Re: DSP Info, Shawn Meze

["I.Mannix" <mannix@secretignition.com>]

>Shawn-
>Have they givin you flack about your euro bumpers? I was gonna put a set 
>of rabbit eurobumpers on the Jetta, but I know its not legal. What I 
>would gain in lightness, I lose in inexperience, anyway!


Chris - I would not put a set on intentionally, because if you DO get fast
and beat people when it matters, you WILL catch hell about it.  I went to
great lengths to put my battery in the back(probably a little more
beneficial than a front e-bumper), and I'd not like getting beaten by a car
with eurobumpers.  

If that's what you have when you start, fine!  I would not suggest putting
them on _knowing_ they're illegal, knowing that people see them as a fairly
significant benefit.  It is not just the weight of the bumper that matters,
it is where the weight reduction lies - taking 20# off the front end, WAY
up front, is _really_ beneficial to front end grip.

Someone beat me at a Tour or Pro or Nationals with eurobumpers?  Not for
long.  Local event, eh, who cares.  Shawn showed up with his at a local
event recently, I don't think anyone said a thing about them.  At some
point, they do matter, and the "I have no experience/it makes up for the
e-bumpers" or "my stereobox makes up for my cam" or "I take my backseat out
because I have a rollbar, and it offsets the weight," well those arguments
don't last long:).  IMHO, if people try - anyone tries to become an
autocrosser, they can be good.  When people say to me "I don't have XYZ,
therefore my (illegal part) should be OK," I think to myself "I don't have
aftermarket fuel injection or a limited slip, therefore I should be able to
take out my interior."  Never said it, but what's the difference?  The
people my hypothetical guy are trying to beat have some mechanical
advantage that he does not - wide wheels, camber plates, whatever.
Locally, I hear this a bit, whether it is people who can't seem to beat the
fastest DSP guys. a certain guy in CSP who thinks he should be allowed
turbo boost adjustments(I wish I could rewrite the Solo2 rulebook, sorry:),
or some of the not-so-speedy CP guys.  When they're justifying to me their
illegal parts, I always get a chuckle thinking about what would happen if I
were to say to them "geez, I don't have (all the things I need to do to my
car), I can't beat Hoelscher.  It should'nt matter if I put a 2 liter in my
car!"  Heh. 

So, I would not recommend the eurobumpers.  I also would not recommend the
"because I've not taken advantage of all the rules, I should be able to
cheat here" argument - it does not fly:).  Nothing personal, it is early,
no coffee, but I had to reply to this!  If you _are_ illegal somewhere, and
someone asks you about it, don't lie, don't make up excuses, just say,
"yeah, I gotta change that......."  Most will be ok with this, unless
you're beating them!  Good luck!


I.Mannix
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