This post is somewhat stale as it came from July 2000. There have been a few
revisions since, but nothing too radical. It was tabled for 2001, but I hear
it will go into effect for 2002.
Matt Murray
Subject: Proposed Re-structure of Stock Classes
Date: 2000-07-04 22:24
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MEMO
To: Solo II Competitors
From: SCAC
Re: Proposed Re-structure of Stock Classes
The SCAC proposes a restructuring of the stock car classes to better reflect
the current sports car marketplace and to thereby better serve the
membership.
The rationale:
Current SCCA Solo_II Stock classification listings are good, but do not
serve
the evolving "sports car" market. Over the years, the SCCA has tried to be
as
inclusive as possible in offering a class for just about any four-wheel
street-driven passenger vehicle. What has evolved from this is a system
which
is better at classing economy cars than it is at classing "sports cars".
This
has been the case primarily for what are now Classes D-Stock, E-Stock, and
H-Stock. These are relatively low horsepower cars which are largely 2+2 or
four passenger vehicle configurations. Pure two seaters are in evidence here
and there, but they are never found as "class leaders". While D-Stock has
come to be dominated by economy sport sedans, over the years E-Stock and
H-Stock have had many vehicles overlap in terms of performance. Both of
these
classes are comprised of economy four-cylinder sedans or GT style coupes, a
few low-power 6-cylinder cars, and a few older two seater sports cars.
We also have classes for the 2+2 high horsepower pony car: Mustang and
Camaro
types in F-Stock, and the recently revised "older small displacement sports
cars" which define C-Stock. Like D, E, and H, these classes are also
comprised of vehicles which are not at the upper end of the sports car
market
in cost of acquisition. Yet F-Stock and C-Stock each serve a distinct market
segment.
Moving upscale in dollars, what that leaves us is a mid-priced vehicle
segment in B-Stock and G-Stock. Each of these classes has a very distinct
outreach. B-Stock is home to the Miata, the BMW Z-3, Porsche 914, and a few
others. Most are true two seater sports cars with normally aspirated
engines,
light weight, and not considered "expensive" to acquire or operate. G-Stock
is home to a variety of sports coupes, some with turbo charged motors, and
most with roughly 200 horsepower or so. Some are all-wheel drive, some
front-
wheel drive, and some rear-wheel drive. It's a very diverse sports and sport
sedan class. Because the technology and drive systems in this class are
somewhat more advanced than in B-Stock, vehicles in this class may carry an
appropriately higher price tag.
And that has left us with just two classes at the top of the Club for the
"up
market" sports cars and sedans- Super Stock and A-Stock. Until about ten
years ago, this was working just fine. Since the early 1990s, however, the
vehicle manufacturers have brought a wide variety of high performance
vehicles to market. The effect on the top two classes has been noticeable,
with the C4 Corvettes losing ground to the RX-7tt at first, and the balance
of Super Stock left in the weeds. As manufacturers kept increasing the
horsepower and performance of their high end sports cars, vehicles that
threatened to dominate the Super Stock status quo were put into Street
Prepared classes where they were rendered uncompetitive. We don't see that
this is satisfactory for the membership, and especially not for an
organization called the Sports Car Club of America. What we propose is to
redistribute the existing Super Stock sports cars into two classes, thereby
making an accomodation for the new breed of vehicles being produced . Rather
than adding to the existing number of stock classes, however, we feel it's
time to redistribute the "load". Presently, the type of vehicles running in
E-Stock and H-Stock are nearly identical. The performance is so close that
it
is the Stock Classification Advisory Committee suggestion that these two
classes can be combined.
What we further propose is to enhance the existing framework by setting up
each class with representative vehicles, and class-similar types with those
vehicles. What follows is the list of class representative vehicles in nine
Stock category classes. Again, this is not an increase in classes but a
redistribution of vehicles to better reflect the market dynamics we've been
experiencing for the past ten years, and expect will continue into the next
decade.
Class 1
Dodge Viper R/T, GTS
Mazda Rx-7TT
Porsche 996, 911 Turbo, 930
Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1
Chevrolet Corvette C5
BMW M3 (E46)
Lotus Esprit Turbo
BMW M5 ('00+)
Class 2
Porsche Boxster S
BMW M Coupe, M Roadster
Chevrolet Corvette C4
Acura NSX
Chevrolet Camaro SS
Pontiac Firebird WS6
Toyota Supra TT
Porsche 928 (all)
DeTomaso Pantera, Mangusta
Saleen Mustang (non-s/c)
Shelby Cobra (all)
Honda S2000
Class 3
BMW M3 (E36)
BMW Z3 2.8, Coupe 2.8
Porsche 944 16V
Porsche 944 Turbo, 944 Turbo S
Porsche 968
MR2 Turbo
Audi S4
Audi TT (225 HP)
Dodge Stealth Turbo
Mitsubishi 3000GT Turbo
Ferrari 308, 328
Jaguar XKE (6 cyl & 12 cyl)
All Lotus currently in AS
Mercedes SLK
Morgan Plus 8
Plymouth Prowler
Porsche Boxster
Porsche 911 non-turbo NOC
Porsche 914/6
Porsche Carrera2, Carrera4
Porsche 356 Carrera 4 cam
TVR V6 (all), 8 cyl (all)
Mazda RX-7 turbo ('87-'91)
Nissan 300ZX turbo (pre-'90)
Nissan 300ZX TT
Class 4
Mazda Miata 1.8 (all)
Toyota MR Spyder
Toyota MR2 s/c
BMW Z3 4 cyl
Jensen-Healey
All Lotus models currently in BS
Class 5
Acura Integra Type R
Chrysler Neon ACR
Mitsubishi DSM Turbo
Toyota Celica GTS
BMW M3 (E30)
BMW 6 cyl sedans NOC
Maserati Biturbo
Dodge Daytona IROC R/T
Dodge Charger turbo, GLH, GLH-S
Class 6
Porsche 924S
Mazda Miata 1.6
Toyota MR2 non-turbo
Fiero V6
Datsun 240Z, 260Z, 280Z
Mazda RX-7 non-turbo (all)
Morgan Plus 4, 4/4
Porsche 944 8V
Triumph TR8
TVR 4-cyl and inline 6-cyl
Sunbeam Tiger
Fiat X-1/9, Bertone X-1/9
Porsche 914 1.7, 1.8, 2.0
Class 7
Chevrolet Camaro V8
Pontiac Firebird V8
Ford Mustang V8
All other current FS cars except as found elsewhere herein
Class 8
Mazda MX6 Ford Probe GT
Chevrolet Camaro V6
Ford Mustang V6
Toyota Celica GT (all)
Toyota Celica ST
Nissan Sentra SE-R
Nissan NX2000
Acura Integra GS-R
Saturn DOHC
Alfa Romeo 1750, 1750 GTV
BMW 318 is, i, tii
Datsun 280ZX non-turbo
Mitsubishi Starion
Dodge Conquest
Ford Mustang SVO
Honda Civic Si ('99+)
Honda CRX Si ('88-'92)
Isuzu Impulse RS Turbo
Ford ZX-2, SR
All Audis currently listed in GS
Class 9
VW Beetle 1.8 turbo
All current ES and HS cars not listed elsewhere herein
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Does anyone have the link for the 2002 restructure?? Apparently it was all
moved around on the SCCA website, except, it was moved right out of
existance.
Thanks,
Brian Garfield
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