2-Rotor

Greetings,
After reading the sticky at the top of the Race Car Tech forum i was wondering how long the FD was allowed to compete before it was barred?

redrotorR1

The FD has been in SS ever since it's introduction in 1992 (y'know the drill ... '93 model offered in '92). The car was the dominant car from '92 to '96. And from '96 to '00, it was still very competitive. And then came the Z06 ....

2-Rotor

Thanks for the info and excuse my ignorance. I cant understand why the FD cannot be moved to A Stock to compete on a more level playing field. I read the sticky about how sponsers dont want a 10 year old car to compete with their new models and end up embarassing them.

I guess its how much money, and sponsorship pull you have to influence the SCCA from keeping great cars like the FD out so they dont get embarrassed by a 10 year old car. I think Mazda has to step up to the plate on the 4th gen and start backing their product financially.

redrotorR1

Officially, the SCCA hasn't bumped it because there's not enough members clamoring for the change. Off the books, it's kinda hard to justify making a 10-year-old, relatively rare, expensive-to-maintain car be THE car to have in AS. But, they bumped the Boxster S down to AS ... which, IMO, is the same par level as the FD.

sctty

You're being polite to the Boxster by saying it's on par with the FD I think

These sorts of requests are made to the SCCA all the time...reading through recent issues of Sports Car, they are constantly refusing requests to move cars from one class to the other. Honestly, I agree with them in this case. If their policy was to grant every request for a class change for a car that "isn't competitive anymore", imagine how disheveled things would be. Maybe it isn't competitive anymore...thems the breaks...time for a new car.

redrotorR1

The Boxster ... for sure. The Boxster S ... I think it's quite the match on an auto-x course. Suspension design is very similar and while the S carries around a little more weight, it also gets to run big, fat tires. And keep in mind, the S has the low-end torque to match the higher rpm pull of the FD.

But, as I stated in the other thread, it would be a prudent move on the SEB's behalf, IMO. The AS participation is sparse ... locally and somewhat nationally. Allowing the non-Z06 C5 and the FD to drop down would make AS a lot more interesting. Ah well ... wishful thinking.

turbojeff

iTrader: (30)

No the FD was in A stock to start out. The FD dominated SS after it was moved until '00 IIRC. The C5 won SS at nationals the year before the ZO6 came out.

Here are the results from 2000.

http://www.scca.org/amateur/solo2/na...lts/stock.html

I can't find results from '92 but I'm nearly positive the FD was in AS.

redrotorR1

Yup. You're right. Here are Nationals results from '92-'01 in both SS and AS:

SS:

2002 Erik Strelneiks Chevrolet Z06
2001 John Ames Chevrolet Z06
2000 Curt Ormiston Chevrolet Corvette
1999 Erik Strelneiks Mazda RX-7
1998 Tom Kotzian Mazda RX-7
1997 Jeff Altenburg Mazda RX-7
1996 Gary Thomason Mazda RX-7
1995 John Ames Mazda RX-7
1994 Jim Harnish Dodge Viper
1993 Roger Johnson Chevrolet Corvette
1992 Tom Kotzian Chevrolet Corvette


AS:

2002 Scott McHugh Chevrolet Corvette
2001 Andy McKee Porsche Boxster
2000 Gary Thomason Honda S2000
1999 Paul Kozlak Porsche 968
1998 Matt Murray Porsche 968
1997 Jeff Reitmeir Porsche 944
1996 Bob Tunnell BMW M3
1995 Kevin Bailey Toyota MR2 Turbo
1994 John Ames Mazda RX-7 Turbo
1993 Mark Daddio Mazda RX-7 Turbo
1992 Jeff Altenburg Mazda RX-7 Turbo

Sometimes the brain don't work so good ....

Maybe that's why they don't want to move it to AS.

reza

Its competitive too in ASP in my region.
The car to beat is $200K+ Porsche GT2 with 450hp.
Even a stock mod RX-7 with r-compound tires can beat it. The GT2 has 335 and 315 width r-compound tires.

Cwaters

Coudn't possibly be the driver beating that GT2 now, could it?

Cory

redrotorR1

Regionally competitive is a lot different than being nationally competitive. Check out the ProSolo and National Tour results and see if you come back with the same story. Plus, SP restrictions are stupidly unfair to turbo cars. But, Andy McKee (2001 AS champ and 2002 BS champ) has purchased an ASP RX-7 to campaign next year .... we'll see.

reza

Yeap, Andy McKee is in my region. He is very good with his S2000.
He sold that, and bought ASP RX-7. THe RX-7 used to be Tri-point car. I talked to him, he mention that first he will be running in ASP to setup the car and then in SM2 competitively.

The GT2 in my region has good driver too. You can see the results in this website. The season is over. I think the GT2 and RX-7 is one and two. You can see over the season sometimes the RX-7 wins. sometimes the GT2 wins.

http://www.sfrscca.org/solo2/Results...nship/asp.html

donsmith

One of the fundamental preceps of the SCCA is fairly balancing different makes and models of cars as to their performance potential, they constantly state they seek level playing fields for all types of cars. That's why you can still see Lotus Elans and Sprites, MGs, and such competing. But sometimes, as is our case, they seem to favor a very popular and widely driven car with a huge following and aftermarket network - the Corvette - over a car that does not. And don't forget that the people who make the decisions on classing are themselves competitors, and bring with them all their personal biases and those of their friends. The SCCA is a member run orginization, and as such will eventually bend to popular will if there's enough noise made for change.

ZeroBanger

someone said they will not bump the FD to A stock because the C4 and ZR1 owners will be pissed, cause they will not be able to compete. Im not saying I agree , it was just mentioned.

enuttage

Agreed. I surely don't know the inner workings, but a good gauge of this will be (as RRR1 has heard from me before) whether the Lotus Elise will end up being classed in SS. I'm not suggesting squeaky-wheel-gets-the-oil tactics from Z06 owners as yet, but after the car has arrived and been properly driven (read: slung around) and it seems an even match with the Vettes, I wouldn't be blindsided to see it be classed as a Street Prepared car in the end.

Politics is everywhere...

-E

Travis R

When is someone going to take an FD all the way to prepared? I'm constantly tempted by all the "pre-gutted" FD's on Ebay... but alas, so many projects so little money.

turbojeff

iTrader: (30)

I had no trouble beating a GT2 at the Bremerton event. He must have had a bad couple of days...

turbojeff

iTrader: (30)

I agree totally. I do very well in my local club and another local club. I've had a few FTDs and I'm usually in the top 5 (not PAX) times.

I went to my first National Tour last month. WOW lots of good competition, at least I wasn't last and only a few of the stock classes beat me, LOL. I had a better Sunday than Saturday.

I ran SM2 with a mildly prepped ASP car so compare times there too.

http://www.scca.org/amateur/solo2/na...e/results.html

redrotorR1

Todd Farris actually has an FD that's being prepped for BP.

Unfortunately, he hasn't had it running for any long stretches of time.