What's the 2018 Challenge Sub Class?

I'm late tho this, but can I suggest

EUROPEAN TOURING CAR (dtm, btcc, etc.)

Imagine a field of stickered up 190Es, e30s, Volvo 850 wagons, etc.  It'd be glorious! 

480tw tire with poor size choices seems a lot more like spec E36 M3ty tire than not.  Why not choose one of the many 200tw tires out there?  If I were forking over $ for a tire for a race car I wouldn't want it to be an all season.

I like the idea of Wagons for sure... How many unicorns could we have show up in 2018?

Also, If you are thinking about a wagon, here is a totally shameless plug: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/201x-classifieds/get-a-jump-on-your-wagon-class-build-for-2018/133893/page1/

E36 M3ty tire will still be a tire war unless you limit width. Give me a list of sizes and I'll pick the widest one to put on a light car. If not me then someone else.

ProDarwin said:

480tw tire with poor size choices seems a lot more like spec E36 M3ty tire than not.  Why not choose one of the many 200tw tires out there?  If I were forking over $ for a tire for a race car I wouldn't want it to be an all season.

Can you tell me a size you would want to run that is not available in AS-03? (note that the general tire website lists WAY more sizes than tire rack seems to). I would not vote for a 200tw tire because none of them sponsor the challenge (however, if they did...).

mazdeuce said:

E36 M3ty tire will still be a tire war unless you limit width. Give me a list of sizes and I'll pick the widest one to put on a light car. If not me then someone else.

Please do! Gearing and rotational unsprung weight can become issues as well. Even GRM ran an article a few years back with a skinnier tire being faster than its meatier counterpart on the same course same car same drivers.

205/50-15, 225/45-15 come to mind immediately

In reply to ProDarwin :

The thought was to show some support for the tire sponsor. Keeping sponsors happy helps keep the entry fee low.

ProDarwin said:

205/50-15, 225/45-15 come to mind immediately

 

 

Common miata sizes? fair enough.

Is there a better spec tire or am I the only one who thinks a single tire class would be fun?

Long Haul,  BUT only has to be Driven from the Hotel,   and not get a ticket for Improper equipment.

WAGON. Let's do this!

mazdeuce said:

E36 M3ty tire will still be a tire war unless you limit width. Give me a list of sizes and I'll pick the widest one to put on a light car. If not me then someone else.

at $120/tire for an AS-05 in 275/40R17... I'm kind of ok with this variety of... skirmish

So has the wagon sub-class been decided? 

I just realized I might have an entry... 

In reply to Ian F :

We need to hurry up and decide 

850R

Stampie said:

I'll admit that a part of me would love to see a bunch of Saabs and Volvo's with turbos. 

That does sound glorious, but based on experience, the Saab guys will need to sort out a trans that could survive.   That said, even with the horribly worn out 165k mile, all original suspension and brakes on our 9000, it was surprisingly fun and not completely terrible. On a set of very used Toyo Prodes RRs, and in the hands of pro driver Danny Shields, it was in the dead middle of the field at the end of the auto-x with a 41.190.  And while we're confident the car could've made it deep in the 14s, the combination of the RRs and the fairly well prepared track, the trans shattered on launch from 3k rpm (despite it handling the same at the auto-x without issue).  And on a side note,  the only other Saab broke en route to the Challenge and didn't compete at all.

Point being, a field of broken Swedish cars would not be glorious. 

I'm a wagon guy, have had plenty, and way before it was cool too.  My delimmma would be turning a wagon into a racecar because they're so awesome daily drivers!  I would not, however, have an issue with ogling, reading about and watching them at a Challenge.  

+200000000 for WAGON (the original SUV)

darkbuddha said:

Point being, a field of broken Swedish cars would not be glorious. 

And given the usual buy-in and mod costs, just getting a reliable car to the Challenge would be a... challenge.

Currently debating about my possible team entry.  Right now, my thought leans towards the K.I.S.S. plan.  Especially if trying to squeeze this build into all of the other things planned for 2018. 

<-- been driving wagons since 1985. 

In reply to sleepyhead :

yea there needs to be some kind of factory participation where we could return them after the event, and then sell them to us cheap like a used Tire if someone wanted. I really think they could get millions in Publicity advertisement.

Sounds like the sub class is Wagon then!  

DrBoost said:

Sounds like the sub class is Wagon then!  

Can John Welsh throw his holy water on this?

In reply to GTXVette :

or they could extend the offer provided to OneLap competitors: 25% rebate for the first 8 purchased tires after a scoring run.

edit to add #of tires

Well, I'm late to the party as it sounds like the sub class will be wagons, but I had a thought from the "increase participation" idea.

A "stock" class.  While engine swapped, cut up, weird suspension, made from 7 different cars classes are cool, I would guess that most (like myself) just don't have the time to build a car like that.  HOWEVER, many of us are decent bargain hunters and could probably swing something to compete with if we don't have to do a bunch of work on it.

Basically, a class to see what kind of horse trading/deal making/right place at the right time/fixed a broken Corvette with a roll of duct tape and a coat hanger type of cars you could bring.  No engine swaps, no suspension changes, not even the wheels.  Gotta be stock "from the factory".  Can someone finagle a Vette or a Cobra Mustang?  Or, could some else show up in a Neon and smoke the Vette because at less than $2018, there's something seriously wrong with the Vette?  

Might be hard to come up with clear rules, but since it's a sub class anyway.....

I just think you'd get more participation if everyone didn't feel like they had to make a frankenbeast just to compete.

-Rob

John and I were picked by the staff to head up the sub class decision-making process.  I had originally planned a long winded discussion comparing the benefits and pitfalls of the different options that were proposed.  You guys took care of that for me 

It seems to be pretty obvious that wagons are the popular choice.  I just got off the phone with him and we decided to go with the flow...

so with out further ado i would like to make it official, 2018 will be the year of the wagon...

Wagons category of Gainesville Fl craigslist $200-$2200:

$1300 WRX

K20 Protoge-needs axles

Previously posted $950 of ruined future but thats ALLRiiiiight

Just when I think that I am out, they keep pulling me back in...