Civic Si in ITA Hopeless?

[dpmurray]

Can the Civic Si (88-91) be competitive in ITA? It seems like there are a lot more Civics available in the <$1000 range than CRX's.

Dennis

[Chris Sawatsky]

The club I race with, is mostly civics, the civic drivers (very knowledgeable and experienced) believe that the longer track of a civic is an advantage in roadracing. Maybe it's just because our track is very bumpy though.
I believe that they can be just as competitive as a crx

[racer-025]

I second that comment. There is a fellow in our region racing a 89 Civic Si in ITA. He finishes in the top 3 a lot of the time. The Civic with it's longer wheel base, arguably, handles better than the CRX. It is very forgiving and you can "feel" the back end better. Anyone who has raced the CRX knows that it is very un-forgiving. When you push the CRX to it's limit, doesn't give you any warning when it decides to do a 180.

[Knestis]

What is the IT spec weight for the 88-91 Civic Si? (Pleading studenthood as an excuse for not buying the rulebook!).

Kirk

[USGUYS]

The weight is 2175. The specs for the Civic are other than the wheelbase the same as the CRX. However no disc brakes on the rear.

[MoserRacing]

Originally posted by USGUYS:
The weight is 2175. The specs for the Civic are other than the wheelbase the same as the CRX. However no disc brakes on the rear.

Actually the CRX is 2140, 35 pounds less than the Civic Si. Right off the bat, you're at a disadvantage, same motor with more car to pull around. No disc brakes in the rear, which in MY opinion are important. The shorter wheelbase on the CRX may make it a bit unforgiving, but to an experienced driver, that thing [CRX] is a much sharper handling vehicle than the Civic.

[racer-025]

I guess thats maybe why I havn't traded in my ITA CRX for a Civic yet. I just like the "feel" of the CRX better than the Civic. Hey, I have my Suzuki Swift for ITB too, when I require a different ride....

[Jon Nelson]

I think the CRX is faster. All things equal other than wheelbase and body shape, I'm sure the CRX is a better racecar than the Civic. If it's a little more squirrelly than a Civic, so be it. Run softer springs in the rear!

I race with the same Club as Chris, and ALL the GT3 cars are Civics.... and the guys running them claim the wheelbase is an advantage, but if you ask them if they ever TRIED a CRX, the answer is "well, no...."

Personnally, I'd rather lose the extra foot off the back of the car, and have a slightly lower roofline, and less weight, and better looks, etc.