Hi I'm fairly new here and was considering trying Solo II or AutoCross. So I was wondering how many people were interested in it. So Here's the Poll.
Any stories or comments would be great too.
I autocrossed my Zetec once last year and it was a blast. I intended to do it more often, but i wrecked my car in July and other circumstances prohibited me from doing it anymore last year. I fully intend to autocross this year. It is a blast. I've never driven any car of mine like that before. It will definitely show you the handling capabilities of your Contique
Reasons autocross is good:
- It makes you a better driver overall, improving spacial awarenesss and car control.
- You'll have an absolute blast if you like driving hard.
- The camraderie and competiton of an event makes it a very fun time.
- You'll get to see cool cars and meet great drivers.
- There's almost no cost to get started.
Things to consider:
- You'll possibly get hooked and want to spend money on your car - it's a motorsport and inherently expensive to be competitive. If you do get hooked and want to be somewhat competitive, you're looking at ~$5,000 for an ES MR2/Miata or STS Civic - and that's only mildly prepped.
- You could break something. You need to make sure you have safe tires and your engine is in good shape. If you run with plenty of oil, and nothing on your car is in disrepair, you'll be fine, but it does stress the car more than street driving. Failures of well-maintained cars are very, very rare, but they do happen, usually due to the driver doing something wrong. If you run street tires and don't do anything stupid, it's a very low risk level - just be aware of the risks so you can prevent problems.
- You will get some extra tire wear, and to a smaller extent, the brakes. A lot of newbies drive like mad, sliding and spinning all over the place: this will kill your tires. A fast lap doesn't push the tires all that hard, so you'll get very little extra wear if you work your way up to fast laps instead of down from too hot. Plus, you'll usually be quicker if you go that way as well.
Overall, it's something I think most people should at least try. Just take the time to read newbie guides and be prepared. If you're not ready, you might have a bad experience and never come back. Things I've seen:
- People come in high-powered cars on street tires and burn them up driving like idiots, and never come back because they used up too much rubber.
- People don't come ready for the driving, and can't figure out how to drive. Without some idea of what it's going to be like, it can be frustrating, since it's quite different front he street.
- People come unprepared for the non-driving part and have a bad time, i.e. don't bring water on a hot day, jacket on a cold one, food for lunch, etc.
^^^ What Auto-X Fil said!
The only thing that's an issue with me is (in our region anyway) that an event pretty much burns a whole day. For many that's not an issue, but I've got 3 kids who don't see much of me during the week as it is, so the weekends are "quality time". When they get a little older (the oldest just turned 5) it might be fun to bring them along. But for now, I AutoX when I can and pray the event doesn't run late so I don't have to face my wife after having spent the entire day alone with 3 small kids.
Yeah, that is one issue: it's not just about the driving. You have to be there early, usually 8-10am or so. Most regions finish around 4pm. That's pretty much all day, and you only get to drive for a few minutes. The rest of your day is spent waiting to run, working the course, and sometimes just doing whatever. It's all part of the experience, and a lot of fun, but it's not nearly as much driving as an open-track event. If you want to get lots of seat time without a huge time commitment, and money isn't as much of a concern, a track day provides as much as hours of seat time for only a few hundred dollars. You need good brake pads and tires, and a few other things, but it's still cheaper per minute.
Some SCCA regions run Solo II events in a split-day format. Philly does a great job with this. You show up at 8am and leave at noon, or come around noon and leave at 4pm. They schedule things so that when you're there you're busy working or driving, and then you can just leave.
A little prep work for a Contiqugar:
Jack up tire pressures to 45 front 35 rear.
Run 6.5 (or even 7) qts of oil in a V-6.
Change the oil if it's getting close to that time anyway.
Check lugnut torque.
If you have camber adjustment, mark where you are with a sharpie, then crank it to the max.
General stuff can be found on one of many newbie guides around the internet.
Auto-X-Fil pretty much summed it up. The one time i went last year i ran 6 times all day (almost 12 hours). The rest of the time was spent watching other people race or checking out their rides, working the course, or just sitting around. In Milwaukee, there was a huge crowd as well, so thats why the runs were limited. There is a smaller Autocross club in central Wisconsin that i might try as it has a smaller amount of people that show up. Also watch out for the know-it-all people (looking at my Zetec and laughing). There were a few when i went but i just ignored them. All in all it was an awesome time and i can't wait till this season, especially cuz i will have an SVT and my g/f will be running my Zetec
Originally posted by White99SE:
^^^ What Auto-X Fil said!
