Thread: 2nd race completed

Did quite a bit better this time, but benefitted greatly from a small tight course that didn't require shifting... all in all pretty good to be faster than some cars that were a WHOLE lot more $$$. Of course they'll probably kick my a$$ on a faster course still...

I read Watts' book, (twice now, and parts 3 times). It was interesting but it seemed like a lot of the techniques he describes are more applicable to RWD cars, Do things like throttle control, braking and slip angles and turning work the same FWD as RWD? I've been trying to figure out how the heck to do that whole "how to turn the wheel properly" without much success...It seems to work when I'm sitting still but is forgotten pretty quickly if the car is moving...Seating postition is still what I would call DD comfortable... I apparently don't brake much as the rotors/calipers were barely warm immeditely after my run, and at least one subsequient. I probably need pads in back but the front ones have got maybe 2Kmiles on them. (my best run was 57.xxx, my worst 65ish (with penalty) top in my group was 55ish, top for the day was 52. Watts talks about being WOT or braking. I'm not sure if I spent much time at WOT, as I seemed to be slipping a bit at partial, (I did make a good Errrreeekkkkeeeeee sound for a good portion of the course) and I can only think of 2 or three spots on the course where I remembered to brake as opposed to just letting off the gas. Should you use your clutch foot for braking at times?

They also classed me as DSP. Is this a correct classification?
In my first post after my first race, BigB said that "The brakes (AV22's) put you into STX (street tire class) or DSP (R-comp class). Leave the brakes alone and the rest of the mods put in STS (street tire class)." Was he correct or were they correct?

What I've got:
93 Sentra SE-R
SSAC header,
Partial (soon to be full) EGR delete.
K&N FPIC air filter,
Cusco FTSB
15" wheels (14" were stock)
Kumho AST 205/50r15 (brand new, cheap and not very grippy so far- 400 treadware, I'm kind of under the impression that these tires suck for AutoX).
Brakes still stock, (I've got the AV22's to upgrade)
Suspension still stock (Have half of a CSK/Hyperco Gen 2 setup)
Exhaust stock from the cat back.
Everything else still stock.

Should I have been classed in STS as the brakes and suspension were still stock? Is DSP the correct place to be even without rcomp tires?

I guess a better question to ask is what class should I be trying to get into to at least be comparable to others?

Yes by the upgrades listed STS sounds like the correct class to run in. and yes a 400 tread wear rating is definatly not a good auto-x tire you should try for something in the 200 range. I am not sure about the brakes but you can have all the suspension work you need and still run STS.

just researched a little and the new brakes would put you in STX I would not recommend going to DSP unless you are running R-comps but every region is different and I would just look into who is running in each class then decide where you want to be. then look at the rule book and do the most you can do to stay in that class.

The emissions stuff (or lack of or altering it) would put you in DSP -- do not stop at STS/X or even GS. The powers that be have really clamped down the past year or so to ensure all the emissions stuff on ST* cars is still in place.

Pat

And in stock class too....

so is it worth hooking it back up to get out of DSP? Is there a better site than the SSCA one to explain all this? Heck it's probably not going to matter as I'm not going to be winning anything anytime soon.

There's the SCCA rule book:

http://www.scca.com/documents/Solo%20Rules/2008_Solo_Rules_2.pdf

Look through the "Stock," "Street Prepared" and "Street Touring" sections.

Pat

The responses I've gotten on such situations is that there isn't anybody waiting to call foul to the rules except fellow competitors, as SCCA isn't into enforcing them. The problem will come when/if you are protested. If you're back in the pack and the rest of your class doesn't care, carry on. Just be aware you could get called on it at any time.

It is not that SCCA isn't into enforcing the rules, it is that SCCA Solo competition is a self policing sport. It is up to the competitors to police the sport.

Yeah, that's what I just said. Thanks for the clarification.....