SCCA classes available to a Miata?

Since this is the best Miata forum I've found, here's my question of the day: I bought a 1994 M Edition (yay for Torsen LSD) a couple of weeks ago to autocross, do track days and generally goof around with. (Yes, I know there are better option packages, but the price was right). For now, my plan is just to run in ES, but I have no intention of putting R compounds on it, so I'll probably never be competitive there. I'd kind of like to modify it down the road, so my question is, does anyone know if there's a chart of what mods will land me in what class? I'd be aiming for something in a street touring class. I've looked on some of the Miata specific forums and not only does the answer apparently not lend itself to their search function, anyone foolish enough to ask gets the ever helpful "Search noob" car forum answer. So I thought I'd ask the experts. Most of my autox is with a local club that isn't all OCD about the rules, but I'd still like to be able to jump to SCCA events if they look like fun. Thanks!

Oh, and I'll get this out of the way: "Search noob!"

kazoospec wrote: Oh, and I'll get this out of the way: "Search noob!"

Wrong forum: None of that here.

Welcome.

With the torsen, you can't run in sts. I'm not sure, but I would imagine you can run in str. As your prep level goes up, you can run in csp, ssm, xp, dp, but those classes are full of mega$$$ race cars. Es is a good place for a 94 M. It's a little heavier than the r package that dominates Es, but having abs is nice because it will save you some flatspots.

You have a bunch of choices: CSP DP DSP (for Spec Miatas) STS

How crazy and how much dollar$ do you want to $pend. Flyin Miata and Planet Miata are your new best friends.

Thought about STR - its kind of in the range of what I'd like to do class and "price" wise. Unfortunately, almost no one runs STR in the club I race with. If I were to "branch out" to a bigger STR field, I assume I'd get eaten alive by NC Miatas and S2000's.

It's possible to remove the torsen and run sts. Depending on how uptight the people you run with are, you may have to change over to a model package that cam with an open diff. Honestly, I love autoxing my 97 with it's open diff. I have run with a torsen and am only slightly faster with it.

My suggestion? Build a fun car, and autox it in whatever class you end up. Unless you're really serious about competing, you'll find you spend a lot more time driving the car on the road than you do around cones. And it would be a shame to compromise the fun of the road to minimize your course times.

That's just my philosophy, anyhow. I do love purpose-built competition cars, and I've been lucky enough to see how a few National level CSP Miatas have been built.

Keith, That's really the way I'm looking at the car. With my SE-R, I had started modifying it "to taste" when I discovered autocross. By the time I started, I was already in a class where I was pretty thoroughly outclassed. I've made a few additional mods which didn't slaughter street manners and gotten to where I am usually at least in the ballpark with local competition and once in a while even win. The Miata is intended to be a "fun" car. Eventually, I'd like to install a roll bar that would pass tech at an HDPE level for some actual track time, do some light power mods, add type R bodywork, freshen (and MAYBE slightly improve) the suspension and call it good.

your original post in this thread is, EXACTLY, the question I was fixing to ask.

I just bought a '94, took it to an autocross last weekend, and was wondering what would make sense to do.

thanks kazoospec

A related question I have, which may provide food for thought:

What autocross class does a car prepped for Spec Miata fall into? Seems like the suspension mods that I know of would all be Street Prepared legal, but I haven't researched it.

Spec Miatas can run in DSP

kazoospec wrote: Thought about STR - its kind of in the range of what I'd like to do class and "price" wise. Unfortunately, almost no one runs STR in the club I race with. If I were to "branch out" to a bigger STR field, I assume I'd get eaten alive by NC Miatas and S2000's.

Someone has to start. Local events generally have a few mildly prepped CSP cars with good drivers. I wouldn't be scared of having an uncompetitive car in that class.

I would like to see some more competition in STX. It sounds like that is not happening here. Maybe I need to start that trend.

Needs more SSM miatas!!!!!

I guess to me the ultimate class would be an E stock street tire class. I could keep the engine as is, install the roll bar, freshen the shocks and go to town. (I could live w/o the r package bodywork). Unfortunately, such an animal does not appear to exist locally.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Needs more SSM miatas!!!!!

