I have been to a few Auto X events, and now I am being kicked out of the novice class. I still have a lot of learning to do, so I would like to stay in as low of a class as possible. My mods are listed in my sig.

I borrowed a friends copy of 2005 Solo Rules Book, and after 2 hours of looking at it im more confused than when I started. Can anyone tell me which class i should go into?

 

Here's a simpler summary of classes http://www.sfrscca.com/solo2/faq/auto.htm#114

A page with more details on choosing: http://mouton.best.vwh.net/sccasolo/

 

The SFC's will put you in SM (Street Modified.) Without the SFC's, you could run in ESP (E Street Prepared) or AS (A Stock.) If your car had been a Z28, you could have run in FS (F Stock.)

You can also run in any higher class if you want; so that would be CP (C Prepared) or EM (E Modified.) Sometimes there is actually less competition in one of the higher classes. SM is usually packed with stiff competition. I run in CP where there are only two other cars. I still get my butt kicked, but by two cars instead of a dozen.

One thing they are pretty free with is tire type (unless running in the street tire class.) You can run most any DOT tire in any class. An LS1 Fbody is a relatively heavy car with a lot of torque and HP, so race tires will help you even more than smaller cars. I'm guessing they are worth 4 seconds on a 60 second course with our cars. For imports, it's more like 2 seconds. So take an Evlolution driving school, then get some Hoosier A3 tires or Kumho V710's.

BTW, that rule book is available online now at the SCCA site, in pdf format.

 

Dang... I didnt want to go into Street Modified class there is always a ton of competition there. And I cant afford to buy a set of race wheels and tires yet either.

 

Yep, SM has a lot of stiff competition. If I were you, I would just register in ESP, even though you have the SFC's. Nobody will care unless you are winning anyway, especially if you don't talk about the SFC's. It's a stupid rule, because they don't make a car faster unless you put some stiff springs and Koni shocks on with them. Mostly they keep the rear quarter pannels from dimpling. When you start getting more competitive, then you can address getting some race wheels and better tires for SM. At that point, I recomend a cheap set of ZR1 knock-off's in 17x11 with 315 sized A3S05 Hoosiers or 315 Kumho V710's for all four corners.

 

Thanks for the great info, can you recomend any tire choices for ESP?

 

Cal was right about the ESP class if not for the subframe connectors. The majority of your mods throw you far from stock class.

However, an alternative you have is STU class. The f-body has stiffer competition there, but STU requires "street" tires. The rules are nearly identical to street prepared aside from a couple of extra mods and the tires. However, the subframe connectors are still an issue.

So you can:
1) run SM and keep the subframe connectors and do a lot more
2) cut out the subframe connectors and get nice street tires
3) cut out the subframe connectors and buy a used set of wheels and some r-compound tires
4) ask around to see if other esp competitors will cut you slack on the sfc's. My region was small enough, that we only had 3 esp racers, and all of us had one illegal mod.

Whatever you do, have fun!

 

In FS, ESP, and SM you can run any tire you want as long as it's DOT approved. In CP and DM you can run virtually any tire, and many people run Goodyear or Hoosier slicks just like professional race cars have. These tires are also available very cheap as take-offs from the big boys, which was one reason I went to CP.

The best DOT race tires seem to be Hoosier A3's or Kumho V710's, with the Kumho's being most highly regarded at the moment, even though they have a softer sidewall than the Hoosiers, meaning you need stiffer springs with them (it's not a must though.) Hoosiers are a little more expensive, although you can usually get last years Hoosiers at big discount. I like the Hoosiers best for a DOT tire.

One thing to be aware of about race tires is they are more delicate than street tires because they have soft tread supported by stiff sidewalls, so if you screw up and skid or slide, rubber comes off FAST. If you lock up the tires, they can be flatsided to the belts, so retain your ABS. Even under ideal conditions, they don't last long. Most people get a new set of race tires every year.

 

Wouldn't SFCs get checked for during the "Tech Insp", and wouldn't non-stock sway bars along with the SFC's automaticly land you in Modified. Just dbl checking.

 

At most autocrosses your compliance with the rules is not checked at tech, only safety issues are.

Rule compliance is left to trust, which is why Cal recommended that he ask his local class members if sfc's are ok. In autocross a protest must be issued to 'hold' someone to the rules.

 

I wouldnt bother building an F-body for SM because they are in no way competitive with the BMW's. No matter what you do to it, or how good a driver you are, an f-body will NOT win a fast SM field.

And, at the moment, they arent even competitive in ESP with all the Evo's and STi's (many people are running higher than stock boost...which is against the rules and imposible to enforce). But they are going to be moved to BSP (I think..) for next year, and f-bodies will once again be the car to have for ESP.

Also, f-bodies are not competitive in STU; again, the AWD wonders will totally own on streets. LS1's need all the traction they can get, and dropping to street tires seriosuly hurts the car's ability to put power down.

I would suggest running ESP even with your SFC's, and work on building your skills. If you get really serious, and actually start winning ESP, you can always cut them off. If you want a tire that perform well, but will last a LOT longer than a V710 or Hooiser, the Toyo RA1 is a great choice. Many report over 80 runs per set, but the grip really starts to drop off at 60-70 runs. V710's are the fastest, but they dont last long at all. Try bmwwheels.com for good prices on Toyo's.

And, if you do run ESP, buy the biggest tires you can get your hands on. 315's and 335's are your friends.