im moving out of novice this year in auto x and was wondering if anyone can tell me what class i will be in. 85 gsl, i have an exaust and suspention mods (if i need to elaborate and be more specific on mods i will)

 

oh yea and racing tires.

 

Sounds like you're probably going into CSP.

 

What suspension mods do you have? It sounds like CSP to me as well.

 

yeah csp is what i initialy thought but others have told me othrwise dont remember what it was. anyway i have st springs and swaybars tokico blues and uerethane bushings

 

You are in CSP since you have LSD, you can't run a clutch type LSD in STS2

 

True, and he also mentioned he runs race tires. I don't think he was considering STS2 as an option.

To the OP, do you run dot legal r-comps or full slicks?

 

Well, if you have removed any interior at all other than radio and changing seats then that could put you into F Prepared. That could be a complaint by other competitors.

 

If all you have is a cat back, springs/shocks, and DOT-approved race tires, you're AOK for stock class (might be E Stock, which is what NA FCs are in, but I'm not sure).

Any mod that people can't see isn't going to bother them (including an LSD)... but don't take that as an excuse to blatantly cheat.

I personally think most people aren't going to be offended if you've got a few mods that would bump you into a class that's WAY out of your league (in terms of total mods allowed, and budget required to be competitive)... as long as you're not beating them :p

 

i have a full exaust and the tires are shaved proxes ra-1's cars not stripped all interior is stil intact

 

Incorrect. In stock classes you can't change springs. You can run aftermarket shocks (tokicos, konis, bilsteins, etc), but springs must be OE.
Definitely sounds like CSP.

 

If you do anything internally to the engine be ready to move to SM2. As it sounds with your mods you are definitely in CSP like me. Be ready to start battling with CRXs and Miatas.

 

theres a guy in a 944 8 valve n/a that i was battling last year with identical times damn near every time that i think is my best competition, he'll probably be in the same class as me but the miatas were kickin my ***, i guess i gotta step it up this year

 

^Get some camber plates & big r-comp tires (275/35/15 A6's anyone) and you'll see a big drop in your time!

 

275's isnt that a little big for my car. where can i get camber plates the ones at ground control seem kinda pricey.

 

Break out the sawzall. Search SCCAforums.com for CSP and see what the Miata guys are doing. At least get 13X8s if you can afford and want to be competitve. I don't remember if your car came with the 13b or not but you can upgrade to all of the parts of a GSL-SE. CSP allows best of the breed mods as long as they are on the same designated line in the rule book. I am not a first gen guy but I have driven a car with the full Jim Susko 3 link??? (not sure exactly what it is called. If you search you will find it) and it was a very fast car. The owner did not know how fast it could be until I beat him by 3 sec. in it.

 

Wrong. Be prepared to get SMEARED by Miatas and CRXs.

 

Actually swapping to a GSL-SE suspension adds a tad bit of weight to the car. I see no huge advantage in autox with this swap unless you are trying to change bolt patterns for a wider selection of rims. I would do the swap if I had rear drum brakes though. Also this is the link to the 3 link and panhard bar setup. http://www.gforceengineering.net/ My next mods will be this setup on my FB. Also I would invest in the Mazda 1st Gen Setup Manual /Shock Tuning Guide from Mr. Jim Susko.

 

No. In Street Prepared you need to run the biggest tires possible that still allow you to keep a good gearing advantage.

This is a pic of a CSP miata that competes here in VA. He's quick, and if he went to nationals would probably finish mid-pack or thereabouts. He has a light-weight NA miata with the 1.8L engine out of an NB - his car is probably in the 2,200-2,300lb range:



Btw, those are 275/35/15's on that car!

And I'll add this pic of Jason Uyeda's BSP S2000 - again another lightweight car (2,600lb range) - and he's one of the fastest in the class nationally.



He runs 18x11 custom CCW's front and rear, with 285/30/18 front and 295/30/18 rear.

Personally I'd keep your current mods, get a set of 15x10" wheels that work with your bolt pattern along with some 275/35/15 A6's and go out there and have fun! Your car is so light, one set should probably last you a full season.

 

yeah tires are definately on the to-buy list im curently using 185/70r13s i have alot of tire roll which camberplates and a lower profile tire would get rid of

 

When in doubt, read the rule book. The e-version is free. Here is the link: http://www.scca.com/contentpage.aspx?content=44. They also have a email address on that page that you can write to to clarify any questions.

By the way, if you want to be competitive, I'm giving up (selling) my light '92 Miata with the 1.8 '00 engine. More info, PM me.

 

Miatas aren't all that far out of reach, once you strap on the race rubber.

Camber plates, coil overs, adjustable rear spring perches, heavy front swaybar. Those are the best place to start (in my opinion) for better handling. Assuming of course that the rest of the car is in good or repaired condition (brakes, bushings, etc.)...

Check out www.re-speed.com for race parts. Billy is a forum member, and pays attention to what we want. Prices are good, customer support is phenominal.

 

+1 Very true. If he preps the car wisely, he should definitely be able to do well in the class.

aFBatw, how much autocross experience do you have? If not a lot, you might want to look into a few autocross schools (e.g. Evolution School). I have 2 years of experience and took an Evo School last Spring - it has done wonders for my driving.

 

ive only been doing it for one season but i agree a class in anything is always a good idea theres always room for improvement. my car is a daily driver too so mods are limited at this point

 

The primary advantage of a school is that you get many more runs.

At a normal event, you literally only drive for 5-6 minutes (less if you're fast).

Which is why if you don't do a school, or otherwise practice somehow, it takes many seasons to get truly competitive.