I would think that some experimentation would be required on this topic. It will be simple enough to try running various cars at different voltages (using the voltage adjustment on the Pyramid power supply) and comparing lap times versus drivability. This will take some work. Say with a Group C car, try it at 12 volts and see how it runs. Is it faster? Is it faster but much twitchier? Put a numerically taller gear in it and see if you can get a faster lap speed than the baseline but still have it drivable. Try it at 13 volts and test it some more. I think we will need time to have everyone do this experimentation. It looks like adjusting the voltage could be an easy fix to help a car with a weak motor but it might make setup more complicated because it could also work with a “normal” or “hot” motor but require different gearing, which would raise the bar and the “weak” motor would be outclassed once again. If this is the case, we could require a specific gear and let everyone choose their voltage.
For this testing we may need to wait until safer track access is available. It sounds like Ary’s voltage regulators would cost $30 plus for each lane, plus the time to install them. With club dues now due once again, and the possibility that some members may be short on money, I don’t think we should spend the money for the regulators right now. Except for the cost and labor I do not see a down side for installing the regulators, whether we use them, or limit their use, or not. It does give us more options.