Club Racing Explained (wheel to wheel)

NYSpeed Automotive
1

Club Racing is wheel to wheel racing, basically get in a car that is safely prepared and race against other car that should be similar performance wise. Sprint races are typically 10-20 laps, an average weekend day is a qualifying session (with other cars on track not solo), then a race. (for doubles this is done twice Sat&Sun). Sometimes a practice seesion is thrown in there. Enduro racing is a 1-3 hour race, sometimes 12-24. Again practice, qualifying and then the race.

I recommend to build, and race with the SCCA because the cars and the licenses are recognized by the other orginizations (and not visa versa). Meaning that if you hold an SCCA license EMRA will allow you to race with them, however if you hold an EMRA license you may have to do an SCCA school. The same goes for car, SCCA rules are recognized by other organizations, sometimes non SCCA cars are allowed to run in restricted races per descretion of the region.

Sanctioning bodies for the NorthEast:

http://www.nasaproracing.com/proracing/index.html

http://www.emraracing.org/Emrarace.htm
http://www.bmwccaclubracing.com/events/events.aspx
http://www.pca.org/clubrace/
http://www.casc.on.ca/

Licensing:
After you have gained confidence driving at speed on an open track you will need to go to two Driver Schools in a properly equiped car. These schools are ~$250 each, you will get about 3 hours of track time (you will never get this much track time racing) over several sessions, classroom, and need to display flag knowledge, consistancy, coutesy, and understanding the rules:
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/GCR2008.pdf

Costs:
SCCA membership $70
Novice Permit $110
2 Schools ~$500
2 Races ~$300
Regional License $75

Total ~$1055 (8 days of driving time, compare with a $3500/3 day professional school)

So now the cars and classes:I’m not going to list everything, just a couple, check the rules for all cars. I get really lazy towards the end

Full bodied production cars:6-8 point cage in a otherwise stock chasis, DOT R-comps

Improved Touring (IT): older than 10 years cars, gutted & caged, light motor mods, suspension;
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/ImprovedTouring.pdf
ITC (slow, light, really easy on tires)
-Datsun 510
-old Fiats
-old Honda CRX
-old Renaults
-old Fords/Mecurys
-old VWs
ITB (on the slow side,light, easy on tires)
-old Alfas
-old BMWs
-old Honda Accord/Civic/CRX
-Fieros
-VW Rabbit/Golf
ITA (getting faster, light Hondas easy on tires)
-Acura Integra (GS/RS/LS)
-BMW 318/ older 325
-Dodge Neons
-Honda CRX Si/Civics
-Nissan NX2000/Sentra SE-R
ITS (getting faster still)
-Acura Integra GSR
-BMW 323/325
-Datsun 240/260/280Z
-Honda Preludes/later Civic Si
-Mazda RX7
-Nissan 300ZX (Z31)
-Nissan 240SX (DOHC)
ITR (new class for this year, big tires)
http://www.nyspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21289&highlight=itr+scca
-Nissan 300ZX (Z32)
-Toyota MKIV Supra (NA)
-Camaro/Firebird V-6
-Mustang V-6
-BMW 325
-Porche 944S/968
-S2000

Spec Miata (SM): Similar to IT prep with a couple specifics
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/SpecMiata.pdf
-Duh, Miatas

Showroom Stock (SS): New cars from past 10 years, stock suspension, engine, full interior
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/ShowroomStock.pdf
SSC
-Acura RSX
-Chevy Cobalt SS
-Ford Focus
-Honda Civic Si
-Toyota Celica GT
SSB
-Acura RSX Type-S
-Chevy Camaro V-6
-Ford Mustang V-6
-Honda Civic Si (2006)
-Mazda MX-5
-Sentra Spec-V
-Pontiac Solstice

Touring (T): Newer sports (sporty) car, some minor mods, full interior
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/Touring.pdf
T3
-WRX
-RX8
-IS300
-S2000
-BMW Z4
T2
-STi
-EVO
-Boxter S
-350Z/G35
-Elise
-BMW 330
-BMW M3
-Camaro/Firebird V-8
-Mustang GT
T1
-Cayman
-GT3
-Ferrari 360
-Viper
-C5/C6
-NSX
-SVT Mustangs
ST
-Viper ACR
-Z06
-Ford GT

American Sedan (AS): good 'ol American Iron limited to 305 c.i.
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/AmericanSedan.pdf
-Camaro/Firebird
-Mustang
-GTO

