STX setup sharing thread (2021)

[Breezio]

Originally Posted by Locust

There's no guarantee it ends up in STX because it would upset the entire class as it stands right now.

What I would encourage a lot of you to do if you want the next gen in STX is buy one and drive it locally in time only or in an empty indexed class (as your region allows) to get some good data on paper of what they're capable of. Then gather up your data and write letters to the STAC requesting classing. That's what I intend to do and the more of us that do it the more quickly the car will get a class.

There is no guarantee it'll be in STX, but it's not because it would upset the whole class. Just look at what the ND1 did, then the ND2.

On the last part, I'm selfish and I don't want the second gen in STX because it will be the same thing as the ND1/ND2 probably from a few years ago.
I was hoping they were finally going to turbo it so it would be guaranteed to not be in STX, lol.

[Autoxer62]

Regarding the ND Miata in STR, let's not forget that the Miata is the most raced car in the world, the SCCA has a couple road racing classes just for Miatas, and Mazda sponsors a driver's dinner at Solo Nats. They had the car out there the year prior for demo times and clearly worked with the club to get the classing. Finally, a whole bunch of top drivers jumped into the Miata to pick up contingency money (let's not forget the money).

I'd say it's a bit of a special case.

Now maybe that scenario does in fact play out with the second gen BRZ/86, but it could also be that using the ND Miata as the model for what the SCCA will do and how it will turn out is not a valid assumption.

Me, I'm going to Richmond on Saturday for the VMSC practice event, get me some seat time

[nathand]

Originally Posted by Autoxer62

-- Bryan Blackwell --
2020 Hakone 86 -- KW V2/Karcepts FSB/17x9 RPF1/255-40-17 RT660

How are you liking the Karcepts FSB?
How stiff have you been typically using?
Other thoughts on it?

[Kelse92]

More battery questions lol
Is the MeLe really the best hold down option for the antigravity RS30? Seems to be popular in here. Price seems really high but the part looks quality...
Trying to find an alternative option. Antigravity sells a tray for but it doesn't look great for the money either. Any other alternatives?

[Autoxer62]

Originally Posted by nathand

How are you liking the Karcepts FSB?
How stiff have you been typically using?
Other thoughts on it?

I've only run the car in one event and it's the only one I've tried so I don't have much opinion other than it's a nice quality piece. Right now it's set to full soft, that seemed like a good starting point as full soft is around twice as stiff as the stock bar.

[steverife]

Originally Posted by Kelse92

More battery questions lol
Is the MeLe really the best hold down option for the antigravity RS30? Seems to be popular in here. Price seems really high but the part looks quality...
Trying to find an alternative option. Antigravity sells a tray for but it doesn't look great for the money either. Any other alternatives?

I've got the MeLe box and the Restart 20 in my car. I'm not sure that I can recommend either.

Antigravity: A friend of mine killed a Restart 20 in his BSP car at Bristol this week. Started getting some weird dash lights, then the car wouldn't start and the battery had bulged. Granted, the battery location is in a better spot for mitigating heat in a twin versus an ND, but Kyle ran into issues as he got more into tracking his former STX car. So now I'm in a spot where I paid top dollar for the best and I feel like I need to carry around a backup battery and mounting options.

MeLe: I don't know if I ordered the wrong box or they sent me the wrong box or something changed in how the battery mounts from 2013 to 2016, but the orientation to the mounting plate wouldn't work for my car. Fortunately, I was able to use washers in the slots to mount the tray, then spin a nut on upside down bolts to mount the box to the tray. It looks nice in the car and the battery isn't going anywhere, but for the money, it is pretty unacceptable to have to rig up a mounting solution.

[Kelse92]

Originally Posted by steverife

I've got the MeLe box and the Restart 20 in my car. I'm not sure that I can recommend either.

Good to know on the MeLe, sounds like it confirms my suspicions that it's probably not all that great for the money. I think I'll be better off having someone local fabricate me something.

As far as the battery goes the 20 seemed a little small so I'm trying the 30. I talked with their sales rep Bart last week and went over all their options with him so fingers crossed it works well (I plan to leave it on a trickle). I liked the one I had in my BMW but it was much larger.

[steverife]

Originally Posted by Kelse92

Good to know on the MeLe, sounds like it confirms my suspicions that it's probably not all that great for the money. I think I'll be better off having someone local fabricate me something.

