New to Autocross - What Class?
 

I built a fun warm weather street car, but would finally like to take the plunge and go racing. I have some prior DE track day experience, but have never tried autocrossing and don’t really know where to start - it would be great if some of you experienced gurus could point me in the right direction and tell me how you got started. My car is pretty heavily modified and I’m sure that will kick me into an advanced class, but I’m not looking to wage a season-long campaign and am really only interested in gaining experience, having fun, and meeting some cool people. I won’t go into a whole lot more detail now, but assume that we’ll have some good dialogue as the thread takes shape.

Here’s a list of my current mods - please look them over and let me know your thoughts on the right class for me and provide a few words of sage advice:

• ACE 4-2-1 Type-A 350 equal length header (ceramic thermal coated)
• Motiv catted front pipe (ceramic thermal coated)
• Blitz Nür Spec R stainless steel exhaust
• EcuTek Pro ECU programming and datalogging kit
• Delicious Tuning - ECU reflash/stage 2
• Weir Performance 4.56:1 ring and pinion
• Velox Motorsports carbon fiber driveshaft
• OS Giken 1.5-way LSD
• RAYS Gramlights 57Xtreme 18" x 8.5" +42 wheels
• RAYS Duralumin black lug nuts
• Maxxis RC-1 235/40ZR18 tires
• ARP wheel studs
• Raceseng cam plate
• Vorshlag Motorsports camber plates
• Vorshlag Motorsports rear upper shock mounts with radial bearings
• MCS 1WNR single adjustable coilovers
• Swift 8K springs
• SPL Parts Titanium rear lower camber arms
• SPL Parts Titanium rear traction arms
• SPL Parts Titanium rear toe arms w/eccentric lockout
• SPL Parts Pro rear endlinks
• SPL Parts front lower control arms
• SPL Parts bumpsteer adjustable front tie rod ends
• Cusco rear upper control arm (front) spherical bushing
• Cusco rear upper control arm (rear) spherical bushing
• Whiteline front endlinks
• Whiteline KDT923 (differential outrigger)
• Whiteline KDT925 (differential)
• Whiteline KDT926 (transmission)
• Whiteline KDT922 (crossmember)
• Whiteline KSR210 (steering)
• Perrin engine mount set
• Perrin rear shifter bushing
• Perrin front control arm brace
• Perrin steering rack lockdown
• Project Mu Racing999 brake pads (front & rear)
• TWM Performance short shift kit
• Spiegler braided brake lines
• Spiegler braided clutch line, custom made-to-order
• MTEC clutch spring
• MTEC shifter springs
• Cosworth drop-in air filter
• Radium master cylinder brace
• Radium strut bar
• Radium dual catch can kit
• Fumoto Quik Valve drain pan bolt
• JMP Coachworks Alcantara steering wheel
• JMP Coachworks Alcantara speaker grills
• JMP Coachworks Alcantara shift boot
• JMP Coachworks Alcantara knee pads
• JMP Coachworks Alcantara coin tray liner
• JMP Coachworks Alcantara rear center armrest
• JMP Coachworks Alcantara instrument hood
• JMP Coachworks Alcantara hand brake boot
• JMP Coachworks leather upper armrests
• JMP Coachworks leather lower armrests
• Diode Dynamics exterior LED kit
• Diode Dynamics interior LED kit
• FR-S engraved plates on WeatherTech floor liners
• Millers Oils CFS 0W20 NT
• Millers Oils CRX 75W90 NT
• Millers Oils CRX LS 75W90 NT
• Torque RT700 brake fluid

Thanks - I appreciate everyone’s time and input in advance!

I'm pretty sure you will end up in Street Prepared with your setup, although it may just be the RC1s pushing you into there from STX. Come out to a Chicago Region event and we can help you get it all squared away! Being your first time running you should also be able to do Novice class. Look forward to seeing you out there!

Lots of parts aren't STX legal. Diff change, driveshaft, all the SPL suspension goodies, control arm brace and steering lockdown. I'd have to check some of the bushings, some are legal some aren't. Metal content can't change.

That's also not SP largely for the same list. Changing to spherical links on suspension hurts classing.

I think a few items are not even SM legal, specifically drive shaft, possibly the bracing. The car will in no way be competitive in SM so a chat with competitors will suffice locally. Stickier than 200 ires are legal though. Hoosiers usually...

Possibly EP, but no way it will be competitive in that class.

Why do you have steering bushings and lockdown? Don’t they serve the equivalent purpose?

If all you care is just having fun and gaining experience, and not being competitive, register as "fun run".
You'll get no points but you'll still get see how you rank.

Your mods at the very least put you in SM. Since you don't care about points, just run in SM.

SM for sure

Firstly, I want to thank all of you guys for jumping in and trying to help a brother out - this is definitely one of the reasons this forum is so great. You all provided good information and for those that invited me out to an event, thanks for the warm welcome. I think the best thing for me at this point is to take you up on the offer and come to a Chicago Region event, introduce myself, watch how things are run, and ask a lot of questions. I’ll probably come out initially just as a spectator to see how things work, and if you local guys can take some time for me on the day, it’d be really appreciated.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction as far as classing. A quick review of the rules on the SCCA website seems to confirm that I’ll be running in SM, which looks crazy competitive - no worries, though, because I’m just out to have fun. I never knew that I could register as a ‘fun run’, which will be perfect for me. I hope the guys in that class can still take some time out for a newbie when the time comes!

Thanks again, guys - much appreciated!

Many thanks, man! If you think of it the next time you run, send me a PM and I’ll try to coordinate things so we can connect at the event - it would be great if you and the guys you run with could show me the basics!

Thanks for the good information! When you say that a chat with the competitors locally will suffice, do you mean that even if some of my parts aren’t legal for SM that talking with them may get them to overlook it because I’m not interested in points and probably won’t be competitive anyway? That’s the way I read it, but I just want to make sure I got it right.

The same thing I said to @Shark_Bait88 applies to you - if you think of it, send me a PM before you run next time and I’ll try to get out to the event to meet face to face and see how it’s done! No pressure, I’m just throwing the offer out there.

Thanks again, man.

Great advice - thanks for the suggestion.

Yeah, they do. I had the Whiteline bushings first, but got the Perrin steering rack lockdowns later thinking I could further eliminate play - if I had to do it over again, I would have skipped the bushings because the Perrin pieces make them unnecessary.

You got it. I'm not particularly up on the details of $M so its possible your mods are legal. But its the land of trailer queen boosted beasts.

I'll be at all the Chicago SCCA and TSSCC events unless something comes up. Neither of these clubs do the "fun run" concept except as optional after-event opportunities, and you had to compete to be eligible. If you run200TW or higher tires, both would put you in T class on an SM index.

See you out there some day!