[Insoc]

Hello all!

Ok, got my S1 Elise into the USA finally, and I want to run it in the SCCA.

Need some help learning about classifications, as how do I classify my car?

I have the roll cage and plumbed in fire system and kill switch, along with harnesses and a hardtop, so I should be good safety wise.

Where do I stand class wise?

Thanks for your time and assistance...

James

P.S. My freight container weight was listed at 1631 lbs with half a tank of gas and 20lbs worth of parts in the trunk...

 

[Brak]

Unfortunately, the way the SCCA is set up it is more designed around cars that were officially imported for their time period. Since the Elise S1 is a newer car and was not officially imported, your choices for SCCA competition may be few. I do not believe that the car has a class under the road race rules. But road race is not my area of expertise.

For autox, your car would be religated to a mod class, which is the fastest and dominated by vehicles (cars is too strong a word) specially constructed for the class (usually with huge wings, no body to speak of and engines putting down more hp than most mortal humans can safely use).

Your car can certainly participate in many different road race events, which are primarily for fun but are not sanctioned competition. Drivers schools, Porsche Club events, Chen Motorsports, Car Guys, etc...

One question about your car: Your race wheels appear to be 16 inch...what size are they (width and diameter) and what race tires are you using (brand, model and size).

 

[Insoc]

Class and Tires...

Hello!

Ok,

I understand your point on classification. I plan on running in the SCCA whatever I am classed against, I want to do it for fun, not winning and profit, so I guess I get my wish. How do I determine class though? I have looked at a rule book, and it makes no sense to me as where to start. Maybe that is because the car does not exsist in their rules, hence the 'Modified' class. What a shame.

*Edit* And the S1 was officially imported to the USA by Lotus Cars USA. They imported the Elise, Exige, 340R and the Motorsport. They were all 'Track Use Only' but they were officially imported. I must believe you mean cars manufactured for street use as the SCCA's classification?

I was thinking that the S1 would have to be classed with the Federal Elise, as they are the same cars. What would be the argument against that?

The tires I have are Yokohama Advan Neova LTS. Not really a racing tire, but they worked well for me on the tracks I ran on in Italy. Here are their sizes.

195/50/15 for the front and 225/45/16 for the rear.

James

 

[Randy Chase]

In order to be SCCA Solo Stock Class legal, they would have had to be street legal and available in quantities over 1000 per year, if not otherwise classed.

They do not allow an unclassed year or model to share the line with a classed year or model. If the rule boook says that a 1995 Toyota MR2 is classed, you can not inport a 1996 from Japan (same car almost) and run it legally.

Your options become a local class that would allow it, some sort of unlimited street class for example. We have one like that in San Diego. Or run it in a Prepared Class.

In many areas, the mod or prepared classes are actually not filled with winged high hp beasties... but instead have a few other cars that are also illegal because of some aftermarket turbo or whatnot. In many cases, if you run mod or prepared, you can run by yourself because there are not that many entrants.

If you are doing this for fun, then it really does not matter though.

I think... need to research this more... you might be classed in A Prepared.

 

[Insoc]

That is better...

Hello all,

Ok, that does not sound so bad. I understand the regulations for classification now depends on numbers, so that makes better sense to me.

I will be running in the VA area, and I will take my car to one of the local events soon and see what the officals have to say. I have been looking foward to this for some time.

All of you planning on buying an Elise for the driving expierence, you WILL NOT be dissappointed. I drove mine daily for the last three years in Italy, and loved every day of it!


James

 

[brownsa5]

James,

If you plan to run in Northern VA (DC region), unless the all out D-mod Lotus 7's show up, you will be pretty evenly matched to the rest of the competitors. We have several caterham 7's on street tires, and one 1st gen RX-7 turbo (street driven) which run in the class. I fully encourage you to run the car any way you can for the experience. The Fedex field venue is outstanding, and worth the effort.

Steve

 

[fastspider]

The wheels are 16" rears, 15" front on the S1, you can see there are two different sizes in the picture.

My local NASA/X group allow me to run my S1 in AS class, as there aren't many others in AS and against Corvettes, 911s and an M Coupe my times have been good but not dominant. If I had better tires and more skill/experience I might get a class win and get booted up to a faster class.