Post Car Classing Help Questions Here!

[Robert Puertas]

Hi, I moved here from TN recently and plan on attending some Solo events soon.

I am also a novice, having only attended one event before I moved. But I'm hooked!

Can you please help me class my car? I was (N) CSP in TN.

2001 Audi TT Quattro 225 (AWD)
Only mod is 19" x 8.5" wheels with 235/35 street tires
No performance or susp. mods
The car came with a removable back seat that is not in the car

My big wheels threw me into the CSP class, will I be in the same class here?

Thanks for your help!

Michelle, you should be legal for STX, or our local CST class (which allows pretty much anything on street tires).

As far as the removable rear seat thing goes, I have never seen that before. And in order to legally run without the seats in STX, there would have to be something in the US owner's manual documenting that they are removable.

[Michelle Myers]

Thanks for your reply.

The seats are definitely made to be removable. Most TT's have the back seats out. The seat bottom is removable, and the backs fold down. I still have my seat bottom somewhere but I have amps mounted there now. The manual states that the seats are only recommended for "ages 12 and younger" haha.

[Robert Puertas]

Thanks for your reply.

The seats are definitely made to be removable. Most TT's have the back seats out. The seat bottom is removable, and the backs fold down. I still have my seat bottom somewhere but I have amps mounted there now. The manual states that the seats are only recommended for "ages 12 and younger" haha.

Cool. Sounds like you're ready to go!
Make sure everything back there is well bolted down, or remove what is not before you run! Nobody wants to get hit in the back of the head with a flying amp or sub...

[Vereker Tam]

Hey I was hoping to get some help classing my car for the ProSolo.

Car:
2000 Honda Prelude

Mods:
Intake
Header
Exhaust
Stripped interior w/ roll bar
Coilover Suspension


Tires:
Federal RSR

[Rick Brown]

You didn't mention tires. We have two local run-what-ya-brung classes, CSM and CST. Pretty much anything that could potentially be street licensed on DOT tires. CSM any tire, CST any tire over 140 wear index.

[KJ Christopher]

Hey I was hoping to get some help classing my car for the ProSolo.

Car:
2000 Honda Prelude

Mods:
Intake
Header
Exhaust
Stripped interior w/ roll bar
Coilover Suspension


Tires:
Federal RSR

How much of the interior is stripped? Sounds like a Prepared class by your description, which is R2 in Pro Solo, with an index based off of the appropriate prepared class, if that is where you end up.

[Vereker Tam]

^all the carpet is gone and all panels behind the driver is also gone. I also forgot to mention an aftermarket rear sway bar.

[John Stimson]

Hey I was hoping to get some help classing my car for the ProSolo.

Car:
2000 Honda Prelude

Mods:
Intake
Header
Exhaust
Stripped interior w/ roll bar
Coilover Suspension
rear swaybar

Tires:
Federal RSR

The car would be a good fit for STC, if not for the stripped interior. With carpet and interior panels removed, it skips all the way up to the Prepared category (EP).

I don't think that the local CST class will be offered at the ProSolo, but if it is, that's the way you'd want to go.

[Steve Alexander]

Hi, I need some help on classing my Mini. Haven't Autocrossed since the 60s; (Slaloms then), except for Mini-only events in just the last couple years. Trouble is, I didn't build the car for a class, just to be as light and fast (with front-wheel-drive), as I could make it and remain semi "street legal", so It will probably not be competitive;(stock tire Miatas out corner it) Here are some of the specs:

73 Morris Mini, on 10 x 6" wide Modular wheels(have DOTs and track slicks both)
Drive train" FWD 1.6 liter DOHC MPFI Honda VTEC, 190 HP, with 5 speed and LSD
Interior is gutted, Honda recliners, no roll bar/cage or fuel cell.
Suspension/brakes are mostly custom light weight pieces, inc F/R tubular sway bars
Body has Carbon Roof, doors, Bonnet, and Boot lid
Wet weight is 1325 lbs.

Thanks for your suggestions.
PS, I will probably be looking for a local "Hot Shoe" with good feedback ability(El Toro area) to handle the competitive runs, as I am long past my driving prime.