Production (P): The step after IT, fully built engines, more points for the cage, more gutting, full race slicks. No going to list cars, see rules:
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/Production.pdf

REAL race cars:

Gran Touring (GT):Tube frame cars with prodction looking exteroir, run engines from family, weight depends on displacement. An example a 350z bodied car can run a 2.0l engine @ 2100 lbs in GT3 or an L series or VG in GT2.
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/GrandTouring.pdf
GTL GT lite (lite cars, small displacement 4s)
GT3 (lite cars, bigger displacement 4s)
GT2 (around 3 litre engines)

Sports Racer (SR)-bodied version of open wheeled cars
http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/SportsRacer.pdf
SRF Spec Racer Ford (fully bodied with 1.9l Ford)
DSR (1 ~ 1.3 liter bike engines)
CSR (~2.0 liter engines among others)

Formula (F)-open wheeled, wings, roughly in order of speed. http://www.scca.com/documents/Club%20Rules/FormulaCar.pdf FV Formula Vee (slow in straights ,basically a VW engine, really simple car, small tires, drum brakes all around, ancient class) F500 (500cc snowmobile engine, CVT, wideish tires) F1000 (1 litre bike engine in a formula car, brand new class this year) FF Formula Ford (1.6 litre Ford older class) FM Formula Mazda (13b in a 1100 pound car ~140hp, newer class) FC Formula Continetal (~2 litre engine) FA Formula Atlantic (the big dog, 2.3 litre Mazda or Renisis Rotary Pro Fomula Mazda, others, others, ect..)

I skipped a lot of cars and a few classes, but this should give the people that are interested a good starting point.

Who? Anyone with 2 arms, 2 legs, good eyesite
What? Racing with other cars
When? Almost every weekend of the summer
Where?http://www.nyspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10107
Why? If you have to ask that you shouldn’t be in the motorsports section
How? Get a car, build, buy or rent (I recommend renting for schools), go to school, go to races.

Buying pre-built cars:

2

Good way to explain IT classes is this:

ITC: Small displacement pushrod or SOHC 8 valve 4 cylinder engines 1.7l and under (No 16 valve engines)

ITB: Small displacement 16 valve (1.3-1.6), or larger displacement 8 valve 4 cylinder engines (1.8-2.5)

ITA: Small to medium displacement SOHC and DOHC 16 valve 4 cylinder (1.5-2.2) Pushrod and SOHC 5 and 6 cylinder (Under 3.0l)

ITS: Medium to large displacement DOHC 16 valve 4 cylinder (1.7 to 3.0l) small displacememt DOHC 5 and 6 cylinder, large displacement SOHC or pushrod 6 cylinder

ITR: larger displacement high performance DOHC 6 cylinder, couple pushrod V6’s, couple very hi-po 4 cylinders

There is overlap in the classes, weight is now being adjusted to ensure competitiveness, however, no car is guaranteed to be competitive in it’s class. The Hondas are generally classed above where their displacement should dictate, but their suspension gives them an advantage (4 wheel double wishbone).

3

nice thread :tup:

4

Good Info. Thank You

5

I am assuming that the z31 are n/a only? What class would a turbo be in.

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:tup:

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[quote=“zmainiac,post:5,topic:28443"”]

I am assuming that the z31 are n/a only? What class would a turbo be in.

[/quote]

For the most part SCCA has no provisions for turbo charged cars (except Showroom Stock and Touring where the boost can be keep under a watchful eye).

However within regions there is an ITE class where unclassified cars are allowed to run but must meet the general safety standards. In such case one would have to check with the region hosting the event.

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if you go with a spec miata you can also run it in ITA, it may not be super competitive but its extra track time.

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[quote=“ldp82,post:8,topic:28443"”]

if you go with a spec miata you can also run it in ITA, it may not be super competitive but its extra track time.

[/quote]

It would only be extra track time if the region didn’t offer Spec Miata (all regions have a SM class), you can’t race the same car in two classes in one weekend. However, there are talks to allow IT cars to race with Prod, which means that IT cars can go to National events and get there ass handed to them.

I guess I should update this info. One benefit of running Spec Miata in both trims would allow you to have a co-driver that could participate in both races on the same weekend. Ususally SM has it’s own group and ITA has a differnt one.

10

Good info, thanks very much!