Autocross: Thoughts on Class to Run In

[Areddi]

In the market for a new GT, have owned a few Stangs before my autocross days and want to get back into it. I am active in my local SCCA region running an STX prepped FR-S.

Curious if anyone around here will be autocrossing, and if you're running in FS or STU. FS seems to be the competitive choice, but I would love to hear from someone who will be in STU and how you plan to battle the boost buggies and the C5 Vette. Could this car be competitive at Nats in anything but FS or ESP?

Help me decide I want to get rid of my FR-S and come back to the V8 side!

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[WatchSquid]

Texas region SCCA here. Waiting for SCCA to figure out where they are doing to drop an Ecoboost with PP attached.

I'll probably end up in DSP after suspension and tune.

 

[Grintch]

FS for sure for the first season. Even with the tire size advantage, I don't see the Mustang being competitive with the smaller and lighter boost buggies in STU. So I think all the serious guys will run FS or ESP (once parts are developed), with STU being more of a just for fun class.

 

[TNcoupe]

What class for a GT with PP but with Steeda suspension goodies( sways and springs)

 

[Grintch]

Illegal for FS, under prepared for STU or ESP. STU has a somewhat lower prep level, and doesn't allow R compounds. So that's your best choice for a causal street driver who doesn't want to build their car around/to the rules.

Be careful with the engine mods too, or you end up in the really deep water of SM.

Decoder ring:
FS - F street (formally stock)
STU - Street Touring Unlimited
ESP - E Street Prepared
SM - Street Modified

 

[Chetly]

There is also CAM. That'll let you do pretty much any mod you want and as long as your on 200tw tires, your good.

 

[WatchSquid]

CAM is the best "catch all" for the v8 Mustang. Mods are good. We have a dude with a twin turbo Camaro putting down 1000 hp. Needless to say he's dialling the boost down to about 4 psi for Autocross.

 

[Areddi]

This is the first year CAM is recognized and trophyable at Nats I think. Last year it was kinda a just for fun thing. I am curious to see if it becomes serious or stays as a casual class.

I agree completely FS is probably the right call. I just wonder if an STU build will be possible or if the car is just too heavy and cant be serious in that class.

 

[Grintch]

If your car has springs & sway bars, a class that allows blowers, turbos, tube frames, custom suspension geometry, giant wings, etc. is not a great class to run in.

With CAM, I worry that they get smart and start tightening up some of the big loopholes it has. Otherwise it's going to be a class for $100,000 + Year One type semi-race cars.

 

[TNcoupe]

So STU then? Last time I autoxed was 2004 in a G Stock SVT Focus...its been awhile.

 

[NDSP]

STU is a waste because we are too heavy and the tire allowance is too small for us to compete with the boost buggies. I bailed on STU last year and played in MAM. It was fun, almost all newer mustangs and camaros so easy to compare against


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[murphyslaww]

I'm picking up my non-pp, non-premium GT on Friday hopefully.

I ran all of last year in F-Street in a ragged out 328i and actually won the open class locally. I started this year with the thought that I'd find a sunroof delete E46 M3 for this year and move up to regional races and nationals with better suspension and an extra 130hp. We have an F-street past national champion (Brian Burdette) in our club, and a couple others that were in or close to the trophies at Nats this year, so I had thought about a GT in the back of my mind since that was what they were running. (They were competing in what we call X-pro pax class so didn't directly compete against me.)

I then got fired up about it, after testing one, and had found one locally for $33k without the PP. (didn't want the 3.73) then found that there was no option for a a 9" wide wheel unless I bumped up to the premium. I had found the M3 I was looking for already and had pretty much ruled out the GT, but had a bit of an epiphany yesterday, and pretty much made the decision to run it in ESP eventually. This is meant to be a FUN car for me and ESP will allow a bit more fun than F-Street. I expect it will make it to the track multiple times.

So my path will probably be F-Street, to see what it can do on 265/35-18 Star Specs, then bump to STU when I pick up coilovers, then hopefully get to ESP on 19's and HoHo's by June or July. Dropped my deposit off yesterday. Competition orange with floormats the only option. I'll be at Circuit of the America's on Sunday running our event on the 235 Pirelli's. Ought to be interesting. I had 245's on the 328, with half the horsepower.

 

[Ryan1112]

Does it really matter what class you run in unless you are at nationals. I mean there are so many classes in SCCA everyone gets a trophy. LOL I rarely see a class at any given event with more than 2, maybe 3 cars in it. Most class all have one car. I used to bump my car up into different classes where I should get killed just so I would have some competition but then I was chastised for doing it. I eventually just stopped going because prices were going up, competition was going down, and fewer runs because there was so much time wasted in the morning with the 1 hour health and safety lecture.

NASA classing is so much more fun but no clubs us it because it makes to much sense.

This post went somewhere I didn't really intend. Sorry about that.

 

[murphyslaww]

Does it really matter what class you run in unless you are at nationals. I mean there are so many classes in SCCA everyone gets a trophy. LOL I rarely see a class at any given event with more than 2, maybe 3 cars in it. Most class all have one car. I used to bump my car up into different classes where I should get killed just so I would have some competition but then I was chastised for doing it. I eventually just stopped going because prices were going up, competition was going down, and fewer runs because there was so much time wasted in the morning with the 1 hour health and safety lecture.

NASA classing is so much more fun but no clubs us it because it makes to much sense.

This post went somewhere I didn't really intend. Sorry about that.

Weird club then.



Ton's of competition, but you do have to choose your car for where the competition is. In our club, if you are good enough, you can run in Pro-Pax class which paxes you vs everyone. It's mostly Nats trophy winners and Champion jacket holders.

 

[H1 GT]

I just go for fun. Way too many people take auto-x too seriously... They spent about 15 min scratching their head where to class my 1978 Trans Am. Idfc, let me have fun. :cheers:

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