SCCA Solo D Street discussion

[cmiovino]

Originally Posted by Roadphantom

How popular are the A052 in your region locally? In Eastern Canada at least, I haven't even seen anyone run them mostly because of the large price difference here. Its about $450cdn between RE71R and A052 in 245/40/17 STX size.

Ours is about 50/50. Those on a budget or doing 20-30 events per year are looking at the RT660's. People who are really gunning for times or have cars with enough camber to not totally chew through them are going A052.

The A052 tends to not take the heat well. If you overdrive it, you can also scorch through a set very quickly. Like 30 runs quickly. Yet I've seen others go 150 runs on them surprisingly.


The RT660's are basically a refined RE-71R. They might be a hair slower or right on par, but have been showing not to heat cycle out as quick. It seems like RE's are downhill after 60-70 good runs. By 100, you have tread, but the compound is getting hard. 660's are looking like they are more or less good to the end of tread.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by cmiovino

I'm actually kinda pissed with the change

I'm not sure about your regions specifically, but in ours, CS is slower than DS by a good 1-2 seconds. Even the ND Miata with an experienced driver.

DS has the Civic Type R, which is top dog in DS right now. 265 tires, 300HP. The Veloster N is another big player now too.

At our last event, the CTRs were getting a 41.8, Veloster low 42's. Top in CS? 43.8 ND Miata. Me in 175 run RE's... 45.1

Even with new tires, I think I'd be in the high 43's at best with the ND. There's a full 2 second difference on a ~45 second course with a CTR and twin.

The CTR is just 0.2-0.3 off AS times with hella good drivers. I think it's really a BS car at most. If anything, the BRZ both PP and non should be in CS with similar cars even though the PAX is worse than DS.

End rant on the CTRs. Our region now has 8 running this upcoming year. DS simply isn't the car for the twins at all now.

This. We have one type R, but he drives in the Pro index. In street open index we have an STi and a Golf R, but the guy who won drives a Velocter N. The actual DS class has like 3 entrants at most.

[SCFD]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

So it seems that the 2021 rules have removed the BRZ Performance Pack from CS and dropped it to DS with the base models. The tS stays in CS.

Thoughts? Does this mean base models can upgrade to PP shocks, and brakes?

I think it'd be tough for base models to upgrade -- don't you have to add every part from the higher trim model? For the cost and work involved, it might be easier to move into STX.

The change doesn't really affect me since I went into this knowing DS has other much faster cars. The fields at local events also aren't big enough to worry about but I might regret my decision for trying to compete in DS using a twin at a larger regional or national event.

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by SCFD

I think it'd be tough for base models to upgrade -- don't you have to add every part from the higher trim model? For the cost and work involved, it might be easier to move into STX.

The change doesn't really affect me since I went into this knowing DS has other much faster cars. The fields at local events also aren't big enough to worry about but I might regret my decision for trying to compete in DS using a twin at a larger regional or national event.

I forgot about the "all or nothing" rule.

[steverife]

Originally Posted by cmiovino

I'm actually kinda pissed with the change

I'm not sure about your regions specifically, but in ours, CS is slower than DS by a good 1-2 seconds. Even the ND Miata with an experienced driver.

DS has the Civic Type R, which is top dog in DS right now. 265 tires, 300HP. The Veloster N is another big player now too.

At our last event, the CTRs were getting a 41.8, Veloster low 42's. Top in CS? 43.8 ND Miata. Me in 175 run RE's... 45.1

Even with new tires, I think I'd be in the high 43's at best with the ND. There's a full 2 second difference on a ~45 second course with a CTR and twin.

The CTR is just 0.2-0.3 off AS times with hella good drivers. I think it's really a BS car at most. If anything, the BRZ both PP and non should be in CS with similar cars even though the PAX is worse than DS.

End rant on the CTRs. Our region now has 8 running this upcoming year. DS simply isn't the car for the twins at all now.

I think your region just has better drivers in DS.

From the events that I've attended, the DS winners (which always seem to be from Steel Cities) are about a second slower than CS over 2 days and about 3 seconds slower than AS over 2 days.

[strat61caster]

Or a course design style that doesn't reward the agility of the Miata/86 and instead the power/torque of the turbo-hatches.

[cmiovino]

I'll probably catch flak for this, but are you guys running 0w-20 or 5w-30 for autocross?

