The proposed rules changes for 2012 are posted for comments by SCCA members at: http://www.scca.com/documents/2011%20Tech/Rule%20Proposals%20for%202012.pdf The impetus for the rule changes was evidently the amount of "class hopping" that was going on in the ST category to find easier pickings for winning even at the National Championships. This practice actually resulted in a controversial "win" of a class national champion, hence the changes. The intention of the ST Category was to establish a new forum for competition for the newer street coupes and sports cars without the need to use the R-compound tires that are essential in the stock category. ST is also intended to accommodate the "bolt-on" type of modifications popular among the street crowd and keep them from having to compete in the Street Prepared category which generally requires a bigger investment in mods to stay competitive. The biggest change will be the "assignment" of named cars to a specific class instead of just relying on the class descriptions that were "interpreted" to advantage before. The biggest change will keep the ST and STX class from being invaded by older and much lighter cars like the deadly late eighties Civics and such. Those cars are being moved to STS which is much more appropriate. ST will be kept for newer, heavier, lower powered coupes and sedans (no sports cars). The Cooper will be in ST. STX will be kept for newer, heavier, higher powered coupes and sedans such as the Cooper S and JCW. This will definitely level the playing field. The other changes proposed clarify and make the modification options a little more standard across all the ST classes. The two biggest mods allowed in STX over the Stock classes are a Limited Slip Differential and an ECU upgrade tune (still can't directly adjust boost, though). The one mod comment I submitted was I asked to allow intercooler upgrades. While an intercooler can directly effect boost it is nonetheless a very common "street/bolt-on" upgrade for the intended competitor cars. Many folks who might consider autocross with these cars might have an intercooler and find themselves having to go to the Street Prepared category. I think both an intercooler for turbo charged cars and a pulley upgrade for supercharged cars would make good sense for the STX and STU classes. That still leaves a lot of difference between ST and SP categories and places ST right in the middle of Stock and SP as it was intended. Some of the other changes might be worth discussing as well.
Btw, I finished the 2011 season with a 1st place in STX for the year with the San Antonio Sports Car Association (SASCA) and a 1st Place in STX for the year with the Spokes Sports Car Club of Austin. I did so mainly because I showed up regularly and most of the other competitors didn't get the minimum of eight competitions completed to be eligible for the annual award. But, during the first half of the year when my car was essentially stock I seldom got a first place in the monthly events. I was repeatedly beaten by a couple of 2002 WRX's, a Genesis R Type and an RX-8. During the second half of the year I did much better. Part of that was improvement in driving. But, IMHO, much of the improvement was because I got much lighter wheels and much better tires and I installed an OS Giken LSD and a good anti-sway bar. I find a couple of useful points here for all to consider. First, if you want to be competitive in a class you certainly should consider selecting a class in which you can afford to address the allowed mods. Driving skill is essential but so is the technology base. I also suggest prioritizing the mods carefully. I got a lot of good advice that paid off. I have yet to upgrade the suspension (still running the cooper S configuration). Doing the other mods first was a good plan that was somewhat counterintuitive. Several folks advised doing the suspension first. Doing the others first worked well mainly because the MINI handles really well even with the base suspension. Second, I decided to step into STX without any of the useful mods and see what happened as I added them. As I improved the technology is was easier to feel the effects of my driving techniques second by second. IMHO, that has helped me improve my driving much faster. I had a similar experience when learning competitive shooting. Learning to shoot well with a mediocre pistol is just more difficult than when using a precision tool. This runs counter to the mainstream advice of "spend time driving" as a priority over investing in mods. The best learning occurs in the first minutes of a "quality" learning experience as opposed to lots of time spent. While the whole thing is certainly about improving driving skills, doing so with the technology base you intend to compete with improves the learning curve. If this idea is sound, and it may not be, that would indicate you selecting a class in which you can afford to upgrade to the allowed mods sooner than later.
GrayLens you bring up some interesting points. I am not sure there is a correct answer. A lot of people, including some very qualified people, say that it is important to race good equipment or you will learn bad habits. They also say that you will not learn anything fighting a car that does not handle. I have done a lot of racing, and last year I started auto crossing. I am beginning to think auto cross is a little different because the transitions are so much more violent than racing. I see the guys who know what they are doing fly in the stock classes in cars that are almost turning over. They get on the bump stops and load the cars so quickly they are forcing the balance by the way they throw the car. Do that on a race track and you would be in the weeds.
