Autocross megathread

[mattm]

Or lost by 0.010 (BT, DT).

 

[optronix]

Firstly, I am currently a member of the committee for SCCA that classes cars in the Street category. Each category (Street, Street Touring, Street Prepared, etc) has its own classing committee. Its 100% volunteer and eats up many hours of my free time per month. We get nothing for it. I am serving my 7th and final year.

With that said - in the Street category we often 'get out ahead' and class a new car before we get a letter from a member asking for it. However, that's rare. The membership is usually more anxious than the committee is! And a car cannot be classed based on speculation of the specifications. It often gets classed when enough journalists (YouTube or print) have gotten to drive them or even until they hit showroom floors.

If a precedent was set where each committee had to class EVERY new car/trim without getting a letter, there would be no volunteers. Who wants to look up the specs on a Nissan Versa?!?! No one will likely ever want to drive one competitively. So why bother? Wait until someone is insane enough to want to drive it at a National-level autocross event and they can write a letter asking for it to be classed.

Additionally, any 2024 model year cars are not officially classed until the 2023 Solo National Championships are complete. That way no one wins a National Championship just because they won the wait-list battle at the dealership.

With ALL of that said - the Type S was clearly not on a lot of members radar. I had to submit a letter to my own committee asking for it to be classed in the Street Category! And it appears no one submitted a letter to the Street Touring Committee asking it to be classed there. Keep in mind it the FL5 is in STU so there is no reason for them to place the DE5 anyplace else. And FWD cars don't normally do well in STU as you are up against some AWD and RWD platforms.



If competing locally and for fun - no need to read the whole rule book! Keep in mind Solo Nationals has 1500 competitors dedicating an entire year to competing at Nationals. Classes have been won by 0.001 of a second over the course of 2 days on 2 different courses. Without strict rules, there would be a lot of cheating and anarchy.

There are plenty of good guides online. This one seems decent: https://www.scca-classifier.com/a/index.html as well as: https://www.wny-scca.com/car-classing-guide/

Rarely do I get the satisfaction of interfacing directly with the "powers-that-be" that I am prone to ranting on about. It is both an honor and a privilege! And I sincerely hope you don't take this personally- I get that you are doing this for nothing, and it is likely a mostly thankless job... but that doesn't mean I can't complain about it! I do appreciate you taking the time to respond though, and I will certainly investigate the links you provided.

I do get that going through classing a Versa makes little sense, but the ITS is a clear and obvious enthusiast car so I don't really see the comparison as valid... but all in all I think you pretty much answered any and all complaints I'd have about the classing with this line right here-

Additionally, any 2024 model year cars are not officially classed until the 2023 Solo National Championships are complete. That way no one wins a National Championship just because they won the wait-list battle at the dealership.

As for the rest of the rules, and the crazy competition- I totally get it. It's what makes competing at that level fun for the folks that are in the hunt for championships... but also intimidating to newbs and casuals.

My whole point is, for someone like me who has a hard enough time just finding events, having to know the ins and outs of a very complicated classing system (that also happened to exclude my car because it's too new...) just to sign up has kept me from participating up to this point. Maybe I'm just lazy and in the minority, I won't try to suggest otherwise... but just food for thought.

All that said you've provided me with something to chew on, so I'll very likely get over whatever reservations I have and get going with SCCA this year.

 

[Gefiltefish]

Haha, all good. 7+ years on the committee has made me grow some thick skin! I can take it!!

The best thing about SCCA is that most region's have a registration team that knows the rules/classes fairly well. If the region does things right, they will allow you to pre-register with class of "UNK" and will figure it out when you check-in on-site. I do it unofficially for my local region. I get a text saying 'Sam - what class is a Geo Metro in with 15x8 wheels and different camshafts". I almost always can get the dart close to the bullseye with that type of info! And every region has someone similar to me.

I see you are in Maryland? There is a lot of fantastic autocross in that area and very well run regions. Washington DC Region is one of the best regions in the country.

 

[mattm]

Haha, all good. 7+ years on the committee has made me grow some thick skin! I can take it!!

The best thing about SCCA is that most region's have a registration team that knows the rules/classes fairly well. If the region does things right, they will allow you to pre-register with class of "UNK" and will figure it out when you check-in on-site. I do it unofficially for my local region. I get a text saying 'Sam - what class is a Geo Metro in with 15x8 wheels and different camshafts". I almost always can get the dart close to the bullseye with that type of info! And every region has someone similar to me.

But if it does get classed sooner, them it can compete, correct? SAC and SEB can approve a car for clarification.

 

[Gefiltefish]

But if it does get classed sooner, them it can compete, correct? SAC and SEB can approve a car for clarification.

