Asphalt Circle Track Racer, FWD 4 cyl. What car would you pick?

3.5 liter Nissan Altima or Maxima.

300-700# weight disadvantage against the compacts, but 240-265 horsepower against their 120-160 horsepower.

Maximas have a factory limited-slip.

Lof8 wrote: Strictly stock rules

Wow. Essentially stock and designed so pretty much anybody can put a card together for this class. Interesting there are no weight guidelines versus displacement. That being said I think a 6 cylinder Altima would be tough to beat

It depends on the size of the track. Locally, they run this class on a smaller track in the infield. Small track = smaller car. Big track, bigger (engine) car. Stanza's are (in the real classes) all but eliminated around here by a weight rule because they are so dominant.

The last of the Celica GT-Ss seems like a potentially good choice for that class, although if power seems to be the answer then maybe the Maxima mentioned above is a better choice. Honda products seem bad since they specifically outlaw VTEC, but lots of other companies used similar types of variable valve timing.

Other things that come to mind from reading the rules:
B14 Sentra SE-R (B13s are getting hard to find)
Early 2000s Corolla S
Some of the later Camrys could be had with a nearly 300hp V6

The answer is obviously miata.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

Yeah, one of them rare front wheel drive miatas

Saturns also work well because very light and decent power (for a small fwd E36 M3box). Also they are plentiful in almost any junkyard, and most of the parts are swappable across all 13 model years.

Get the lightest car you can find with a tire size that has commonly available performance tire options.

In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:

E36 M3. Missed the fwd part..

Need more coffee.

Then im goind to vote klze swapped protege.

In reply to Dusterbd13:

No swaps either. It's got to be all stock other than safety stuff. And you can run most street tires as long as they're the stock size

I'd pick from whatever is running towards the front, people have already done the hard work for you. Also, I'm pretty sure "no VTEC"=No variable timing systems of any kind.

I've seen one of these races, redneck drama aside it looked like a ton of fun for next to no money, about equal amounts of tire and oil smoke. Having seen the center torn out of a OE lightweight steelie I'd be inclined to chose factory wheels carefully, a lot of tracks allow a circle track wheel on the right front only for that reason.

THIS. And have this song playing out of the car's stereo on and endless loop during the race.

Is there a claimer rule? If so I think maybe the Altima would get claimed.

Here's what I see running successfully: 1st Gen Neon 5th or 6th Gen Celica ZX2 If it's a bigger more open track: Prelude, Chrysler LH car, Altima, Probe, or 626 If it's a tighter track like a 1/8 mile: CRX/4th or 5th gen Civic.

3/8 mile Desoto Speedway

I think I'd prefer a 4 cylinder just for lightness, simplicity and consumables but a powerful maxima sounds enticing too.

Tracks around here have there own rules. Some are so behind the times that the use the old letter tire size.

One track wouldn't allow OHC until they started running short of cars.

The listed rules are good but check with your track.

The late model Sentra SER with the 2.5L engine was causing a lot of controversy at a 1/2 mile track with long straits.

At one local 1/4 mile track, a ZX2 was king.

In reply to ¯_(ツ)_/¯:

180 hp in those Celica gts. That sounds nice! I need to find out if "no v-tec" applies to all variable valve timing engines

Lof8 wrote: 3/8 mile Desoto Speedway

Big track. The best V6 GM vehicle you can afford to run.

Lof8 wrote: In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯: 180 hp in those Celica gts. That sounds nice! I need to find out if "no v-tec" applies to all variable valve timing engines

I think they're crazy light too, IIRC like 2200 lbs stock and fully dressed. I'm sure the "no VTEC" rule would apply here, but idk why these things aren't the answer more often.

3300-powered GM A body. 1989-1993.

I know everybody is kind of concentrating on most horsepower and more torque. But one thing you might consider is stock tire size. As an example the Cavalier Z24 has listed 205 55 16 as the stock tire size. Where is the base Cavalier is on 195 70 fifteen's I think. Also up Scale Models generally have stouder sway bar and shock and Springs.

Just using Cavaliers as an example. Might be worth looking for a performance model of whatever you decide

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem:

Yeah, in a J body you'll probably have better luck with a Sunfire over a Cavalier, most have a swaybar stock. 15 inch late 90s J body tires are 195/65, base Cavaliers had 14s.

A Grand Am with the Buick 3.3 or Chevy 3.4 might be another good pick.

In my circle track days we had 2 4 banger classes. Modified and strictly stock. Although we ran tube frame modified, the guys in strictly stock were pretty clever. They would go as far as putting straight cars on a frame machine and tweak and twist frames before welding in roll cage to build in wedge one a stock appearing unibody. One fast guy even made his car intentionally "wrecked" to have shorter wheelbase on one side for bether turn in and also bent rear suspension components for more negative camber.

Of course some peckerwoods mods made cars evil handling but others were quite clever.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ wrote: In reply to Dusterbd13: Yeah, one of them rare front wheel drive miatas

Drive backwards. Problem solved.

Furious_E wrote:

Lof8 wrote: In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯: 180 hp in those Celica gts. That sounds nice! I need to find out if "no v-tec" applies to all variable valve timing engines

I think they're crazy light too, IIRC like 2200 lbs stock and fully dressed. I'm sure the "no VTEC" rule would apply here, but idk why these things aren't the answer more often.

1zz 103 corolla? Nearly the same motor, without all the fuss of vtak. Pretty punchy too, even with a severe oil leak, a half dead 3 speed slush box and 200k on the clock....

circle track alignment helps. No bending need.

play with springs and anti-roll bars.

a little toe out on the rear helps turning.

Buy a B Spec racer.