spec twins class in SCCA solo2

[Shark_Bait88]

A lot of great suggestions in here. I'd also add an allowance for oil coolers, since they aren't really going to do much for you in autox anyway and it'll allow those who also participate in HPDE to participate in an autox class with rules that would make for a decent mild track day prep too.

[Racecomp Engineering]

This could be interesting. I think somewhere between CS and STX is the sweet spot as others have mentioned, along with enough allowances that make sense for FRS/BRZ drivers that make sense (like the oil cooler).

- Andrew

[strat61caster]

Originally Posted by stock

To me the header/reflash is basic kit for this car. Adds no weight, fairly easy to install yourself, removes nothing from the original design intent.

Except street legality.

[stevesnj]

So is Solo2 Autocross or Track?

[redlined600]

Originally Posted by stevesnj

So is Solo2 Autocross or Track?

Autocross

I'd argue against the whole idea of a spec class, in part for the reasons Tqless wonder already stated. Once you spec things people will open their wallet to find any edge.

The closest thing to a spec class now is the car de jour in any street class. The twin already has places to play and if the miata didn't warrant a spec class then the twin sure won't.

Finally, you want to talk about the mother of all take-backs once participation wanes and the class evaporates.

[Shark_Bait88]

Yeah, as much as I like the idea I think it would spread things too thin between three classes (spec, street, and street touring). With a lot of participation it could be fun, but making the idea work in reality would probably prove pretty difficult.

[TrqlessWonder]

Well, whether it happens can be heavily influenced by where the alleged "groundswell" is coming from.

From the participants, mixed luck. From above (national office)? I present to you Heritage Classic...

And that's kind of hints at the basic situation. Who knows if it'll happen, and who knows what it'll look like? That said, this is probably one of those "write your letters" kind of things. Only the vocal get heard.

[xwd]

A spec class has to use specific parts for suspension/power, no real room for interpretation. 17x8 wheels, tires open.

[renfield90]

People already bring sticker tires for nats, it's part of the game. Hell I know of some SSR ballers who have brought one full sticker set PER DAY.

You want the car to be tunable, which is why off the shelf SA Konis are a great idea. But part of the cost control is limiting innovation and saying "thou shalt use this part, and no other" so you really don't have much creativity to find an edge over someone. Spec Miata is an example of spec racing gone too far (who here remembers what a plunge cut is?) but there are plenty of other good examples of what a spec series could look like. I actually built most of a Spec E30 on a college student budget way back when (not counting safety stuff, but hey, the car was pretty fun).

I'll also point out, there's no reason this has to happen under the SCCA umbrella. We can make our own sanctioning body, get insurance, and hold events across the country. Maybe pair up with all those 86 fests that keep popping up everywhere. I'd say this is actually more likely to succeed than trying to go through the SEB. Given that the twins are potential overdogs in DS, sorta viable in CS, and top contenders in STX, it's a tough sell to add yet another class that would probably draw people from all three of those rather than bring additional fresh blood into the sport.

It's fun to think about, but if you're serious about making this happen, you need to have clear goals and vision for the spec class and who you're going to draw into your events.

[TrqlessWonder]

Originally Posted by xwd

A spec class has to use specific parts for suspension/power, no real room for interpretation. 17x8 wheels, tires open.

Careful, there. No room for interpretation does not equal no room for variation. Everything that's made, is made within a tolerance of some sort/size.

OTS shocks only have to be in a range. If they're tested at the factory, they might be on a sampling plan, and an odd set might sneak through. So some will spend the time and effort to find well-matched shocks, with the measurements all the way at one end of the tolerance range. Others might look up the acceptable limits for the size of crash bolts or size of the strut slots, and do the work to get at the limits of those ranges.

That's just the most front-of-mind example. Here you'd have two cars, running all the same part numbers. One guy was just a little more in the spirit of the rules, and literally bolted up whatever he got out of the box. The other guy has shocks matched left to right with much more of an ideal dyno curve, and is carrying another 2-3 tenths more negative camber.

These are the kinds of things I'm talking about when I say it's hard for a rules-making committee (SCCA, NASA, Optima, Good Guys, doesn't matter) to control for. It might not happen right away, but by the third season, we'll have dorked it up for ourselves.

[M0nk3y]

I highly doubt there will ever be a Spec class of any car ever. We don't need more classes, and this is exactly what this does.

[justint5387]

What's the point?

[APEXIT53]

hmmm, not exactly sure what I think of this. There are already sooooo many classes in scca solo as it is. The two strongest numbered classes last year were CS and STX so something is currently working. STX almost already is SPEC BRZ/frs/86 as it is and the longer they own the class the more prepped cars you will see out there. That said a few people have proven that the class can be competitive on a 5k build.


Im not entirly sure what adding a in between class would really do but thats just me.

[bslate3]

I like the idea of a spec 86SM class. It would be cool to see what people can come up with.

But a slightly cheaper option would be the CSP86 class.