Car Classing Information

Mark Vitacco · **Posted:** Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:08 pm

Richard:

Origionally I interpeted the SCCA SOLO1 rules same as you but
Matt Graham put me streight.

What is says is any SOLO2 '73 and newer vehicle, prepped to SOLO1
safety standards, may run in "THIS CATAGORY" Where 'this catagory'
means Showroom Stock. Choise one of either SSX,SSA,SSB SSC, T1
T2 and by implication SSGT.

IF you car was at any time classified in
a SS class use the last class appearing in a GCR, else use SSX for the
catch-all. "Any car that is legal for SOLO2 Stock National class, and
is 1973 model or newer, willrun in SSX"

As an historical note, at first I just said heck with that mess, just use
all the established SOLO1 classes. However, we get caught up with lots
of single car classes because very few entries are actually stock. Also
ended up with M3 running with Civic's and that sort of thing.

If anyone has a collection of 1980's to mid 1990's GCR we could sure
better document the Shroom Stock classes- contact me!

In reality, this has not been a issue because, as mentioned, very few
people leave their suspensions stock and/or motor's stock, most end up in Street Prepaired so SSX seems to work.

jimpastorius · **Posted:** Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:21 pm

I am not sure who COM Sports Car Club is, but they have a nice write up on car classifications. The 1LE is excluded from their SSGT class and moved in their SSU (our SSX) class.

From the THSCC TT and Mark's input...it is off to SSX

when the day comes.

In case anyone is interested...a little history to the demise of SSGT

Quote:

With the "tube framization" of Sedan and Production, it became difficult to find a place to race cars with a production basis cheaply. Showroom stock was introduced; the idea was to run cars right off the dealer floor, with minimal modifications. It was a big success. Like most big successes, the seeds of potential failure were planted right from the start. The simple fact is that the concept is impossible to fully police. Yes, the car must be a car that the factory could have delivered. This doesn't keep you from visiting the factory with a precise scale, and looking for the lightest four pistons that weigh almost exactly the same, and a similiar set of piston rods. It doesn't keep you from calling Eibach up on the phone and asking for a matched set of stock springs for your SSB Miata. It doesn't keep you from "borrowing" 200 Neon shocks, dropping in on Roger Penske's shock plant in Reading PA, and running all the Neon shocks through the shock dyno looking for the good ones (every single one of the things described has actually been done at one time or another.)

Inevitably costs went up, and the simple fact is that a nationally competitive, legal "Showroom stock" motor costs at least twice as much as a real stock motor.

Then, another factor arose: the current models of Camaros, Firebirds, and Mustangs. These cars were obviously too fast for bolt in 6 point roll cages that were mandated for SS. The Competition Board opted not to list the latest models of the big American muscle cars for SSGT. As a result, 1996 is the first year in a long time where SSGT has not been contested at the National Level (cars "age" out of Showroom Stock, and the last cars legal to compete Nationally in SSGT "aged" out on January 1, 1996.)

This happened at the same time as other concerns about the SS concept became serious. A year ago, the SCCA Competition board floated the concept of Touring classes, which allowed more modifications than SS, in an effort to rationalize the concept (T cars may also be required to carry ballast for competition equalization, something that was not the case in SS). In addition, Touring cars were permitted fully welded 8 point cages (since then, the decision was made to permit the welded 8 point cages in Showroom Stock as well.) The new Camaros, Firebirds, and Mustangs were all moved to the new Touring 1 (T1) class, and a few SSA cars (the BMW M3 and the Honda Prelude) were moved up to T1 as well. This is the first year of national competition in any form of Touring; it's been interesting to watch. (I should point out that T1 in club racing is in no way related to T1 in SCCA Pro Racing's World Challenge series.)

tomherbert · **Posted:** Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:33 pm

The stock class question also applys to me for the Rockingham Time Trial. Just had Chris Schimell build me a real nice roll bar to be able to do the time trial in Rockingham and in the future, but the rest of the car (motor, suspension, brakes, etc.) is only prepared to SCCA Solo II stock class rules and I plan to keep it that way. I thought I could just use the Solo II class but now it seems that the Showroom Stock class is what governs. Anyone know the showroom stock class for a '98 Ford Contour SVT? I don't have a collection of old GCR's to refer to. A very few years back the SCCA did a Solo I national championship using the Solo II classes. I think the results still show in this year's SCCA Solo II rule book. Is there any reason we can't go to the Solo II stock classes rather than showroom stock? The Solo II classes have got to be more comprehensive and are certainly keep up to date. It would make an easier transition for some people coming to time trial from autocross.

Thanks,

Tom Herbert

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

tomherbert wrote:

I thought I could just use the Solo II class but now it seems that the Showroom Stock class is what governs. Anyone know the showroom stock class for a '98 Ford Contour SVT?

Here it is

SSB (c)

tomherbert · **Posted:** Wed Aug 10, 2005 2:51 pm

Thanks, that was quick.

