Autocross Classes
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis, Indiana
If we are talking about SCCA racing, it is all about the modifications you have made to the car. FS is for near stock cars. ESP is for somewhat modded cars with racing street tires. STU and STP is for even more modified cars with street tires. CAM-C is for highly modified street cars with street tires. CP is for race cars on slicks. EM is for camaro bodies on Indy Car chassis.
FS is most popular for new cars. You run against v-6 and v-8 rwd coupes and sedans. Everything from mustangs to BMW M3. FS is a fairly expensive class to stay ultra competitive in. The hot ticket is to lease the hot car in class and upgrade every 2 years as hotter models come out.
Cam-c and Cam-t are the most popular classes for modded cars. C & T are separated by a few technical points, mainly 1990 model year and before or 1990 and after. It is for American rwd cars with 4 seats. There are very few rules.
The other classes listed above are struggling for participation. The future for those classes is not bright.
FS is most popular for new cars. You run against v-6 and v-8 rwd coupes and sedans. Everything from mustangs to BMW M3. FS is a fairly expensive class to stay ultra competitive in. The hot ticket is to lease the hot car in class and upgrade every 2 years as hotter models come out.
Cam-c and Cam-t are the most popular classes for modded cars. C & T are separated by a few technical points, mainly 1990 model year and before or 1990 and after. It is for American rwd cars with 4 seats. There are very few rules.
The other classes listed above are struggling for participation. The future for those classes is not bright.
On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis, Indiana
Your car cannot be modified beyond the rules established for each class. If your car is stock, you can run any class you want. FS is for near stock cars with very few modifications. Zero motor mods are allowed. Air filter is about it. Suspension mods are limited to shocks and either the front or rear sway bar, not both. The class is fast though. It is where all the new cars go.
ESP is not a novice class either. Pretty strict set of rules, and you can't hardly compete without Hoosier race tires.
STP or "Street Touring Pony" is a cool set of rules. Nobody to race against though usually. At least in my area. Most of the other ST classes are packed. Bmws, Toyotas, Hondas, and Mazdas, all have cool ST classes. Younger guys mainly. Everybody with Mustangs and Camaros go to CAM, "Classic American Muscle". It is a momentum thing. CAM has participation, so everybody goes there. In no time, you will realize that it is more exciting to race against 10 other cars than to be in a class by yourself. You will find every level of car, and driver in CAM. You will quickly pick the guy you want to beat next time. When you beat him, you pick a faster guy. And the addiction starts.
My advise is to just show up, ask what class has the most drivers signed up, and sign up for that class. Sign up as a novice, and you will also get additional scoring against all the other novices. It's extra incentive for new guys. After 2 races, you will know what class is best for you. Then you start setting your car up for that class.
ESP is not a novice class either. Pretty strict set of rules, and you can't hardly compete without Hoosier race tires.
STP or "Street Touring Pony" is a cool set of rules. Nobody to race against though usually. At least in my area. Most of the other ST classes are packed. Bmws, Toyotas, Hondas, and Mazdas, all have cool ST classes. Younger guys mainly. Everybody with Mustangs and Camaros go to CAM, "Classic American Muscle". It is a momentum thing. CAM has participation, so everybody goes there. In no time, you will realize that it is more exciting to race against 10 other cars than to be in a class by yourself. You will find every level of car, and driver in CAM. You will quickly pick the guy you want to beat next time. When you beat him, you pick a faster guy. And the addiction starts.
My advise is to just show up, ask what class has the most drivers signed up, and sign up for that class. Sign up as a novice, and you will also get additional scoring against all the other novices. It's extra incentive for new guys. After 2 races, you will know what class is best for you. Then you start setting your car up for that class.
If your car doesn't have any mods then you can start in FS. Depending on what you may have done already you could be in ESP or CAM. At your first couple events its not usually critical to get the exact right class - but some knowledgeable people will help you out for sure when they see your car or check it over.
I've been in ESP for 17 years and our cars can still be darn fast, with just the ESP mods. CAM mods can be all over the place and not actually make the car faster, except that maybe your wallet is lighter. For example, replacement front control arms (allowed in CAM) might seem cool but the stock arms are just fine (ESP). Also CAM is a street tire 200 treadwear class but ESP can run R compounds (which I do, because I go for FTD).
I've been in ESP for 17 years and our cars can still be darn fast, with just the ESP mods. CAM mods can be all over the place and not actually make the car faster, except that maybe your wallet is lighter. For example, replacement front control arms (allowed in CAM) might seem cool but the stock arms are just fine (ESP). Also CAM is a street tire 200 treadwear class but ESP can run R compounds (which I do, because I go for FTD).
TECH Addict
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 2,103
Likes: 21
FS is the cheapest class to run because you can't modify anything.
ESP is more expensive but still keeps things in check and can be a fast class (if anyone is in it in your region). ESP around me is a joke.