I ran Motul 0w-20 last year (first year with the car) and didn't notice anything terrible about it. On my WRX, I ran 5w-40 when 5w-30 was recommended, so it feels sketchy running a 20 weight.

I know 5w-30 is recommended on these cars for "track use" to keep oil pressures up. The highest my oil temp got was ~240ish on the 0w-20 in grid after runs. I never saw anything near the 270 mark.

[strat61caster]

Nah, I still use 0W-20, probably will switch to 5W-30 as I cross 100k miles and I'm a little more hopeful to hit up the track this year.

And you're not going to notice a difference unless you're doing consistent oil analysis and you run the engine to it's death. Not many have actually crossed 100k miles and the few who do run them hard have had issues. Cheap insurance, but not worth losing sleep over, unless of course you can't afford the $3k-$5k to replace the engine...

[SCFD]

Originally Posted by cmiovino

I'll probably catch flak for this, but are you guys running 0w-20 or 5w-30 for autocross?

I ran Motul 0w-20 last year (first year with the car) and didn't notice anything terrible about it. On my WRX, I ran 5w-40 when 5w-30 was recommended, so it feels sketchy running a 20 weight.

I know 5w-30 is recommended on these cars for "track use" to keep oil pressures up. The highest my oil temp got was ~240ish on the 0w-20 in grid after runs. I never saw anything near the 270 mark.

I think it's been well documented that it'll be beneficial to go with a heavier weight oil for the track but I'd stick to 0W20 if I was only running autocross. There's probably just not enough runs, heat, and sustained high rpms to worry about.

Just run whatever you feel comfortable with since there's really no price difference between the 2 oil grades and no harm in the 0W30. I'm personally using Pennzoil Platinum Euro 0W30 year-round.

[steverife]

I was getting an intermittent CEL for slow cam response at pro solos running 0w20. I switched to 5w30 and it seemed to clear up.

[Biggins]

5w30.

I think DS will beat CS on the smaller courses with digs that I've seen the past couple years in the smaller lots many regions have to use now. I couldn't match my own time in a GS Civic Si with my CS FR-S two seasons ago because the Si could dig out of the 3-4 sub 20mph corners!

On a normal national course, CS should have no trouble gapping DS. Pittsburgh does have strong DS drivers though. The PittRace national events I attended years ago favored the slow dig type course I mentioned above... if that is where events are held?

[cmiovino]

Originally Posted by Biggins

5w30.

I think DS will beat CS on the smaller courses with digs that I've seen the past couple years in the smaller lots many regions have to use now. I couldn't match my own time in a GS Civic Si with my CS FR-S two seasons ago because the Si could dig out of the 3-4 sub 20mph corners!

On a normal national course, CS should have no trouble gapping DS. Pittsburgh does have strong DS drivers though. The PittRace national events I attended years ago favored the slow dig type course I mentioned above... if that is where events are held?

Yep, PittRace. Only national event I did there was the 2018 Match Tour, aka the freezing event the CSP Miata's oil drain bolt came out. The surface was resurfaced at the beginning of last year and is superb now with competition grade asphalt.


Steel Cities' DS is basically called 'pro' class here. All the top drivers from other classes have moved into DS... and then the BRZ was reclassed, which is how I got tossed in.

[SCFD]

This past week I picked up OE crash bolts, StopTech Sport 309 pads, SuperPro 22mm FSB, and 215/40R17 Maxxis VR-1s. I just have to find time to install all the parts and I'm all ready to go for D Street prep.

[cmiovino]

I ended up getting my A052's in 225/45/17 installed. Used a 3mm spacer and the performance pack +48 wheels. I thought they'd be close because everyone was saying the A052's ran so wide, but here's a good pinky finger's gap between the strut and tire. Much more than my RE's in 225 on a +53 wheel.

Initial impressions: They're not as vague as everyone is claiming. I hair less steering feedback/feel, but not that much less. Noise wise, they're QUIET. Comfort/impact wise they feel generally like a 200TW tire.

Had them installed in 70 degree weather and now it's going to be 25 degrees the morning of our first event on Saturday. They'll be in a warm garage until I pull out in the morning. Think they'll be damaged driving 1 hour to the site?... then also sitting 2-3 hours while it's ~30 degrees and running them?