Racer-38

In the SE we seem to have some really fast TT guys, turning some smoking hot laps at the various tracks down here. I've noticed lately there seems to be some chatter amongst you guys about MAYBE getting licenses and coming racing next year. I for one, just wanted to encourage you guys to do it. And its really easy...
there is an SCCA drivers school the first weekend in Feb at RR.
http://www.sedivracing.org/2011Schedule.pdf
You could get a bunch of guys and all go together. You would walk out w/ your rookie license and have a blast doing it. THis would allow you to do any SARRC regional or NASA event, and there are lots of them.
I know there is concern about what to do w/the C5 corvette....what class to run them in.
Some have said return them to T1....but thats expensive fix, only to go slower.
I would assume you guys want to make the cars go faster as money comes available. For that reason I would say run them in STO.
WIth the lower weight, and no restrictors there is no reason that the C5 can't be competitive at a regional level. Its going to be a tougher road at a national level...but remember this is your first year.
Anyway.......just my $.02. Hope to see a bunch of you in race cars next year!

dfinke23

Bob,
After watching you guys run this weekend, I think STO is the way I am going to go. I don't have the budget to replace the LS7 2-3 times a season (hopefully worst case scenario), so I am leaning towards an LS2 setup like yours and Bob's. I'm not going to start the build until I hear what the weight is going to be for the LS2 C6. Unfortunately, if I have to run the LS7, I'll probably go in another direction.
It was good to meet you this weekend, and I enjoyed watching you guys run.

Daniel

Short-Throw

Daniel,

If you're concerned about expenses I'd suggest running in a stock spec class for your first year and just get seat time. STO is an awesome new class with some serious fast cars and great drivers. When you get into racing a class that allows mods you're going to end up spending more money than you realize to have a fighting chance.

Putting down Road America times for example in the 2:teens will require power, but also great chassis components as well. Race-craft not included.



Mike

KBlanke

HSR would be another option, there were a few other C5s show up this year. If you are not comfortable in a class they will try to work with you and find one that works. It is pretty laid back and lots of fun, would be nice to see some more Corvettes.

drivinhard

I did comp school w/ NASA back in June with TimZ06. My car won't be ready for w2w till after the first of the year though.

Building it for PTA (although I'm waiting to see if they are gonna screw us with tire pts in the '11 rules) and if so I'll jump ship to ST2. And even if I stay in PTA I think a lot of us will run in ST2 at some events.

I'd like to do some SCCA stuff at the RA events because it's in the backyard, but I'd be doing it for fun and to be a field filler

PTA is spec C5Z, it would get creamed in STO. Basically a street C5Z with a cage, sway bars, and 275 A6's. a few other free mods (bushings/clutch, etc). T1 would be a good cross over fit in terms of lap time, but oh well.

Jason

Yeah, it'll be PTA for at least a couple years for us. Be nice to know next year's rules sometime soon.

varkwso

I have been doing both for the last two years and having a car that can fit many classes is great. The ST2 car I am teamed on is still a T1 C5 (last years rules) so it can run ST2/ST1(and get killed)/T1/STO(get killed)/TTS is great. Logbooking

W2W is definitely more money since a lot of NASA TTers also instruct - nearly impossible to instruct and race (NASA SE does not allow it - with some exceptions) so entry fees (nominal in big picture) add up. Also contact is more frequent - the SCCA school at Roebling ate a couple T1 C6s asI recall a few years back.

PTA is a pretty good fit and will be a class the C5 will be competitive in for a while.

NARRA is also trying to get Vette crossovers to run with the Vipers - not seen the 2011 rules yet.

Does SCCA get the Hoosier contingency?

BuckeyeZ06

SCCA Nationals? Yes, very much so.

I can't speak for the Regionals, though.

eogel

I second Bob’s welcome and encouragement for you to come to W2W racing. I have been doing this for a few years in both SCCA ITE and NASA ST2 in the Southeast and a few other east coast tracks. I drive a C4, so you can figure out where I am in the scheme of things.

Ed

95jersey

Could never afford (or would want) to turn my C6Z into a W2W car, but I think next year, I will have to rent a spec car for a weekend. After a decade of HPDE and many years of TT, I am bored (sat out the rest of the season since June).

I wish I could have my C6Z and a C6 race car, but that ain't gonna happen and not real interested in campaining some low budget slow car after driving the Z to many wins in TT.