CAM is for the people that like to build whatever they want, how they want and race it. Therefore can be the most expensive. Have something that resembles an "interior" with 200TW tires and that's about it lol.
Like it was mentioned, just because CAM has less rules does not mean a CAM car is faster than a ESP car. ALL classes will have a wide range of driver skill set. Spend a season in whatever class you fit in and don't modify the car. Learn how to drive it as is, and pick up on tips from others. Then modify accordingly whether it is within class rules (FS/ESP) or go nuts for CAM.
Some people like to race within a certain class. $
Some people like to race within a certain class and WIN. $-$$
Some people like to race and have fun with minimal rules (Me in CAM). $-$$$
Some people like to race and have fun with minimal rules and WIN. $-$$$$$$$$$
The mentality to win a class is a factor in the expense you incur when autocrossing. The mentality to get FTD across ALL classes is another level of expense.
Which one are you? lol
ESP is more expensive but still keeps things in check and can be a fast class (if anyone is in it in your region). ESP around me is a joke.
CAM is for the people that like to build whatever they want, how they want and race it. Therefore can be the most expensive. Have something that resembles an "interior" with 200TW tires and that's about it lol.
Like it was mentioned, just because CAM has less rules does not mean a CAM car is faster than a ESP car. ALL classes will have a wide range of driver skill set. Spend a season in whatever class you fit in and don't modify the car. Learn how to drive it as is, and pick up on tips from others. Then modify accordingly whether it is within class rules (FS/ESP) or go nuts for CAM.
Some people like to race within a certain class. $
Some people like to race within a certain class and WIN. $-$$
Some people like to race and have fun with minimal rules (Me in CAM). $-$$$
Some people like to race and have fun with minimal rules and WIN. $-$$$$$$$$$
The mentality to win a class is a factor in the expense you incur when autocrossing. The mentality to get FTD across ALL classes is another level of expense.
Which one are you? lol
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Some very good info here... you guys answered my question perfectly. As for the car setup... I have a few suspension mods (koni yellows, strano springs, stock control arms up front and 1le bushings, with umi rear arms with Roto joint. As for the engine, I can make it whatever I want - currently 317 heads with turbo cam on e85. I was trying to pick my future engine mods with respect to what class I want to run/fit it. I would like to change the heads and cam, but retain my other mods ( magnaflow catback, TSP headers ) I would also like to go back to 93 fuel. Any suggestions? I will check out the rules for ESP, but it sounds like CAM might be the better choice.
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Verdad Gallardo On The Tree
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 181
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis, Indiana
Alternate heads and cam is a no-no in ESP, ST, or FS. Don't worry though, that still leaves SM, SMS, CAM-C, CP, EM, and AM. Change the heads and cam back to O.E. and ESP and STU and STP open back up. Any class is fun. It's not about which letters are on the side of your car, it's about having ANY letters on the side of your car!
When I first bought my car I started cruising at night and found some parking lot hangouts, then started drag racing on the street in the wee hours and watching the roaches scatter when the pretty lights came on. The people I hung with were drag racers, so all my mods went towards straight line acceleration. That included ported heads and a small cam.
A couple of years later, I was at a car show and on the way home a slighter older fella wanted to play on the street with his late 60's Camaro. Somehow I found out he was into autocross and within a few months I went to my first autocross.
It was/is a local organization formed in 1960, with rules and classing loosely based upon SCCA but no PAX indexing when I was a member. The other F-body guys who were competing didn't give a **** about me being in their class (GT Prepared, similar to ESP) because of the platform comradery even though I technically should have been classed in GT Race (similar to CP). Eventually the club management upset our apple cart and I had to move classes... but most of the time the other F-body drivers would still join me in the race class because they were better drivers and I had traction issues. We'd rather race in a larger single class even given the disparity in the car and driver prep.
My moral is that if you're concerned about winning, end of year awards, etc, then don't unknowingly set yourself up for frustration by starting out in the wrong class. I started below the curve and had a helluva time becoming competitive without V710's, Hoosiers, or Dunlop slicks, all of which mask driver control errors. You already have some mods, so check out the SCCA rules below before the mods get out of hand. If you have the ability to attend something like the Evolution driving school phases, that will do wonders for the nut behind the wheel
https://www.scca.com/pages/solo-cars-and-rules
You also might want to check out frrax.com for a higher volume of F-body autocross discussion. I eventually dropped out of autox because the ~1hr to pack/unpack the daily driver at home, 2+ hours of roundtrip drive time, about an hour to unpack/pack the car and swap tires at the event, and being lucky to get 3-4 runs at 30-50s each per event just got old after 5-6(?) years. Made for a long day in the Florida heat.
A couple of years later, I was at a car show and on the way home a slighter older fella wanted to play on the street with his late 60's Camaro. Somehow I found out he was into autocross and within a few months I went to my first autocross.
