I am considering converting my daily driver (2000 HX) to a full-time IT racer. I have obtained the forms required to make a request that the car be classified. I also have a FSM.

Is anyone else in the process of making this request? If so, I'd like to share information/ideas prior to submitting.

I am spending some time doing some research to compile an argument supporting my "gut feeling" that the car would be a good fit in ITB. I can't just say too slow for A too fast for C, so put the car in B.

Thoughts?

 

Hardly anybody runs ITB anymore...at least in many of the regions (SEDIV excluded).

Check the SCCA race results in your area and see what kind of competition you'll be running with. Plus that's a newer car. Maybe a Showroom Stock class would be better? Doesn't IT cars have to be at least 5 years old?

(Actually, I'm not sure on the age restrictions. Check my comments againt the GCR please...)

Modified by bulldog_RS20 at 11:55 PM 5/12/2004


Modified by bulldog_RS20 at 11:56 PM 5/12/2004


Modified by bulldog_RS20 at 11:56 PM 5/12/2004

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bulldog_RS20 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Nobody runs ITB anymore...at least in many of the regions.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

&lt;Ahem Cough&gt;
Don't know about everywhere else, but last I heard the SEDIV was the biggest club racing division in the country. Around here, theres about 10ish ITB cars per event. Going by memory I think there were over 20 entrants at last years ARRC.

"Nobody" is a pretty big word.

 

Edited for your pleasure

:edited again:... the SoCal regional points standings show 10 ITB cars! The Scirocco lives!

 

I'll consider myself pleasured.

 

LOL. Yeah, NOBODY runs ITB anymore...except for several people, one of which smoked the ITA field at the Regional at Gateway a couple weekends ago.

 

Wow... In an Omni!

I should have kept my big mouth shut. Looks like the Golf/GTi is popular at least in the above regions.

 

The Omnis are just VW's with bigger motors.

 

Theres a stupid fast Omni down here as well. But ITB in these parts is pretty much ruled by the Sam Moore constructed Volvos.
You think Corey's car is a tank... Bah. THESE things are TANKS baby. I give them plenty of room and then cut into that huge friggin hole they cut in the air.

We have the usual lot of VWs and BMW 320s. We even have a Suzuki Swift that does pretty good when it doesn't have any issues.

And watch for the Accord LXi, coming back to ITB at a track near you (Just a prediction on my part based on what a little birdy told me).

 

I'd be interested to see how the 1.8l E30 would do. I have a friend who's (extremely) slowly working toward setting his up for ITB, I believe the cage is going in it this winter? So many cars are out there but aren't built, it always amazes me what's classed in the GCR, but then I suppose I would also be amazed at what HAS been built. Thank God the Accord's going where it's supposed to be.

 

Yes, the size of the fields are a concern.

SS doesn't interest me, and the car is not listed on the same spec line as the EX, so I'd have to go through the classification request process.

The car is not old enough yet, but I would want to utilize 2005 for building and testing, begin racing it with SCCA '06. If I couldn't get the car classed in ITB I wouldn't attempt the build.

 

In Socal we have a lot of ITB cars. BMWs, VWs, but no Hondas, because most run ITA. You will have a blast in ITB, You will be the only Japanis car in a Euro soup.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by TeamSlowdotOrg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">LOL. Yeah, NOBODY runs ITB anymore...except for several people, one of which smoked the ITA field at the Regional at Gateway a couple weekends ago. </TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah.........Chris Albin. that guy is insane. at MAM about 3 weeks ago, he blew his motor on saturday, stayed up all night (he was working when i got up to **** at 5am) to fix his motor, and won the next day. i was told that back when he used to drive that thing to the track, he put a bike rack on the back of his GTi, and hung his set of (HP? GP?) doors on it. picture that thing driving down the highway and not laugh.

now, if the groups are spaced right, the guy swaps doors and motors inbetween ITB and HP/GP (whatever production class he's in), and races a weekend.

 

Last year, at Ohio Valley Region's (OVR - SCCA) Double Regional, we had 20 ITB cars...

 

Remember that the CRB won't even consider listing the car until it is age-eligible. SS makes NO sense: The EX wasn't even in the ballpark with a trunk kit so the HX will be an utter waste.

What engine does the HX have again? What does it weigh? I'd do the math and run a little table comparing the CX hatch and EX (C and A cars, respectively). Since the only difference is the engine power, it should be pretty easy to make a case based on where the HX falls in terms of power:weight ratio.

K

 

Actually I was talking about Glassburner, who set the lap record at the national on the 2nd of May. But yeah, he's fast too.

 

Kirk,

2300+ posts! I thought you spent a ton of time on the IT site.

I was concerned about the CRB kicking back my request saying the car is not yet eligible for IT. I was encouraged by Darin to get the ball rolling now. Perhaps I should request the 96-98 to be classed and in the future ask for the 99-00 to be added to the same spec line.

Stock HP is 115. Curb weight is 2370. Motor is the D16Y5 (SOCH 1.6 VTEC-E)

I know you don't need help with the math, but I'll save you some time.

Stock LB/HP is 20.608:1

Assuming a 25% HP gain in IT trim and a weight 96% of stock gives us:

143.75HP and 2275# or 15.826:1

Not certain how feasible a 30HP gain is in IT trim.

Given a 175# driver and about 100#'s of cage, I'd have to legally strip 370# of stuff off that car before I could even think about adding ballast. I don't think Honda spent too much on insullating materials...so I don't know how feasible that is either.

Do you have any reliable info on the ITB front runners (stock LB/Weight)?

By the way, nice looking GOLF. Weren't you looking at building/buying an EX coupe?

 

I got the EX Coupe approved for ITA and was going to do that - until the CRB surprised everyone by moving the Golf III to ITB. That was actually my first choice, waaaay back when I started planning my return but it was marooned in A.

Your idea about getting the earlier years approved is a great one. Solves the age problem. You are probably right about the fit in IT with that kind of engine poop.

There is an urban myth - or is it? - that SCCA won't classify a Honda that can be competitive in ITB, since they are perceived to "own" A and C. I hope you are successful with your effort.

K

 

buy a used race car save you time and money. If you weren't so far I would have recommended mine

 

If I were you, I'd suggest a min. weight of 2,500 lbs; maybe 2,450 in your letter.

 

Dave,

Is that because you think it would need to weigh morethan it's stock curb weight to have a chance at being classed in B? Or because you may have to race against one?
:D

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Knestis &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I got the EX Coupe approved for ITA...</TD></TR></TABLE>

With a little help

 

Uhh, I used to have an HX.

Not sure how that VTEC-E engine is going to take to power mods, seeing as how it's tuned for maximum fuel economy. I haven't heard great things.

 

Isn't the gearing wicked tall?

 

Actually it should be known that Matt did all of the softening up on the EX listing and I just administered the coupe de grace, I think...

K