Autocross- SCCA EV-X Class vs. SS

[M3Pdude]

It's been two weeks since my claim with tirerack. Barely any news since, but they did ask for my VIN. I bet everything that Hankook/Tirerack are gonna try to weasel out of warrantying these.

My plan is to make sure all four of my tires are showing this -- doing some random Corvette club autox that allows hotlapping this weekend -- and then push for tirerack to take all four back.

But there isn't much else out there in-stock to replace these with. RE-71RS? Anybody hear of any recent first-hand reports? Are actually somewhat competitive?
I saw in the results people using Nankangs on the national tour, but I'm not sure if that was out of desperation.

Have you gotten anything back from Tirerack? I have three events on a set of RT660s and all 4 are showing separation.

 

[MountainPass]

What are these cars up top? Shadow, 6 and T342?

 

[dsgerbc]

Have you gotten anything back from Tirerack? I have three events on a set of RT660s and all 4 are showing separation.

I think they are deliberately slow-walking these requests, possibly expecting to offer pro-rated refunds based on tread depth at the time.
My follow-up requests for a status update were being ignored, since I gave them my VIN (allegedly for Falken warranty tracking purposes) two weeks ago. So I called them last week, had to supply all the same info all over again, gave them a fresh set of pictures and so far no reply from Falken either.

I specifically asked TR if it's safe to keep driving these and nobody replied.

 

[M3Pdude]

What are these cars up top? Shadow, 6 and T342?

Mini formula karts basically. All on full racing slicks.

This is an LS powered Kart on slicks. He got me by .146...lol

 

[M3Pdude]

I think they are deliberately slow-walking these requests, possibly expecting to offer pro-rated refunds based on tread depth at the time.
My follow-up requests for a status update were being ignored, since I gave them my VIN (allegedly for Falken warranty tracking purposes) two weeks ago. So I called them last week, had to supply all the same info all over again, gave them a fresh set of pictures and so far no reply from Falken either.

I specifically asked TR if it's safe to keep driving these and nobody replied.

I was afraid of that! I am going to bothering them with this also. I'll post updates.

 

[Rodney!]

Anybody else on the fence about going to the Nationals?
Registration fees go up by $130 on Wednesday, and there are just three people registered in the EV-X. If there are several of us contemplating going, maybe we can convince each other?

I would love to go to Nats, but my car is currently a basic SS build. I would not bother with EVX in it's current trim.

If you guys want to up the EVX numbers, and someone wants to entertain a co-drive, I would be interested (10 nationals trophies, numerous Pro wins and national Pro Championship). Fell free to PM me to discuss.

 

[SK360]

Anybody else on the fence about going to the Nationals?
Registration fees go up by $130 on Wednesday, and there are just three people registered in the EV-X. If there are several of us contemplating going, maybe we can convince each other?

Is it still an SCCA event? Not interested. lol

 

[gearchruncher]

I would love to go to Nats, but my car is currently a basic SS build. I would not bother with EVX in it's current trim.

But this is what we need- more actual, reasonable EV's running EV-X.
The current .835 PAX is nuts at all but the largest courses in the wet. A Model 3 with some camber, springs, and wider tires is faster than any stock car ever made, despite one never raw timing an SS car?

 

[dsgerbc]

I would love to go to Nats, but my car is currently a basic SS build. I would not bother with EVX in it's current trim.

If you guys want to up the EVX numbers, and someone wants to entertain a co-drive, I would be interested (10 nationals trophies, numerous Pro wins and national Pro Championship). Fell free to PM me to discuss.

Sounds like an invitation to get one's butt kicked by a co-driver

In semi-related news, tirerack has a few 275-wide 19" Yok's in stock. While not 295-wide ones, but I'm guessing those are still faster than 305-wide Falkens (even if these will pass tech).

 

[superflyrolla]

Does anyone have some inside info on how the PAX index is created or adjusted? If I were to guess, they're only considering the winners. Model 3 (with amazing driver) wins B street and we're immediately bumped to Super Street? If not, I'm happy to contribute to PAX decrease next year with my mediocre driving skills and bringing a LR AWD on 275s to Nationals.

 

[SK360]

Model 3 (with amazing driver) wins B street and we're immediately bumped to Super Street?

Because an OTA update could have come out and made the car lighter!... and this is why I don't give the SCCA money :|

Guessing the formula is locked in a safe next to the 11 KFC herbs & spices.

 

[Rodney!]

Does anyone have some inside info on how the PAX index is created or adjusted? If I were to guess, they're only considering the winners. Model 3 (with amazing driver) wins B street and we're immediately bumped to Super Street? If not, I'm happy to contribute to PAX decrease next year with my mediocre driving skills and bringing a LR AWD on 275s to Nationals.

Pax is done by Rick Ruth, a CP competitor. He samples all the national/pro/divisional results and updates the pax each year.

He is a really nice guy and people love or hate him depending on where their pax lands.... I would NOT want to have that job....

