Help with autocross class

I'm hoping I'm in the right section of the forums, please move me if I'm not!

So I'm coming in completely new to autocross. It's been something I've always thought about doing, but just never did. 
As it stands I decided I'm going to do it now, but I'm having a bit of trouble understanding what class my vehicle is in. I've read through the rulebook, and done some searching online but am not sure. I'm hoping to register for one next month though and need to pick to finish registration!

I think I'm going to be classed where I may not be competitive, but I'm just in it for fun/self improvement! The vehicle is a 2017 Chevy Colorado, and I have got it to meet the track vs height restriction using a lowering kit, a significant offset change to widen track, and a 4 inch shorter tire. I'm also running an ECU tune and a catback exhaust. Does anyone have some insight into what it should fall under with this stuff?

That shoves you to ESP or CAM.  I don't think that you would fit into an ST class but I may be missing that.

In reply to wafflenator500 :

Other small trucks have been classed in STX, but the colorado has not been written in at this time. 

Thinkkker is right about going to SP. the spacers are not explicitly allowed in ST rules, although I wouldn't personally consider them illegal since as long as the wheels meet the rules spacers are just changing wheel offset. But rules are rules. all the other mods would fit ST but the spacers do not. 

my recommendation is to run CAM, you're going to get eaten alive in any class. Run CAM-C which your truck is legal for and you only have to buy letters once and you can do basically any other mods you want. 

 

Thanks to both of you! I don't expect it'll be written in ever, it's 70.7 height and 62.4 track width, I'm in the minority for interest with this vehicle. 

And doesn't look like that matters but I'm not running spacers, I just went from a +33 offset wheel to a new 0 offset wheel. CAM-C looks like a good place for it though.

Registered for two events next month, fingers crossed coronavirus doesn't cancel them!.

In reply to spacecadet (Forum Supporter) :

Just FYI, wheel spacers are explicitly legal in both street and ST classes.

In reply to dps214 :

Spacers are legal in Street if you maintain your +/-7mm offset of the stock wheels. 

they are not explicitly mentioned as being legal and fully open until SP. 

I think it's an oversight of the ST Rules, so if you can show me what I missed in the ST rules I'd appreciate it. 


 

I'd like to be autocrossing in two months, but I don't expect it.

Edit: sorry, the least I can do is welcome you to the forum. 

In reply to spacecadet (Forum Supporter) :

Spacers are considered part of the wheel and wheels are pretty much free.  ST and SP build on street so if it is legal there, it isn't repeated in the rules.

In reply to spacecadet (Forum Supporter) :

Sorry, didn't notice the search had skipped down to the SP section. But as ojannen said, ST allows all street allowances so they're legal. For that matter, SP also allows all street allowances, so the wheel spacer allowance in the SP section is technically redundant.

FYI - 2-seat trucks run in CAM-S with the Corvettes and Vipers. You can run the new XSA class with a higher minimum weight and still do any mods you want.

In reply to Javelin (Forum Supporter) :

ah yeah... depends on if his truck has 4 seats or not.. but the modern colorados all have an extended cab so it's possible to have 4 seats in all of them

In reply to dps214 and ojannen :

like i said i agree they should be legal for ST. but i think the wording is poor. anyway i'm just going to write a letter asking it to be written a bit better with proposed language. 

We have a new local class that I'm particularly excited about. ZF.... or Zero, well the word filter here makes it odd. Our PAX index is 4. Any swap, any tire, any interior etc. It's a class for people like me that are here to have fun and make money into fumes and tire dust

spacecadet (Forum Supporter) said:

In reply to Javelin (Forum Supporter) :

ah yeah... depends on if his truck has 4 seats or not.. but the modern colorados all have an extended cab so it's possible to have 4 seats in all of them

In reply to dps214 and ojannen :

like i said i agree they should be legal for ST. but i think the wording is poor. anyway i'm just going to write a letter asking it to be written a bit better with proposed language. 

It's a 5 seater crew cab. I'm going to run in the novice class initially since I am completely new to this, so it doesn't initially matter much. But out of all of the classes you guys have talked about is there one that this would have the best chance of being at least a little competitive? There's no getting around it being a heavy truck still, but it's reasonably quick especially with the short tires moving my effective final drive from a 3.42 to a 3.95, and on the stock A/T tires some magazine reviewers were pulling .78 g. It may be able to hold an acceptable line with the new Nitto NT555 G2s! :)

wafflenator500 said: 

It's a 5 seater crew cab. I'm going to run in the novice class initially since I am completely new to this, so it doesn't initially matter much. But out of all of the classes you guys have talked about is there one that this would have the best chance of being at least a little competitive? There's no getting around it being a heavy truck still, but it's reasonably quick especially with the short tires moving my effective final drive from a 3.42 to a 3.95, and on the stock A/T tires some magazine reviewers were pulling .78 g. It may be able to hold an acceptable line with the new Nitto NT555 G2s! :)
 

In simple terms... No... the truck is going to get destroyed everywhere in autocross. on the topic of being competitive.. you need to be on a 200tw tire before you can even truly be contending..(and even then there's the whole discussion of the front of the pack 200tw vs the other 200tw tires, and thats a whole other ball of wax) 

in short a Nitto A/S tire is not going to truly cut it but it should be fine for you to learn on for now.

You're new to the sport, come out and play with the truck you have and if you want to be competitive as time goes on you can find something to co drive in or you'll buy something else if you want to play in this hobby more. 

I can't tell you that strongly enough.. 

We could put you into a national championship winning car of probably any class and you'd probably get destroyed by someone with a decent amount of experience in a slower car right now. The sport takes time to learn and be truly good at, there are a few people who pick it up super quickly.. but not many.

to your original question about the truck

the lowest possible class you're talking about for the truck is STX (and even that's a maybe)

STX is ruled by the FRS/BRZ twins, with cars like the RX-8 and 8th gen civic Si being a step behind trophy contenders.... 

putting it bluntly... you're going to get murdered no matter what class you're in

you've made the truck handle significantly better.. but you're never going to get around the fact that it's a 4000lb+ vehicle.. i'm guessing closer to 4300+ in the 4 door configuration that yours is. 

the only way any of the "trucks" are truly competitive in autocross are by being tube frames underneath so they're just racecars wearing a truck body in CAM. 



 

It's going to depend on what your local competition looks like, but at least on the surface it's going to be most competitive in whatever CAM class it's legal for (sounds Like CAM-S). Now it's entirely possible that your local region is stacked with top tier CAM-S cars and drivers, then something like XS or maybe even ESP (if it has enough cylinders) could be the better choice for being competitive with the other cars/drivers in the class.

Yeah, I run a truck in CAM-T. It's a broken plastic spork at an artillery fight. Back in the day we ran a local competition import vs domestic. I ran my 4-dr Elantra against a pair of ZQ8 single cab Colorado's with the 3.5 and 5-spd. I demolished them and I was a newb. 

Be aware, you WILL get destroyed. But go. Have fun and ask lots of questions. Get ride alongs. Ride in other cars. 

Thanks all! That's fine to hear. I don't care necessarily about winning anything, just having fun, learning something, and maybe learning how to drive my vehicle a bit more effectively. But there's always a little satisfaction if the numbers can at least be close. I'm still going to have fun bringing something out that isn't really common or expected for this!

In reply to wafflenator500 :

I'm kinda good at bringing things that don't belong. I started with a 2002 Elantra sedan, then a Suzuki Swift GT, C4 Corvette, Wife's 2000 1.5L Accent Sedan, Forte SX, Rio automatic, Forte Koup Auto, the 78 C10 and now the 03 Tiburon.