What SCCA autocross class?
 

I am planning on running a few SCCA auto crosses (first one this weekend). I took a look at the 300+ page rule book and was blown away by all the rules. Can someone tell me what class I would run in? I have a Vortech SC on a built motor, Megan street coilovers, Moddiction (Saner) FSB, and Nitto NT01 (100 tread wear) on 17x9 square wheels.
Thanks!

SSM
but you are gonna be a new person so can probably run in "novice" which means 1 year of running with no rules!

Thanks for your help! Novice it is! I will learn the differences of each class as I go. I am planning on getting some BFG Rivals after the NT01's wear out (they came on the TSW Nurburgrings I recently bought) so maybe that will put me into a street tire class with better competition (??). Thanks again.

with different tires, assuming 140tw this year and 200tw next year you will be in TSSM......which is is just designating you have a tire modifier for your "Street" tires. The supercharger is what makes you to SSM

Just as an FYI to anyone reading this, in the national rule book there is no TSSM class. Nationally, the only street tire classes an s2000 can compete in is B-Street/A-Street and STR.
TSSM would be a local class.

But like he said, the supercharger is what pushes you to SSM.

That's right. I knew there was a reason every big boy class ran r comps and didnt just use the modifier.

Thanks to both of you. If I am reading this right, since I am in SSM, would it be OK to get a set of Hoosier A6's? I have a hook up on Hoosiers from kart road racing.

SCCA's rule book seems giant after reading NASA's.

If you want them, I have some super low run (one set as low as 6 runs, lol) 275/40 17 Hoosier A6's what would be perfect for your car and autocross gearing. I have many sets that have been sitting in bags in my dining room (LOL) since last year since I ran ST this whole season. Shoot me a PM if interested, will offer at a low price. I'll be putting them all up for sale on R&C For Sale forum in the next week also.

Good luck! :)

Thanks for the offer on the tires but I don't have an extra set of wheels and currently this is out of my racing budget.

I would think that 275's would be too wide for a 17x9 rim. (?)

Roger that bud.

275's are actually more than sufficient for a 9" rim. :) The hot setup on AP2's in stock class was 275x4 on the stock 7" front and 8.5" rear wheels :)

I just looked at the 2023 SCCA rules and find the s2000cr is in AS. So is the standard S2K in AS too?

S2000 of all years are CS. ND Miata is still the car to have, especially on tighter courses.

Unfortunately, the S2k isn't really that competitive in anything except the extreme builder classes at this point. Depending on your region, you should be able to win CS/SST/STR/BSP locally. At a high level, it's pretty much only XA, SSM, etc. where the build quality matters more than the base car.

Thanks Jub. Could you provide a bit more information about your last sentence please? Quality vs. base?

Just meaning that whether you start with a Miata, S2k, M3, 240sx, etc. in those classes, you end up so far from the base car that the base doesn't matter all that much. There are certainly wrong bases to start with but there are multiple right ones as long as the build quality is there. It basically needs to weigh close enough to its minimum allowed weight, stuff massive hoosiers underneath, make enough power with a decent torque curve, have good gearing, have decent aero, and not break. Suspension design, car width, and all that matters but not as much as the basics of power, weight, tires, and aero. Below is a video of the S2k that has won SSM a few times. If that driver applied his knowledge and driving to a Miata, E36 M3, or 240sx, I think he'd win in any of them. It's a builder/driver class is my point. XA is basically the same car with street tires instead of hoosiers. In the less modified classes, the base matters more.

Don't want to discourage you, as I love my S2k. It's fun to drive and I've been autocrossing only s2k's for like 7 years. They're just sadly not competitive in street classes anymore. I've still had event and season wins locally but am starting to care about national competitiveness. They just aren't top tier anymore.

Ok, Thanks Jub.
I should have investigated more before I bought I guess. I did not want to be in a class teeming with Miatas. My plan is to keep the car stock except for wheels, shocks and sway bars. I will look for a class I can run that way and have a chance to win. The car is too valuable to modify much now.

