Request for No Reduction in Prototype 2 Performance
#27815 from Chuck Bona · No action required · Minutes (2020-01 Fastrack)
Thank you for your letter. The P1 and P2 classes were intended to occupy different spheres of
competition, with P1 conceived as the premier class promoting advanced technology and innovation,
and P2 envisioned as a lower-cost alternative through restrictions on chassis materials, engine power,
and vehicle aerodynamics. One of the purposes of the differing class philosophies was to maintain a
performance gap sufficient to justify having two classes. The Club Racing Board uses an SCCA-developed
Power Factor formula (PF = Weight/Peak HP + Peak Torque/2) to set the weight and power parameters
for classes such as P1 and P2, and periodically collects on-track data to confirm that cars in the same
class have similar rates of longitudinal acceleration from approximately 60 to 100 mph, before a
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significant impact from aerodynamic drag comes into play.
The Power Factor numbers developed for P1 and P2 initially provided a sufficient performance gap
between the classes, but over time this gap eroded, and in late 2018 the Club Racing Board announced
adjustments to several P2 platforms to restore a proper gap between the classes. This was the first
significant adjustment since the P2 class was inaugurated in 2014. Before announcing and implementing
these adjustments, the FSRAC and the CRB arranged for the motorcycle engine builder who developed
the P2 restrictor for the SCCA to test the new smaller restrictors and build ECU maps for the proposed
changes. A comparison of the P1 and P2 lap times at the 2019 Runoffs shows that the adjustments have
had their intended effect, and there is currently no plan to make a further across-the-board
performance envelope change to the P2 class.
An individual adjustment to the stock 1.0 liter platform is not warranted at this time. There have been
no creditable stock 1.0 liter efforts in several years, and the available dyno data fully supports the
current restrictor size and minimum weight for this platform. If a competitor fields a representative
stock 1.0 liter effort during the 2020 season, the Club Racing Board will collect on-track data to assess
the car's rate of longitudinal acceleration relative to other P2 cars and, if warranted, make appropriate
adjustments to the platform. Likewise, an adjustment to alter the balance of performance between cars
with automotive-based engines and those with motorcycle-based engines is not supported by the data
collected during the 2019 Runoffs, where the leading examples of each type of car were closely grouped
both on track and in terms of their rates of longitudinal acceleration below 100 mph. The Club Racing
Board will continue to monitor class performance and will make individual changes based on credible
performance data.