TBuskey

I have tried to dig this info up myself but have been unable to do so. So I figured someone has to know on here....

SCCA Auto-x Classing
97 base coupe
Upgraded to Z51 springs
Upgraded front and rear sways to WCC Bars
DRM Bilsteins
Car will be ran on NT-01 R-comps
Also has Borla axle back and Vararam CAI

I ran AS last year completely stock. I heard that there was going to be classing changes for the 14' season. At one point I thought I heard the C5 base coupe was being moved to BS...

Thanks in advance.

ltborg

It's kind of a mess this year as it's a transition year. The coupe is still in A-Stock, which is now called ASR. This class will only exist in 2014, but with your mods, it's not legal there. There is also a B-Street (BS) class where the C5 coupe can compete on street tires. The NT-01 is not legal for this class based on it's treadwear rating. With your mods, you could run in STU, but you would need tires with a 140 or higher UTQG rating (200 or higher in 2015). As it is right now, you would run in SSP where most people will be on 315/335 Hoosiers.

I should mention this is assuming your CAI is legal. If you had to cut the radiator shroud, you end up in a very high prep class, either SSM or XP if I recall correctly. This would be something like the Callaway Honker. I'm pretty sure the Vararam is legal for SSP/STU as would something like the Halltech Stinger.

TBuskey

Where does ASP fall and would I be legal for that? I have seen c5s in that class in previous years.

ltborg

That's for boost buggies now. ASP used to be the top SP class, but they added another one (SSP) a few years ago. That's the only SP class C5s can compete it.

TBuskey

Glad I only do it for fun...I am going to get killed in ssp.

ltborg

Yeah, things look very different once you get serious about the competition side of things. When I was doing it for fun in SM2 (now SSM), I tested WAY less than I do now in a stock class.

BryanPendleton

At what point do you realize you have too many classes? From the outside it just seems so confusing.

ltborg

That's a debate that has been going on for a while. I could be wrong on this, but I believe that was one of the issues brought up with the SEB going from Stock to Street. Basically, this became a throwaway year in terms of class reduction and from 2015 on, there will only be one additional class (SSR) with all of the other stock classing being replaced by Street versions. It still leaves a pretty high number of classes, but that's a different debate.

troyguitar

I actually just spent 2-3 hours last night looking up what class my car would compete in if I were to go to our local autox next month. I figured I might just go run for fun since it is 2 miles from my house and cheap, but a C5Z with 2 sway bars changed automatically has to run SSP against dudes on 315/335 Hoosier A6's with unlimited brakes and unobtainium wheels, etc. or run in CAM against dudes on 315/335 Rivals with unlimited other mods of any kind.

I'm truly amazed there isn't much of anything in between 98% stock and 98% unlimited despite there being a million classes. I guess I'll run CAM if I run, but there's no chance of being competitive.

93Rubie

There is classes between the extremes you list. However, the C5Z is not in those classes. If you have regular C5 you could run STU.
Your classes are SSR=Hoosiers, SS=Street Tires, or SSP.

Please keep in mind at a local event, I doubt anyone will notice or care that you have 2 sway bars changed out. Unless, you go and beat the crap out of the local hot shoes.
You have to consider modifications carefully with the SCCA. You can always take the one bar off.

If your doing it for fun, just go and have a good time. Don't worry about classing and all that BS. If your super uber competitive person you'll figure out a way to conform to the ruleset/class you want to run.

ltborg

Well said. I did just that many years ago. My C4 was massively under prepped for SM2, but there were a handful of us locally that were all pretty close so it was good competition and a lot of fun.

When I decided to compete nationally, I started with a blank sheet of paper and decided on cars for the class, required mods, testing, etc. then went from there.

TBuskey

93Rubie...lets get some Jennerstown Speedway Auto-X practice sessions setup...

opel

Can you run A6's in STU?

troyguitar

Yeah I guess it doesn't really matter since I don't care about winning at this point, I just found it odd that a modded street car has no place. You either run stock with special tires or you build a race car and that's about it.

I'm planning to run my street setup which is 265/295 Michelin PSS tires, so they're not going to ever win anything no matter what in the current rules.

69autoXr

No. STU is limited to 140TW tires.

opel

Thanks

ltborg

In 2015 it goes to 200TW.

Solofast

The debate as to how much and what mods are to be allowed in a given class has gone on for a very long time.. Way back when (early 80's) there was stock, prepared and modified. Stock was pretty much as it is now (Classes A thru H), and prepared was full race cars with bodies (A thru E), essentially a place for old worn out race cars to go play, and the prep rules were the same as the road racing rules, and modified was for formula and sports racers with a class for modified street cars (A thru E). That's a total of 18 classes..

There was no place for cars with mild mods so they created Street Prepared. The problem was, the rules were way too loose, and if you prepared a car to the limits of the rules, the car was way too stiff to ever think about driving it on the street. What happened is that a lot of cars that were in the prepared classes weren't that radical and these got put back to SP level of prep and the prepared classes died. The idea was that SP classes would be a place for folks with mild mods to come into the club and have fun and get hooked. So now the classes expanded by 5 (A-ESP) and that was 23 classes, which is where it was for a long time.

The number of SCCA classes has exploded in recent years with all of the "ST" classes and I don't even keep track of it anymore.

The reality is that SCCA Solo II is an extremely competitive sport. If you come out in anything that isn't prepared to the absolute limit of the rules for your class you will get your butt handed to you by the drivers that are out there every weekend and have been doing this for years. The level of talent in SCCA Solo events makes most marque clubs (Corvette Clubs included) pale by comparison. Most top level SCCA Corvette drivers can go to a local NCCC event and have a lot of the locals standing around with their mouths hanging open in amazement.

Lot's of folks say "I want to just come out and have some fun driving my car", and that's fine so long as you don't mind getting your ego mashed by a car and driver that are 10 seconds a lap faster than you are. This is really the problem, because the hotshoes scare off people who very quickly realize that they may never be that fast unless they spend a ton of money and time to get there. Some regions run an "X" class where hotshoes can run on index against each other and that doesn't scare off the newbies too much.

It's pretty much always been that way, at least for the last 35 years that I've been involved in the sport and yes, they need to consolidate some classes sooner or later.

troyguitar

Yeah that's the part I just haven't wrapped my head around - it's cones in a parking lot, not Laguna Seca. To me it's just a potential cheap fun afternoon and running on real race tracks is the competitive sport. I run close to the limit of the rules in NASA time trials and was looking to see if I could possibly run competitively in any autox class with either my street or track wheel/tire combo - answer is no in each case.

I'm not mad about it or anything, just slightly disappointed that every damn racing series has all of its own classes to the point where you need to build a whole new car for each. It's the same way in all forms of racing. Everyone wants their own class so they can have their own trophy.

Solofast

You are missing the point. It's not how fast you are going, it's the ability to have proper car control at the speed you are traveling at and the competition.

Lots of folks think that just because you aren't going 110 mph that it doesn't take talent and skill. Those are the same folks who come out and get their butt kicked at a solo and think that it's because their car isn't properly prepared or the don't have the right equipment. The reality is that a top autocross driver could take their car and murder their time with it too. And yes there is an adrenalin rush from going fast at first, but after some experience your mind slows it all down and it's all relative.

When I first started in the sport I just wanted to drive fast, but after a few events I found that it was the competition that I enjoyed and by the second season I bought a car that was competitive, set it up properly and started to hone my driving skills.