As far as the battery goes the 20 seemed a little small so I'm trying the 30. I talked with their sales rep Bart last week and went over all their options with him so fingers crossed it works well (I plan to leave it on a trickle). I liked the one I had in my BMW but it was much larger.

Yeah. I was actually going to sell the MeLe piece and see what I could do with a die and metal scraps. But since I'm now worried about overheating the Antigravity, I'm glad to have the box.

[justint5387]

Originally Posted by e1_griego

lol just buy a $30k car so I can write a letter.

That's nonsense.

I talked to a STAC member a few months ago about it, so that's where my info came from.

Either way, I'm not buying one unless I have to. Not many classes left that run 245/40s and where I also fit.

Ooo if it makes 250whp, i join you there :P

[Autoxer62]

Notes from Richmond on RT660 tire pressures:

I went to the practice event at RIR, the lot is kinda crumbly asphalt, ended up getting 15 runs in three heats, weather was 80 and mostly sunny. I started off at 32 psi and checked temps after a couple runs and eyeballed how far the tire rolled, and dropped the pressure to 31 then 30 in the second heat. I re-checked the temps (infrared, not probe) and they were decent across the tread and the car felt pretty good.

Some caveats - I have a very basic setup with only 2.5 deg front/2 deg rear camber. I'm also rather out of practice, so I'm slow (2 seconds off the good STX guys there). I'll post an update when I have a better setup/driver/data, but if one is running these tires and wants a starting point I wouldn't go higher than 32.

[RT-BRZ]

Originally Posted by Autoxer62

Notes from Richmond on RT660 tire pressures:

I went to the practice event at RIR, the lot is kinda crumbly asphalt, ended up getting 15 runs in three heats, weather was 80 and mostly sunny. I started off at 32 psi and checked temps after a couple runs and eyeballed how far the tire rolled, and dropped the pressure to 31 then 30 in the second heat. I re-checked the temps (infrared, not probe) and they were decent across the tread and the car felt pretty good.

Some caveats - I have a very basic setup with only 2.5 deg front/2 deg rear camber. I'm also rather out of practice, so I'm slow (2 seconds off the good STX guys there). I'll post an update when I have a better setup/driver/data, but if one is running these tires and wants a starting point I wouldn't go higher than 32.

I've been running my RT660's at 30 psi square at our events. I haven't had any concerns at those temps and I'm running a significant amount of negative camber front and rear. I haven't had any grip problems other than running a rear sway bar way too stiff. I've moved back to a stock bar with RacerX links and poly bushings so we'll see how that goes.

[Locust]

Originally Posted by e1_griego

lol just buy a $30k car so I can write a letter.

That's nonsense.

I talked to a STAC member a few months ago about it, so that's where my info came from.

Either way, I'm not buying one unless I have to. Not many classes left that run 245/40s and where I also fit.

If no one buys them and no one writes letters then how can anyone here expect it to be classed quickly? Especially when STX is currently the 2nd most popular class for 2021 Nationals (behind ES and tied with SSC).

It's a simple calculus: Do you want the car or don't you? If you want the car then buy it, drive it in local events, and write in to request classing. If you don't want the car and would only begrudgingly buy it to drive it in STX if/when it's ever classed that way then don't buy it and let it get classed or forgotten about.

I think all these comparisons to the ND1/ND2 in STR are Apples to Oranges. We're talking 8 model years of the FT86 vs. just barely over 2 model years of the ND1.

[steverife]

Originally Posted by Locust

If no one buys them and no one writes letters then how can anyone here expect it to be classed quickly? Especially when STX is currently the 2nd most popular class for 2021 Nationals (behind ES and tied with SSC).

It's a simple calculus: Do you want the car or don't you? If you want the car then buy it, drive it in local events, and write in to request classing. If you don't want the car and would only begrudgingly buy it to drive it in STX if/when it's ever classed that way then don't buy it and let it get classed or forgotten about.

I think all these comparisons to the ND1/ND2 in STR are Apples to Oranges. We're talking 8 model years of the FT86 vs. just barely over 2 model years of the ND1.

They can take 3 years to class it as far as I'm concerned. Or 30 years even.

[Locust]

Originally Posted by steverife

They can take 3 years to class it as far as I'm concerned. Or 30 years even.

I imagine you won't be the only one with that sentiment. I don't feel any particular attachment to my FT so I'll buy a GR and futz around in it for a few years. If it doesn't get classed competitively eventually that's fine I can move on.