If I were building a car today, I'd look hard at Prod. Hard. STL, done right, is pretty pricey, (to do a full and proper build) and (although i haven't studied it hard for a while) is still a category/class in flux. The STAC has a vision and changes will happen to get to that vision. And I'm not sure I'm onboard with the vision.
Thats if i was doing "serious" club racing. IT would be not a consideration because of it's exclusion from the Runoffs.

If I'm just goofing around and don't care about results, then maybe IT could be fun. I think it's easier today to pick a car, and be 'competitive" (Close to the front) than a decade ago, with more choices, AND........I don't fear every new classification. (!4 years ago, I'd read fastrack with fear in my heart: "Oh crap what'd they put in ITA NOW that will fuck me over?" And it seemed like every so often they'd plop in some new overdog, in an attempt to fix the old overdog. But it just made a bigger mess) Todays IT classifications are less nerve wracking. And there are far less "Hmmm, I think they missed the boat on that one" moments. And I trust the ITAC isn't screwing around making sure their buds are sitting pretty, which 15 years ago was NOT the case.