Cliff notes: I've seen the 944 Cup class destroyed by outspending and cheating accusations. Spec is 99% a great group of people in very equal cars who want to have fun on and off the track. The competition is designed so that anyone with a well-prepped, legal car can win if they have the talent. The cars are durable and handle well. It is still the best overall class in NASA. We need to act like it.

Long version:
I came out of 944 Cup racing on the east coast. I chose a 944 because I had worked on them quite a bit and it looked like a fun class. Cup racing was fun but it was definitely an arms race. You needed talent but you also needed lots of money to win. The rules were broken with no consequences. The upper class, Supercup, was essentially destroyed by one cheater in a turbo car that was clearly making 50HP more than stock but the directors couldn't (or wouldn't) prove it. I digress...

I came to CA in 2009 and saw that Spec was the way to go out here. I rebuilt my car to the Spec rules and had a great couple of years in Norcal with a very relaxed group, no concerns anyone was cheating, and all was good. The Spec setup was so much more fun to drive, cheaper, just better in every way. By the way, I really miss the RA-1s as they were a lot more fun to slide around.

Miller in 2010 (I think) was my first Nationals with Spec. There was all kinds of controversy, contact (one that I caused), and it generally wasn't anything like the fun regional racing. I skipped 2011 Nationals. I had a rental deal fall through for 2012 Nationals and skipped 2013. We all know what happened this year...

My goal in this class is to feel like I have a shot at winning every race if my setup is good and I execute the driving. I'm not going to accuse anyone of cheating unless I can prove it but I will say that I just don't understand why anyone would cheat to win in this type of racing. I'm absolutely driven to win or I wouldn't race - but cheating on purpose to win a plastic trophy is absurd and shameful. I'm not talking about exploiting the limits of the rules (which I also think is not the intent of the class). The penalty for someone found blatantly cheating (like a switch that trims the ECU) should be a permanent ban from this class.

After the wreck at Sonoma, many people literally hugged me weeping they were so upset at the possibility I could have been injured. That's the quality of people I know we have and how I know this class can be great.

We still have it in AZ! Looks like other regions do as well. Joe P. was in charge when I raced. He passed the torch to Norman. Both of these guys helped create the class. It's always a good day at the track around here.

National events should be the same. Everyone wants to go to nationals, but they don't want the b.s. that comes with it. The sources of the b.s. seem obvious. Some drivers should be in a different class. They are of a mindset that is not consistent with 944 spec.

I have also been a huge fan of motor racing and enjoyed helping build karts when at school, but soon found that as I go older I would never have the money, nor same to drive, maintain or take part in car racing in the UK.

Luckily I was given the opporunity to move to CA and have a great job. Shortly after moving over I got to know Steve (944Racer72) and he invited my family and I to hang out at the track for fathers day (3 years ago). Well I was amazed by the racing and friendly, family like atmosphere. I could not wait to get involved somehow and with the help of Steve had quickly bought up an ex-racers car (just a few short weeks after being at the track).

All through HPDE the group have provided me with help and advice. Even when I went to race school in the SoCal region the group were great and welcomed me into the fold even offering to fix anything on the car should it go wrong whilst I was in class! Even after I got my license the help did not stopped there. Several of the racers continue to give up time in the practice sessions to do lead/follows.

The reason I got into 944-Spec racing is simple.

The people and the openness of the group.

I was talked into getting into racing in 2006 by a friend who raced PCA in a 73S 911. I did not have the desire to spend the type of money required to race the stock classes in PCA and the 944 Spec was a way I could race PCA with my friend and not spend too much. On a whim I purchased and car and built a racecar out of it (with lots of help)
I have raced both PCA and NASA and found both to be enjoyable. After moving from Utah to Texas I have shifted more to PCA because I really enjoy the core group of SP1 drivers.
I have ZERO concerns over cheating with the folks I race against for two reasons: 1. Where I place in each race has zero impact on my life as a whole (I am very competitive but have learned there are more important things in life) 2. The group I race with is very open and we have all worked on each other’s cars and I have never seen anything to question. Although, recently a guy I raced against in the Texas NASA series found his car to be a cheater when he went to have his bearings done. I truly believe he had no idea the crank was modified. He purchased the car has a complete race car from Colorado.
So in summary I race because the group of people, many of whom have very little in common outside of racing, get together a few weekends a year and have a blast. I look forward to hanging out together off the track as I do the racing.
I participated in one Nationals event at Miller and have little interest in participating in another one. The paddock scene was not as much fun as a PCA or local NASA race.

Hey all, I chose this class because when I began to investigate the race classes in NASA for an interested friend, I found camaraderie that I had not seen since my days of karting. While my friend decided not to take the plunge, I have. People like Tim C, Jim Richmond, Hicks, Atteberry, and Everett, have all been nothing but encouraging. Offering parts and advice openly, and happily. I relish building a primarily stock car, to be on equal mechanical footing, and seeing how the driving skills play out. This is a class with character and humility. I can't wait to get my baby assembled and get on track with this great bunch. My only regret, is that I didn't start this 5 years ago, when I built my TT Mustang.

Yeah, to echo other's comments, the car drew me in -- it's fun to drive, handles well, and the racing is close. But the people keep me here -- we have fun racing each other on the track, we're eager to help with things large or small off the track, and we can turn minutes of on-track racing into hours of "bench racing" with stories that would make fishermen jealous ....

As So Cal Series Leader, I can vouch for the many good people and many good times at our regional races. And I know we've all had a good time when Nor Cal and So Cal have raced together at Laguna Seca. Because of both time and money constraints, I haven't made it to Nationals, although I intend to do so. But I'm sure we can do it there too. It's a good group of people who are in it for the fun.

And I agree with you, Steve -- anyone who purposely cheats so they can get a bigger plastic trophy deserves to have a big "L" tattooed on their forehead. But they're few and far between, and the class will outlast them and thrive because it's what we make it.

Everett