The latest news from Fastrack and SoloMatters has been more about what’s not changing than what is. My car, the standard C5 (that’s Corvette-5th Generation for those not in the trade) is not being moved up and buried in A-Street. So, I’m not being forced to sell my car and buy a C5Z06. Rats! Why did S2000’s have to place 1st & 2nd at Nats in B-Street?
The Acura RXS-S will also not move to STX and the 997 GT3 will not be removed from SSR. Whew! Dodged a couple of bullets there.
On the other hand, it seems that the SEB will put some P-cars (Por-schees, as my wife pronounces it, again, for those not in the trade) into STU, But, we will have to wait until the next Fastrack in December to find out which ones. I wrote a letter with some recommendations. Can’t wait to see if they followed my excellent advice!
Actually, STU is facing other changes as well, like increasing the allowable width of tires for the 4WD boost-buggies to 265mm after much moaning on the internet about how they needed it and, I assume, at least one letter to the same effect. Any new mid-engined or rear-engined (read P-cars) added to the class would be restricted to 255mm. Hmmm. Someone that’s got a 911 with 67% of it’s weight on the rear tires is going to downsize the rears to 255? Not bloody likely.
Actually, I just realized that the notice in Solomatters mentions only mid-engined cars when the original request for comment stated both mid and rear. Maybe just an oversight, but I bet when the list comes out no form of 911 will be on it. Bummer for some people over on the Rennlist autocross forum.
Most assume the 986S Boxster will be in. I also assume the 987 non-S cars as well. The only P-car I think that might get in that can actually hang with the C5 and 350Z if only given 255s is the 987 CS (Cayman S, for those…) but I expect it’s a long-shot. Personally, I would never own that car (don’t trust the engine) but a 981 (base or S) I could talk myself into.
Here’s the results of my rating system for a selection of current and possible future STU cars with mid-engined limited to 255mm. The C5 is set to 100 points and 4WD cars are not listed because I’m clueless about how to rate 4WD. (Some say I’m just clueless all around!)
Update: 350Z added
STU Cars Rated
Saving Time - An Autocrosser's Blog 
Ed..you didn’t talk about this new class STP which will be in affect this month. Will it hurt CAM or FS?
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I don’t think STP will hurt those classes in the long run. IMHO, CAM is destined in the end to be an extremely expensive class unless a bazillion limiting rules get put into place, which will be a painful process and likely to go wrong. The people who are there now will not likely stay once they realize it’s changing from easy and fun to hard and expensive and it will dwindle. FS is strong and getting stronger. Like most ST* classes, STP will probably help the similar cars in F-Street because it gives those cars a preparation progression path more attractive than ESP. ESP is probably the loser.
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Ed, I’m curious how you came up with your ranking- what the parameters might be- and how a 350Z (which won STU this year at Nationals) ranks on that scale, as well as the E46 M3’s that I love. Have you run their numbers?
Thanks!
-Flanagan
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The ranking is based on a grip factor (tire width to weight ratio), a thrust factor (2nd gear peak thrust to weight ratio), a wheel-base factor (shorter is better) and a width factor (less is better). The wheelbase factor is given only 50% weighting compared to the others. The weights used are estimates of what they would be in ST trim.
I have not run numbers on 350Z and M3.
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Brian: get me a good STU weight for those cars and I’ll add them.
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