[Robert Puertas]

Steve,
As the car sits now, it is legal for SCCA's D-Mod class, which allows your full racing slicks.
This class is for anything that looks like a car with a motor under 2000cc, or a turbo motor under 1400cc. Auto engines only.
The fast car nationally is a Lotus Elan with a 2000cc Cosworth. There is a fairly competitive Mini back east in this class.

Locally, we have two additional classes where you could run it depending on the tires you choose.
CST = anything street legal on road tires (140 tread wear or higher)
CSM = anything street legal on DOT R tires

You should have no shortage of folks lining up to drive for you!

It was nice chatting with you on Sunday. Heyward and I enjoyed the tour of your car.

[Don Salyers]

Steve, I also spent a couple of years running a Bugeye Sprite in Slaloms in the middle 60's, but don't admit to the other part even though its true---

Looking forward to meeting you, I'm the old guy driving the red '66 sprite...

Don

[Kurt Rahn]

Hi, I need some help on classing my Mini. Haven't Autocrossed since the 60s; (Slaloms then), except for Mini-only events in just the last couple years. Trouble is, I didn't build the car for a class, just to be as light and fast (with front-wheel-drive), as I could make it and remain semi "street legal", so It will probably not be competitive;(stock tire Miatas out corner it) Here are some of the specs:

73 Morris Mini, on 10 x 6" wide Modular wheels(have DOTs and track slicks both)
Drive train" FWD 1.6 liter DOHC MPFI Honda VTEC, 190 HP, with 5 speed and LSD
Interior is gutted, Honda recliners, no roll bar/cage or fuel cell.
Suspension/brakes are mostly custom light weight pieces, inc F/R tubular sway bars
Body has Carbon Roof, doors, Bonnet, and Boot lid
Wet weight is 1325 lbs.

Thanks for your suggestions.
PS, I will probably be looking for a local "Hot Shoe" with good feedback ability(El Toro area) to handle the competitive runs, as I am long past my driving prime.

I can hardly wait to see this car! Too cool!

[Steve Alexander]

Thanks for the friendly response; I didn't expect to bump into one of the guys I talked to Sunday. That Elan would no doubt eat my lunch; in the old days, more often than not, an elan would take FTD, making our A and B prod vettes look silly. I guess I will try CST if my street tires,(Yoko A032 Rs) are indeed considered street tires, otherwise, CSM, when my new slicks arrive. At Qualcom, a few months ago, they put me in SUX class......kind of embarassing driving around with that on my door:). One more question; can I sign up/pay at the event, or do I have to pay in advance? Hope to see you all at the next El Toro event in April.
Cheers, Steve

[Robert Puertas]

Thanks for the friendly response; I didn't expect to bump into one of the guys I talked to Sunday. That Elan would no doubt eat my lunch; in the old days, more often than not, an elan would take FTD, making our A and B prod vettes look silly. I guess I will try CST if my street tires,(Yoko A032 Rs) are indeed considered street tires, otherwise, CSM, when my new slicks arrive. At Qualcom, a few months ago, they put me in SUX class......kind of embarassing driving around with that on my door:). One more question; can I sign up/pay at the event, or do I have to pay in advance? Hope to see you all at the next El Toro event in April.
Cheers, Steve

The A032 R has a tread wear rating of 80 - at least in the larger sizes, not sure about those 10"ers you run!
That would put you in CSM... CST requires that tread wear rating number to be 140 or higher.

[Mike Simanyi]

And for Sunday, you sign up on MSR and pay at the event. That lets us import your info into the timing computer, rather than hand-entering it.

You can skip signing up on MSR but the entry fee will be $10 higher.

If you register for Autocross Sunday and can't make it, there's no need to notify anyone. Your name will just drop out of the results.

Mike

[Steve Ekstrand]

Hi, I moved here from TN recently and plan on attending some Solo events soon.

I am also a novice, having only attended one event before I moved. But I'm hooked!

Can you please help me class my car? I was (N) CSP in TN.

2001 Audi TT Quattro 225 (AWD)
Only mod is 19" x 8.5" wheels with 235/35 street tires
No performance or susp. mods
The car came with a removable back seat that is not in the car

My big wheels threw me into the CSP class, will I be in the same class here?

Thanks for your help!

