GREAT Article on Autoweek.com about Ricky Brooks

[Phil Jacques]

Check it out here...

Track official Ricky Brooks has zero tolerance for cheaters
SHORT-TRACK AND TRANS AM SERIES OFFICIAL HAS DISQUALIFIED THE BEST OF 'EM

The racing world needs more by the book black and white tech officials like Ricky... I may not always agree 100% with him and some of the things he has done, but I respect him greatly.

[jacko241]

Very cool article, thanks Phil. Interesting to see that SCCA hired him to tech the Trans Am 2 class. Dumb bunch of road racers!

[Phil Jacques]

Very cool article, thanks Phil. Interesting to see that SCCA hired him to tech the Trans Am 2 class. Dumb bunch of road racers!

I had heard that was his gig back prior to Speedweeks through some friends.

Really wish there was a way to get him to be full time tech up here where I use to race... They need someone like him to stop the bullshit and get it straightened back out here. What you guys suffered through rules wise has finally hit us as I kind of expected it would and It's turning into a mess quickly...

[OldSchool+]

Them sporty guys will be knee deep in crate motors before you know it...

[openwm53]

Phil

I had heard that was his gig back prior to Speedweeks through some friends.

Really wish there was a way to get him to be full time tech up here where I use to race... They need someone like him to stop the bullshit and get it straightened back out here. What you guys suffered through rules wise has finally hit us as I kind of expected it would and It's turning into a mess quickly...

Nothing has changed here.............

[Phil Jacques]

Nothing has changed here.............

Yeah well, that's what happens when people who don't currently or have never owned a racecar in any division get in control and start making decisions. 1 change typically affects many things and people just don't understand that.

That's what is happening here. Among other issues, tech officials are allowing the 602 crate engine guys to have their engines "updated" by the engine builders prior to being sealed with U-Line style track seals. I have a bone stock 602 crate cause that's what I can afford and have guys with other "legal" crates that are putting a car length on me down the straights. That's not kosher to me... I ain't no dummy though many here may think so, but when I talk to tech and he says all they are doing is advancing the cam within the manuals specs, and then I call the engine builders that are recommended and I am quoted $1600 to have the work done AND I have to bring them the engine rather than them just bring a degree wheel and a drill with a set of seals and I'll pull off any parts they need pulled off. Something else is being done that they don't want you to know about. It doesn't cost $1600 for them to degree a camshaft lol

What they are not thinking about here is our "built" engine program is already a little behind the crates as far as stock 602 vs rules legal built goes. When you advance the cam and do whatever else they do to the crates now, it causes a ripple effect that goes over to the built guys. Now they are chasing their tails trying to come up with an extra 8-10 horsepower or probably even more to catch up. May not sound like a lot, but on a high banked 5/8 mile with roughly 750 foot long straightaways, it makes a difference.

They need people with real experience and knowledge in charge...

We need Ricky Brooks up here lol!

[OldSchool+]

Let's ignore the fact that the officials have already let the $1600-cat-out-of-the-bag-and-you-need-to-pony-up-or-run-fifth thing for a second.

Here is what I don't get:

If crate motor #1 is faster than crate 2 & the update is detected, why isn't the rule pretty much automatically racheted downward toward the cheaper solution. Then everyone is at the same, and cheaper, disadvantage.

Why doesn't that drive every decision? Heavy, bulletproof, cheap. Clutches, driveline, brakes...

Furthermore, same-same for anything that is currently legal but is also expensive, and which is parking cars because they are no longer competitive.

I would suggest the crowd would rather watch the field run a half second slower with 5 or 6 more cars that are competitive. Especially if the racing is tighter, which old school parts tend to produce.

And everybody saves money.

Perhaps someone can 'splain it to me.

ps--PJ--mo motor and y'all are still running open rear ends?

[OldSchool+]

"We need Ricky Brooks up here lol!"--Phil Jacques

pps--Are you really asking The South for help...?

[Phil Jacques]

"We need Ricky Brooks up here lol!"--Phil Jacques

pps--Are you really asking The South for help...?

Decision for me was real easy and was actually one that has been in process since about November. The car is for sale lol The girl and I are actually looking at houses down there and she is in process of getting her police cert to cross over for FL from MA.

I may keep racing once I get back down there finally and get settled, who knows. I did win some races and had some fun here, but would love to get into a super stock or sportsman down there at NSS at least if not a number of the other tracks. Who knows, only time will tell. I do feel bad for any of the Karnac faithful who thought I would somehow disappear lol

There are a bunch of smart guys here very much like Ricky, we just need more of them. More by the book tech. None of this play games to try and equal the field and cost everyone more money bs that tweedle dee and tweedle dum the tech guys for our division are doing right now. Let em race. The way our rules are written, a legal stock crate would still spank a legal built motor. I feel like the rule was written that way on purpose to phase out the $10,000 open motors that had gotten out of hand.

[kendo]

I feel like the rule was written that way on purpose to phase out the $10,000 open motors that had gotten out of hand.

It does to a point,but it also phases out the guy with the $1000-2000 home built motor in which there are many now on the sidelines looking in

[Phil Jacques]

It does to a point,but it also phases out the guy with the $1000-2000 home built motor in which there are many now on the sidelines looking in,me included.

I completely understand that, see that and I do think it sucks.

I know guys that have enough parts to build 5 or 6 engines laying around.

I think more thorough tech is the simplest way to bring things closer together. Not saying everyone is illegal, but I know there are a bunch of built motors out there that ain't legal. At least by the rule book I raced under, it shouldn't cost $10,000 to build a LEGAL motor. $5000 at the most. My old build engine cost me $4250 out the door using all new parts and it was only getting beat by the guys I knew were spending that $10k. Find the guys who are illegal, makes them fix their stuff, and you will see things come a lot closer imo.

[OldSchool+]

Phil,

>We will look forward to your immigration (!) to Florida!

>A word to the wise (for your review): The housing market is way over bought, imo. Proceed with caution--as in, pay no more than 80% of what the current value is. Regardless.

>C'mon now, your car needs a rear end and a few fat body panels to go Sportsman racing, correct? We can use you. Somebody needs to keep Garrity "honest" at Bronson.

> "None of this play games to try and equal the field and cost everyone more money bs"

>Nobody thought you would disappear. For long.

[Phil Jacques]

Phil,

>We will look forward to your immigration (!) to Florida!

>A word to the wise (for your review): The housing market is way over bought, imo. Proceed with caution--as in, pay no more than 80% of what the current value is. Regardless.

>C'mon now, your car needs a rear end and a few fat body panels to go Sportsman racing, correct? We can use you. Somebody needs to keep Garrity "honest" at Bronson.

I have plenty of good friends in real estate and I have watched the market myself carefully over the past 6 years or so. I'll likely land where a good job is available and a beach is nearby.

My car is a G metric bag of crap. By the rules, it's too much of a car to be a nss super stock without cutting out the entire interior and making major chassis changes, and not even close to enough of a car to compete as a sportsman without being anything more than a rolling road block. It's not worth the expense to make any changes. It's better to buy something or build something new if I really want to continue racing. Many more things left on my bucket list still!

[OldSchool+]

You are The Man and you know your stuff.

Still, I have seen your welds and they look very good to me...

[openwm53]

Phil

Its the same dam stuff down here..........Crates been being cheated up for years. There is only one R.B. The others are all posers or scared to create controversy.