I am looking for the vehicle spec rules for different classes so I know what to be aiming for. Anyone know where I might find these?

What group(s) do you plan to run with? PCA, POC, SCCA, VARA, HSR, NASA ???
Do you want to do Drivers Ed / Time Trial stuff or all-out Wheel to Wheel?

I am not 100% sure. What I need to find is info on the differences between them all. I just want to wheel-to-wheel, in what group and class is what I need to decide.

It will probably end up being in a highly modified class, or something of the like, for what I want to do to the car.

Do you have a Competition License with any Sanctioning Body?
Do you want to be competitive or just have fun?
How much / often / far do you plan to travel to race?
How much do you plan to spend per year to race?
4 cyl? 6 cyl? other?

All of the racing groups have their own web sites. Better yet - go to one of their events in person and talk to the Officials and check out your potential competition.

bare minumum:

cage
fuel cell
fire system
race seat
harness
electric cut off
tow hooks

leave interior in, don't touch sheet metal and don't get fancy with the cage until you check out the rules...



general rule of thumb:

production: lots of rules
GT: engine size, little rules

POC has a starter series called Short Track Series (STS) which runs at the Streets of Willow at Willow Springs Raceway near Mojave. If you have no track experience, this is a good place to start. Getting seat time and general experience is far more important than getting the car perfect at first. The first event of the year is in a couple of weeks. Their website is www.porscheownersclub.org. Actually the 2006 schedule isn't posted yet, it should be in a day or two. The 2006 GCRs are posted, but it's pretty involved classifing a car. You should concentrate on getting yourself on a track first and modify the car to the rules after you decide what group you want to race with.

you should see what is available in your area so as to reduce traveling expenses and then DEFINITELY, build the car to the rules for the club that you choose.

Alot of people start out with drivers education in order to get the experience cheaply that will allow them to go on to a wheel to wheel type of event.

For example, Porsche club requires 8 drivers education (days or events?) and a letter of recommendation from the chief drivinig instructor before they will accept you into their wheel to wheel club racing program.

The SCCA requires attendance in SCCA certified schools. I think 2 sessions of attendance. Sometimes they will put on their own schools, but I think they also recognize most of the professional schools such as Jim Russell, Bondurant, etc.

So you need to talk to someone local to you to see what clubs are in your area.

then talk to people knowledgeable about those clubs and see which organization would place your car in a more advantageous class based upon their rules.

or if you particularly like a certain club then build to their rules.

my guess is that being in CA you can do all of the above clubs (PCA, POC, VARA, NASA, etc.)

brant

QUOTE (guiltless @ Jan 9 2006, 01:03 AM)

I am not 100% sure. What I need to find is info on the differences between them all. I just want to wheel-to-wheel, in what group and class is what I need to decide. It will probably end up being in a highly modified class, or something of the like, for what I want to do to the car.

my advise, start out slow and learn to drive your 914 first. It's not you average sport racer. Torque, handling and shift points are somewhat differnt than most hobby/track cars you'll find. Find local AX's and Solo events. When your kicking everyones A$$ then start moving the car up the ladder. By then you'll know alot more about what works with regard to 914 mods and what the different classes allow. Have fun!

Since you are in SoCal, POC would be a great way to start. VARA and NASA are also pretty active around here and of course run with multiple car makes vs. all p-cars. Some of the PCA regions have parking-lot style autocrosses but it doesn't sound like that's of interest to you. PCA in SoCal doesn't really do track events (OK maybe one or two TT's/DE's a year but not a real 'season'.)

The cool thing about the POC STS and TT series is that you could start off with your car nearly bone-stock and run in something like CS/CI class. There are quite a few 914's at some of the events and they are a skilled and competitive group of people, some very quick even though the cars are 30 years old and virtually unmodified! Then with some seat time and careful planning, you can pick a 'higher' class to shoot for and modify the car to your heart's content.

I would advise against jumping right into a hardcore full race build without carefully formulating a 'plan'. It can get really expensive really quickly, and the last thing you want to do is build the coolest car in the world and end up in a class of 1 with nobody to drive with/against, or end up in a cutthroat competitive class against the Big Dogs with their semi's and $20K/weekend budgets (unless that would be you too). Either situation would get quite frustrating.

Well, I had much the same goals for myself about 4 years ago and the same unsureness about how to get started.

I started out autocrossing with the San Diego Region Porsche Club about 4 years ago. There isn't a racing club anywhere that will allow you to get on a track with other cars without going though a lengthy progression of training and certification. For our club, everyone starts out Autocrossing. Hell, we won;t let you drive without an instructor for the first 4 events; not even through 1 pair of cones.

Believe me, it's the best for you and others on the track with you to start out slow and work your way up. What I learned first was how little I knew and how much I had yet to learn. As stated, learn how to drive your car as is before making modifications and pouring money into it's development. The #1 thing that makes a proficient driver is seat time. There's no substitute for time behind the wheel.

I started out with a 1.7 liter 914 and over the past years made modifications to my car as my own skills improved, My belief is that too many people start out with a fast, high horsepower car with huge brakes. These advantages actually inhibit the development of a driver's skills as they merely drag race from corner to corner and never really learn what their car's suspension and tires can do. If you can make a stock 914 go fast through a course, you are really accomplishing something. With 80 horsepower I was eventually able to beat guys with 3 to 4 times the power. I became a better driver because of the handicap of low power and no brakes to speak of.

I know several Orange County drivers that come to the San Diego region due to the number of driving events, the organisation, the cameraderie and the quality of the instruction we provide beginners.

Our first AX of the year is Sunday Jan 15 at Qualcomm Stadium. Come on down, meet people with the same interests as you and famliarize yourself with the process and atmosphere.

Check out the PCASDR website and click on the Autocross link for more info. Sp[ecifis rules and driving class info are also on there.

Do your homework and hopefully we will see you out here.