Running SCCA ITS and BMWCCA Prepared?

Hi Guys-

Total newbie here. I saw this topic come up in the "Slightly OT..." thread and I though rather than make it more OT I'd start a new one....

I'm just getting started in racing after several years of autocrossing, DE's etc. I have a '93 325is that I am slowly evolving into a race car (even MORE slowly evolving into a COMPETITIVE race car! :) )

Anyway, I've identified the BMWCCA route as a good way to "get my feet wet", get a license, and get some race experience. I can do all their required DE's in my street car, and the 13/13 race format seems like it would have some benefits for a rookie. After some experience there, I'd hope SCCA would grant me a license without too much trouble. Anybody done this before?

Also, I'm trying to compare the rules for ITS and Prepared so I can build a car that I might be able to run in both series as I develop my driving skills. I dont expect to fast in either one, of course, so I'm not worried about the car being "maxed-out" for either set of rules. Instead, it would be considerably under-built for both classes, probably, but might allow me to maximize seat time...

I'd really appreciate any advice or opinions...

TIA,

Pete
New York

Hey Pete... ITS cars are legal "as run" in J-Prepared. With the new restrictor rule we will be even less competitive in JP. Personally, I'm not gonna bother this year...BMWCCA races are few and far between...SCCA races every other weekend within an easy drive (your experience may differ by locale).

If the SCCA seriously mucks up this SIR thing...then...I will have to either:

a.) rethink my class
b.) build for JP

If you haven't already done so, read the rulsets for each org/class.

Licensing in BMWCCA is made unneccessarily difficult based on a commitment to their DE system. I for example have a SCCA National Comp licnese but am a BMWCCA "rookie"!

Also, I saw more stupid moves (not necessarily agressive) at my one BMWCCA race then MOST of my SCCA races....and...the race organization (grid/tech/announcments/etc.) was SEVERELY lacking.

We've got some good racing in ITS...well we did anyway.

Good luck...

Quote:

---

Hi Guys-

Total newbie here. I saw this topic come up in the "Slightly OT..." thread and I though rather than make it more OT I'd start a new one....

I'm just getting started in racing after several years of autocrossing, DE's etc. I have a '93 325is that I am slowly evolving into a race car (even MORE slowly evolving into a COMPETITIVE race car! :) )

Anyway, I've identified the BMWCCA route as a good way to "get my feet wet", get a license, and get some race experience. I can do all their required DE's in my street car, and the 13/13 race format seems like it would have some benefits for a rookie. After some experience there, I'd hope SCCA would grant me a license without too much trouble. Anybody done this before?

Also, I'm trying to compare the rules for ITS and Prepared so I can build a car that I might be able to run in both series as I develop my driving skills. I dont expect to fast in either one, of course, so I'm not worried about the car being "maxed-out" for either set of rules. Instead, it would be considerably under-built for both classes, probably, but might allow me to maximize seat time...

I'd really appreciate any advice or opinions...

TIA,

Pete
New York
[/b]

---

Mark-
Thanks for the reply and encouragement.

I am reading both rule books- looking for the things that are common to both, and the things I may already have on my car (currently prepped for Solo STX class). I understand that you can run ITS in BMWCCA JP, but not the other way around! I'd like to keep my flexibilty by not doing anything that would make me illegal in ITS, fully understanding that I'll be giving up a lot in the Prepared class. As a rank novice, I'm not worried about being fast for now.

I live in NYC, which, as far as being in the Northeast, has pretty good access to tracks - I'm 2-1/2 hours to Lime Rock and Pocono, and NHIS, Watkins Glen, VIR and Summit are all within 6-ish hours. The BMW clubs are pretty active up here, as is SCCA, so I will have many options for racing, budget permitting.

As for the license requirments, the big difference for me is that I can do the BMW events in my street car, while I'm building it, instead of having to finish the car first for an SCCA school, or rent one at $750-1000/day. Of course, if I could free up $4k for a Skip Barber school I'd be done in a weekend!

I'm sure the SCCA runs a better event than the BMW club, and my goal is eventually to race SCCA predominantly (who doesn't dream of ITS National Champion 2010? World Challenge 2011? :D )

-Pete

Quote:

---

Mark-
Thanks for the reply and encouragement.

I am reading both rule books- looking for the things that are common to both, and the things I may already have on my car (currently prepped for Solo STX class). I understand that you can run ITS in BMWCCA JP, but not the other way around! I'd like to keep my flexibilty by not doing anything that would make me illegal in ITS, fully understanding that I'll be giving up a lot in the Prepared class. As a rank novice, I'm not worried about being fast for now.

I live in NYC, which, as far as being in the Northeast, has pretty good access to tracks - I'm 2-1/2 hours to Lime Rock and Pocono, and NHIS, Watkins Glen, VIR and Summit are all within 6-ish hours. The BMW clubs are pretty active up here, as is SCCA, so I will have many options for racing, budget permitting.

As for the license requirments, the big difference for me is that I can do the BMW events in my street car, while I'm building it, instead of having to finish the car first for an SCCA school, or rent one at $750-1000/day. Of course, if I could free up $4k for a Skip Barber school I'd be done in a weekend!

I'm sure the SCCA runs a better event than the BMW club, and my goal is eventually to race SCCA predominantly (who doesn't dream of ITS National Champion 2010? World Challenge 2011? :D )

-Pete
[/b]

---

hi pete,
i see you are cross-posting in a few forums with this.... :P

your license requirements difference is a red herring. you can still do the bmwcca schools for car control skills while you are building your race car up, and THEN do the scca schools with the finished car. the scca schools, especially the ones at summit point, are much better than the bmwcca race school. doing a bmw school in a street car under de rules teaches you nothing about racing. car control and learning the fast line yes, but racing skills no. this is the path i took...a dozen or so bmwcca driving schools, a bunch of auto-x's and then two scca school weekends. the bmw schools put me ahead of many of the other scca students in the driving department so i could concentrate with my scca instructors on the racing skills.

i don't recommend those double school insta-license in one weekend deals either. it is well worth the time to go to two full all weekend scca schools. more time, more class and the benefit of more than one instructor.

not counting the current fustercluck with restrictors, scca is the way to go. better racing and competition. bmw races are fun too, but they are different. i echo marks comment about car damage too. i have seen more carnage and dumb driving in bmwcca races with the 13/13 rule than in scca.

btw, there is no national its champion, it is a regional only class..

marshall
2005 SCCA MARRS ITS Champion
big dent in door from bmw race, no damage from lots of scca races

Thanks. Great advice and much appreciated.

Sorry about the cross posting - I figured not everyone would look in the "BMW" forum!

I did think that IT had become a national class, but now that I think of it I think I was thinking of Spec Miata, maybe? (that last sentence brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department :D )

-Pete

Quote:

---

Thanks. Great advice and much appreciated.

Sorry about the cross posting - I figured not everyone would look in the "BMW" forum!

I did think that IT had become a national class, but now that I think of it I think I was thinking of Spec Miata, maybe? (that last sentence brought to you by the Department of Redundancy Department :D )

-Pete
[/b]

---

one of the bmw racers pulled your post from a different forum and sent it to our club racing list..:)

yes, spec miata went national this year.