What class should I pick???

[jrummi]

Hi,

I'm interested in getting into racing on the cheap. I have quite a bit of track driving experience but no wheel-to-wheel experience.

I own a '94 Z28 6speed, that I would like to transform into some type of racecar. Price will be a fairly large concern but I would also like something that would be competitive in some NASA class and some SCCA class with little changes in between.

 

Can you tell me some approx. transformation costs and relative laptimes for the following classes I'm looking at.

 

NASA CMC

NASA AI

SCCA A Sedan

SCCA ITE

 

Did I leave out any classes that might work for a '94 z28?

 

I appreciate you advice!

[Robert Canine]

All this has been covered in other threads...say, is there a way to to add a search engine like other sites so these questions are answered from past posting? In any event here's the short answer: your car and $6,000 will win races in CMC; your car and $20,000 will NOT win races in AI; your car and $30,000 will win races in ITE if some ex-speedvision vette or porsche doesn't show up; your car and $30,000 will let you batle Nick Littleton or Richard Cichon for a win in AS (and you'll spend $1200 in tires each weekend and a new engine each year for $15,000)...so, aside from the fact that CMC has the biggest fields, the friendliest racers, the cheapest ongoing cost and is a real compeitive class where talent, not $$$ determines the winner...how can you even consider anything else?

[Robert Canine]

By way of comparison at Laguna Seca where CMC will return in 2005:

 

A Sedan - 1:42

ITE - 1.40 (though if a Speed Gt car shows up they're in the 1:35's)

AI - 1.45

CMC - 1.47

 

And we're talking about the front of the grid winners here...lap times can spread as much as 15 seconds a lap in ITE! and 3-5 in the other classes.

[Tony G]

Very easy answer since you started with the word cheap.

 

A Sedan = NOT CHEAP unless 25-30K is cheap to you

A/I = NOT CHEAP.. kidding right?

ITE= NOT CHEAP ..Sky is the limit

CMC= Cheap,Cheap,huge fun,big race fields,Drivers series,close racing,great group.

 

What else do you want to know ???

Tony

[Keith]

The best way to choose is to go to some events, talk to some drivers and check out their cars. I think your list is fairly comprehensive so find events near you running those classes and see what you see...

 

I ran AI this year and will be running CMC in 2005. My car was not competitive in AI and I didn't have the money to get it where I wanted it for at least 3 years with the budget that I have. My car will be competitve in CMC... Now I just need to work on the driver - and that's the FUN part.

[Lady in Nomex]

The only thing I could add to this is more hp = harder to learn than less hp. Newbies in high hp classes end up driving in the back of the field, in CMC it is easier to stay closer and therefore increase your learning curve.

[jrummi]

Thanks, you guys made that decesion easy,,, cmc.

 

Looks like fields on the west coast average about 15-20 is that correct? What other categories are usually in the same race?

[Tony G]

The average this past year was 18 cars,28 was high and 14 was the low.

We race with A/I or FFR.We have large fields so we dont get mixed up in the other classes.

We also ran extra races with the NABRS (BMW) class which worked out quite well.

We welcome you to CMC!

Tony Guaglione

CMC Chief Director

[racercosmo1548534707]

By way of comparison at Laguna Seca where CMC will return in 2005:

 

A Sedan - 1:42

ITE - 1.40 (though if a Speed Gt car shows up they're in the 1:35's)

AI - 1.45

CMC - 1.47

 

And we're talking about the front of the grid winners here...lap times can spread as much as 15 seconds a lap in ITE! and 3-5 in the other classes.

I just want to clarify something. Keith Videtto and Kevin Chambers ran ITE at Laguna this year and were running 1.41s in their AI cars.

If your car is modified beyond the limit of the CMC rules, go to AI. If it's still mostly stock, add a few items and run CMC. A cmc car can still be somewhat competitve in Regional AS races and generally mid front pack in ITE.

[Richard Pryor1548534703]

with a potential CMC race at Laguna here's a bit of a clarificaiton: ITE lap record is held by David Smith in a BMW M3 at 1.41.249. Keith Videtto held it for one race at 1.41.169 (was he in AIX or AI trim) Kevin Chambers did get down to a 1.45.008 in the same race but no faster). A Sedan lap record is still held by Ross Murray at a 1.44.301, however for a CMC car to run in AS it needs to meet AS rules including fuel cell and spec carb and so on. ITE is the best catchall class for SCCA for CMC, AI and AIX cars and you'll always find several cars to race with be they Mazdas, Porsches, Vettes or BMW's. You'll find that the CMC class is the most bang for the buck and while AI/AIX has just as nice and friendly a group of racers as CMC, it's CMC that is growing much faster and offering better competition at a reasonable price. I spectated at the last two races and had almost as much fun watching the races as being in them...almost. We are prepping a CMC 4th gen Camaro for next year...see you at Sears Point....Richard "time to get my but out of the grandstands" Pryor

[Richard Pryor1548534703]

oops, Keith's time was a 1.41.469 and he smoked everyone in that race including David Smith. Kevin ran a solid, if distant 4th place. I just talked to an exCMC racer who is planning on running his new SPEED GT VIPER in ITE for a shakedown next year...that should lower the ITE record by some 7 seconds a lap!

[racercosmo1548534707]

That's what I get for talking about a race that I didn't attend.