The car you want? Or, the class you want?, Had this conversation today... Options

[ConeDodger]

The guy I was talking to agrees with me. Build the car the way you want, and if it puts you in a class that you can't win, just have fun...

What say the rest of you?

[SirAndy]

The guy I was talking to agrees with me. Build the car the way you want, and if it puts you in a class that you can't win, just have fun...

What say the rest of you?

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) class don't matter much to me. i build the car the way i want it to be, whatever class that puts me in ...

class-win is all fine and stuff, but being in the top 10 overall is a much better goal, IMHO ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif) Andy

[DanT]

The guy I was talking to agrees with me. Build the car the way you want, and if it puts you in a class that you can't win, just have fun...

What say the rest of you?

that is interesting Rob...

that is exactly the reason the GGR/Zone rules were changed to points so one modification would not make your car end up in a class where it was not competitive.
that was one of the main talking points for the push to the points system instead of our old menu type classification.
Now if I have a car that has 450 base points and I make one 5 point modification I move up into another class....how is that different than it used to be? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/idea.gif)

anyway...it all depends on what you want to do....I have been building a car the way I want it, but now a few mods I would like to make will put me up at least 2 maybe 3 classes and I would be in way over my cars abilities compared with the cars I would then be against.

[914forme]

That is why I run NASA it is a points based system, and as long as people are honest, the system works. Some times you get a guy that spreads the points a little like peanut butter. And you know it. Our club has a way of dealing with it. I am not afraid of moving up a class this year, bring it, baby!!!!

I build my car the way I want and have fun, but I do like runing at the top of my class. In reality I like clawing my way up to the win, and catching the leaders. More fun that way.

[Aaron Cox]

my car is uncompetitive in AI....

but it rocks... and its what i built it to do (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[DanT]

being a competitive person, I would like my car to be able to be classed in such a way that my car at least has an even chance to finish in the top 3 for my class and in the top 15-20 overall....out of 100+ competitors at any given event. It is no fun going to an event and beating your head (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif) against the wall running with cars with a whole lot more capabilities.
I can say without apology that after winning my class last year, I could take the car of any of my direct competitors and beat my best time in my own car along with the rest of them.

As we have said for a long time the car is only part of the equation. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[grantsfo]

Clearly the car you want! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Crazyhippy]

Build it for FTD, screw the classes...

Kinda depends on if you are building the car to race, or enjoy elsewhere. My car is a daily driver 1st and foremost. Then track day whore, and finally AutoX taxi.

BJH

[brant]

I've built 2 race cars now.
the first was the way I wanted.
wasn't too much fun to be blown away on the track.
that car started as a street car and ultimately went back to being a street car.

After getting a bit more serious, the 2nd car was inspiried and designed from bolt #1 as a race car... I can definitely say that once you give up on the streetability and it becomes only about competition then building to the rules/class is mandatory. I find the 2nd car MUCH more fun. the other guys out there are just as serious and its not fun to bring a knife to a gun fight.

[DanT]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[SandyI]

When I do it again, I'll build for class. I love my 914/3.2 for canyon carving. But on the track, I get my ass handed to me in POC class V2. The last event at Streets of Willow, I lost to a 911, lighter than my 914, powered by 330 HP! Kind of like bringing a butter knife to a gun fight.

[grantsfo]

Question is probably too broad. For GGR PCA AX and TT building to class is fairly meaningless. For hillclimb event like Hoopa just competing is likely to be fun!

If youre talking about more rigid frame work of SCCA, NASA, POC or Historics then building to class makes sense if youre all about winning. Frankly if it were me and I was considering meaningful wheel to wheel competition I'd run a spec series where competition is keen and all cars are fairly close to each other in weight and power.

[ConeDodger]

The question came up because the other party was discussing ways to stiffen a 914 chassis. I pointed out that the particular modification in question was probably against the rules or possibly restrictive as a point factor... He had never thought of that. It was refreshing actually to see that innocence. He just wanted to make the car better.
I am happy to "play by the rules" my car will always be classed appropriately but just so you know... I could care less. I am just having a ball...

[SirAndy]

Question is probably too broad. For GGR PCA AX and TT building to class is fairly meaningless. For hillclimb event like Hoopa just competing is likely to be fun!

If youre talking about more rigid frame work of SCCA, NASA, POC or Historics then building to class makes sense if youre all about winning. Frankly if it were me and I was considering meaningful wheel to wheel competition I'd run a spec series where competition is keen and all cars are fairly close to each other in weight and power.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[jhadler]

It depends on what you want out of it.

If you want to drive a hoot-and-a-holler fun car, but aren't as concerned with trophies or competition, then build the car you want, screw the classing.

If, on the other hand, competiton is just as important as the car itself, then RTR. Read the rules of all the possible classes your car choice lands in. Find the one where the development cost is potentially within reach (always tack on an extra zero to your estimate), and the car appears to be competitive. You may not always be able to do what you want to do to the car. But if what you -really- want is a chance to win in anything more than a class of 1, build to the rules, and build it well.

-Josh2

[DanT]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

[ConeDodger]

Question is probably too broad. For GGR PCA AX and TT building to class is fairly meaningless. For hillclimb event like Hoopa just competing is likely to be fun!

If youre talking about more rigid frame work of SCCA, NASA, POC or Historics then building to class makes sense if youre all about winning. Frankly if it were me and I was considering meaningful wheel to wheel competition I'd run a spec series where competition is keen and all cars are fairly close to each other in weight and power.

Ahh the view is too narrow I think. I am speaking globally. Not about GGR or Zone 7 but more nationally and across all spectrums of racing.
Virtually anything you do will put you in a class for GGR.

[DanT]

Question is probably too broad. For GGR PCA AX and TT building to class is fairly meaningless. For hillclimb event like Hoopa just competing is likely to be fun!

If youre talking about more rigid frame work of SCCA, NASA, POC or Historics then building to class makes sense if youre all about winning. Frankly if it were me and I was considering meaningful wheel to wheel competition I'd run a spec series where competition is keen and all cars are fairly close to each other in weight and power.

Ahh the view is too narrow I think. I am speaking globally. Not about GGR or Zone 7 but more nationally and across all spectrums of racing.
Virtually anything you do will put you in a class for GGR.

Exactly Rob. We have always had a class for every type and flavor of Porsche...now it is just a bit exasperating when you get put in with cars with 3X the HP.

But it doesn't matter what you build, there is a class to run it in.

[Joe Ricard]

I built my car to do multifunction. Street legal Autocross car. 1905 in street trim and 1850 current race trim.
I throw my tires and crap in the car drive 300 miles to an event race whip most and drive home.

got 125 out of it last night on the way home.

[McMark]

I couldn't care any less about classification for myself. But my car goes on the street. And that's probably the biggest difference. If you car isn't street legal, then you're more likely to build for a class.