The only thing that's an issue with me is (in our region anyway) that an event pretty much burns a whole day. For many that's not an issue, but I've got 3 kids who don't see much of me during the week as it is, so the weekends are "quality time". When they get a little older (the oldest just turned 5) it might be fun to bring them along. But for now, I AutoX when I can and pray the event doesn't run late so I don't have to face my wife after having spent the entire day alone with 3 small kids.
What he said, but with 4 kids.
I have "matured" on the whole subject of motorsports. When I first discovered autocross, I went stark raving mad and tried to sell the kids into slavery so I could afford more racing parts. Now I've come to my senses and realize that it's "just a thing" that I get to do now and then if I'm lucky.
I stay involved where I can, but the family comes first. There'll be more time for all this stuff later, and as the kids get a bit older (or show an interest.)
Sounds like fun. I am always up for trying new auto sports.
where do you guys think is the closest place to me to do some auto x. I've been down to the drag strip a few times but the contiqugar wants to turn and show its good suspension, not just go in a line all day, boring, well fun, but boring in the long run. there is a few places around town that work very very well for darting around and racing friends, but I would like something a lot more organized. feedback pls..
www.scca.orgfind your local region
AutoX is awesome! Its so much fun. I cant wait to go again now with front and rear strut braces, subframe connectors, and the Koni kit. Not to mention stickier tires. Its going to be a blast!
I dont go to compete, however. I go to have fun and hang out with fellow car enthusiasts. Talk about cars, learn about new stuff, etc. With all the mods on my car I get stuck in a class that I couldnt be competitive in even if I tried, so I couldnt really give a crap about that.
The first time I did it I did have serious thoughts about selling my SVT and buying a miata or some other small [cheap] RWD car. There was a S/C Miata the last time I went, and that thing looking like a farkin blast to drive. You could build up an old one for a reasonable amount too.
I do it every month. I run somewhat competitive times but don't really care about that as the car is about worn out at 15 years old, I just have fun.
I probably couldent do it, id be afraid to roll the contour (i rolled a jeep in a parking lot a while ago) and it freaks me out, Ill track the car (circut) but i wont ever Auto-x
You have a higher chance of damaging your car on a track than autox. How in the heck are you gonna roll a contour when autoxing? You said you rolled a jeep, go look in your driveway/garage,,, does that look like a jeep?
There is a moderate risk of damage on the open track. There is a minimal risk of damage at an autocross. Ironically, there has been a Contour rolled at an autocross - Buckshot - but there were extenuating circumstances: he went WAY too fast and drove into a tire wall at a kart track.
I'd agree with everything that Phil said except for the tire pressures. Start with 38 F&R and go from there. Hell, I liked it so much that I bought a second car!
Yeah, Weargle's tire pressures are probably a good starting point. I went high fast because I had the 205 width ZRis on which were very, very soft. Stiffer tires, or even different sized tires may require less pressure, so starting low isn't bad. Just make sure you raise them some, to prevent excess wear or even rim damage.
Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:
There is a moderate risk of damage on the open track. There is a minimal risk of damage at an autocross. Ironically, there has been a Contour rolled at an autocross - Buckshot - but there were extenuating circumstances: he went WAY too fast and drove into a tire wall at a kart track.
Yeah most autox's arent on kart tracks. Was that even a SCCA autox?
Originally posted by Tourige:
Ill track the car (circut) but i wont ever Auto-x
Thats backwards thinking right there. Chances of flipping at autox are slim. Its *possible* but most of the time the courses are designed well enough that you would have to try to flip your car.
Flipping at a road course would be much easier. Go off the track sideways at high speed and who knows what will happen.
BTW, speeds at autox are generally pretty low. Autox emphasizes skill and driving technique, not all out speed.