I spoke to SEB brass this past weekend, and the person I discussed this with agreed with me that at a minimum, the 3 should be pushed back to AS.

The car is perceived as a "moving target" so many are scared of it, so that it why a slew of letters/people had it pushed to SS, where it clearly is getting lost in the pack.

 

[SK360]

Pax is done by Rick Ruth, a CP competitor. He samples all the national/pro/divisional results and updates the pax each year.

He is a really nice guy and people love or hate him depending on where their pax lands.... I would NOT want to have that job....

I spoke to SEB brass this past weekend, and the person I discussed this with agreed with me that at a minimum, the 3 should be pushed back to AS.

The car is perceived as a "moving target" so many are scared of it, so that it why a slew of letters/people had it pushed to SS, where it clearly is getting lost in the pack.

I was told AS was an untouchable "Corvette Class" when it initially got moved to SS.

 

[Rodney!]

Sounds like an invitation to get one's butt kicked by a co-driver

Lots of variables there, all of which can be negotiated/discussed. I do have multiple wheel and tire sets I could bring with me if needed.

My car would be a backmarker in SS and EVX, so given it's present state, it would be a waste of $ to drag it 1400 miles to nationals.

 

[jackmott]

I was told AS was an untouchable "Corvette Class" when it initially got moved to SS.

The politics of this is always shifting. One day in the future the Model 3 will be a in class where you like how things are and something new will come along that is quicker or too close and we will be mad. The OTA update added power and track mode, having a car suddenly transform a couple months out from nationals is a totally new thing for autocross to deal with. Cars get sent to impossible classes for much less. When I was doing the sport regularly the STI had just shown up and mustang/camaro people just could not stand it being in their class even though the competition was pretty close. *shrug*

Racing has never been about the merits of cars but about finding the right way to game the rules/classes

 

[Rodney!]

I was told AS was an untouchable "Corvette Class" when it initially got moved to SS.

Seeing i used to run AS in my S2K, i would disagree with that statement.

You have to remember, classing is member input driven. There were many letters against the EV's and the nail in the coffin was the OTA power bump. So, SAC made the classing move to the top tier street class, SS, to shut up the whiners.

Same ish happened when stock turned to street, with all the whiners wanting 200tw tires. I left when that happened as i knew it was going to be more expensive and sure as sh!t a decade later it is exactly that. Dozens of options now, with many times different mnfr tires front vs rear.

But WTF do I know....

 

[jackmott]

Seeing i used to run AS in my S2K, i would disagree with that statement.

You have to remember, classing is member input driven. There were many letters against the EV's and the nail in the coffin was the OTA power bump. So, SAC made the classing move to the top tier street class, SS, to shut up the whiners.

Same ish happened when stock turned to street, with all the whiners wanting 200tw tires. I left when that happened as i knew it was going to be more expensive and sure as sh!t a decade later it is exactly that. Dozens of options now, with many times different mnfr tires front vs rear.

But WTF do I know....

Still seems cheaper and less hassle to me. You can more practically put your race wheels on at home and drive to the event. People aren't cording them in a single run as we used to do with hooisers on camber challenged stock cars. Probably less bushings and chassis welds being destroyed too.

 

[Rodney!]

Lots of wheel swapping at the events still happening. Daddio was swapping in between runs this past sunday, trying different mnfr tires front vs rear and every combination trying to find that "edge".

Basically changing from hoosier to 200tw appeased the bottom rung of the ladder, and made it more expensive for those who were at the pointy end of the stick. History has proven that.

Regardless, I don't think that the Tessa should be in SS, and at minimum AS, but there are a LOT of people scared of the car, so I don't think it will move. Some of that fear is justified, but most of it is EV hate/misunderstanding.

 

[SK360]

Seeing i used to run AS in my S2K, i would disagree with that statement.

You have to remember, classing is member input driven. There were many letters against the EV's and the nail in the coffin was the OTA power bump. So, SAC made the classing move to the top tier street class, SS, to shut up the whiners.

Same ish happened when stock turned to street, with all the whiners wanting 200tw tires. I left when that happened as i knew it was going to be more expensive and sure as sh!t a decade later it is exactly that. Dozens of options now, with many times different mnfr tires front vs rear.

But WTF do I know....

I was told in no uncertain terms over on grassroots motorsports forum when the car was bumped that AS is the most popular street class the SCCA has due to all the Corvettes and the SEB will not disrupt it by putting a Tesla in there. Which is an inherent problem with having a step system in street for classing and then certain car/drivetrains claim ownership of a class and then we cant change anything because we don't want to piss "those guys off". The entire classing system has gotten out of hand and needs torn down and restructured from the ground up imo.

I felt worse for guys running SR+'s in DS that got slammed in SS because Tesla and technology is scary for the scca.

 

[Rodney!]

This thread need m0ar pitchers:

Fyi, I ripped a mudflap off (from a bump) and cut a front tire with the fender this past Sunday.

I changed up the alignment again yesterday, and am considering my bar options.