I'd like more people to chime in on the wheels.

Jason stanley helped get the ball rolling on this one last year. Even though we didnt allow in new rims, I worked with a company to ensure they could produce rims that would exactly replicate the weight and dimensions of BOTH stock style rims. We worked on price too, as I thikn this is a large component to whether or not we make a rule to allow them in (if no one is going to buy them, whats the point?).
They assured me they can produce enough to support as many racers want them, and the weight would be exactly what the oringals are.
I like the idea of having an option to buy new wheels, but honestly I dont think I'd spend the money considering I have about 12 full sets of cookies.

How many people want these written in?

How many people are willing to spend $700 for a set of new rims?

Cookies in Cal/AZ/Nv etc, are easy to find and cheap, although now that the prices back east have skyrocketed, it is harder to get them for $75 each. Now they are readily available for $100 each.
After 12+ years of tracking on them, I have bent two or three slightly and found a half inch crack in one. Not bad for the extreme abuse that they receive.

Not many out here would spend $700 for a new set, but if they are impossible to find back east, then as long as they weigh the same and are basically the same dimensions, there should be no problem. I thought that the ones proposed last year weighed less and were possibly slightly wider.

Late Offset Phone dials are harder to find, so an alternative to them might be warranted.

dpRacing Dan wrote:


I'm not planning on spending that much on wheels unless cutters become nearly that expensive. But if the dimensions and weight are the same as stock I am fine with others doing so.

Chuck- the ones offered before were not sized or weighted for Spec. I worked with them to create a proprietary version that would be sold specifically for our series. They'd offer them in both Cookie and Dial offsets.

I thought we settled the wheel thing once and for all(or until factory wheels are scarce)?

No way! $700 for wheels that we don't need and aren't as durable? And I don't care what the salespeople say, they will not weigh the same, or the weight will be in different spots. Do we want to get into dismounting tires at an event to weigh wheels on a protest?

My memory is a bit vague(all the drugs during the 60's!) but didn't Charlie Buzzetti do a test with the proposed wheels and didn't he go a second and a half faster a lap with the "equal" wheels? I also believe he went thru a few wheels in a season so $700 is not $700.

Wheels more than anything will make a difference, more so than a horsepower or 2 with the '88 pistons and until there is a need for them I say no way! Phonies suck but for $700 a late 944 can backdate to early offset and still have money left over for entry fees

I just reread Charlies post and he was 1.7 seconds faster than the track record on the proposed wheels. The wheels were 9" wide however with the same 225/50 RR's and all else being spec 944!

The wheels were also more than 2 pounds lighter, presumably compared to phonies.

So the takeaway is a 7"wheel might not b quite as fast but will certainly be lighter, and will most likely be faster than cookies. And they were $800 dollars