Warrtalon

iTrader: (6)

Yeah, it could be, but they aren't real advantages, and 5 points is the equivalent of going from street tires to race tires, which could be 2-3s. The 6spd doesn't seem to help and is showing itself to be weak as we all keep ripping the teeth off 4th gear. The BBS rims are 2.5lbs lighter each, which is nice, but those go away with the big tire upgrade, and the Bilsteins are nice but go away with coilovers. I can see the MR penalty when stock, but I don't think it should continue when the bonus parts are removed.

johannes

iTrader: (5)

I have to agree with you. You are over penalized for the MR, and I should probably have a slightly lower number of base points because of my sun roof. On the other hand I love a little of the underdog role. Now to make through a long trackless winter

992gnt

iTrader: (5)

I'll have to take a look at how my points for last year tallied up, but IIRC I was only 1 point out of TTU. I am not sweating any of this until the end of the month when Greg posts the new rules. Then I'll see where I fall and go from there. Keep in mind though, that if us 'normal' Evo's end up getting bumped to TTU, a lot of the current TTU cars will in turn likely get bumped to TTR. The AMS car (and a couple others) in TTU were faster than our regions fastest TTR car last year - which was certainly no slouch.

DaWorstPlaya

iTrader: (31)

Its a combination of the 6 speed (ironic), the bilstein, aluminium roof, ABS and vortex generators that bump the MRs stock performance up to where it starts off at TTB, unlike the other models that start at TTC +15. I had a long discussion about that with the NASA TT director ... sucks. Plus if you do a swap to the 5 speed, tack on another 2 points, so that makes an EVO MR with a 5 speed which is pretty much an EVO RS with ABS, 7 points up from a base EVO RS. If you swap the bilsteins to coilovers then you needlessly got tacked the extra points in the base model for something you swap.

Warrtalon: Try talking to your regional director and see if he understands and sympathizes with you and can change things so that EVOs that swap to 5 speeds don't get tacked as many points but start off as an EVO RS. Even if you get penalized for the ABS, VG and wing, its not 7 points. Catch my drift? ... but the points are changing so who knows

What suspension upgrades were you planning?

Warrtalon

iTrader: (6)

The Gerrard-spec Ohlins with 700f/900r springs. His crew from CSU will be installing it all and doing the 2 alignments (street/race) in a few weeks after my trans gets back from Shep.

hagakure

iTrader: (2)

I'm ok,

I start in TTC because I have an 03. I won two races this year in TTA, and I can say that it was more than fair. The main competition was two Griggs racing cobras, one with close to 500 HP at roughly my same weight (my car weighs 3090). My car makes 290 WHP on a mustang Dyno and 265 torque, so it is NOT phenomenally powerful. I ran most of the year on 275-40-17 Nitto NT01's, and will be running 255-40-17 NT01's next year. It all depends on how you suspension tune the car as to what you can get out of th etires. you can be very fast on 255-40-17 RA-1's or nittos. Camber will be free next year, which will help a lot. As Far os the 06 MR guys whining...with a few mods you SHOULD be in TTU. I instructed this past weekend, and my students 06 MR was SHOCKING in how much torque he had. That car was just a hair slower than mine at the end of the straights, and I have cams, Ecutek tune....I will do watever I have to do to stay in TTA, where I am confident it's a driver's race. I feel I legitimately won those TT's. The winning TTU cars in my region are 4 seconds faster per lap than I am over a 3 mile course. IF you have a TTU evo, better go with 285 hoosiers, big turbo, and a stroker if you want to keep up.

Warrtalon

iTrader: (6)

Well, with my 05 MR, I have just about no chance of staying in TTA unless I do street tires, yet I'm nowhere near the level of real TTU cars. Big turbo and stroker? Yeah, that's my dream setup, but I just don't know if that will ever happen unless I win the lottery. I thought getting a real suspension and some real tires would make it fun, but I guess not. Maybe it will be fun to win TTU in my local region where there's 1 or 2 other competitors, whee.

