SCCA Questions

[PAFirefighter11]

Since a lot of you are SCCA guys, I figured I'd ask some questions here. I am looking to possibly join as a member next year. I'm going to be running my '93 Camaro Z28 (or 95 Z28). What class would I be in? I did some searching and found a few with Camaro Z28's:

Street Mod, F Stock, Street Prepared Class E, Novice. I assume Novice is JUST the driving class that I'd be in, not the car class. It looked like a majority of the Z28's were in the F stock class. How do I find out for sure?

It's also $45 for non-members, correct? I'm thinking about going to the Warminster Event on the 12th of October.

Thanks for any help, hints, etc.

[lawdogg]

What events will you be running? Autocross / road course / hill climb?

What mods do you have?

[sean3]

Read the rule book and or post your mods up here. F stock = stock car with the exception of a few things. Catbacks are allowed, front sways, struts, alignment, wheels with same size (diameter AND width) as stock, and wear items (brake pads, tires, fluids). I might be missing a few things there. ESP allows more mods to the suspension and engine but I'm not quite sure what the exact rules are. Street mod is pretty much all out.

[PAFirefighter11]

Auto-X Solo events is what I want to run.

Here are the specs/info:
Year: 1993
Make: Chevy
Model: Camaro Z28
Miles: 145,000
Engine: 5.7L 350ci V8
Engine Oil: Royal Purple fully synthetic 10w30
Trans: 700R4 Automatic Transmission
Gears: 3.73’s
Locker: Auburn Posi installed in Collegeville, PA (I have the name of the place at home)
Rims: 17x9?” Cragar Bullitt Replica’s
Tires: 275/40R17 rear & 245/40R17 front Sumitomo HTR Z's with low miles – rears are newer than fronts
Paint: Hood and rear hatch are showing some signs of oxidization, rear spoiler needs paint (it’s new), rear “Berger Panel” is flat black in the Berger style.
Suspension: Factory
Fact Equipment / Accessories: Cruise, tilt wheel, power door locks, windows, power driver seat, cold AC, SLP Performance Camaro SS spoiler, rear smoked side markers, Hella 90mm projector modules (low beams) & Hella 90mm Free Form modules (high beams), Hella custom 12 gauge headlight wiring harness with relays and fuses, H9 HID kit with ballasts, ignitors, etc. Plug and play, no splicing was required, 160* thermostat, white face gauges, SLP Loudmouth Dual Exhaust with single 3" tips, Stainless Works 3" Y pipe, Moroso Cold Air Intake, Trick Flow air intake elbow, Parrot Rhythm n'Blue Bluetooth headunit, Rockford speakers, tuned at JS Performance in Hulmeville, PA, alarm system has multiple functions (normal mode, and an adjustable sensitive mode where certain vibration amount makes the alarm chirp or sets it off). I am sure there’s more that I am missing as well.

I do want to purchase Eibach springs and Bilstein shocks/struts this winter.

[92dxman]

ESP you might stand a chance competition wise. Street mod is a free for all pretty much. All I can say is that don't strive to beat anyone's times your first couple times out. The best thing you can do is only pay attention to your times. That and stay on course and not hit any cones.

[Ciotti]

I don't think those rims are factory spec sized so that will bump you out of F stock into E Street Prepared. The good news is that in ESP you can do a whole handful of fun suspension mods that are not allowed in FS.

[PAFirefighter11]

Hmmm, okay. So to run FS I'd have to drop down to the stock sized 16" rims? I wanted to run once or twice this year as is so I can compare things to next year once my suspension setup is taken care of :)

[Ciotti]

Yup, don't worry about it though, you probably won't be competitive in any class that you're in when you start. Pick the class that suits your modding needs most, for me I could never be in a stock class because I like to mod the **** out of my car suspension wise so that it doesn't handle like such a bloody boat out there, but if you don't care about that and would rather not put money into the suspension, F Stock is your best bet and you'll just have to go to 16's.

[92dxman]

You'd have to dump the cold air intake to run F stock too.

[PAFirefighter11]

Pshhh.. not competitive? I have no SCCA experience but I have plenty of EVOC and other advanced driving experience ;-)

Thanks guys!

[frosti108]

700r4?? did that come stock on the 93?

[alwaysinboost]

the next event is @ warminster park in two weeks. just show up there and ask the guy when you register what class you should be in. usually with a couple of questions they can stick you in the right class.

[461_SS]

For the first time I would just go out as a novice and that's it. Its your first time so I wouldn't worry about class. Def take a instructor out the first 2 or 3 times. Try and get a different one each time. They help a lot! You will have a ton of fun! Its an adrenaline rush! :drag:

[PAFirefighter11]

Yes, 700R4 came stock in this 93. Not sure if it's all '93's though.