Thanks for all the response so far. I actually come from a family that is highly involved in SCCA and racing. Both of my folks are still active members in the club racing side. They have been involved in racing for at least 50 yrs or so. I grew up around road racing all my life, but I've never actually given in to the bug. I've been busy trying to raise 4 kids myself but no that they're older (4 teenagers two of which drive) and I'm past the minivan stage I may just give AutoX a try. I'd love to go Club but I know theres no way I could $$ that. My kid brother did race a GTI for a while but he had to give that up due to no money. So hopefully AutoX is a
little more wallet friendly. The first one of the season around here isn't until mid april. Can't wait till spring
Winter bad
Originally posted by ctmystique:
So hopefully AutoX is a little more wallet friendly.
You can run pretty seriously on a very tight budget. I have a car prepped to 80% or so in STS, and I have only under $3k in it, including tires and enty fees for one long season. The platform is not as much fun in GS, but still a good time, and you really only need tires. If you want to run something else, a Miata, MR2, Civic, or a few other cars can be quite streetable and both fun and dirt cheap on the course - An early Miata can be picked up for $2k ready to go, and you'll only use $400 worth of tires per year, plus it'll be pretty close to competitve in ES. If you decide on a newer car to replace the Mercury some day, something like a Mini Cooper can be run bone-stock with just an extra set of wheels and tires and do very well.
There are a hundered other interesting ways to get into it, some even cheaper. Let us know how it goes, and what you decide to run when you get hooked!
I agree with everything already posted.
Just remember one thing, you are new at this and some people have been autoxing for 30 or more years. You are NOT going to have the best times for the day or even in your class. The Tour is a very capable car, but experience will outrun money any day. I ran at a Porsche event and beat a guy in a GT-3. I was haveing a very good day and he was afraid to push his car.
Just go out and have fun!!!
John, where do you run? Ever make it up to CPR?
I do it all the time. Been putting my calendar together for the summer. Looks like at least 2 or 3 a month.
I won the SM class in my region last season and i have an even faster, better handling cougar this season so itll be even more fun.
I might cut back to 2-3 a month we will see what happens when the season starts.
I went to about 60 events last year.
I have been running with the Susquehanna Club in Harrisburg, Hershey and Lancaster. I just moved near Reading so I may start with the Philly group if they can get a lot close by. They have been running in Baltimore since they lost the lot in Camden, NJ.
the main reason i dont want to Auto-x is just really fast sharp turns in a parking lot, something im not to fond of..
If you're personally scared of doing it because you had a bad experience, that's understandable. We just didn't want people to think it was dangerous.
yea, that and ive seen pics of contours on 3 wheels and it scared the hell out of me.
That would be me. It's not that the car is leaning, it's just that I had an Aussie bar and soft stock springs. the rear has NO droop travel at all - the front is still very much earthbound on both sides.
Originally posted by Tourige:
yea, that and ive seen pics of contours on 3 wheels and it scared the hell out of me.
3 wheels=no problem (except a very stiff swaybar)
2 wheels="Whoa! Let some steering out, dude!"
You only need 3 points to define a plane. Most FWD cars will lift the inside rear under hard cornering if they are set up with a stiff rear bar. Generally, if this happens all the time, you need a stiffer front bar, or a lighter rear bar, but not necessarily.
On RWD cars with stiff front bars, you'll see the same thing, but it is often the inside front that lifts. Still a potential tuning issue, but not as scary looking for some reason.
Either way, not really a sign of impending rollover.
I 3 wheel my scort all the time. It only has a 1mm larger than stock rear sway bar (and of course springs,struts,etc.).
If you want to see something fun watch a sentra SE-R Spec-V AutoX. They tripod all the time stock.
You definitely don't need a bigger rear sway bar or some other modification to lift the inside rear wheel on a SVTC. Such mods certainly make it more prevalent but are in no way necessary.
Really? The SVT's bars much really make a difference, because I never came close until I got the Aussie bar.
Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:
Really? The SVT's bars much really make a difference, because I never came close until I got the Aussie bar.
SVTs have the smaller front bar, so the balance of the weight transfer rate is moved toward the back. That might be all the difference you need.
I say "generally" above because I know there are exceptions as noted.
Dang, I wish that I had discovered that there was a larger front bar available. I certainly would have used it.
SHOshop made a bigger bar too. The SVT bar isn't that much softer, so it's not worth swapping - unless, say, the engine is alreay out.
