The fact that a 20+ year old car is *the* car to have. How does that make ANY sense? Automotive technology hasn't evolved in 20 years to eclipse the RX7?

It's a perfect example of how the SCCA is structured for the sole benefit of a few, well-organized members. Just like when the SCCA quickly outlawed the Z4 at the Runoffs after Miata owners got their panties in a twist when the Bimmers started destroying them.

There is certainly a lot of difficulty in leveling the playing field in any arena, and it is impossible with automobiles. You could potentially organize classes to level stock cars, but then some take mods better... Autoxing is very, very biased. Start listing classes from either end of the spectrum in each class, and looking at the available mods, and it becomes clear that the rules are horrendously skewed. I don't like the cars I class against, but I can't see how to fix it. If you start making rules too tight, you end up with all the cars being nearly identical, like most pro racing. What I would really like? Contour only racing. 6cyl and 4cyl classes, and then a few mod divisions. But the contour will never get there. If you want model-specific competition, you need a BMW, Porsche, RX-7 or Miata. SCCA cannot, and does not try to provide a fair handicap for every Civic, Jetta, Contour, 6, Coupe GT, and F-350 Super Duty. The part that does suck is the resistance to cars that have the potential to blow away Miatas and RX-7s. They were great cars when they came out, but just aren't the top of their class today. (Sound like the 'tour?) If I had spent the last 10 or more years tweaking my Wankel, I'd hate the new competition. Well, that was a lot of ranting. I'm pissed that I'm not able to compete nationally against others, I'm pissed that I'll never have a shot at a local trophy because I have a near-stock car in STS. But I forgive and forget it all because without SCCA, I would never get to race my car at all. The fact that the local clubs have such dedicated (Mazda-driving) members that they can convince a stadium or airport to let us race makes me give them a carte blanche to dick me over on my competition. I give anyone more serious or involved than me full permission to [censored] about the rules, and I don't say that complaining about a CF hood rendering them impotent as a serious competitor is unfair, so don't flame my post too much... this is just how I feel.

You wrote:

Originally posted by 95Sleeper:

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I'm pissed that I'm not able to compete nationally against others, I'm pissed that I'll never have a shot at a local trophy because I have a near-stock car in STS. But I forgive and forget it all because without SCCA, I would never get to race my car at all. The fact that the local clubs have such dedicated (Mazda-driving) members that they can convince a stadium or airport to let us race makes me give them a carte blanche to dick me over on my competition. I give anyone more serious or involved than me full permission to [censored] about the rules, and I don't say that complaining about a CF hood rendering them impotent as a serious competitor is unfair, so don't flame my post too much... this is just how I feel.

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Perhaps you should take a different approach. We have been competing a 97 Mystique(Bone Stock) for 4 years and great success in G/S. The only cost is the tires(DOT).The car sticks like glue. The SCCA classes does not favior the V-6 Mystique, but with experience, and a great deal of good luck, my wife, came up Second Place in the TransLouisianaAutocrossChallenge. She was Second to a Miata in the Ladies Challenge. With the SCCA handicap she pulled off a win over a Dodge Viper. So we have no problems with the SCCA. It is very difficult to obtain good sites, here in Louisiana we are greatful for what we got.