Skippy Prototype Car ('05-'07): New Skippy Car Components Survey #1 of 8: WINGS

[Gerardo]

This post will close this thread.

Thank you all for your comments, suggestions, and ideas. Here's a summary of what you have written, in no particular order of importance.

1. Most wrote that school cars do not need wings. Whether wings should be present for Advance Activities and REGIONAL race series events was mixed. Most agreed National series races should have wings of some form and adjustability.

2. Many wrote that wings look cool, and that a cool looking race car is important for marketing the product to new drivers, and for providing satisfaction for everyone who gets in the car. The question in my mind is, can we make the car look modern / cool / sexy without wings? The street car Ferrari 430 looks pretty sexy without a big rice-rocket wing on the back, doesn't it? There has to be a way to make our race car look cool without a wing if we collectively think no wing is a good thing.

3. Logistics of adjusting wings during REGIONAL race weekends makes that idea unfeasible. NATIONAL cars don't have such a logistical problem and could make it happen.

4. Some commented about the school car feeling light on its feet. I know the feeling you are talking about, and the new car can be set up mechanically to feel secure with or without wings.

5. JP made excellent comments about improving the quality of the race car with softer tires for the NATIONAL series. Perhaps a tire similar to the old Barber Dodge Pro Series tire? It was a medium compound that could last a race weekend for a single driver, so not suitable for REGIONAL, but fine for NATIONAL where everyone has their own car. Perhaps this topic will appear in a future survey.

6. JP made more excellent key comments about how Masters National drivers would drive the car no matter what car it is if the car was FUN to drive, and in a FUN environment. I would imagine this applies to REGIONAL drivers as well.

7. Doug Harrison reminded us how the R/T 2000 looks with his ant-eater Photoshop work.

8. Here's an interesting quote from Spencer. "Once every car in the field has them (wings), they become pointless."

9. Many believe lots of downforce makes following the car ahead closely near impossible in faster corners (see Formula 1). There were several comments about high downforce hurting the quality of the racing. Although there were several arguments in favor of drag, to increase drafting.

10. Carl made many great comments, but I'd like to point out his comments about painting the cars to resemble famous historic and current race cars. I'll never forget seeing people waiting in line at the Richard Petty Driving Experience to drive the Dale Earnhardt or Jeff Gordon car, as generic school labeled cars sat on pit lane, even though the cars were identical mechanically, and all the cars built as school cars at Petty's headquarters.

11. Carl had an interesting idea about wings that were purely cosmetic and made of extremely cheap materials, to satisfy the "marketing / looks" needs (assuming the car needs that to look cool / modern / sexy).

12. We love to make fun of Oldman for always bringing up cost, but he struck a chord with me when he wrote, "They don't, however, add $2000 worth of enjoyment to my race weekend." I know not everyone will agree with this comment, but I have a feeling the majority of people who think wings are $2000 worth of enjoyment per weekend are National drivers (okay, a stretch since you don't wreck them every weekend, but it is an interesting point).

13. Another comment was made that the wings are there to generate revenue for SBRS. I offer this counterpoint. It makes no sense to add parts just to create revenue. At the end of the day, its costly for both the customer and the company to follow that strategy. A cost efficient car is in the interest of everyone. If wings make it to the new car, it is my hope there will be clear reason.

If I missed your comments in this summary, rest assured, the world can still read your comments in the preceding posts.

Once again, thank you all for your participation in this survey. Stay tuned for Survey #2 of 8.