96CollectorSport

It's too bad that the governing bodies wouldn't lighten up on the rules set a little and allow a little SCCA vs NASA racing.
I think that a PTA car should be allowed a free pass to run in T1 as it sits, the free mods and lower competition weight on the PTA car aren't enough to offset the headers and brakes of the C5 T1 cars, but if they want to try why not let 'em.
Also I think that the SCCA T1 car should be allowed to run ST2 as they sit, they have a better hp/weight but (most) of the top running ST2 cars are running aero and coil-overs, so it would be power vs grip.
Even if we could do it at the regional level, say the second annual "Super Touring Spectacular" at Mid-O in August? Just to see how close these cars are. Lap times are pretty close between the two classes.
STO and ST1 are the only classes that seem to mesh well (as long as you meet the STO rules). It would help car counts with both orgainzations to allow more cars to run.

drivinhard

I know SCCA makes you run most of the interior bits (correct?) I could put stock arms/bushings back on the car quick enough (have a spare set) but no way in heck I'd go in and ****** the small clutch. And I'm not going to show up knowingly with an illegal car, even if it would be a slow one.

if somebody could lobby the powers to be to allow the headers/brakes (we can't run) a swap for the small clutch and other freebies nasa gives us (for these regional events), I bet we could put 3-5 more "T1" cars in any of the local SCCA shows.

heck we still run cats and mufflers on these cars

I doubt they would do it though. The NASA classes (especially ST2) seem to absorb other sanction body cars better, due to the power/weight rules

L98Terror

They can do whatever they like on a Regional Level, Graber can make it happen. BTW a 2010 rules T1 car is faster than a ST2 car, I will take a to the rules T1 C5 and trade my car and will beat my car at Mid Ohio at least 3 of 4 races. If a T1 car gets to corner one first a good driver will never give up the lead, you can't over come the HP on the straights you can handle better all you want because you won't be able to pass in the corners and you will have no shot in the braking zones.

Watch my video of me racing the Koni Challange car I would be on his *** in every corner but he'd pull me bad on the straights, there was almost no chance of me passing without putting both cars at risk. This went on for the entire race.

96CollectorSport

What if the T1 car would have to run Hoosier R's or 275's?
I'm just throwing some ideas out there, because the cars are close (I would've really loved to see what the 2009 spec T1 cars would've done, but the 2010 rules do tip the scale toward the T1 cars).
Is there any other compromise that would work? There has got to be a way to get more T1 cars to run ST2, I know that the Cali Club guys run both, not sure what they have to do to run both - just add weight?

Olitho

Correct, we just add weight. My car only dyno'd at 373 rwhp so I don't think our cars are making as much power as you guys seem to think.

The aero advantages at some tracks do make a big difference though from different Corvette configurations I have driven.

Racer-38

this is exactly what happened to me. TT is fun as you continuely improve your lap times w/each event. But eventually you reach the limits of the car, and now all you are doing is driving around...the challenge is gone.
I had aFerrari 355 and was doing track days with a group of guys I met at the track. NASA wasn't in the SE yet, so we all timed our selves. I finally got bored of it, took the Panoz school and got my license. I rented a SRF. I thought the same thing you did....I'm going from a Ferrari to a sh*tbox. Let me tell you, racing a momentum car was considerably more exciting than driving that Ferrari!! Give it a try...you might be pleasantly suprised.

L98Terror

Legally just add weight, I would be fine making some compromises to let them run Regionally (even though they already can in ST1)

Well 275s let's them run at 8.3:1 but I think some T1 cars are down to a 7.5ish:1 ratio. It really comes down to this if you want to run T1 run T1, ST2 than ST2 I don't think you want to open the can of worms of what is the better set up to run ST2 as (either ST2 rules or T1 rules).

I think SCCA has a vested interest in making it harder for a T1 to cross over to ST2.

There is no question a T1 legal car even 2009 rules can run a 1:32 around Mid Ohio that is as fast as any ST2 car, 2010 Rules T1 should be able to run a low 1:31 high 1:30 (C5 T1) faster than any ST2 car has gone to date.

Racer-38

As far as the car classification thing goes. When I started this thread, I assumed that many of the guys running TT have done modifications to their car that wouldn't allow the car to run in T1, and to spend the $ to go backwards to a slower car just didn't make sense to me. You already have a car, THats why I sugested STO. As you learned racecraft, you could improve the car as well. Since you already have a car that is essentially a race car, you could move easily and cheaply into racing.
This weekend there was a T1 Ferrari CH and a ST ferrari challenge racing....we lapped them twice( their best times were something like 1:37). I'm pretty sure you guys could come out w/your present cars and kick some ferrari ***!
My point was.....if you are getting bored of TT and were thinking of racing, there is an easy and cheap way to get started. You might decide after a couple of races that you want to sell the vette and buy a SM.

96CollectorSport

Hey it's a long time until April, what else do we have to do but come up with off the wall ideas as to how to grow the class.
It really seems like in the MW/GL area SCCA guys only want to run SCCA and NASA guys are happy in NASA. Dave seems to be the only guy that wants to play in both sandboxes in our area. Besides the Cali Club guys there are just not many people that have the desire to run in both. Maybe once the car counts at the Mid-O races start climbing it will be worth it for some of the T1 guys to try both. But if we can work with them a little to tempt them....:o that wouldn't be the worst thing in the world either.

96CollectorSport

BLASPHEME!

Sorry to de-rail the thread Bob, just throwing out some opinions. Just hoping to see some nice big car counts next year.