23 replies to this topic

[Alberto]

Thank you to all of you who took the time to reply.  The information all of you have provided is invaluable and really shows the great sense of community that SM has.  I really appreciate it.

 

That being said, now I have a shit ton more questions...

 

Mainly:

 

According to the NASA website regarding SM, the only tires permitted are Toyo Proxes, yet Danny Steyn mentions using Hooziers.  I'd have to assume that he's refering to SCCA sanctioned races (I can't seem to find their specific rule book online).  Additionally, in watching numerous Youtube videos of SM, there is reference to different catagories such as ITR, ITS, FP, ITL, STA, etc.  I guess what I'm trying to figure out is, how many catagories can you race a spec Miata in, and, are the cars easily interchangable between SCCA and NASA specs.  Also, is one sanctioning body preferable to the other.

 

Secondly, I didn't see any mention of insurance in any of the replys.  When I was at that track day in Monterey, I specifically purchased what was basically catastrophic insurance just in case I did something stupid and balled up my buddies GP.  Is there such Insurance policies available for SM racers or are you just financialy responsible for your accidents?  Also, any premium bumps or exclusions on health insurance?  I'd hate to (God forbid) sustain some injury, and then find out all the medical bills are out of pocket.

 

Finally, and this is just more for curiosity, is there any prize money or sponsorships available?  It would be nice to offset some of the costs if I ever find myself remotely competitive.

 

I'm heading out to High Plains Raceway (HPR) this weekend to troll the paddock for more info and advice as they're having a NASA event there.  I'm hopeful that the folks there are at least as patient as everyone here and will answer more of my 'Noob' questions, but any info supplied on this thread is very much appreciated.

 

 

In SCCA, there are 'National' classes which are eligible for the annual (bi-annual in SCCA) race and 'Regional' classes which are not.  National classes are managed by the national chapter of SCCA.  SM is a national class (as is GT*, Prod, Formulas etc). IT* (Improved Touring) are Regional and managed by the local/regional chapters.  No big show for these classes. Just the regulars from your area racing.  The rules are sometimes different in these Regional classes to better support the needs of the local racers.  In SFR for example, we have Sealed Spec Miata which puts a max HP cap on participants so we can avoid the costs of 'pro', big money motors.  We also run tires that last longer than Hoosiers (RA1).  Our SSM class runs on track at the same time as SM.

 

Many cars are eligible to double dip and run a second class.  The Miata can run SM and Improved Touring so some people do - mostly for more track time and fun. 

 

NASA also has a SM class and a Performance Touring class which is roughly equivalent to SCCA's Improved Touring.  Miatas can double dip there also - or you can prep the car to PT rules instead of SM and not take part in SM.  Same with IT.  It's up to you.

 

Sanctioning body preference is like picking a pair of shoes - personal preference mostly.  They are more similar than they are different but the sanctioning body ultimately is a collection of people.  The people set the vibe and culture.  Spend time with both yourself and figure out which of the local chapters you like better or just run them both.

 

There is no insurance beyond the social contract with your fellow competitors and using your better judgement to stay out of risky situations. 

 

David Gran wrote a book called "Go Ahead Take the Wheel".  Answers a lot of questions that you posed.  He also has a web site which is very informative: http://goaheadtakethewheel.com/

[ECOBRAP]

Jman68 - sorry my bad

 

• If you race NASA you race on Toyo RR's - great tires, durable and you can get at least 10+ heat cycles out of them - IMHO the best times come around HC 2-5. They are not fast as stickers
• If you race SCCA you race on Hoosier SM7's. They are fast and durable and so much better than the SM6's that we had last season that provided exceptional grip especially as stickers, and then rapidly dropped off as the HC increased. IMHO the SM7 can work as a sticker but is best in the 2-4 HC range but can certailnly give the budget racer up to 10 HC, but I do not think it is quite as durable as the RR. 

Both tires have strong points and will require slight setup changes. Hope this helps

 

Danny,

 

I got my best qualifying position (2nd) two weeks ago on 20 heat cycle Toyo RR's. Got stickers for the next race, ended up qualifying with the exact same time. The Toyos have a very long and consistent lifespan, and a new racer can definitely get 21-23 HC before swapping to stickers.

[Danny Steyn]

Danny,

 

I got my best qualifying position (2nd) two weeks ago on 20 heat cycle Toyo RR's. Got stickers for the next race, ended up qualifying with the exact same time. The Toyos have a very long and consistent lifespan, and a new racer can definitely get 21-23 HC before swapping to stickers.

Topgear, thanks for the info. I suspect that it would be track dependent. There are tracks that love rubber and there are tracks that love cords!!! :-)

[RazerX]

I think the biggest variable to the costs that equate to the pointer end of the field is the quantity tires and the cost of engine(s).  The other is trips to the track because seat time is valuable.  I find I run races and track days and can go through 4 or 5 sets of tires in season and I am not running every race weekend.  A track day can put you on track 5 times a day so even getting 20 HC is only 4 days.  The last time out i brought a bunch of old tires and corded 5 of 8 of them.  Getting my money's worth.