Originally posted by weargle:
Dang, I wish that I had discovered that there was a larger front bar available. I certainly would have used it.
Why?
In general, a bigger front bar results in more understeer, and I'd yell at someone for saying they would have used one. However, this is weargle, so he's probably being sarcastic or more likely, serious about reducing body roll. The heavier front bar combined with a stiff rear bar and aftermarket springs can certainly be tuned to be neutral. I am thinking about drilling holes in my bar so I can move the endlinks down and make it stiffer, if my new rear springs (425lb/in from 280lb/in) and Aussie bar make the car too twitchy. The extra front weight transfer will make the car tend to understeer, but if the front tires have better camber because the car is rolling less, then maybe it won't end up understeering. It's all a matter of looking at the suspension as a whole instead of isolation.
Originally posted by weargle:
Dang, I wish that I had discovered that there was a larger front bar available. I certainly would have used it.
You mean, such as the "standard" 20mm bar?
Frankly, I propose that if you are lifting the inside rear consistently, you have achieved rear bar overkill. At least, that's what Master Puhn would say.
YMMV.
Yeah, I think if you're lifting on every single corner, it's too much. But is it possible to have a good all around car (following sts rules) without sometimes 3 wheeling?
Ideally you want all four wheels on the ground. But a properly tuned car within STS limits might actually be fastest with some slight lift in the hard bends. There's so little weight back there that you might be able to have just one tire keep the whole back of the car in line! However, when you're way up like I was, the front outside tire is in a VERY unhappy place, and you'll not be very quick. That was definetly too much rear bar for those springs, and I would have been faster with a softer bar, had I kept the stock springs.
Originally posted by Auto-X Fil:
In general, a bigger front bar results in more understeer, and I'd yell at someone for saying they would have used one. However, this is weargle, so he's probably being sarcastic or more likely, serious about reducing body roll. The heavier front bar combined with a stiff rear bar and aftermarket springs can certainly be tuned to be neutral. I am thinking about drilling holes in my bar so I can move the endlinks down and make it stiffer, if my new rear springs (425lb/in from 280lb/in) and Aussie bar make the car too twitchy. The extra front weight transfer will make the car tend to understeer, but if the front tires have better camber because the car is rolling less, then maybe it won't end up understeering. It's all a matter of looking at the suspension as a whole instead of isolation.
My "only" suspension mods are Koni/Roush at each corner, and poly bushings on the stock 19mm rear bar. With the SE, I have a 20mm front. Depending on conditions (telemetry) I can get oversteer or understeer. Depends a lot on braking, corner entry and exit speeds, etc. I never got oversteer on my stock setup, even with the poly bushings.
I have an SVT front, and that's my next step with the suspension. It looks like a complete PITA to install, though, and I'm not even sure how to approach it. Frankly, I'm a little scared of it.
At any rate I'm not beefing up the rear until I see what the SVT front bar will do for me. Remember that the whole torsional rigidity thing is logarithmic (or is that "exponential?), so small changes can make a significant difference.
Of course, Weargle has quite a successful record, so I can't argue with that.
On second thought, I should have added poly bushings on the front bar and fabricated stiffer endlinks.
When I went from a 1" front bar to a 1-1/8" bar in the Miata, I also went to beefier endlinks from Racing Beat. That transformed the car into being much more controllable and really planted the rear.
Having a better anti-roll system in the front would have made similar benefits, I'd bet.
My rule of thumb is that work on one end of the car either frees or tightens up the other. So if you have too much roll in the rear, you use the front to tighten it back down.
But then again, the folks that did quite well in STS (Shenefeld) disagree with that assessment, at least on Civics.
http://www.redshiftmotorsports.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=12
Steves subframe connecters would help too.
Then welcome to Streed Mod.
As far as tripoding, I don't worry about that. I've been seeing that since the early days in club racing with the VW rabbits buzzing around Lime Rock. They would always get up on threes. It justs looks like plain old fun to me.
What I don't understand is this, I've been reading all these posts and threads about a whole bunch of mods and speed enhancements that everybody does to their cars, but to what end? So they can drive to work faster? Maybe I'm just weird but I'd really like to push it to the limit. Even if it's just stock for now. Find out what it has got, find out what I've got and just have fun.