I am not going to worry about it, though. Maybe it will make a better driver trying to keep up with much faster cars. I at least know I have good rubber and a really good suspension guru at my side...hmm, he's a hell of an instructor, too, so I may spend some money learning one-on-one.

hagakure

iTrader: (2)

Get that used IX turbo you are looking for, get some good cams, make sure you have ARP head studs in, run straight 100 octane and turn up the boost a little. Also go with the stickiest tires you can find...and yes, use Paul G as much as you can. It is absolutely not fair to have an Evo at your state of tune in TTU. What type of dyno did you get your 330 WHP on? Once again I'm glad I have an 03...WITH a sunroof! I'm now happy for the extra weight! If they make us dyno our cars my power to weight ratio will still be good.

Warrtalon

iTrader: (6)

Well, I already have cams and run 26psi on alky and a light race gas mix plus 285-width V710s. The IX turbo should give about 20whp, but I only make 300whp (Dynojet) with everything I have now due to altitude. That's not really the problem, though, because it's even worse for N/A cars up here, and if I go to sea level, I'll gain a lot of power back. At best, with a road racing tune on the IX turbo, I'll be looking at 370-380whp and 390-400wtq. Pretty nice, but not close enough against 560rwhp/fwhp and 500awhp cars.

heeltoer

Warrtalon, those ohlins coilovers are being counted as +12 and not +7 like some buddy club and JICs? Price alone these are over the limit no?

Nice suspension though.

-heeltoer

Warrtalon

iTrader: (6)

No, I don't. I don't understand the differences between the 2 levels. I just know the Ohlins are not at the level of the KW variants and DMS's that Robi uses.

992gnt

iTrader: (5)

That's another grey area that hopefully gets clearer when the new rules come out. Running the Muellerized JIC's when I started in TT, I was told to take the +12 just to be safe. Since this year will be a complete season, with regional (and hopefully national) implications, that kind of ambiguous response just won't cut it. I have very similar PIC suspension this year, but I don't think they are a +12. I'll need every point I can get to stay in TTA, and if my competition stays the same I need to find 3 seconds a lap as well.

johannes

iTrader: (5)

I think the Ohlin's aluminum shock bodies kick them up into the 12 pt category. I may have to stay with my Buddy Clubs to spare the 5 pts.
Greg-are those 3 seconds lost mostly to ZO6's?

992gnt

iTrader: (5)

No, not Z06's. A Mustang that short of going over 500whp somehow cannot move any higher than TTA (it belongs in TTU at least) - this is some sort of National class 'cap' for that particular year Mustang. It's a freaking full-on race car, and I will be digging into that one over the winter. He can do ANYTHING to the car for mods and stay in TTA. Doesn't seem quite fair does it? The other car I'm chasing in TTA is a very well ($$$$$$$) prepped M3. That car is way out of my league as far as money spent, and it is very fast. My only hope of keeping up with it is to move up to 285's, which ironically will likely knock me out of TTA. Both of those cars are running huge Hoosiers, come to the track on a trailer, and couldn't safely be driven on the street. That makes my evo the equivalent of a knife being brought to a gun fight. Both of those cars have lapped Mid Ohio under 1:40, and after having Jon K drive my car there we both agree with my current setup a PERFECT lap (new tires, perfect track, perfect driving) might get me into the low 1:41's or high 1:40's. Keep in mind also, the new TTA National champion ran in the 1:36's there in September....

I'll wait to see how the new rules shake out, but I've resigned myself to the fact I probably won't be winning any events this year unless those guys don't show up, or get bumped up. I don't have the money nor the desire to turn my Evo into a track only race car.

johannes

iTrader: (5)

Is that the M3 that ran 1:05.6 at Beaverun?
Plus, I think running Hoosiers against street tires or even RA1s just doesn't seem right
Oh well, I plan on being at the first midwest event next Spring. I look forward to meeting you, if not the Hoosier equipped race cars. I too will be driving my "race car" (and only car) to the event.
I will say this, though, if that M3 wants to stay on top at Beaverun he better run faster than 1:05.6. My "street car" will better that mark, barring mechanicals, rain, or severe de-modding due to new rules.