2:13 in a race, then you'll could have been mixing it up with others.

**Ted7rns** · 01-17-2006, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 02_smurf

Not absolute speed when you look at a full interior near daily driven 105k mile zetec with next to nothing done to it running as fast as the spec focus cars. I understand making the cars equal, and I know Lorin is on a different level than most when it comes to driving, but all your test are being done by Andrew, not exactly your average driver either.
You can throw all these new parts on there and say you'll run faster, but what are the average SF driving going to be running? I guess I just don't see why near stock focus should be running faster/as fast as the spec focus cars.

Sounds like something in the equation needs to be looked at.

Nothing needs to be looked at. The rules and series were approved by NASA, FRPP, Leo, Toyo, and myself. We all feels it's where it needs to be. Also, it will be faster then the time of the nearly stock car. Remember, We had a test motor that had 60K miles on it with a stock head, stock cams, stock brakes and TB. Even still Andrew was able to run a 2:13 at Buttonwillow in race conditions, we even had myself, and others run a 2:15 in a car with less HP then a Spec Car.

Now, Not all our test were done with Andrew. We had something like 20-30 different drivers drive the Test Car. Plus, I believe that FRPP had like 15-20 people drive their car. NASA had several Race drivers run the car, and they all said the same, The suspension is raceable.

We also had a driver name Tom Wilson race the spec car at PIR, and he did very well in that race. He was able to stay ahead of some Minis, 944s, and SM, and this was the first time he's ever been in the car.

I think you're also getting hung up on just raw numbers. The test we did at Buttonwillow was a suspension test, not a speed test. I would expect "True" Spec Race cars to run 2 to 3 secounds faster then what we test, once these cars get developed.

The car is fast enough to be in NASAs small-bore, if it wasn't NASA wouldn't allow it.

**focaljet-1** · 01-17-2006, 05:35 PM

The series rules can ALWAYS expand, but reigning them in would prove a bit more difficult. I urge everyone that wants to build a car, build one and run a few events. If you are on the fence then fine, take a wait and see attitude. I'm sure if things don't shake out as envisioned then NASA will tweak the rules.

There has been a lot of development work done on the lead up to this announcement. There is no reason to price the cars out of reach of the average would be racer before the series even runs it's first full event.

**Ted7rns** · 01-17-2006, 08:25 PM

Also, the Spec Focus can run under different NASA classes if you want.

Other NASA Classes for Spec Focus
1. Spec Focus (SF)
2. Performance Touring (a new series) (PTE or PTD)
3. Enduro Class (E2)
4. Time Trial (TTE)

So, on a race weekend, you can run in Spec Focus, or if there’s no other SF car, you can elect to run in Pro Sedan (PS?) against other cars in your class. You can also run in NASA time trial series as well; the Spec Focus is classed as a TTE car in Time Trial. If you want to do some Enduro races, you can run the Spec Focus in E2 class. You can run in any of these events in each region or in the National Championship. So, there’s different options you can run in NASA with your Spec Focus.

**Knestis** · 01-17-2006, 08:59 PM

I'm new to the world of Foci but have been in this racing gig for a long time - long enough to know that it would be useful to declare a 3-year rule change moratorium right out of the box. Make it policy that the rules, even if some folks think there are problems, will stay the way they are for a while. Nothing helps a new class like consistency.

To suggest changes at this point, based on no data - or worse, on anecdotal information about individual drivers in individual cars - is asking for giant headaches. If you want a case study in what to avoid, take a look at what is going on in Honda Challenge right now. The series is only a few years old and the rules are already getting out of hand, to the degree that reliable entrants are bailing out.

I didn't get an answer to the rally question, so I should presume that nobody on the circuit racing side of SF know anything about it? It's not a problem if that's the case and, in fact, I would have been really surprised (impressed) if there had been conversations across discipline lines.

Kirk

**SRF** · 01-17-2006, 10:13 PM

This rule really catches your attention.

11.19 Engine Claim
NASA Administration may claim any engine for 70% of the current retail price of a Ford SVT-Zetec DOHC 2.0L (M-6007-ZX3) Ford Duratec DOHC 2.0L PZEV (M-6007-SV20), Ford Duratec DOHC 2.3L PZEV (M-6007-PZEV), Ford Duratec DOHC 2.3L (M-6007-D23) or equivalent crate engine . The intent of this rule is to allow the administration to
eliminate motors that are expensively rebuilt. All legal parts from a claimed motor will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. All proceeds above the purchase price from an auctioned motor shall go to a charity, or to the driver’s championship points fund as determined by the Race Director. If any illegal parts are found in a claimed engine, the entire engine assembly will become the property of NASA, and will not be sold, nor returned.

