tubaboy - Haha! Thanks though. Company loyalty or not, I've been around this hobby for a long time, AND I've had the chance to travel to races, big races, small races, and I've gotten to see both the racer side, and the company/marketing side of racing. Not too many people can say they've explored all of those points of view and yet still feel like someone who thinks of this hobby as just that...a hobby. I think the biggest downfall of the ROAR and other sanctioning body officials that we complain about not being "connected" with the racing community, is their lack of attachment to the love of racing as a hobby they've been a part of and understand. It's easy to explain what a racer wants to see when you're an actual racer.
Although I must say, I disagree completely with both points you made on equipment regulation. Yes, tires are the biggest part of car setup, but you will never, EVER, be able to enforce a production tire rule economically and fairly. I think spec tires are a spectacularly TERRIBLE idea. And in modified racing, there is really no reason to police motor and battery stuff either. The factory drivers are going to have a leg up on the privateer and there's literally nothing a rule-making body can do about it. A huge company with basically unlimited resources is going to win the "speed = money" battle. At the highest level of competition, the companies should be able to flex their muscles and get the job done.
Scrubb - That's not ROAR's fault. ROAR simply added to that mess with their own rules. They will never be able to regulate what un-sanctioned races use for rules and it's pointless, and incorrect, for ROAR to try and influence rules at those races. Considering the magnitude of entries for all of those un-sanctioned races, it makes no sense to me to try and combat those organizations with another set of rules.
There are PLENTY of reasons to have rules and regulations. I just don't feel that controlling equipment usage is something they have a right to do.
killer89 - ROAR approves batteries once a year in an attempt to slow down the release of new battery technology; they're trying to force manufacturers to wait to release new cells so that the consumer doesn't have to buy new batteries all the time so he has the best packs possible. It's a good idea but it fails miserably in practice. ROAR rules are no longer enforced at these big independent races and you can bet that when a company like Trinity or Reedy puts up the big money to have their name plastered all over the race, they will want the products they sell to be legal, and there is NOTHING wrong with that.
ROAR doesn't need to go away. They just desperately need to be re-connected with the community they are supposed to be involved with.