Congrats on the 1st in STX. Regardless of attendance you DID show-up and you did improve your driving so you deserve the 1st place. (I know how you feel I took first in the Las Vegas Region in STX as well for similar reasons) In cars, as with shooting (I do both as well), most equipment comes out of the factory better than the user. You can modify things to make them easier to use but they were still better than the operator at the offset. In your case the LSD, better tires, and a rear sway bar make a HUGE difference. However, I think the majority of your improvement cam from experience and then confidence in the equipment you had. Did you know by putting on a stiffer rear sway you actually LOST some grip in the rear? Sure it helps you rotate better but that's at the cost of grip. You had to adjust your driving to the new suspension. That was all you. Give yourelf credit where credit is due. Sure the stuff helps make the car do more of what you want it to but it took "The Nut Behind the Wheel" to make it all useful. I stated before that I ran STX because the DS class was DOMINATED by guys running on R-comps. My MINI is unmodified and on Starspecs. However, I did manage to beat back some well prepared GTIs and WRXs in the class. Yeah, I went from autox to track events and that has been an eye-opener. Autox has this "attack!" mentality that I had to ditch to run a road course sucessfully. The real difference is how the car is used. At Solo II speeds it all about mechanical grip and getting the most out of it. They guys running in the stock classes with the R-comp tires make look like they are snapping the steering but ride with one while they run. You will see while the movements are fast they are always fluid and smooth. There is less chaos and more control going on there than you might think. I will say this much: Unless you really are trying to be a Nationals level driver selecting mods & car for a class is doing things the wrong way around. If you want to get better but you aren't aspiring to knock on the Nationals door get what makes you happy. Mod it how you like. Then find what class you belong in. It solves the problem of wanting that new downpipe and exhaust with a tune but you "can't" because of your class. Just do it then class yourself accordingly. Above all else while autocrossing you should be having FUN! :cornut:
Above I referenced "class hopping" from ST to STX by CIVIC's looking for easy pickings. Well I placed 4th today against a dual driver CIVIC and a Genesis R Type. The civic drivers beat me by 1.4 secs and .5 secs. The Genesis R Type driver beat me by .4 secs. This will be a fun year fighting back. The civic is a twice national champ car so it is fully prepped and very light. Still, I'm not far behind which speaks well for the basic capabilities of the stock Cooper S suspension. They're also still out driving me. I've watched both of the Civic drivers closely and they're very tidy on the corners. I'm still coming in too hot too often and plowing and going a little too wide on the tightest turns. But, still, they're simply not going to have easy pickings this year.
There is an article in this month's Grass Roots MotorSports mag about the proposed rule changes for the ST Category. Gives a good overview as to the purpose.
So where would you guys put a stock GP? I did my first AutoX today and got put in CS, all the other MINIs got to run in DSP. I know this is a touch off topic, but I think you'll have the best answers. The registration crew had no idea where to place me. It's a JCW, right? Well, sort of, it's a GP, isn't that in there somewhere? No. Ok, just put me somewhere.
I don't know much about the config of a GP but I'm pretty sure it doesn't below in C Stock. If the GP has an upgraded intercooler it puts you at least in D Street Prepared.
According to the 2011 Solo2 rules JCW GP in factory stock form is in DSP. If it was just a factory JCW (Not a GP) from '06 you would be in CS. You can also run STX if you want to run 140 treadwear street tires versus R-comps that you can run in DSP.
Thanks for the tips, I'll be switching classes for the next event. This weekend was just a warm up, so no points. Because I needed another car addiction
If they placed the stock GP in DSP I don't think you can run in STX even with street tires. I think the killer is an upgraded intercooler on the GP. I think whatever kicks it in to DSP will likely keep you out of STX. Check the rules carefully against the GP specs. :confused5:
Well the GP doesn't qualify for "Stock" because it didn't meet the 1,000 car homologation limit. DSP is the Class it goes to by default but if you look at the differences between the JCW and the GP the "modifications" eliminate it from that class. According to 15.10-C-4 (a-c) You can't modify: wastegates, superchargers, or supercharger pulleys. Which, if I understand correctly are different in the GP from the standard JCW model. I would interpret this to mean that SCCA considers the GP a factory produced car, not modified, that doesn't meet homologation standards for the stock class. Hence, rule 14.10 - F stating that, "...No changes to standard boost levels, intercoolers, or boost controls are permitted," in the ST rules only applies to modified components. Since the GPs intercooler is a factory equipped item it hasn't been "changed" and is therefore legal in STX as it fits all other qualifiers for that class. Now, that is some serious Nationals level sillyness (oh yeah, I fully admit the last three paragraphs were totally over the top stupid ) for protest that would require an expert decision. Frankly, I'd say run DSP and just have fun with it. At a local level it's not gonna matter that much. I autox because it's fun. So have fun and don't get too hung up on the tiny details. If you are gonna get nuts about running AutoX and you want to compete at the nationals level you will need to ask the SCCA for a ruling on the appropriate class(es) for your vehicle.
Good analysis. I agree on all points. Locally for me the DSP class is much less competitive. I'd be winning regularly against 3 to 4 other DSP folks. STX is quite a bit tougher right now...which makes it much more fun. I took second on Sunday. But, 1st only beat me by .8 secs instead of the 1.4 secs from last month. And once I get the suspension built by k-huevo this summer it will get much better. Slowly we turn... :ihih:
NICE! :cornut: Are the parts of the reciprocating mass (crank, rods, pistons) any lighter on the GP vs the "stock" JCW of the same year? Are the heads the same spec? What about valve openings (intake and exhaust); are those the same?