What is a "touring car?"

[autoxmike]

Note: I spent the last 5 months building a "true" STL car so was too busy to read this and the threads is too long now to read every post...

I'm a "new" STL guy that just found this thread. This summer I built a 90%-95% build 95 Civic Coupe with a B18 GSR motor with the goal of playing in STL and seeing how well I can do at the Runoffs the next 2 years. I built the Civic knowing that there are combinations of chassis/motors out there (mainly RWD sports cars) that should be much faster - but I did so counting on "performance adjustments" that are continuously re-examined & tweaked so that cars like mine won't be relegated to Mid-pack status. We will see. If after 2016 this is the case then I'll take the car to IT or Prod somewhere....

That said - I see the class as a non-sports car class. One where Miatas, RX-7s, Porsche 944 type vehicles aren't overdogs and quite honestly slight underdogs. IF it turns into a Miata/Porsche./RXT/Must have a RWD class then I'm gone. My hope of that the "powers that be" realize that if it does indeed turn into a "sports car class" then people like me that are starting to build "true" STL cars will leave for other pastures. IMHO the rules must be written to allow a wide variety of chassis/engine combos to have a shot at running near the front if the class has a chance at thriving.

[dropkick317]

So I sold my FP Civic and bought a Z4 with the intent to build an STU car... Should I just stop?

[adamjabaay]

my guess is you'll be fine

[Knestis]

My perception is that STU suffers from a completely different - or at least bigger - challenge, that being reconciling turbo/blown and NA engines. I got very excited about the potential of the Jetta TDI I drove 2 years ago, and the tuners seemed to think we could get it to where it needed to be, power-wise, if we were willing to compromise the endurance and/or smoke expectations we'd set for the project. However, I had a realization that if I had any interest in being competitive in Majors or the Ruboffs, the second it was competitive - as the ONLY example of a forced-induction diesel in the crowd - it was going to have a huge target on it for a lead or inlet diameter screwing. That didn't sound like a good use of money.

K

[Andy Bettencourt]

I sent my letter two days ago. Touring classes in the SCCA were never meant to exclude Sports cars. People need to understand it's just a name, not a philosophy. The 2014 results from Majors and the Runoffs clearly show me that the current system of weight penalties for RWD etc is working.

Edit: If I were king for a day I would actually EXPAND the class to include older chassis and super cool iterations.

[autoxmike]

SM Field Fillers: I like them. Sure it takes a well prepared and driven STL car to beat a national caliber prepped and driven SM - so if I;m getting beaten by them then I KNOW that I have to step up my game. Good to have decent yardsticks to race with. IMHO of coarse.

Competitive Adjustments: If the goal is to have a many chassis/motor combos that can win then I see no way that a pure displacement/drive configuration/suspension type formula that adjusts weights will work. The spread of performance potential is greater than within an IT class, and if I understand the IT regs then more than a few cars have additional weight adjustments to the "formula weight". The K20 already has a restrictor -right? is this proof that there will be overdog motors, chassis, and motor/chassis combos? I think so. So the door is open to "line item" adjustments. Why not do that for chassis as well once they prove to be overdogs? IMHO if the Miata starts "dominating" then it should get adjusted with added weight, less tire, etc. - as should any other Frankenstein that someone dreams up.

[Greg Amy]

Saw your letter, Andy, but the timeframe for sending "for or against" letters has long, long passed. The STAC is looking for feedback not on "if", but "how".

GA

[Andy Bettencourt]

No issues. 'How' can be 'nothing'. To make a change now, with the results we saw in 2014, is total BS. Unless you split the classes and give the two types of cars separate places to play.