New SCCA rules removing HS classing

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:18 am

So, Patrice mentioned this at the Cherry Point autox that the SCCA in their infinite wisdom has collapsed HS and GS into one GS class now. I've just gone over the August fasttrack and this indeed seems to be true as there is now NO HS class and my mazda 3 looks to be classed in GS. This effectively makes my mazda 3 a non player now. I'm a little pissed at this move considering the plans I had for the car. Now I'm not sure how to move forward.

Jeremy Ellison · **Joined:** Fri May 13, 2011 5:01 pm **Posts:** 186

H Stock beat G Stock in raw times the last 3 years in Lincoln.

Results Archive: http://www.scca.com/solo/content.cfm?cid=44519

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:50 am

Jeremy Ellison wrote:

H Stock beat G Stock in raw times the last 3 years in Lincoln.

Results Archive: http://www.scca.com/solo/content.cfm?cid=44519

That may be true, but there's no way in hell my mazda 3 has anything for likes of Matt's Integra and that's a GS car. Assuming Matt drove both cars, the Integra would win hands down. That 3 while a great HS car isn't cut out for GS.

<still pissed>

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 11:52 am

Yeah, the slow end of the autox spectrum really didn't seem to warrant 2 classes. Clearly you just need to move to STF, you won't even have to do anything to beat me :lol:

PS- Matt's integra is a DS car? Mini, Celica ST, ACR Neon and Focus are the droids you are looking to run against.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:06 pm

Ryan Holton wrote:

Yeah, the slow end of the autox spectrum really didn't seem to warrant 2 classes. Clearly you just need to move to STF, you won't even have to do anything to beat me :lol:

PS- Matt's integra is a DS car? Mini, Celica ST, ACR Neon and Focus are the droids you are looking to run against.

My bad, thought he was a GS car based on what I glanced over. Must be the red mist I was reading thru... Still, I can't see that 3 being competitive anymore. STF may be an option, I just hate to spend the bucks on that car right now. I'm having issues w/ inside wheel spin now and adding an LSD would be the only way to make that car behave better considering and ECU tune. Oh Lord, falling back into the money pit again....

JamesShort · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:28 pm

Also remember that going to street tires means that the delta between HS/GS is going to get smaller since most HS cars already limit you drastically to smallish r comp sizes so next year, you might even have to run smaller street tires due to tire size availability in street models coupled with sidewall flex issues that aren't as prevalent with r comps.

Also the higher power GS cars (Neon ACR etc) will now be on skinnier tires as well since, as mentioned above, tire size availability is worse. This is a bigger disadvantage to GS than to HS and hence (I believe) the SCCA's logic to collapse the two classes.

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

I think you can still be competitive Rodney, I wouldn't despair just yet, then again, I'm clearly a Mazda3 fanboi

Aaron Buckley · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 12:55 pm

Like others have said, buy the street tire of choice and see how it actually works out. You might be surprised. - AB

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:02 pm

Aaron Buckley wrote:

Like others have said, buy the street tire of choice and see how it actually works out. You might be surprised. - AB

This.

One way to look at it is that the PAX will still be pretty low, plus the 'reducer' for RT only helps more. So, at the local level you might still be surprised how you finish with a set of Rivals, ZII's, etc.. :thumbsup:

I'd agree though, a GS car like the turbo MS Protégé, Neon, Si, or Celica could potentially wipe the floor with an open-diff Mazda 3 with equal drivers but you never know...

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:07 pm

Matt McGrain wrote:

I'd agree though, a GS car like the turbo MS Protégé, Neon, Si, or Celica could potentially wipe the floor with an open-diff Mazda 3 with equal drivers but you never know...

I'd put my money on the Celica. Turbo Protege has a Diff made of glass and Neons might be nothing but smoke machines on street tires. The Celica's can run the 195/15 R1R (I think) and have proven to be potent in Stock previously.

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:21 pm

Dumb question.

Is the Mazda 3 a competitive HS car? Historical results would say "No."

Don't be angry if a mid-pack car gets turned into a mid-pack car.

Les Davis · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 2:04 pm **Posts:** 2059

RodneyWright wrote:

Now I'm not sure how to move forward.

Slap a turbo on that beeyotch and run SMF!

Actually your answer is sitting in your garage staring you in the face. Choosing to "race" a FWD econohatch when you have a Bullit Mustang is absurd.

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

Scott Johnson wrote:

Dumb question.

Is the Mazda 3 a competitive HS car? Historical results would say "No."

Don't be angry if a mid-pack car gets turned into a mid-pack car.

Disagree. I would argue that few have chosen to try them. A mazda3 won H-stock in 2007.

http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/Doc ... esults.pdf

Granted, that was a long time back, but has much changed since then? All the other competitive cars haven't changed since then either. I'm not saying its the car to have, but I think it had a chance. Often times it seems once a formula is proven competitive, thats what people go with (hence the pack of mini's), but I don't think we have enough data to say its a "mid-pack" car. The only major revelation is the "cheater "JCW springs being allowed on the mini.

What James mentioned may hurt it though. Being able to squeeze 245 hoosiers up front was one advantage over a mini. On street tires, that sets it back a bit as obviously 245 street tires on a 6.5" wide wheel is ludicrous.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:25 pm

May be time to rethink the mustang in STX. I'd "only need" wheels, tires and sways. If I stay w/ the 3, I'd "only need" tires and camber plates. Time to think...

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Tue Aug 20, 2013 1:29 pm

RodneyWright wrote:

May be time to rethink the mustang in STX. I'd "only need" wheels, tires and sways. If I stay w/ the 3, I'd "only need" tires and camber plates. Time to think...

S197 in STX struggles...
http://www.roadraceautox.com/showthread.php?t=44534&

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New SCCA rules removing HS classing

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