That's where I run, but my car is not really built to the limit of the rules, and the in-class competition is pretty thin on the ground in this area.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: Needs more SSM miatas!!!!!

We have one of those locally, that is mostly getting beat by a Spyder on R888s.

And, yes, the Spyder guys drive to events hours away on the Toyos. :)

Well when your stock car weighs about 2150lbs, i imagine wear on an R888 isn't horrible.

I believe my miater is an SSM car in factory form.

You sound decided against R Comps, but may I ask why? In my opinion, E Stock SCCA autocross is the best bang for the buck going. R Comps cost a few bucks and you have to swap wheels, but you're not destroying your street rubber. Depending on how serious you are about it and what tires you're buying, it may be cheaper in the long run the R Comps. The Hankooks work really well and don't cost a ton.

kazoospec wrote: I guess to me the ultimate class would be an E stock street tire class.... Unfortunately, such an animal does not appear to exist locally.

E Stock is pretty much a de facto street tire class around here. I am barely in the trophies in DS but a couple of seconds ahead of the fastest in ES. And if you get over to Detroit they run official street tire stock classes (i.e., TES).

The SCCA should adopt the ST* treadwear limitation to Stock.

fast_eddie_72 wrote: You sound decided against R Comps, but may I ask why? In my opinion, E Stock SCCA autocross is the best bang for the buck going. R Comps cost a few bucks and you have to swap wheels, but you're not destroying your street rubber. Depending on how serious you are about it and what tires you're buying, it may be cheaper in the long run the R Comps. The Hankooks work really well and don't cost a ton.

If you're worried about being COMPETITIVE in ES, i'd say it may be cheaper to run STR. I've seen enough multi-thousand dollar shock setups in "stock" class that it makes me want to puke.

In defense of the scca its not a class for "stock" cars. It is a set of preparation rules called stock. Scca has no class for factory delivered "stock" cars. They do have a minimum prep class they call stock and it allows a certain level of race prep. I hear no one complaining about how much you have to spend on a street prepared car which can benefit from even more expensive tires and shocks. I suppose the argument is should the scca introduce a true street class for showroom fresh cars on street tires that would be a prep level below "stock".

nocones wrote: In defense of the scca its not a class for "stock" cars. It is a set of preparation rules called stock. Scca has no class for factory delivered "stock" cars. They do have a minimum prep class they call stock and it allows a certain level of race prep. I hear no one complaining about how much you have to spend on a street prepared car which can benefit from even more expensive tires and shocks. I suppose the argument is should the scca introduce a true street class for showroom fresh cars on street tires that would be a prep level below "stock".

Well... because SP cars are way faster.

I understand what you mean though. Still doesn't make the "stock" classes much cheaper to build to if at all than the ST classes.

I dunno you can run even more expensive shocks/coilovers, have to try numerous springrates, swaybars, oily brushing, new rims(which may take a few sets to find the right ones), mod you engine (this could cost a bit) all to save a little on tires... Except you probably won't because to be nationally fast you will shave those down which costs more and makes the tires last less.
Contrast that to $shocks, spare set of stock size wheels, slightly more expensive tires, cat back exhaust, and a front swaybar. I think stock will come out ahead.

Personally, I would run it in ES, but that's partly because in my region we have a good number of ES cars with good drivers to compete against. Hell, I'd trade my 325is for a similar value Miata or MR2 or NA 944 in a heartbeat mainly for that reason. This is one of those 'best tools for the job' things for me and I really have no preference towards any car.

ST* isn't always cheaper... it would cost more than the value of my car (that cost way more than Challange $ to buy) to prep it for STX, and it still would only be marginally competitive.

92CelicaHalfTrac wrote: If you're worried about being COMPETITIVE in ES, i'd say it may be cheaper to run STR. I've seen enough multi-thousand dollar shock setups in "stock" class that it makes me want to puke.

I'm sure that happens, but I'd guess it happens less in E Stock than other classes. The thing I like about E Stock is you can get into it in a car that doesn't cost a ton.