Purchased an E36 now what? ITS/ITR?

[chewy8000]

I recently ran successfully in ITB and have now purchased a 94' E36 to run in SCCA. My dilema (a good one to have) is trying to figure out what and where to run? Looking for some advice from some you guys who have been doing it for some time now.

The ITB field is strong in the MARRS series and I will definately miss running with them. Should I prep the car for ITR and run it when I can or focus in ITS since the field down here is rather large in comparison to the 1 or 2 cars that run in ITR. The E36 we picked up has been fully built with the exception of a motor. We ran it at a test day where it handled fairly well but the street motor was tired and blew up towards the end of the day.

So now should we build an ITS prepped car to run with a larger field or build an ITR saving the option to run in ITS. Is the restrictor the only difference between the two in reference to the motor build? Can we run the car in both depending on the field size?

My point is I want to continue developing the car and build a motor for a class that has competition. I don't see the point in spending money on a car that runs by itself or at the most 1 other car on a weekend. Thats just not fun...

What would you do?

[JoshS]

The only differences as far as rules are concerned are the restrictor, weight, and wheel size (can use 17x8.5 in ITR, 16x7 in ITS).

So sure, you can build an ITS car and remove the restrictor and some weight to race it legally in ITR.

[Knestis]

It would depend on my goals, T.

If I were going to just do sprint races, I'd stick with the Golf - less expensive to fix, good MARRS fields, less costly running expenses (tires, particularly).

But if I were still leaning toward enduros, I'd go the R route. That would give you the best opportunity (more tire, lighter weight) of an overall win. I think that a car that has a shot at the front will be better for attracting $$ renters, and over the course of a 12-hour event, consummable costs shrink relative to others that are fixed regardless of the kind of car one runs (e.g., crew hotels).

K

PS - if you're thinking about going endurance racing with it, give me a holler. I can make you a screamin' deal on some top-notch refueling gear.

[gran racing]

I think you pretty much answered your own question. Sounds like you'd quickly get bored running ITR and find yourself changing the car to be ITS compliant.

The biggest question is what your sponsor wants. Keep him happy, that's a sweet deal!!!

[yannisalex2000]

It is true that this past season attendance was not good for the ITR class.This was due mostly to work schedules.This was also true for the ITS class where with the exemption of the Labor Day race the field and the competition was pretty weak.If competition is what you want the place to be next season is the ITR class where the present lap record holder (Rob)and the previous one (Marshal) are not not going to make things easy for you or any body else for that matter.Also this winter I am building a new engine for my car and with the experience I got
over the past two seasons I hope to be competing for the win on every race. Also dont forget that with the two trips we take to South Jersey you will be racing against the north east ITR drivers who are very fast.You should know that no matter what class you choose this is a great bunch of guys and you are always going to be welcomed. Imagine the satisfaction you are going to get mixing it up and finishing ahead of a few AS and a couple of ITE cars in the big bore group. John A. Porsche 944 s2 ITR 53

[mr. black]

What are average race times for ITR at Summit Point, VIR, Beaver Run, Poconos, Jersey and NHM? I made the exact same decision last year and spent this season on track getting to know the car and the track. I want to race next season but only if I can put up mid pack times at least.

[JeffYoung]

S in the SEDiv/VIR is strong. 6-8 car minimums, 10 is the norm, and as many as 20-30 at Roebling and Daytona.

If it were me, you are in a decent spot. Build to S now, and have a car you can convert to R later.

VIR ITR times have been as low as 2:12 (Mike Skeen), but average 2:14 to 2:16 with excellent drivers (Kip VS, Ricky Thompson).

[seckerich]

I should have the new RX8 out by the March VIR race if all goes well. Plan to run a race or 2 in the Northeast.

[lateapex911]

Tristian, knowing what little I do about your "program", I wonder if you might want to look a bit further afield. I imagine waving the Brimtek flag in different markets at different tracks would be a positive.

If that's the case, look where you'll be going, and consider the fields.

Possible races to consider that are "big" in our area:
ARRC
IT Fest in Ohio
NARRC Runoffs in NEw England (Lime Rock).
MARRS XXVII (or whatever) at Summit on Labor Day.
Then I'd hit VIR a couple times,
ANd the Glen, there's usually a good event at the end of July.
Also, plenty of races at NJMP (North vs South as mentioned above)

Maybe start in the south, travel north as the heat settles in for summer, then back south to wrap up the season?

yea, but which class?
Well look at the races that puts you at, and see who's run this past year. It looks like R will have more guys out next year, and there are a number of cars getting built (Tristans Z, and a couple Mustangs and one Camaro that I've heard of). True that the fields are 'thin', but, I tend to worry about ONE car when I race, and that's the fast guy, whoever he is. Really, the rest are irrelevant. Unless the ONE guy isn't any good...

So, I'd look at the R numbers closely. If you travel and will be running new to you tracks, a 'semi light' competitive level wouldn't hurt for your first time at the track, preparing you for the stiffer competition the following year.

So, there's some random thoughts for you.

Up in the NE, it seems like there's always a pretty solid S class. (10 cars easy), and R is strong too, considering it's in it's infancy and takes some solid startup capitol. (2-4 cars per event)

In terms of the difference in the cars: As you know, the weight for your car is 2765 (IIRC) in ITR, and you can run 8.5" wide rims, and fairly wide rubber on them. In ITS, the weight goes up AND you get the restrictor (an SIR).,and wheel width comes down to 7". I imagine the chassis gurus will tell you that the lighter car on wider rubber will need different springs, dampers, roll rates, and alignment settings to optimize each package. Further, the restrictor doesn't just bolt in. You'll need to optimize your tune to build the curve in the lower area, and of course, fabricate the mounting for the SIR itself. At this point, I think ITR is still open country...I don't think (apologies to all ITR guys) that I've seen a 100% build yet.

[chewy8000]

Thanks for all the input guys. I definately wouldn't be the "fast" guy in either group and rear wheel drive is a whole new arena. I think we will stick to the orginal plan and run ITR. Kirk hit the nail on the head, once the sponsor realizes the cost of consumables are't cheap compared to VW parts I'll move back to ITB. For now I'll just ride the wave while the surf is good.