Shocks w/ stock springs, stock width wheels, and a front swaybar will put you into CS. I was in CS a few years back when RE71R was the hot tire. I ran 245 fronts, 255 rears. I'd think you could do the same with RT660s. With A052s, you'd probably destroy front outside shoulders of the tires.

Wider wheels and/or two swaybars put you into SST/STR, whatever it is. I think it's SST this year, will be STR next year. Unless you have national contenders in your region, you can win in CS/SST/STR but you just have to be that much better than anyone that shows up in a prepped ND2. They're nearly 500 lbs lighter and have more torque in the low RPMs. It was kinda fun to try to beat the NDs and definitely made me a better driver in the process. In miata classes, you'll have competition at any event you go to which is way better than winning an empty class. SST/STR setups are a ton of fun to drive if you went in that direction.

Robert doesn't even like AutoX these days, since he's found drifting. That car is pretty nuts though. He ran a 10 second pass at Bandimere a few years ago.


I'm sure some of you already know, but he used to be a professional driver:

https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/static/...rt-thorne.webp

Cool! Thanks for the info. We do have a number of national champs from the Indy region but they don't all show up at once. Not sure if any are running in CS.

When running my CM there were a couple of guys who beat me badly, one has been a national champ a couple of times. Naturally I immediately suspected the legality of their cars.,;)

at most events I was the only CM and so fought for FTD.

S2000 will be fun and can still get in class wins. In STR/SST trim, you can still be the fastest car on street tires too. A STR ND2 is regularly the fastest street tire car. FTD may be possible in a STR/SST car depending on who shows up. If you have anyone decent in any vehicle with hoosiers, they should beat you in raw time. Since the S2k is not the top car in any class, it's also an uphill battle in PAX too. You can do well and have tons of fun but you may need to readjust your expectations if you're used to competing for FTD at any given event. The good news is that CS and STR are typically pretty full classes that are fun to compete in.

There's a meet in a couple weeks at Colombus in. lI'll try to get the shocks by then and perhaps an alignment. from... what I have read the s2k should be competitive in CS and I'll have a place for a grandchild to ride along until they get their driver's license.

Rules will vary on passengers, ages, etc so just check with local regions you plan to run with. Where I used to live (MN) we only allowed passengers on practice events or fun runs if we had them after a competition event. Only passengers during competition events had to be instructors. And there, our insurance was such that passengers I think had to be at least 14. But some regions are able to be more lax on that and allow them even during competition runs. SCCA national events do not allow passengers at all other than on the test n tune courses.

You will love autocrossing this car though. So much fun to drive at the limits. Just focus on competing with yourself up front and getting it down. And many regions have a novice class where you can join and not worry about classing up front. Where I used to live, ours was set up so it was just raw time, all cars in novice competed together regardless of what class they would go into otherwise, and if you trophied in Novice then you could not run it again and had to pick the right class going forward. Was a great, easy, laid back way to get into the sport and the rules made it so someone could not just keep dominating the class since they got booted after winning or trophying in it. That was always a big class so lots of fun competition.

;Thanks for the helpful advice. Luckily the ride along rule is alive and well here. Buckle in and wear a helmet. I sometimes will get a ride along myself if there is a part of the course I cannot see. I am hoping the S2k will get my eyes up a bit higher so running will be easier.

I have been driving the s2k all week and am finding the side bolsters on hip and ribs are a bit tight for me. I read that changing the seat is not allowed. Any ideas on that?

Has anybody bent out the side and hip bolsters?

You can change the seat in SST/STR. Not much room in the s2k though so I'm not sure if the stock seat is too tight, whether you'll be able to find an alternate one that's good.

I'm surprised you think the bolsters are tight though, must be a very well cared for car? Most the bolsters get a bit squashed and flattened, and I don't remember them being very tight in the first place. Maybe buy someone's beat up seat to use for the time being and store your minty one? lol.

Well, the car compares well to a new car with very few flaws. I noted in pictures of cars for sale a lot have the hip bolsters smashed down. Mine look pretty good. The ribs are very tight too (too tight). I wonder if they can be bent out.

Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Jon.