**BadIdea** · 01-17-2006, 10:40 PM

So if a new motor is a few thousand, and I can get a used svt motor for $500, I can actually make money?

01-17-2006, 12:50 PM	#1
Ted7rns Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Thousand Oaks, California Posts: 4,229	NASA Spec Focus Series It’s official. The National Auto Sport Association (NASA) Spec Focus Series is here. After 18 months of work, testing, and going back-an-forth on the rules, they are finally finished and ready for release. I had submitted my drafted version of the rules to NASA on December 20th following our last test at Phoenix International Raceway and then NASA made their changes and now we have the finished product. We had 18 different versions of the rules before we came up with the final version that was okay by NASA, Ford Racing, Leo and myself. The Spec Focus rule only are specifically for the SF, All NASA series must follow the Club Codes and Regulations (CCR) as well. I will be the National Director of the Series, and will over see all regions and work with the regions in the West. Leo Capaldi will be the Eastern Director and will work with regions in the East. If you have any question on the rules, go ahead ask Leo or myself. If you plan on building a car; all car numbers must be reserved through me. Right now only #32, #68 and #72 have been taken. My job (even though it’s on going) with the rules are done, for now. I must move into the Marketing and PR part of being the director….and of course running the series as a whole. I personally want to thank everyone who has help to get the series started. There were a lot of people that helped out. But, it goes without saying that people like, Leo Capaldi, Ricardo Vega, Andrew Gillis, Charles Fabros, Andy Slankard, John Lindsey, Ryan Flaherty, Thomas Okihisa, Gary Kole, The people from Ford Racing Performance Products, Gillis Motorsports, LC Racing, Toyo Tire, Multimatic and F2 Motorsports this series would not have gotten off the ground. I also want to thank everyone in Focaljet, and Focaljet personally for their help in the series. I have listen, read and wrote down every idea no matter how crazy it might have been, but in the most part they were all great ideas. Sometimes the ideas just didn’t fit into the overall picture of the series; even some of my ideas were rejected by NASA. At this point we’ll have to see how many cars will be made in the next few months. I do know I’ll have my car out at the Willow Springs Event on February 11th and 12th for a Non-Points race, and I’m sure Leo will have his car ready in the Mid-West Region. Also, there will be an Article in the next issue of Focus Fanatic about the Spec Focus Series and the event that took place at PIR. I’m also working on other magazines, newspapers and TV programs as well. Last November the Spec Focus was feature at the Motor Press Guide http://www.motorpressguild.org at Willow Springs, and many writers from Motor Trend, Road & Track, Car and Driver, Motorsport, and other got to drive our test car around at the Street of Willow and were very impressed how easy the race car was to drive, and love the idea of a Spec Focus Series. NASA was very pleased to hear that, which will make the Focus a great intro level racing series. In the near future the Series Sponsors will be announced once we get each package signed and ready for release. The Series will also be released on the NASA website www.nasaproracing.com sometime today. Some of the sponsors we have lined up are Ford Racing Performance Products, F2 Focus, Toyo Tires and others. If you have any questions about the rules, please feel free to email me at tseverns@drivenasa.com. Spec Focus Rules (1/16/05) http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/Spec-Focus.pdf __________________ NASA Spec Focus Series Director \| NASA HPDE Instructor 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 Malibu Blue <23> Last edited by Ted7rns : 01-27-2006 at 01:59 PM.