Originally posted by ctmystique:
What I don't understand is this, I've been reading all these posts and threads about a whole bunch of mods and speed enhancements that everybody does to their cars, but to what end? So they can drive to work faster? Maybe I'm just weird but I'd really like to push it to the limit. Even if it's just stock for now. Find out what it has got, find out what I've got and just have fun.
No, you're not weird, I'm the same way. (Or maybe we're BOTH weird! 
) I'm staying in GS for the time being... mostly because there's nothing in my budget for any mods that would take me out of GS. I got a cheap set of stock SE rims and mounted some used Kumho V710's for a grand total of $58. Granted, it's not the ideal setup, but I'm not going to Nats, I'm just going to have fun and see what I can do with what I've got.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with staying stock! Driving a car with an understeer imbalance on race rubber (or even street tires) with make you a VERY good driver because you have to keep the front end under such exquisite control all the time, and not jerk it around at all. It also forces you to take a slighly exaggerated line, so "getting early" on the course becomes second nature. It can be frustrating to know that you're not using the potential of the chassis, but if that doesn't bother you: by all means, save your money!
My advice would be to watch camber wear on the outside edges of the tires and flip them BEFORE they start showing signs of cording.
Originally posted by ctmystique:
What I don't understand is this, I've been reading all these posts and threads about a whole bunch of mods and speed enhancements that everybody does to their cars, but to what end? So they can drive to work faster?
You're right. I'm selling my car and getting a moped. Then I can drive it to the limit every time I go to work. 
There are different kinds of car sickness, just like there are different flu viruses every year.
Modding is its own pursuit. Some people mod for the fun of tinkering.
Speed is its own sickness. Some people buy cars that are fast in the first place, and then never track them.
Some people have the mod-bug and the speed-bug at the same time. Watch out for these guys. They're really dangerous.
Then there's those of us who are stark raving motorsports crazy. We'll sit around reading and discussing rulebooks for hours, and then try to figure out which motor oil is going to give us that extra .01 hp, because we don't want to leave any advantage on the table.
Originally posted by RogerB:
Then there's those of us who are stark raving motorsports crazy. We'll sit around reading and discussing rulebooks for hours, and then try to figure out which motor oil is going to give us that extra .01 hp, because we don't want to leave any advantage on the table.
Ummm no I swear I am not mad... Just because I keep a copy of the rulebook on every computer and have a good idea of the rules for Stock, ST, and working on learning SP, and SM.
BTW it must be Castrol Syntec since that is what Auto-X Fil is using to "Unlock the power" 
Originally posted by RogerB:
Modding is its own pursuit. Some people mod for the fun of tinkering.
Yes I can understand that. I do understand that some people get a kick out of modding/tinkering with their cars and I suppose some are just to scared or worried about damaging the car but, come on. It's like "I'm all big and bad just look at my car..." Try and get them to use that power and their like "no way man.. too rough on the car."
I guess they will never know what fun they're missing.
I mod my cars the way I like them and use those mods when I can.
Try not to on the local roads to much, but I'll admit I do occasionally.
Go to autox once a month. Travel to the mountains whenever I can to have fun up there. If I had more money/free time, I'd do it even more.
I know the kinda guys you're talking about that don't really use what they've done to their cars, but don't really know any personally. Everyone I know autoxs or drag races almost religiously.
Originally posted by weargle:
Then welcome to Streed Mod.
I was just looking at the rules about that. So an otherwise STS car (mine) would be in SM after the SFCs? That kinda blows
Originally posted by KingpinSVT:
I was just looking at the rules about that. So an otherwise STS car (mine) would be in SM after the SFCs? That kinda blows
Sometimes one mod can take you straight from Stock to SM. The problem is not with your car it is what other people would be able to add to their car if you could just do this one little thing to my car in STS.
Originally posted by SVTfrog:
Just don't tell anyone.
Not a good idea. If you still want to run that class just talk to the other people in your class about them and see if they care.
A little history about Street Mod. It all started when Dennis Grant wanted to boost the crap out of his DSM. At the time, the only class that this would take it to was either mod or prepared. Yikes. So he petitioned the SCCA and was eventually given provisional status.