Correct. Rarely done if its a brand new car/model. I believe the 2015 WRX hit showrooms in July and was made eligible to complete at 2014 Nationals and someone almost won in one.

More commonly is like when its a model roll-over. For instance, the 2024 ASpec Integra (which hit showrooms in May 2023!) was exactly the same as the 2023 so 2024 models were allowed to compete if the SAC updated the model years.

 

[mattm]

I'm thinking since the CTR and the ITS are the new "twins" in autocross, it would stand to reason to put them in the same class unless weight or something else is a lot different then different classes could be needed.

 

[ND2SloActiv]

I got my Type-S about a month ago and will be jumping in the B-Street waters full blast. Ordered my wheels (18x9.5 ET58 Apex EC-7) and tires (V730 in 275/35-18) on Wednesday.... I have left-over sway bars from when I campaigned my 10th/11th gen Civics (had an '18 Si, '20 Sport Hatch and '22 Si). I will likely start the year with my RV6 rear bar as its far less noisy than my Karcepts bar.

I run a lot Nationally so will be out and about in Pro/Tour events in the midwest. As well as local events in the Milwaukee/Chicago area.

Any updates on how you like the performance of your wheel and tire setup? I've been looking at nearly the exact same for Autocross this season. You can go wider but 275/35r18 seems to offer the best tire choices and is slightly taller which might benefit our gearing.

 

[Gefiltefish]

Any updates on how you like the performance of your wheel and tire setup? I've been looking at nearly the exact same for Autocross this season. You can go wider but 275/35r18 seems to offer the best tire choices and is slightly taller which might benefit our gearing.

Not yet. My first event isn't until the first weekend in May.

In case anyone was wondering - the wheels I ordered have PLENTY of thread engagement for the lug nuts. 7 turns before I even made contact.

Also OEM TPMS sensors do work with the Apex wheels.

 

[ND2SloActiv]

I've already done two events with the car completely stock. It's really impressive. Other drivers are constantly coming up to me saying how composed and flat the car looks. Raw times have been very competitive but B street pax is rough.

My biggest opportunity is traction with the OE 4S. It's been colder in Ohio and these tires hate anything below 60 degrees. 1st gear is basically useless but thankfully there's zero torque steer. I've been able to rotate the car nicely with controlled oversteer. I suspect with a better tire it won't be as easy and I'll jump up to the Rev6 rear bar.

Having a blast with it so far! Can't wait to hear your impressions as well.

 

[Gernett]

Had my first session with my ITS last Sunday. I had sooo much fun. There are so much thing to explore and learn! I felt it was very hard to rotate the car (purly stock), 2nd gear all through the course and no boost. But man it is fun. Just signed up for another one for this weekend looking for more fun!

 

[ZeroGSR]

Had my first session with my ITS last Sunday. I had sooo much fun. There are so much thing to explore and learn! I felt it was very hard to rotate the car (purly stock), 2nd gear all through the course and no boost. But man it is fun. Just signed up for another one for this weekend looking for more fun!

Were you doing the pedal dance before each run? I ask because the car will NOT rotate unless you do. I didn't have issue rotating (within reason for a FWD car) stock, but have the R6 RSB going on next week to make it a little easier, and as per above likely will be required when I get the RT660s on.

 

[Gernett]

Were you doing the pedal dance before each run? I ask because the car will NOT rotate unless you do. I didn't have issue rotating (within reason for a FWD car) stock, but have the R6 RSB going on next week to make it a little easier, and as per above likely will be required when I get the RT660s on.

Yeah I failed to do the pedal dances, that might be part of the reason. I am also trying to be conservative for my first day

 

[optronix]

Yeah I failed to do the pedal dances, that might be part of the reason. I am also trying to be conservative for my first day

That is 100% the reason. You may find it annoying at first but it literally takes 10 seconds and becomes muscle memory by your 3rd run.

You can't drive this thing in anger without the nannies turned off.

 

[Gernett]

That is 100% the reason. You may find it annoying at first but it literally takes 10 seconds and becomes muscle memory by your 3rd run.

You can't drive this thing in anger without the nannies turned off.

Got it, I will try to practice doing that XD

 

[ND2SloActiv]

I did 3 runs with the VSA half off because it was cold and I thought it could help with traction. First run with it fully off I ran nearly 1.5 seconds faster. Even in colder temps (50-55) it's better to run with it turned off completely.

I ran into a set of FL5 take-offs on Facebook marketplace. I can't seem to find any good 200tw options for the 19" unless I go to 305/30. Anyone running a tire this wide on a factory offset?