Teach me about improved touring classes

So I am about to embark on a rebuild of my race car, which is currently an entry level mini stock roundy rounder. But I have done a few unsanctioned road races with it as well, and my plan next year is to race the 6 or 7 local speedway events and then also get a racing liscence in the spring and go road racing properly. In a nutshell, my car will be fully caged, with a semi tube frame. I am going to cut away most of the body panels and build a light weight perimeter structure to hang new sheet metal on as the street stocks do. I am allowed to lower my car, use coil overs or jacking bolts, and play with the swaybars. I can cut away the trunk floor to a degree, and I can also remove the inner fenders and suspension mounts (to tie them into the tube frame) but at a 25 pound per corner weight penalty. As I am running a DOHC fuel injected engine, it must remain stock, but I am allowed to add a header and modify the stock ECU. Brakes camber castor etc and springs are free and I can use an adjustable proportioning valve but not more than one master cylinder. Also have to run 13 X 7 wheels which I already have and damn are they sharp. Pics to follow.

So I think I am in improved touring? And if so specifically where, and would this build be reasonably competetive?

No,. improved touring cars are mostly stock with just stuff like exhaust and suspension, still pretty close to a street car. The rules are all online, it might be cheaper to build or buy another car if you wanted to road race though, because I don't think the kind of cage you need is the same.

You will have a GT car when you are done. And, likely a front wheel drive GT car, which will allow you to go out and have fun, as long as you have no illusions about keeping up with a properly prepped GT3 or 4 car...cause they will lay a most serious asswhuppin on you.

Do it anyway. Its fun, and as long as you meet the safety requirements, it will give you a taste for whether you want to continue.

I'll bet you will soon get a bunch of posts advising you to choose Chump or Lemons. They may very well be correct.

No way you can run IT. IT cars are essentially Showroom Stock with a few modifications allowed. Suspension parts(shocks, stuts, springs) and some engine stuff (including ECU). Mods to chassis and body panels are not allowed.

You even have to have the stock heater core and windshield washer bottle (don't have to work but must be present).

A copy of the rule book would be a big help. Building a car and then hoping to find a place to run it can result in futilety. Round track rules vary by the track and often are not related to road race rules.

So looking quickly at that bible of a rule book, I would be GT2. What would they have that I don't have? Besides power and talent I mean.

iceracer wrote: A copy of the rule book would be a big help. Building a car and then hoping to find a place to run it can result in futilety. Round track rules vary by the track and often are not related to road race rules.

My focus is my local speedway. I can already do a number of unsanctioned road races, but I would like to find a sanctioned roadrace series that I can participate in with the same car. The car will be built to my local rules and they are flexible to a point.

Go to scca.com and start reading.

tr8todd wrote: Go to scca.com and start reading.

Yes, thank you for that. I'm trying to narrow it down a bit.

Does NASA race near you? They have a class for just about everything. Again, you may not be competitive but you can have fun.

Go to: www.improvedtouring.com

You'll see a bunch of cars already built and mostly ready to go in the classified section too.

Set up for circle track is different than for a road course.

What are these UN sanctioned road races of which you speak ? Not on highways I hope.

iceracer wrote: Set up for circle track is different than for a road course. What are these UN sanctioned road races of which you speak ? Not on highways I hope.

Setup is easy to change. My car is not offset. And no, I'm too old for street racing.

bearmtnmartin wrote: So looking quickly at that bible of a rule book, I would be GT2. What would they have that I don't have? Besides power and talent I mean.

Without pictures, hard to tell. Probably aero, at least..can't recall what year wings were legalized, but they're legal now.

Here's last year's National Championship. Porsche GT Cup cars seem to be dominating right now.

http://www.speedcasttv.com/scca/#/races/269

EDIT: Hold on, a ministocker? How big's your engine? You might be GTL instead (same construction rules, smaller engines).

iceracer wrote: What are these UN sanctioned road races of which you speak ?

I think he means local as opposed to national, so Cascade Sports Car Club instead of SCCA, etc.

friedgreencorrado wrote:

bearmtnmartin wrote: So looking quickly at that bible of a rule book, I would be GT2. What would they have that I don't have? Besides power and talent I mean.

Without pictures, hard to tell. Probably aero, at least..can't recall what year wings were legalized, but they're legal now. Here's last year's National Championship. Porsche GT Cup cars seem to be dominating right now. http://www.speedcasttv.com/scca/#/races/269 EDIT: Hold on, a ministocker? How big's your engine? You might be GTL instead (same construction rules, smaller engines).

My car is a 240sx and I will be keeping the 2.4 kade. Roadraces I am referring to are chump style pretty much. There are a few others on the west coast like the Roll X in Seattle and the Portland ratraces. But I think after I cut my car up it probably wont be eligable anymore.

bearmtnmartin wrote: My car is a 240sx and I will be keeping the 2.4 kade. Roadraces I am referring to are chump style pretty much. There are a few others on the west coast like the Roll X in Seattle and the Portland ratraces. But I think after I cut my car up it probably wont be eligable anymore.

Damn. Looks like the KADE keeps you in GT2. I looked it up in the current GCR. I'll bet the kind of engine mods legal for SCCA GT racing would get you tarred & feathered at your local oval.

BTW: You're right about the size of the rulebook. Man, that thing's even bigger than it was when I raced in IT 20yrs ago. I haven't had the chance to run Chump or LeMons, but from what I've seen in the magazine, it would have to be a lot closer to a street car than your local ministock rules allow. Hell, it seems to be a lot closer to a street car than IT would allow.

As much as I love SCCA, you might want to check out NASA. They kick our (the SCCA "our" in my case) ass, as far as creating classes for the kind of cars people actually are building right now. A lot of our rules are written to keep grandfathering older cars. But that's a different discussion, and it won't get you on the road.

Have you got any way to show us some pictures of the car? We might be able to help a little better if we could see what you've got.