Other drivers, particularly those with Mustangs had substantial suspension modifications (K-members and subframe connectors) that also put them into XP or XM classes. Through the years, these were put into SM and SM2.
Now that there's unlimited boost in XSP, the pony cars might be able to eventually get the SFCs allowed, as they're as wobbly as a noodle otherwise. Even more so than our cars.
Originally posted by SVTfrog:
Just don't tell anyone.
That's the worst idea ever. Why is there such an aversion to running the car a class where it's legal? For ufcks sake.
Cheating is a great way to get ostrasized in this community.
I don't do it... but there are a lotta people I know who only make it to a couple events a year and techincally should be in a class that won't let them compare to what they should be comparing to. Usually these people aren't close to being the fastest. Now if it was one of the faster cars, then yeah definitely be in the right class.
There was a car that ran with 60 treadwear rated tires in STS once. I let him know that they weren't class legal, but also told him it doesn't really matter, since he wasn't near the fastest cars and is not a regular to our region.
Maybe I should start running SM, because here the SM cars are slower than our STS cars and I could easily trophy.
But I'm not, because I like to run in a class that was designed for like cars.
Originally posted by SVTfrog:
I don't do it... but there are a lotta people I know who only make it to a couple events a year and techincally should be in a class that won't let them compare to what they should be comparing to. Usually these people aren't close to being the fastest. Now if it was one of the faster cars, then yeah definitely be in the right class.
Maybe I should start running SM, because here the SM cars are slower than our STS cars and I could easily trophy. But I'm not, because I like to run in a class that was designed for like cars.
I have never had a problem with just looking at my time compared to the class I think I should compare against if I am in a different class.
If you care that much about a trophy send me your address i'll send you a few pf my first place E-Stock plaques.
Cherry picking classes can work but I have enough trophys that I don't care about them. If SM is slower than STS I would guess most of the SM guys are ones that have put that one little mod on their car (like that little hairdryer or something) and got bumped to SM so I don't see why other people that have small SM mods would have a problem bumping up to that class.
I've been in an autocross event one time but I was driving a C5 Z06 instead of my Contour. That car made it almost too easy except for trying to get out of corners without oversteer.
The guy I work for used to do tons of autocrossing but he said he had to relearn everything when he went to road-racing. Eventually he ended up doing pretty well in the Speedvision World Challenge.
No I don't care about trophies. I was saying I COULD but won't.
I just think the classes aren't setup perfect. It discourages people from autoxing. 90% of the time people stumble upon autox, they have already modded their cars and have something that puts them in a very uncompetive class. Things like this discourage some people from participating. It's not a problem I have, but I've seen many people complain about it and never return because of it.
Since you do it for fun, why would it matter to you if the slower cars run in class they're not perfectly legal for? They're not gonna take points away from any body that's trying to rack up regional points.
Originally posted by SVTfrog:
Since you do it for fun, why would it matter to you if the slower cars run in class they're not perfectly legal for? They're not gonna take points away from any body that's trying to rack up regional points.
Slippery slope, that.
Originally posted by SVTfrog:
I just think the classes aren't setup perfect. It discourages people from autoxing. 90% of the time people stumble upon autox, they have already modded their cars and have something that puts them in a very uncompetive class. Things like this discourage some people from participating.
There is a class for every car, but no class is perfect for every driver all the time. That's the breaks.
I think what discourages most of the people you're talking about is attitude. They "stumbled upon" autocross, yet expect to be in the trophies the first time out. Whoops! They modded their car for fun, and now they're not competitive in the class that kicks them into. So what? Better luck next car. Meanwhile, run in "street open" or just do "fun runs" and have fun.
Originally posted by RogerB:
Originally posted by SVTfrog:
Since you do it for fun, why would it matter to you if the slower cars run in class they're not perfectly legal for? They're not gonna take points away from any body that's trying to rack up regional points.
Slippery slope, that.
Much so, very.
Originally posted by RogerB:
Originally posted by SVTfrog:
I just think the classes aren't setup perfect. It discourages people from autoxing. 90% of the time people stumble upon autox, they have already modded their cars and have something that puts them in a very uncompetive class. Things like this discourage some people from participating.
There is a class for every car, but no class is perfect for every driver all the time. That's the breaks.
