breton wrote:I actually would have recommended reversing the options, putting the Regional guys onto the longer lasting tires, and the National guys having both options for a year, (more in line with the typical budget constraints of Regional drivers.) The regional drivers could sell "up" to National drivers, and the National drivers could have a year of multiple choices (at which point I assume everyone would really be ready for the "Intermediates" as the only option.)
Bob: Not practical. At Portland in a 30 minute race the old rain tires would come close to lapping the new rain tires. The new rains are about 7-8sec a lap slower (~1.9 mile course) in the wet stuff than the old rains at PIR. It would take a *lot* of weight penalty to equalize that. So making them mandatory for Nationals and optional for Regionals at least gives a period of time to burn up the old rains and does not impact (except for having to buy a new set of rains) National races.
Personally I liked the super soft old rains, but there were enough folks caught out on drying tracks to push for the change and Enterprises made it. Some of us may very well get stuck with unused or little used old rains, that's the price in a spec class.
Someone could always run the old rains anyway, lap the front running national drivers for moral(?) satisfaction to say you did it then take the DQ