The most contentious class in SEQ as far as rules etc goes is the Gas Tourer class. This is partly because we don’t have a similar class commonly run elsewhere in the world to draw on and are in effect reinventing the wheel. In other States of Australia for example the slower nitro class rules are all shaped around “pullstart” and that is the main limiting factor – we chose not to go that way as there are also some very fast pullstart engines around.
This year for the Interclub events the rules have changed to introduce a new engine (os TG ) and officially allow the TOP engines that some clubs were allowing last year. Apart from the TOP engines mentioned the limit is still 1HP. The OS is a rear exhaust engine and was introduced this year as a test – there is a scarcity of decent, reasonably priced 1hp engines in the side exhaust style the rules require as most of the engine manufacturers are turning to rear exhaust.  As many of the RTR cars are coming with rear exhaust engines the Interclub rules now allow rear exhaust in those cars as long as it is the type engine that came with the car – without this rule change these RTR cars would have had to run in Nitro Pro Tourers – a situation no-one wanted.
From the events run so far this year I have formed the view that we have gone too far with this class and it is now too fast – certainly for anyone near being a beginner. Witness the results of qualifying at Bayside the last two race days – Gas Tourer out qualified Open and look at qualifying times at the Logan Summer Cup and compare Gas Tourer qualifying times to Open times. At Logan it’s my view that there should be about a 1 to 1.5 lap gap between the Gas and Pro – naturally with Pro being the faster.
So what’s the answer – certainly for 2007 we are stuck with the rules we have set for the Interclub at least. At club level Logan at least take the approach of seeding all the Nitro entrants regardless of what they are running – this seems to work ok but has limitations at major events etc. Brendale are encouraging RTR as a separate class and Bayside are trying to do that as well but that can’t work unless numbers turn up to race RTR.
POSSIBILITY 1 
A possible solution is that maybe there is room for 3 classes in Nitro just like we normally have in electric with a few subtle changes.
RTR – any RTR with the type engine it comes with, drivers limited to two years in racing before they are moved on to pullstart (or maybe by a set lap/time achievement) – rubber tyres only, body shell as it comes with or any Touring car body. 1800 gm dry weight.
Pullstart Tourer- any car any pullstart .12 or .15, 4 door tourer body,  any tyres, 1800gm dry weight.
Pro Tourer   – as per AARCMCC.
 
POSSIBILITY 2 
Another solution – and one that’s had a fair bit of support from people who talk to me and on the surface looks very simple
2 classes
1. Any car any .12 or .15 Pullstart or roto start, rubber tyres. Pullstart or roto start  must be used.
2. pro Tourer as per AARCMCC. 
As I see it there are a lot of very fast pullstart engines around and that still leaves a class that is too fast for most beginners.
POSSIBILITY 3 
2 classes both as per AARCMCC but one with rubber tyres and one with open tyres .
(Obviously no good as a solution to clubs with a cement surface where only rubber tyres work)
Finally let me just say – if we don’t start encouraging beginners and kids into racing we’ll continue to spiral downwards in numbers until we disappear altogether – an none of us wants that.  Where do I stand – well at the moment I think I’m leaning towards possibility 1 above.
You are welcome and encouraged to make comment on this subject on this website, let me just say though that if there is any abuse or foul language in your response then it will be deleted – a good robust debate is encouraged.
Heavy