01-17-2006, 01:52 PM	#2
BUR_ZX3 [FJ] Addict Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Little Saint Clara, Isle of Queen Califia Posts: 35,744	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series Ted- It goes without saying... thanks for the hard work you've put in, and thanks to all that helped. I'm looking forward to readying myself for competition in '07. Honest question: At what point are the rules up for reconsideration? While I know everyone will be at the same "disadvantage" it hardly seems to be one to work with. Case in point: On A032Rs, Coilovers (I think) and with a stock catalytic converter in place (IIRC), OmniFocus beat Andrew Gillis' lap time @ Buttonwillow this weekend. On a cold windy and rainy day. Its a great start... no doubt... but in light of this, I think perhaps it might be worth takign a look at for next year. __________________ Video from the final round of the Focus Challenge... Click Here

01-17-2006, 02:15 PM	#4
s2d2 Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Chicago Posts: 3,343	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series Todd, without SF having run a single race, i think calls for a rules update is a bit premature. we have yet to see how the class runs against the other cars in it's run group. Lorin is also a freakishly good driver. give it some time __________________ red-colored S2 version with some FSP legal stuff

01-17-2006, 02:18 PM	#5
Ted7rns Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Thousand Oaks, California Posts: 4,229	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series Some rules (but very few) can be changed through out the season. The rules for the 2007 will be reviewed in November and December of 2006. Bare in mind that absolute speed is not what the Spec Focus Series. It’s a Low Budget Entry Level Spec Series that fall in NASAs Small-Bore classes. There could also be a more extreme Focus Series as well (hint). That was a good time for OmniFocus at Buttonwillow. But, the Spec Focus will have a quicker time then what Andrew did last year. That was our test car, and it had OEM heads, Cams, Brakes and etc. With the FRPP heads, Stage3 Cams, 70MM TB, and SVT Brakes; I would expect a SF to run a 2:10.00 at Buttonwillow or less under the new setup. Which Falls within the Small-Bore Cars. __________________ NASA Spec Focus Series Director \| NASA HPDE Instructor 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 Malibu Blue <23>

01-17-2006, 03:45 PM	#9
Penguini66 [FJ] Specialist Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Home Posts: 7,987	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series Omni's Zetec is and has always been a freak of nature. And so is Omni. __________________ Deer are like very large brown cones at an auto-x. Except they leave a mark when hit.

01-17-2006, 02:00 PM	#3
02_smurf Moderator Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: With the wemenz: Em or mom Posts: 12,524	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series Lorin runs Konis and H&R race springs, not coilovers. And yes, a stock cat. __________________ "I couldn't even get on it, I stabbed myself in the vagina!" -Name withheld to protect the drunkeded

01-17-2006, 02:34 PM	#7
Ted7rns Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Thousand Oaks, California Posts: 4,229	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series The Suspension that the SF has is a similar setup to what the Spec Neons use. I understand the concerns about the Dynamic Suspension. But, we have had three different drivers race this car in a NASA Sprint and Enduro Race. All of them have said the suspension works well in race conditions. __________________ NASA Spec Focus Series Director \| NASA HPDE Instructor 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 Malibu Blue <23>

01-17-2006, 03:58 PM	#10
Knestis Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 53	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series Congrats on the new baby. I asked elsewhere (wrong place, I'm sure) about how/if this integrates with the rumors of a SF rally class. The primary reason it would be interesting to me is becuase it would provide crossover opportunities between circuit racing and rallying. Is there an effort to coordinate with NASA Rally? __________________ PhilsTireService.com Team GTI - ITB class winner - 2004 VIR 13 Hours, 2005 Summit Point 12 Hours - with KONI struts, OE and racing VW parts from Bildon Motorsport, and TOYO and HOOSIER tires from PhilsTireService.com

01-17-2006, 04:20 PM	#13
s2d2 Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Chicago Posts: 3,343	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series let it run. see how it does. maybe nothing needs to be changed. strange things happen. case in point: i got FTD once __________________ red-colored S2 version with some FSP legal stuff

01-17-2006, 04:34 PM	#14
OmniFocus Moderator Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Mowin' down the cones. (CA) Posts: 26,271	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series Excellent work getting this series up and running. What excites me the most is the prospect of piles of Foci running door to door, occasionally swapping paint.... all for a reasonable budget. I certainly plan to spectate an event or two. __________________ Check out the shiny new PirateNinjasWithLasers.com for the latest updates in 24 Hours of LeMons goodness. Vacuum Vulture Racing: We put the "rad" in scrub radius, and the "ack" in ackerman.

