Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Autocross and Open Track Contour Classes at Spring Zing

I don't see why not...though I'll be suprised if anyone does that. If they normally run on street tires, and go to race tires, I would be suprised if they can keep up. For me, at least, it took a few events to get my mind around the fact that these tires grip like mad. I found that I overbraked WAY too much.

I can't speak for everyone, but I am not one to cry 'foul'. I just want to compete, and have fun. It is a 'Pro' class. Pretty much anything goes. I am going to be in GS trim, but don't expect everyone will be.

Nope but as you said.. we should have an advantage as we have the experience.

BTW as for can of worms.. someone with a blower and a LSD has a bigger advantage that we ever will with race tires.

You have to understand.. allowing race tires allows those of us who compete in the GS for SCCA or one of the NASA classes to come and compete at the level we are accostomed to. I think we're in general more out to beat each other than the guy with H&K's and LSD's. We're basically equal so that we know it's driving skill and not some gimmicky mod that we've done that gives us the advantage.

Personally I don't think we'll have the fastest times. But for us, whoever wins the class will probably have the most prestige.

I'd also agree run SCCA classes,
Stock
STS
and Prepared
For each car type, SHO, Tour/Cougar, etc.

PAX them, PAX is made to even out the field.

I wanna purpose 5 classes for Spring Zing.
G Stock Contour
STS Contour
STS SVT Contour
Street Mod
Open Mod

Hey I am just wondering what class I will fit into. I usally ran sts last year but will soon be outclassed there do to my next mix of mods. I know if I will be allowed to run with the slicks I will just cause they are so much fun!!!!

Major mods to jump classes, LSD, Ground control, Konis, Sway bar, Sub frame connectors, Rear lower control arms, plus whatever STS aprroved mods.

I know that those guys will beat me just cause they auto X more than 5 times a year so I just want to be able to have the most fun with my car.

I have been following this debate for a good 6 months now.
I've met with Dave, and we have spent a few hours together behind the wheel of several simulators.

While I suck at driving on several courses, Dave is very good at driving, and strategizing his course runs.

On this tire issue, Dave is right about the tires and models.
I've been driving the last two years on a set of 205/60/15 Michelin Energy MXV4+ tires.
Now being the average Joe street racer I am, I could't feel much of a difference
between the Michelins and the FireHawks that came on the Contour,
but the MXV4+ was a much quieter tire, that gripped the wet road, as if the car was on RAILS.

This past week, I had a really good opportunity to get a new set of tires,
and I opted for Michelin Pilot XGT H4, H90 Series in the same size.

There is a, exit, that makes a long sweeping right hand turn, off the Cross County Parkway,
here in Yonkers, that is marked with a 20 MPH sign.
With the MXV4+, I could take the turn at 40mph, with the tires squealing.

With the Pilot XGT H4s, I can take the same turn at 50 MPH without as much as a PEEP coming from the tires.

Neither of these are considered RACE RUBBER, but there is a DRAMATIC ADVANTAGE or DISADVANTAGE to running anything other than the STOCK TIRES on your car.

So if you want to play FAIR by everyone, then make the STOCK CLASS include ORIGINAL OEM WHEELS & TIRES,
and let those without, AutoX with the drivers who installed
a different wheel/tire than OEM because they thought
the wheels & tires they installed were BETTER.

And FWIW, I do believe that ANY TIRE/Wheel combination, other than the original Manufacturer installed combination, should be considered a MODIFICATION, since it can change the way a car handles, DRAMATICALLY.

With everyone running the Tire/Wheel of their choice in their own class,
there is NO bickering. You either run what everyone else runs, or run what you want.
Those should be the ONLY rules on Wheels & Tires.

If you got $$$ to burn in tires, then AutoX in your STOCK Wheels and Tires, and let the rest of us enjoy our rides, the way WE want to enjoy them.

Except that tires wear out and you'll need new ones. Then what? Limit the auto-x to people that barely drive their cars, or drive them around in unsafe conditions (bald tires...)? That's rediculous.

Should everyone have to use stock pads and rotors? Upgrading your pads and rotors can change the way the cars brakes DRAMATICALLY. Stock spark plugs too?

Not allowing race rubber is one thing, making people use completely sh!tty tires is something else entirely.

Change your plugs.. change your brake pads.. I don't care.. they won't affect the car the way tires do in an autoX. The stock pads are fine, it's only when heat dissipation becomes a factor that the stock pads show their weakness. I've never been in an autoX that is more than 2 minutes. And if you can heat up your brakes enough to get brake fade in that amount of time.. my hat's off to you. You're a much better driver than I'll ever be.


The rules should be the same as SCCA rules. Everyone is familiar with them and shouldn't have a problem. Creating our own rules is not just stupid, it's idiotic. There already exists countless organizations that cover this, there is no reason to go and try to rediscover the wheel.

I'd certainly like to know up front what I'm going there for instead of finding out when I get there. From what I've heard I'm just going to run with the regular SCCA guys anyway. I'm intersted in finding out who's the best contour driver, but I personally think that not being allowed to come out and run your best is a waste of mine and everyone else's time.

As for the tires.. gee perry, I think I need those subframe connectors, a blower and Bear brakes so I can be competitive..

HA, while I'm sure they help, the fact is there are some things to make the car go faster but your talking maybe 2 seconds on a 60 second course. While that's a big difference, to people without experience, they'll probably make enough mistakes to end up towards the rear of the pack.

(no offense intended there gr8ride... btw mind If I try your car out??? I want to try out a lowered LSD car)

I saw something a while ago about detailing for the show part.. to be honest, that's just time and if you have the time to invest you can detail your car no matter how experience you are, and I'm sure that someone will be there to give you tips and just in general help you out.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way for us on the track. 1 mistake, adds 1 sec... 2nd mistake.. another second.. 3 tenths here... 4 tenths there.. stay on the gas too long swing wide (example.. watch the contour rolling over) off the course.... tap the brakes.. back end swings out wide.. another 5 tenths.. No one can help you when your on the track.

AutoX'ing is a matter of who made the least mistakes, not a matter of who has the most power. The better the tire, the larger the margin for error or the closer to the edge you can get.

But enough of this..

who started this thread again?

Perry,

When your tires wear out, you can STILL get replacements, right ?
And if you want to remain STOCK for the AutoX, then you get the SAME tire as replacements right ?

DOH !

Sure. Go to www.tirerack.com and find me the price on a Goodyear Eagle GS-C in the stock 1998 SVT Contour size. Next up, try the Goodyear F1-GS from the 1998.5.

I await your response.