I think what discourages most of the people you're talking about is attitude. They "stumbled upon" autocross, yet expect to be in the trophies the first time out. Whoops! They modded their car for fun, and now they're not competitive in the class that kicks them into. So what? Better luck next car. Meanwhile, run in "street open" or just do "fun runs" and have fun.
If you don't like the SCCA classes try NASA. They run classes in a way that seems to be more fair to the people that you are talking about.
http://nasa-tt.com/rules.php
http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/Time-Trial-Rules.pdf
Thbey assess points based on the mods you have on your car you move up classes based on that. I have some issues with their classing but some people like it better. Both of my cars end up in the same class (Mazdaspeed Protege, Mazda Miata 1.6L) and I can tell you that they are not the same speed.
I have a friend that when he first started autox he had a turbo on his miata and that was pretty much it. He placed near the back of the class (SM2) as you would expect. That next year he worked on upgrading his car and his skills and within a year he was winning SM2 locally and this year was in the top half nationally.
This is a big debate, and I've slowly formed an opinion on the matter.
In real auto racing, cheat like hell. It's part of the game, and it's half the challenge (and fun).
In autocross, where it's all amatures trying to be the best and tweaking a car and driving it, it ruins the fun. If you are showing up for the first time, run where you should! I would ignore truly insignificant things: a stock but knauberized Contour can run in GS - that's just too much nitpicking. But a real mod, like an intake, should bump you - even if it doesn't really matter. CF hood? SM. Just run there, and compare times against stock.
There are exceptions. If you're trying to build a car for a class - like I am - and you are having trouble making it legal, run anyway. BUT, only if it gives you no significant advantage, and you let competitors know. When my HVAC inlet leaked and flooded my pass. footwell, I had to remove some sound-deadening that got moldy. That's a bump to prepared or something, and there's no way to replace it that's not expensive and a huge PITA. Aside from these technicalities, just run stock. I want an accusump, which gives no performance benifit (for me - there are reasons it's not allowed), and would help me with oil starvation. But, that's something I can help, so even though it doesn't make me faster, I'm doing without.
Have I mentioned I love the SCCA? I love the stock class where a cat-back exhaust and R-tires are legal but a short throw shifter isn't. Hmm, a piece used once, maybe twice, that saves .000000002 seconds is NOT legal; but a piece that adds power (exhaust) constantly and tires that, alone, shave entire seconds ARE legal---in a STOCK class. Dumbest rule evar.
Want to save money and use that FSVT fuel pump in your otherwise stock CSVT? Boom, Street Prepared.
Want to SAVE blowing your engine while ADDING weight by gettng an Accusump? Too bad, not in a stock class; you'll just have to take your chances that your daily driver is going to keep it's internals, well internal.
There are a lot of good reasons the rules are they way they are. Check out my recent thread on sccaforums delving into the topic, if you haven't seen it already. Exhaust is something that wears out and needs replacing, and so are shocks/struts. Today it's not a big deal to get oem, since they last so long, but that wasn't always the case. Even now, it's still a lot cheaper to get an off-brand muffler to replace your rusted-out exhaust. The front swaybar was a safety regulation on older cars, and like some other rules, it is still around because rule stability is important. I don't always agree with the classing structure, but it's still pretty good. Newbies are going to be outclasses because they can't drive, no because they're in SM. I've beaten drivers in just about every category, as well as been dusted by HS cars on cheap street tires. I'm sure there are lots of people with 3.0L turbo Contours who would lose GS their first few times out.
Just run in whatever class is legal, and compare times to similar drivers in similar cars. I often run against paltry STS fields, so I chase down the DSP guys (There's a Neon that's similarly modded to be, but on slicks, a sick E30 325i, and a semi-stock Scirocco), and a GS Cooper S that has taken PAX at some BIG events last year (maybe not this year, though, with the PAX change). They give me rabbit times to work on, since I know my car should be close. Someday I'll beat GS, STS, and DSP in raw times...
Well, for me personally I could run in a class of all track cars for all I care. Yeah it sucks I cant really compare my times with those in SM (better suited to STS), but Im not trying to be competitive anyway. Im just there to have fun and become more familiar with my cars performance at its limits.