It was/is a local organization formed in 1960, with rules and classing loosely based upon SCCA but no PAX indexing when I was a member. The other F-body guys who were competing didn't give a **** about me being in their class (GT Prepared, similar to ESP) because of the platform comradery even though I technically should have been classed in GT Race (similar to CP). Eventually the club management upset our apple cart and I had to move classes... but most of the time the other F-body drivers would still join me in the race class because they were better drivers and I had traction issues. We'd rather race in a larger single class even given the disparity in the car and driver prep.
My moral is that if you're concerned about winning, end of year awards, etc, then don't unknowingly set yourself up for frustration by starting out in the wrong class. I started below the curve and had a helluva time becoming competitive without V710's, Hoosiers, or Dunlop slicks, all of which mask driver control errors. You already have some mods, so check out the SCCA rules below before the mods get out of hand. If you have the ability to attend something like the Evolution driving school phases, that will do wonders for the nut behind the wheel
https://www.scca.com/pages/solo-cars-and-rules
You also might want to check out frrax.com for a higher volume of F-body autocross discussion. I eventually dropped out of autox because the ~1hr to pack/unpack the daily driver at home, 2+ hours of roundtrip drive time, about an hour to unpack/pack the car and swap tires at the event, and being lucky to get 3-4 runs at 30-50s each per event just got old after 5-6(?) years. Made for a long day in the Florida heat.
Last edited by JimMueller; Dec 20, 2017 at 08:11 PM.
When I first bought my car I started cruising at night and found some parking lot hangouts, then started drag racing on the street in the wee hours and watching the roaches scatter when the pretty lights came on. The people I hung with were drag racers, so all my mods went towards straight line acceleration. That included ported heads and a small cam.
A couple of years later, I was at a car show and on the way home a slighter older fella wanted to play on the street with his late 60's Camaro. Somehow I found out he was into autocross and within a few months I went to my first autocross.
It was/is a local organization formed in 1960, with rules and classing loosely based upon SCCA but no PAX indexing when I was a member. The other F-body guys who were competing didn't give a **** about me being in their class (GT Prepared, similar to ESP) because of the platform comradery even though I technically should have been classed in GT Race (similar to CP). Eventually the club management upset our apple cart and I had to move classes... but most of the time the other F-body drivers would still join me in the race class because they were better drivers and I had traction issues. We'd rather race in a larger single class even given the disparity in the car and driver prep.
My moral is that if you're concerned about winning, end of year awards, etc, then don't unknowingly set yourself up for frustration by starting out in the wrong class. I started below the curve and had a helluva time becoming competitive without V710's, Hoosiers, or Dunlop slicks, all of which mask driver control errors. You already have some mods, so check out the SCCA rules below before the mods get out of hand. If you have the ability to attend something like the Evolution driving school phases, that will do wonders for the nut behind the wheel
https://www.scca.com/pages/solo-cars-and-rules
You also might want to check out frrax.com for a higher volume of F-body autocross discussion. I eventually dropped out of autox because the ~1hr to pack/unpack the daily driver at home, 2+ hours of roundtrip drive time, about an hour to unpack/pack the car and swap tires at the event, and being lucky to get 3-4 runs at 30-50s each per event just got old after 5-6(?) years. Made for a long day in the Florida heat.
A couple of years later, I was at a car show and on the way home a slighter older fella wanted to play on the street with his late 60's Camaro. Somehow I found out he was into autocross and within a few months I went to my first autocross.
It was/is a local organization formed in 1960, with rules and classing loosely based upon SCCA but no PAX indexing when I was a member. The other F-body guys who were competing didn't give a **** about me being in their class (GT Prepared, similar to ESP) because of the platform comradery even though I technically should have been classed in GT Race (similar to CP). Eventually the club management upset our apple cart and I had to move classes... but most of the time the other F-body drivers would still join me in the race class because they were better drivers and I had traction issues. We'd rather race in a larger single class even given the disparity in the car and driver prep.
My moral is that if you're concerned about winning, end of year awards, etc, then don't unknowingly set yourself up for frustration by starting out in the wrong class. I started below the curve and had a helluva time becoming competitive without V710's, Hoosiers, or Dunlop slicks, all of which mask driver control errors. You already have some mods, so check out the SCCA rules below before the mods get out of hand. If you have the ability to attend something like the Evolution driving school phases, that will do wonders for the nut behind the wheel
https://www.scca.com/pages/solo-cars-and-rules
You also might want to check out frrax.com for a higher volume of F-body autocross discussion. I eventually dropped out of autox because the ~1hr to pack/unpack the daily driver at home, 2+ hours of roundtrip drive time, about an hour to unpack/pack the car and swap tires at the event, and being lucky to get 3-4 runs at 30-50s each per event just got old after 5-6(?) years. Made for a long day in the Florida heat.
The car to have in FS has been out since 2010 and in the class since 2014. People who think otherwise are stupid.
What do you mean? What car? Plus I wouldn't be picking the class to compete per say, more just to have fun... I'm just looking for a good class to start out in and changing the mods to my car accordingly.