Diane Hall · **Posted:** Wed Aug 10, 2005 3:14 pm

tomherbert wrote:

Is there any reason we can't go to the Solo II stock classes rather than showroom stock?

Mark Vitacco wrote:

As an historical note, at first I just said heck with that mess, just use all the established SOLO1 classes. However, we get caught up with lots of single car classes because very few entries are actually stock.

The first TT year, I remember running BS with Mr. Kauffman. (Back when Miatas were in BS.)

MilesBeam · **Joined:** Fri Aug 15, 2003 1:57 pm **Posts:** 427

Quote:

I believe Camaro/FIrebirds & Mustang's were SSGT

You are correct. The third gens like Jim's ran in SSGT. I don't know the guy that runs this website, but he swiped my description and pics of my old 1LE when I had it on ebay, and memorialized them here. It's a photo the previous owner gave me, that he got from the race team, back when the car was competing in SSGT. You can still see the SSGT decals on the car.

I am referring to the blue third gen Trans Am on this link:
http://performancefbody.com/rides.htm

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

tomherbert wrote:

Thanks, that was quick.

Hey, I have one too; might as well learn some more about it.

Karl Kauffman · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 7:59 pm **Posts:** 8

Diane Hall said;
The first TT year, I remember running BS with Mr. Kauffman. (Back when Miatas were in BS.)

Diane, I remember alot of running Bull S&%$ when you lived down here!

I think I kind of miss that...

Mark Vitacco · **Posted:** Wed Aug 10, 2005 11:42 pm

Reading through the above comments there are few items that need
clearification. For now I shall try and summerize.

Since the SCCA SOLO1 program was "decoupled" from
the National SOLO program in 2005, the relevent documentation
would be the 2004 National SOLO Rules pages 31 and 32.

SCCA National SOLO Stock catagory classes are not used but National SOLO Stock legal vehicles preped to SOLO1 safety spec should be mapped to one of the following Showroom Stock Classes:
SSX, SSGT, SSA, SSB,SSC, T1,T2.
IF you can find a GCR that has your car listed in one of
the Showroom Stock classes use that, ELSE use SSX as the 'catch all'.

All SCCA National SOLO Street Prepared Catagory classes are FULLY supported:ASP,BSP,CSP,DSP,ESP, FSP, and "ZSP"

All SCCA National SOLO Prepared Catagory Classes: AP, BP, CP etc.
are supported.

Street Prepared cars can run in Improved Touring where ITE becomes the "catch all" class.

SPEC Miata can run in CSP. That is were most of them are running
and it makes up a good class. Eventually we may want to move
the SPEC MIATA's into SM if CSP gets too big but the people in CSP
can make that call and that sort of thing can be brough up at the
Drivers Meeting.

Most of the above with the exception of ZSP and SSGT is right out of
page 31 and 32 in the 2004 SCCA National SOLO Rules

In practice we try and consolidate as many "SOLO2" vehicles as possible into one of the club racing classes because a lot of these
cars have the interior stripped out, have roll cages, and would not
be tehnically legal for Street Prepaired OR they would be in a one car
class. An example, Jim Wray could run by himself in FSP and be legal but would have more fun in ITB running with Chris Schimell and myself (that is when the Scirocco is not broke! )

We also try to map and consolidate as many Marque Club Racing
classes into SCCA Club Racing classes. This would be BMWCCA
or PCA Club racing classes mapped to a comparable Improved
Touring Class or ITE, SPO. ITE should be a legal
Street Prep or Improved Touring car. SPO should be used to bump
cars with mods not approved for IT or Street Prepared. How does
theses classes map out? Most of the time we need to see the car
to make that determination and sometimes come to an agreenment
with the people in the class. Good example here is Bill Hutchens M3LTW.
the LTW is classed in ASP but Bill's is stripped out with big brakes so he
runs in SPO.

Another option is GT and Production but those race cars require full cages fuel cells, and run non DOT tires (real slicks) Hence should not be used
as a bump class due to no class approved modification

Another popular Time Trial class is SPU and SPO. This would be
the equlivent of EM. SPU is under 2.0L and SPO is over 2.0L . This
is where you go when you put a big brake kit or a supercharger (or
both) on your car. SPU would also include Sports Racers, Legons
Cars and such. We don't support open wheel for obvious reasons.

Remember the Time Trial Series is our own "sandbox". It's not much
fun when there is 50 different catagories and 50 people running in
single car classes, but if two BMWCCA JStock cars want to make a
class we'll run the class. In practice, most of the time, a new driver
or new vehicle is classed at the drivers meeting upon agreenment
with the people runing in the class and myself as TT Chairman. Another
reason why it's imporant to COME TO THE TT DRIVERS MEETING.

It a ballance between flexable but serious about runing a leget series
for year end points. The downside is It's harder to make a complete
list (like the SCCA National SOLO Rules) that covers 99% of every
vehicle senerio that can show up. Experience has shown us that, with
regard to classing, less is better than more, and simple is better than
complicated. Does anyof this make sence????

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