So the Pro-IT series went on hiatus this year, and the US Touring Car Championship guys came over from the west coast to fill their slot. I figured it'd be a fun little series that I could run without much travel, so I signed up to run their 2018 season.
Anyone in the area want to join me? It's probably going to be a mish mosh of oddball racecars in its first season but I think we could put on a good show.
Glad to see Ali's series spreading.
It's a cool concept. The main Touring class is PWR based and caters to sporty coupes that are 5-15 years old and in the 200-300 whp range. Rules are fairly open, with aero and engine mods allowed. I'm guessing they have some pull with sponsors, because they offer cash prizes and some fairly generous contingencies.
I'm basically throwing Hankook slicks on an ITS car for the June 2nd event. It's nowhere near full prep for these rules, but I figure it'll be a similar situation for everyone since no one in this area has a USTCC-prepped car.
Well, I'm in and registered for the June 1-3 weekend at NJMP.
Here's the link to the MotorsportReg page for those of you whom are interested.
So after a few hiccups at the June event (aka torrential downpour shutting down the track before we could race), the USTCC finally held its first race at NJMP Thunderbolt. And I had the unique privilege of being the first ever east coast entrant competing their Grassroots-friendly Sportsman class.
Being new to the east coast the event was pretty low-key. At the same time it felt well organized and struck a nice balance between professional presentation and a friendly club racing atmosphere. The field was a mix of cars from different series including some NASA GTS cars, SCCA Touring and IT cars, and an ex-Canadian Touring Car Championship BMW 325 with an S54 swap. Surprisingly, the lap times of the cars were closer than the cars' specs suggested, so I actually got some decent racing in.
Of course, that was after I flubbed the start and the more powerful GT and Touring class cars rocketed away from my lowly ex-ITS Prelude. But then the S197 Mustang, the S54 powered BMW, an the ITR / STU Civic started fighting each other pretty hard which gave me a chance to close up and get in the mix. Ended up spending most of the race trying all kinds of stuff to get by the Civic. I did get a short clip rom the middle of the race before the in-car camera ran out of batteries:
He had a bit more power and a slight gearing advantage thanks to his 6-speed gearbox. I had the upper hand through the high-speed corners thanks to the fact that I could ride the kerbs with my softer suspension setup. I got alongside him twice but couldn't make the move stick. When the checkered flag flew he was just a few car lengths ahead. So close, but so far.
Despite losing out on that duel I was still the top finisher in the Sportsman class. Which put me in the good graces of the USTCC's fairly generous prize giving program. During the podium ceremony, they presented me with a certificate for a free Optima battery - Probably the single most valuable thing I've ever won at a race weekend. It also turned out to be the perfect prize, as the car refused to start when I tried to drive it back on the trailer. Hence this rather embarrassing picture taken immediately before we winched the car on:
All in all the first east coast USTCC event was a lot more laid back and a lot more fun than I'd expected. The East Coast Director is a good guy who seems more interested in putting on a good event than a starchy corporate facade. The rules are open enough so that most cars can cross over easily into the series. It might be a good venue for those of us with presentable cars that don't really fit well into other classes, or cars whose classes have withered away in recent years.
Either way I'm looking forward to their next race in September. Come out and cheer us on if you happen to be near NJ Motorsports Park on the weekend of the 22nd. Or better yet, bring your car and run with us. If nothing else I'll give you a run for your money.
I know this is a thread revival, but Is USTCC East still running? Looks like it could be fun if still exists.
Not in 2020 I'm afraid. The USTCC is a NASA sanctioned series, and there was a strong feeling from NASA National that they wanted the local NASA regions to host the events rather than the SCCA. But the NASA regions in the NE and Mid-Atlantic didn't want to spare the track time or help promote the series. Per the director, the East coast series is on ice until the situation gets sorted.
Bit of a shame. It's a cool series and it's a lot of fun.
In reply to boxedfox :
Ahh makes sense.
By the way, I think I may have ran a race with you earlier this year. You're Roger, right?
In reply to RyanGreener :
Yep, that's me. Going to take a guess and say Ryan O, driving the ITA Miata at the Lightning Challenge race?
boxedfox said:In reply to RyanGreener :
Yep, that's me. Going to take a guess and say Ryan O, driving the ITA Miata at the Lightning Challenge race?
Whoa, good investigative (?) skills! Yup.
In reply to RyanGreener :
Haha. Or a really, lucky guess based on the first part of your username. : )
I might actually be racing with you in class in the near future. I blew the motor on the Prelude a few weeks ago so it's going to be out of commission for a little bit. We do have an ITA CRX that is a few body panels away from being raceable though, so I might be racing that in the near future.
boxedfox said:In reply to RyanGreener :
Haha. Or a really, lucky guess based on the first part of your username. : )
I might actually be racing with you in class in the near future. I blew the motor on the Prelude a few weeks ago so it's going to be out of commission for a little bit. We do have an ITA CRX that is a few body panels away from being raceable though, so I might be racing that in the near future.
Yeah, I saw your car chilling out during the Tbolt race. I assume this was when it happened?
I might be switching to SSM actually. I'm sure I'll catch you in the paddock. I miss my old honda!
Ryan...
I am or was the Director for the USTCC on the East. THe Fox stated everything correctly, its a shame we could not get the traction this series needed. Club racing is great, but the concept of a series that pays to Race and offers real Series sponsorship (podium awards that are more than just a trophy) just makes sense. Series politics killed this attempt, and that is a true shame..
Off to the next venture, TCR? Fox, u in>?
BoxedFox etl al
We are getting the band back together!!!! The USTCC East Coast is starting back up once again. I am Targeting 2021 as our first FULL season. All this will depend on entrants, so, if you have late model IT friends, TCR or other dedicated track cars and they want to run in a series that is funded and sponsored, this is the ticket..
Check out our website, www.ustcc.com click on rules and form and give what we have to offer a good read.
I will be attending races at NJMP, Summit Point and VIR this season (2020) look for the Red BMW E90 with the USTCC Livery, and stop by our hauler. We can discuss the plans, and how you can join the fun.
Andrew
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