01-17-2006, 04:45 PM	#15
scottishsvt TEAM Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Back in the great bay area Posts: 259	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series I ran high 2.15s and reading the rules package I might have to change a couple of things but I am pretty close to the spec. I just feel that series is not set up for an SVT I am pretty well gutted maybe another 100 lbs off the car but that still makes me around 300 to 400lbs heavier than the F2 car. I am far from anywhere near Andrew Gillis as a driver but I don"t think that Andrew alone is 5 to 6 seconds a lap faster than me so it is all about the car. Again SVT owners are not getting a fair shake as car owners, I would love to bring my car out and run some events , but I dont want to be a speed bump (of course you always need a back marker to go around Ha-Ha) Ted I think you have great job in getting the series up and running and you should give yourself a big pat on the back for the work you have done. I was wondering if you have any SVT test data it would be fun to see how my car stacks up. Maybe I will come out and get a drive in one of the spec car to see the diffrence. Again keep the series going we need it as focus driver for it to be a hit . Scott Team Haggis racing.

01-17-2006, 04:52 PM	#16
slidemaster Professor PowerSlide Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: steering backward through the mirror Posts: 7,903	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series It looked like 200 lbs was about 2 seconds last weekend, based on hauling around passengers. Scott the heat cycle of the tires with additional weight would be another deal. A fast lap and a fast race are two different things __________________ Watch for "Road Trip" coming soon- check with your cable provider

01-17-2006, 08:25 PM	#20
Ted7rns Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Thousand Oaks, California Posts: 4,229	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series Also, the Spec Focus can run under different NASA classes if you want. Other NASA Classes for Spec Focus 1. Spec Focus (SF) 2. Performance Touring (a new series) (PTE or PTD) 3. Enduro Class (E2) 4. Time Trial (TTE) So, on a race weekend, you can run in Spec Focus, or if there’s no other SF car, you can elect to run in Pro Sedan (PS?) against other cars in your class. You can also run in NASA time trial series as well; the Spec Focus is classed as a TTE car in Time Trial. If you want to do some Enduro races, you can run the Spec Focus in E2 class. You can run in any of these events in each region or in the National Championship. So, there’s different options you can run in NASA with your Spec Focus. __________________ NASA Spec Focus Series Director \| NASA HPDE Instructor 2002 Ford Focus ZX3 Malibu Blue <23> Last edited by Ted7rns : 03-02-2006 at 09:56 PM.

01-17-2006, 08:59 PM	#21
Knestis Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 53	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series I'm new to the world of Foci but have been in this racing gig for a long time - long enough to know that it would be useful to declare a 3-year rule change moratorium right out of the box. Make it policy that the rules, even if some folks think there are problems, will stay the way they are for a while. Nothing helps a new class like consistency. To suggest changes at this point, based on no data - or worse, on anecdotal information about individual drivers in individual cars - is asking for giant headaches. If you want a case study in what to avoid, take a look at what is going on in Honda Challenge right now. The series is only a few years old and the rules are already getting out of hand, to the degree that reliable entrants are bailing out. I didn't get an answer to the rally question, so I should presume that nobody on the circuit racing side of SF know anything about it? It's not a problem if that's the case and, in fact, I would have been really surprised (impressed) if there had been conversations across discipline lines. Kirk __________________ PhilsTireService.com Team GTI - ITB class winner - 2004 VIR 13 Hours, 2005 Summit Point 12 Hours - with KONI struts, OE and racing VW parts from Bildon Motorsport, and TOYO and HOOSIER tires from PhilsTireService.com

01-17-2006, 10:13 PM	#22
SRF Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: NJ Posts: 1,657	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series This rule really catches your attention. 11.19 Engine Claim NASA Administration may claim any engine for 70% of the current retail price of a Ford SVT-Zetec DOHC 2.0L (M-6007-ZX3) Ford Duratec DOHC 2.0L PZEV (M-6007-SV20), Ford Duratec DOHC 2.3L PZEV (M-6007-PZEV), Ford Duratec DOHC 2.3L (M-6007-D23) or equivalent crate engine . The intent of this rule is to allow the administration to eliminate motors that are expensively rebuilt. All legal parts from a claimed motor will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. All proceeds above the purchase price from an auctioned motor shall go to a charity, or to the driver’s championship points fund as determined by the Race Director. If any illegal parts are found in a claimed engine, the entire engine assembly will become the property of NASA, and will not be sold, nor returned.

01-17-2006, 10:40 PM	#23
BadIdea Senior TEAM Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Cleveland Posts: 2,277	Re: NASA Spec Focus Series So if a new motor is a few thousand, and I can get a used svt motor for $500, I can actually make money? __________________ '02 silver svt '08 tundra crewmax