Welcome Michelle! You should get some dedicated race tires on stock rims!!! But unfortunately the big wheels are costly classwise. They bump you out of Street Touring Extreme (7.5" wheel limit for AWD). I would imagine the rear seat removed would keep you out of STX as well (Any Audi experts know exactly what that is?).

I'm not sure if the TT was ever in CSP, but its now in BSP. That could make Arthur Grant quite happy. :gpower: Maybe less so if you start beating him. Its a tough index, but for the first year in Novice, nobody is too competitive. Its about learning and having fun anyway.

[Sebastian Rios]

Just one correction, AWD wheel width limit for STX is 8".

[Steve Ekstrand]

Just one correction, AWD wheel width limit for STX is 8".

Whoops! I glanced too fast at the rulebook and caught the STR (AWD) listing.

STF, STC, STS, STR (AWD) – 7.5”
STX (AWD) – 8.0”
STX (2WD), STR (2WD) – 9.0”
STU – unlimited

[Steve Alexander]

I never heard of "tread wear rating" only speed rating. is this something new? how can I find out what my tires are wear rated at?

[Leonard Cachola]

I never heard of "tread wear rating" only speed rating. is this something new? how can I find out what my tires are wear rated at?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/ ... ?techid=33

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tiretech/ ... iliate=TX3

[Steve Alexander]

Thanks, but that was no help. I have 5 different brands of 10" street tires on my Minis or as spares; none of them have a tread wear rating number on either side of the tire. I did see on that link, that they say tires 12" and under typically are not rated.
So does that mean I can run any DOT tire I have in CST?

[Sebastian Rios]

Hi Steve, I think you and I talked for a bit in grid last Sunday, I had the white 89 civic. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to talk more when I wasn't so worried about getting beat (worse than usual).

The Yokohama AO32R has a treadwear rating of 60, so even though they are marketed as a street tire, they don't meet the definition according to our rules.In the case of your tires with no treadwear rating, I think you would probably have to run in our local CSM class since that allows any DOT tire. Or in the DM class that allows any tire (including true race slicks).

I'm very interested in that car, and would be honored to have the chance to drive it. I'm not the hottest of shoes, but have managed a few solid finishes. Let's talk some more in April.

[Max Hayter]

Hang on, I should drive it because I'm English and my Mum had one when I was a kid!

[Steve Alexander]

Max, sounds like a good enough reason to me. I remember you ran some respectable times Sunday and I enjoyed your announcing/humor.
thanks for the tire numbers Sebastian, and for answering my dumb questions on the grid Sunday. So, just because they don't rate any 10" street tires, I can't run my car in a stock tire class? I don't think it would be a good idea to autocross (any class) on those tall/skinny 3.5" street tires I have on my other cars. they are not built to go over about 70 MPH, and would probably roll off the rims in a hard corner, besides being rock hard.
My A032Rs are just too slippery for a race tire class; my car just spins like a pinwheel on them....I have spun out 3 times recently, just going around freeway on-ramps. At Qualcom awhile back, I had 6 DNFs in 6 runs, 4 of them with an instructor, she drove my car and coned too.(national champ ladies,FWD class,3 years running). I spun 3 times on 1 run and must have taken out 30 cones; Course workers probably hating me, and my car has several new dents in the lower body work. If I have to run in a slick tire class, I will definitely need better tires. Can't afford the Dunlops at around 1200$ a set, landed from UK, so will have to try/get a set of the New Zealand Hoosiers shipped back over(not available in the US, unless I buy 60 tires), or run on the skinny/expensive "Vintage" treaded tire they make for VARA Minis, or get brave and try a set of the Formulae SAE slicks, made to run at 8-12 PSI on little 600 pound cars. I will probably start out using up my 15 year old set of obsolete Goodyear Eagles, that are badly cracked and leak air. I think they have enough rubber left for a Saturday practice if they don't fly apart. I have a set of treaded slicks on order from American Racer(McCreary), made for the Ausi Mini market, which should be available in a month or two, but from what I've heard, I don't expect these to work very well either. That's all there is in 10s, so I'm back to just doing fun runs/practice sessions, in a non competitive car. Should be able to beat a Forester or Jeep though.....maybe not?
PS, they stuck me in SUX class at Qualcom; I would rather not have that written on my door.

[Rick Brown]

I have some extra go kart tires and wheels. Just need an adapter.......................