Thanks for the help. I was wanting to go to the event on the 12th, but the Eastern PA F-body Assoc. Final Fall Fling is that day!! :( I guess I have to go to Boeing..?

[piknockout]

Even with the EVOC and other advanced training you speak of, you'll still have plenty to learn. I definitely suggest having an instructor along for the first run or two to make sure you get a handle on reading the course and possibly gaining some techniques (i.e., looking ahead, getting behind the cones, etc.). There's definitely opportunity to improve on driving skills.

As far as the car goes, the car itself is an F-Stock car, but as stated the CAI and wheels definitely put you out of FS. More than likely at this point ESP is probably the class that will fit some of the minor mods, especially suspension, that you're looking to do.

But either way, until you get the car prepped correctly for whichever class you choose, and learn how to read/drive the courses correctly, you won't truly be competitive. But time concentrate on car buildup and on learning as much as you can to improve your driving, you'll be there in no time. Good luck! :wink:

[frosti108]

oh thats odd. you got stuck with the 3rd gen trans :P

FYI, theres an autoX in reading on the 11th if you cant make the 12th in warminster

[alwaysinboost]

I second the instructor ride along, even letting them drive you car can be an eye opening experience. I take one with me almost everytime I go out and I've been doing this for well over a year now.

ohh yeah, boeing sucks. lot is too small. warminster runs are usually twice as long.

[PaleDSM]

Nothing drops my time like either riding with an instructor or having them ride along with me. I didn't think I'd need it my first time and I was lost on course. The instructor taught me how to read the course and thing improved greatly from there. I rode in a Miata with Doug last time out and that even helped me knock 4 more seconds off of my time. I was actually competitive for once!

[92dxman]

Another warning about Boeing is that the lot can be a little bumpy in some spots and is kinda rough. Have you ever considered competing with the north jersey region at englishtown? It might be a little bit of a hike but they never have over 100 people running in one event and always get more runs there than any Philly region event i've ever done.

[Ciotti]

Pshhh.. not competitive? I have no SCCA experience but I have plenty of EVOC and other advanced driving experience ;-)

Autocross is different, you'll see :) Different in a good way though, you'll love it.

[sean3]

Autocross is different, you'll see :) Different in a good way though, you'll love it.

Yeah, you get lost in an ocean of cones

[JnJAssociates]

Just a couple of things...

Unless you go back to stock tires, you are in ESP. If your region has a novice class, I would not worry. Go out and have some fun.

Learn to drive the car on an autocross. Worry about what class and mods you want later.

Couple of tips that will help make the day more enjoyable:

Make sure all loose items are out of the car.

Make sure all fluids are topped off and not leaking. The car will be inspected for loose items, missing lug nuts, etc.

You may want to bring a portable air compressor and a pressure gauge. You will need painters tape for your car number and class. I know I hate it when people use shoe polish (not supposed to) or put their tiny numbers on the window. Makes it impossible to read. Most regions have helmets to loan or rent. Double check before attending the event. SA or M rated 2000 or newer is fine (Anyone who still has a Sa/M rated 95 helmet must like damp musty odors ;) ).

Bring a chair, something to drink and eat and some suntan lotion. A hat is a good idea. When you are not driving, you will be working.

Walk the course. If a novice walk through is offered, do it.

Look ahead! If you are trying to see which cone you hit, you will miss the next gate.

Look ahead!

Look ahead!

When I say look ahead, that also means using your side windows to see where you want to go... :)

Have a good time!

Bryan

[oneday]

Pshhh.. not competitive? I have no SCCA experience but I have plenty of EVOC and other advanced driving experience ;-)



Oh, if I had a nickel for every time I heard that!:mrgreen:

Seriously, come out to Warminster on the 12th. While Boeing is very novice friendly because the courses are short and relatively non-cone intensive, the small lot is not so much fun in a big high hp car.

We do novice walkthroughs and then you can get an instructor to ride along with you and you might even want one of us to drive you car so you can see what it is capable of--at the very least ride with an experience axer in their car.

[Gorilla Unit 33]

I always worried about this, being that i plan on entering my first auto-x with my s13 this month also.

[Ciotti]

You'll have so much fun man, which event are you looking at attending? I've been to most of the events in the NJ and PA area at least once and my favorite thus far is the South Jersey SCCA event which is about 20 minutes from Cherry Hill. You get a full 8 runs in every time and the people are just so cool and extremely helpful to new guys.

[Simmons-Racing]

Come out to Warminster. I am one of the Instructors, and can help you out learning the course and getting faster. The problem is it is VERY addicting.

Eric

[DIAF]

If that Auburn Posi wasn't a stand-alone factory option (not a Camaro guy), you're not going to be allowed to run in F-Stock. ESP it is for you.

That said, go out there and have fun, it's a blast.

NNJRSCCA is running 10/18 and 10/25 @ E-Town. Show up by 8:00 with $45 and have a great day!