April 2013 FasTrack - Stock becomes Street class?!

[Fair!]

I think the SCCA SEB has *hacked our emails here at Vorshlag*, because these radical changes proposed for Stock class autocrossing (aka: the new Street category: now with camber plates, adjustable swaybars at both ends, 200 treadwear tires, and no remote reservoir shocks) in the April 2013 FasTrack (see below) are EXACTLY what we have been preaching that are needed in this category for years! If this as closer to April 1st I'd say it was all a joke, but apparently people like Strano are threatening to quit the SAC if they pass this, so it has got to be good!

http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/...april-solo.pdf

Read that and see what you think. Wow... just.... wow!

Send your letter to the SEB (only if you approve of these much needed changes!) here: http://www.sebscca.com/

Where is my bucket of popcorn.... go nuts!

Cheers,

[Fair!]

Re: April 2013 FasTrack - Stock becomes Street class?!

I'm a bit confused by the whole thing...Does this mean no more "stock" as we know it today, with R comps, 6K dollar shocks, etc?

Yes, this would replace the existing Stock class.

Read this article - it explains it in the context of 40 years of Stock class: http://www.solomatters.com/2013/03/s...sal-explained/

So which would be less expensive, purchasing a couple or 3 sets of R compounds annually, and external resovoir 6K dollar shocks/struts, or investing in a couple or 3 of sets of shaved 200 UTQG tires, and the allowed camber pieces/mods and only 3K dollar shocks/struts.

You BET it will be cheaper. And with the BFG Rival at least there is almost ZERO gain from shaving tires. They come cast at 7/32". I've played the ST game for many years and never shaved lower than 6/32". Waste of tire.

The cost per run on Hoosier A6 tires in Stock class was very high. And without any camber adjustment in a McPherson strut car, front tire life was EXTREMELY poor. The cost of a set of camber plates is about the cost of ONE SINGLE Hoosier A6, but the savings in front tire costs will last for the life of the car. Not to mention it will make the McStrut cars finally closer to the double-A-arm cars in handling, grip, and FUN!

IOf course it will ultimately be car dependant, but I just can't see 500 plus hp Corvettes doing well on such tires at an autocross...they are a handful with the best R comps. Which brings up another point...Are those cars really all that safe with less sticky tires on an autocross course?

You are talking about a VERY small number of cars, aka: the C6 Z06 Corvette or Viper SRT-10. Those two high hp cars are a handful on ANY tire, and giving them A6s only make their speeds higher. I've driven these cars and similar 400+ whp cars on street tires. It is doable. Slap some 335mm Rivals on there and it becomes a lot more driveable than with the stock rubber.

For everything else... getting away from R-comps saves money and lowers the dangers. I wouldn't dream of driving these tiny/tall micro-compacts on A6s, but slap a 200 treadwear tire on a Fiat500 and it won't rollover in a parking lot.

Again, read this: http://www.solomatters.com/2013/03/s...sal-explained/

[Paul]

Re: April 2013 FasTrack - Stock becomes Street class?!

Personally, I don't really see the drivers of high hp cars embracing this...but what do I know, I run a STC Honda...

That was the first thing I thought too, what light weight car can I buy to maximize gription?

[OzCop]

Re: April 2013 FasTrack - Stock becomes Street class?!

I'm a bit confused by the whole thing...Does this mean no more "stock" as we know it today, with R comps, 6K dollar shocks, etc?

If so, my guess is there will be a whole lot of shakin' or at least some shufflin' goin' on as many drivers exit the sport. Unless...they tend to embrace the new rules and the proposed allowances in Street... It appears "street" is getting a bit crowded with ST and all those classes, SP, and all those classes, and now "street" which I assume will adopt the current "stock" classes.

So which would be less expensive, purchasing a couple or 3 sets of R compounds annually, and external resovoir 6K dollar shocks/struts, or investing in a couple or 3 of sets of shaved 200 UTQG tires, and the allowed camber pieces/mods and only 3K dollar shocks/struts. Of course it will ultimately be car dependant, but I just can't see 500 plus hp Corvettes doing well on such tires at an autocross...they are a handful with the best R comps.
Which brings up another point...Are those cars really all that safe with less sticky tires on an autocross course?

Personally, I don't really see the drivers of high hp cars embracing this...but what do I know, I run a STC Honda...

[Fair!]

Re: April 2013 FasTrack - Stock becomes Street class?!

my SEB Letter Tracking Number #10537