(saves space for actual article)

I don't see it on autoweek's website yet (will post it when I do), but I was reading an article on SCCA vs NASA racing. In the article it interviews the head of Mazdaspeed Motorsports and he goes into a story how he raced an RX-8 in the SCCA in 2007 and was unhappy that the strict rules really prohibited the development of new products through the racing program. In 2008, he took a turbocharged RX-8 to NASA where they greeted him with open arms, put the car on the dyno, and told him to add 50 pounds and left to go racing.... infer into that whatever you like


theres also a nice pic of Jim Downing in action in his rotary powered SCCA roadracer...

 

Not a bad story. I am surprised it is not a big Mazda commercial, Smith was there with Mazda - we saw him in the media center and at the hotel with Mazda PR. Some of the story is a bit of a reach, could have used some fact checking.

Yes, Davis was "at the Runoffs" in 2006 and 2007, but he did not drive a car - he was there as the team owner and one of his cars (Gilhart) won T3 in 2006 and was 2nd in 2007. Davis did run at mid-ohio, but ran an NA RX-8 in PTD. Holloway drove the turbo car in PTB, finishing 3rd, behind my buddies F-body.

True you can not run a turboed RX-8 in SCCA club racing.... But aside from Touring (mostly stock with a few bolt ons) there are RX-8s in Production and GT, think of the Speed Source Rolex car but with a 2 rotor, lots of prep and way fast.

The NASA natls allows for drivers to enter multiple classes with the same car (my buddy ran in three races with his two cars), they also have time trials happening and I think they count those entries. To count the TT entries would be like saying the 1000+ drivers at the SCCA Solo nationals also count for the Runoffs. I hear the real driver count for mid-ohio was in the 300 range, but can't say for sure.

You also have to qualify by being in the top ten in division points, to go to the SCCA Runoffs, you can't just sign up.

 

i'm so confused. im getting ready to sign up for scca, and would like just a bit of clarification for how all of this works.

 

I'm a 30 yr SCCA member. It is a great organization if, you are going to autocross or road race. You can also use the SCCA as a spring board for a pro racing career. If you are looking to just HPDE or Time Trial's then NASA is the place. NASA also has autocross and road racing, but the competition won't be up to the level you find in the SCCA. It won't be as expensive to race in NASA.

 

wow thank you so much, i am sending you a pm in a sec!!!!!!

 

NASA has always classes RE cars far more fair than SCCA and as far as fun factor goes IMO NASA is rotor friendly in their formulas for balancing cars out.

 

Read this info in another publication:

For 2008 NASA's results show 362 competitors. This is down from 2007 where they had 392. This is far from the 450 they claim. This means their entries were down approximately 8% this year.

Of the 362 competitors, 40 of those entries were for Time Trials. That brings the total to 322 competitors that went door to door for a championship.

Porsche Racing Club competitors accounted for almost 10% of the entries.

 

RE cars? What is not fair about how SCCA classes the rotary cars? The RX-8 is dominate in SCCA Solo, in club racing it has won its class two out of three years... Does fair mean you always win?