[OneFastLotus]

It was mentioned that my husband and I may be looking to bum a co-drive ride in a Super Stock car to acquire points for our year end trophy this racing season. Since the elise wont be here until June. It was pointed out that even if we run superstock, that, if the elise gets here and is reclassed, the other people in Superstock can throw out all our points even though the car has been reclassed to a lesser class. That seems pretty petty to me but oh well, rules are rules.



I called Doug Gill at SCCA.

Here's what he says.

The Lotus is not classed, nor will it be classed until the SEB gets data on the car. That could take months, an entire season in fact. New cars that have not been classed are legal to run in Super Stock.

So, when the car gets here, it will be running in super stock. It will remain classed in super stock until the SEB and committees make their decision on where the car needs to be but the SEB has NO idea when that will happen. The Elise may ultimately be classed in superstock permanently, or it may be somewhere else.

So the quandry is. Do we co-drive a super stock car and if the SEB doenst come down with a ruling we'll be legal 100%

Or do we co-drive a superstock car and when the SEB comes down with a ruling and its placed in Superstock permanently then we are legal 100%.

Or do we co drive a super stock car and then 3/4th way through the year the SEB decides the car needs to be in a "lesser" class. Then it would be up to the other local SS competitors to say if we can keep our points or if they decide they want to throw out our whole season. I guess I just assumed the local region wouldnt do something like that. But I guess the other SS competitors could choose to throw out all our points for the entire year if they were so inclined.


What are you guys going to do?

 

[Randy Chase]

I was just asked last week by someone on SCCA's SEB... "So, when is your Elise coming in?"

I want to think that they are interested in seeing how it does and know it's a hot topic. They are also aware of the eventual LSD and how that might affect things.

So I said "I am assuming it will be SS. You could consider AS, but what if it ended up dominating AS?" The answer "We shall see, but keep in mind that we can move it very easily in the first 12 months."

Not sure what to make of that. In my opinion, it will be in SS, with a slight chance of AS... and perhaps more chance if there is some class shuffling for 2005. But that would only matter for 2005.

 

[Randy Chase]

Locally in a year long points race, you are in a tight spot and it will depend on how your local region handles that.

Worst case, the car gets moved or classes in AS. You have already SS points.

I know locally in San Diego, you would have to run the car in the right class and lose the points you have already gotten.

One solution for us is a PAX class where you are just indexed. You can change cars and classes, it will not matter. Your times are indexed based on the national PAX index.

 

[Highlander]

You could always run in SM2 unless the elise suddenly appears on the exclusion list...

 

[Randy Chase]

Sorry,
http://www.moutons.org/sccasolo/Rules/street_modified.html

ALL LOTUS ARE EXCLUDED from SM2

 

[Highlander]

DOH! That's what I get for making a suggestion before checking my rulebook!

 

[OneFastLotus]

When I spoke with Doug he said that the SEB members may go to a dealer and "drive the car" in order to decide where to class it. Im sorry but that sounds kind of silly to me. Oh well.

He said that any unclassed car can/should run in SS. He has no idea how long the SEB will take.

I asked if I need to send in our results to them, or is SCCA actively seeking out owners. He said, "well that wouldnt hurt" in reference to all of us sending in our SS results. So, it looks like SS to start out with and we'll just have to see.

 

[elise77]

I would consider the car in SS until it proves to be a real underdog....But that will take a year for sure....

If the braking numbers are TRUE about the 111R at 78 FEET.....I mean even if its 90 feet from 60...WOW....Even I can say SS....and I really want AS for this baby...

 

[Slade]

I want to think that they are interested in seeing how it does and know it's a hot topic. They are also aware of the eventual LSD and how that might affect things. [/QUOTE

i'm not aware of the plans for LSD - what's the story here? is it going to become an option? if i get a car without LSD, would i be able to add it if it becomes an option? Thanks.

 

[ConeFusion]

if i get a car without LSD, would i be able to add it if it becomes an option?

If it becomes available as a factory option in the same model year (2005), you can add it to your car and still stay in Stock. Of course you would have to use exactly the same diff. Also, this is under the assumption that it will be a standalone option. If for example (and this is purely hypothetical to make a point) the LSD were only available in combination with the Sports Pack, and your car does not have the Sports Pack, you couldn't add only the LSD.

In other words, the car is stock legal as long as you could have ordered exactly the same combination of options from the factory.

 

[Slade]

i see - thanks for the clarification.

next question is - what are the odds that 2005 model year cars will get this option? anyone have any info about that? LSD would be great.

 

[Randy Chase]

i see - thanks for the clarification.

next question is - what are the odds that 2005 model year cars will get this option? anyone have any info about that? LSD would be great.

Anything can happen, but I think the odds are pretty good.

(sounds like a long winded magic 8 ball)

 

[jgunn]

SS if you are lucky

A Stock -- you guys are funny. 3,300 lb M3s and C4s, and 3,000lb Boxster Ss (without LSDs) vs. a <2000lb Lotus!! You should be kissing the SEBs feet if they class the car in SS vs. ASP.

I think the cars will be great, and I would like to get one once things settle down (pricing, classing and spec-wise), but I am fully expecting the car to be more than competitive in SS.

Randy, I would be happy to co-drive in SS. I'll provide some Kumhos, and we can take some of those Z06s' money.

James Gunn-Wilkinson

 

[Randy Chase]

Shhhh.... SEB members may be reading. A-Stock! A-Stock!




Hmmm... Kumhos. If they fit. Might be a plan.

 

[CrashTestDummy]

I am all for A stock!!!

 

[ConeFusion]

I'll send them my results once I start driving it, and it should be in HS in no time!

 

[CrashTestDummy]

does anybody know when the SEB will get an Elise to try out so we will know what class we are going to be in? Will they drive one of the magazine 'test' cars?


j/c

 

[Randy Chase]

does anybody know when the SEB will get an Elise to try out so we will know what class we are going to be in? Will they drive one of the magazine 'test' cars?


j/c

As far as I know, the SEB will not try out a car at all. It comes down to results in known hands with a known set up condition, against other known drivers. What does that mean? They need a national solo driver to get an Elise.

I have been told that they will not consider classing until then.

The possible problem we are running into, is that the closer the date is to Nationals, the more reluctant the SEB will be to class a car.

 

[Randy Chase]

Now here is an interesting wrinkle....

As much as I would love the car to get classed in AS, in my best estimation, the Elise will end up in SS, though possibly not right away. If I was betting, it's SS right off though.

Now, according to the Solo2 rulebook, all unclassified cars run in SS anyway (or lower under the stock class catch-alls). However these unclassified cars []imay not be eligible for certain levels of competition (Divisionals, Nationals, etc). Look for a tech bulletin for details or call the national office.[/i]

Now that last sentence is new. I can't find the old requirement for 1500 (or 1000?) cars per year.

I will need to do some research. Can the new unclassified car run at Nationals?

 

[ConeFusion]

No, I don't think so. Mainly because it's a 2005. "Cars designated to be of a model year later than the current year are not eligible to compete in Divisional, Tour or Solo II National Championships, unless they have been specifically classed by the SEB. A newly-classed vehicle is not eligible for the current year's Solo II National Championships unless its listing was published no later than the July issue of SportsCar."

The June FasTrack was posted on 4/21, so July should be out soon. If it doesn't get classed within the next couple of weeks, there will be no Elises at Nationals, in any class.