Stock Class Updates and Ramblings

[Loren]

Here's the list of changes SCCA is making to their "Street" category for 2015:
http://www.solomatters.com/street_categ ... s_for_2015

Just a reminder, FAST doesn't automatically follow SCCA classing. That's why we keep our own class lists. Our classing is merely "based on" SCCA classing.

Of these moves, I think the only one that's really of interest to us is the Mazdaspeed3. It's move from DS to GS would mean a move from FAST S4 to S5. We see a fair number of those cars. And they're fast!

I'm feeling old now, I guess. To put a car with 250+ hp that can sprint to 60 in a hair over 6 seconds in our SLOWEST class seems wrong somehow. But, that same trend is following through all of the classes. Apparenlty, SCCA doesn't see the merit in "driving a slow car fast" any more. And maybe they're just playing to their market and the attendance numbers for lesser cars just aren't there any more, I don't know.

Really, our own S5 class is indeed our smallest class most of the time. M3 is right down there with it in attendance. So, maybe what SCCA is doing makes sense? I just miss the days when you could show up with just about any car and be reasonably competitive on the local level. I'm not sure that's the case any more... nor am I sure there's anything we can really do about it.

I mean, what can we do? We could split our S5 class into it's constituent parts: GS and HS. But, the class is already tiny, it doesn't make sense to split it.

I guess if we start putting "fast" FWD cars down in S5, the only place left for a "slow car" to be reasonably competitive is M3 with a few suspension mods.

[dbeng]

Great idea SCCA

Now I'll be in the same class as the turboed 110hp more, limited slip diff, rear sway bar version of the same car. Keep us posted if FAST decide to follow suit.
(Yes, I know I can add a rear sway bar and stay in S5)

Oh well it's not the winning it's the taking part that counts.... Or so they say.

Dan

[Jamie]

Great idea SCCA

Consider, though, what they have to deal with: a unifying ruleset that covers the entire U.S. (and territories), from the local level up through national competition. While I don't always agree with their decisions, I can't argue with the underlying philosophy that the baseline ruleset is oriented to national competition, which implicitly assumes that top competitors will be very close to one another in skill level, and their cars will be prepared to the limit of the rules. They also allow individual regions to adjust preparation rules and classing to suit their local membership. (Yes, that's specifically in the rulebook -- regions can change/adjust/throw out any and all rules other than safety and some of the event operations rules.)

[aw614]

I'd keep the speed3 where it is at. But I always found it weird that the speed3 was in Fast's S4 class whereas the GTI was in S5. But I think outside of Matt Brooks and his GTI, there haven't been that many in attendance like speed3 owners at fast events (guilty here lol, though my car is undertired).

[Loren]

I'm a little bit with Dan. I don't have much issue with their preparation rules (which FAST doesn't follow, anyway). And, I guess they DO still have HS (we've got GS and HS combined into one class) for "slow cars".

What will FAST do? We'll have to discuss further before we decide, but as our season runs from September-July, we really don't need to make a change right now. We can carry through the rest of this season as-is. And, if we choose to, we can continue to not make this particular change. (we did the same with the 99-05 Miatas, SCCA effectively moved them down to S4 and we left them in S2)

We may need to consider splitting GS out of S5 somehow. I hate to do it, though. S5 is already too small.

[twistedwankel]

That certainly made for interesting reading. Thanks. I subscribed to that.
The Nissan moving to SS was certainly interesting.
Nothing that 10-12" rims won't cure.

Cars are just lasting way too long anymore in stock form!!