Yaris Solo class change...

[Jason@SportsCar]

Since we started our Yaris project I have been working on getting it classed competitively for Solo (autocross). The Prepared Advisory Committee (PAC) seems to fear technology, and saw fit to bury the Yaris in EP. If you are not familiar with EP, the cars are range from 180-250hp, and have custom built suspension - this year we even saw a car at the Solo Nationals with push-rod suspension like you would see on an Indycar.

The Yaris is is fodder in there. I asked for the car to be put in GP, with the Honda's and older British cars - the same exact cars and trim level I race with in the Club Racing HP class - I was told the PAC wanted to monitor its performance. Now with the Runoffs over, and the Yaris not being the over-dog the PAC thought it might be, I asked for the car to be moved to GP under the 12-month allowance.

While the official response has not yet been posted, from what I gather the car will be left to rot in EP.

Any of you that have autocrossed a Yaris knows that if you have National level competition in your Region the Yaris is not competitive in any of its current classes. I believe in GP it could be. Many of the mods allowed in this class are commonly done to the Yaris: back seat/interior removal, intake, header, pulleys, LSD, light flywheel, carbon hood. If you have set your car up for ST or FSP simply bolting on a set of wheels with real race slicks, which will fit easily in your hatch for the trip to the track, will transform it into what could be a competitive GP car.

If you would like the opportunity to have a shot at running in GP I encourage you to share your thoughts with the Solo Events Board: www.sebscca.com
(feel free to reference my letter: #2808)

[cali yaris]

I will submit a letter, although I can't run in that class. You put up a good season Jason, considering everything.

If the car gets left in EP, what is the reasoning, given the other cars in the class? Don't they have to provide some logic with their response?

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

I will submit a letter, although I can't run in that class. You put up a good season Jason, considering everything.

If the car gets left in EP, what is the reasoning, given the other cars in the class? Don't they have to provide some logic with their response?

Yeah your car is even more hosed if you want to run a Natl/Div Solo event. With the FI you are in XP - although if you put on the stock rear hatch you could run SMF.

Having served a three year term on the SEB I have a good understanding of the system. No, they don't have to provide any detail as to why it was left. A typical response is "Not Recommended". They have been trying to be more transparent, and starting to give detail, but it does not always happen.

My feeling is there are two issues... The lack of knowledge about the car and its capabilities, and the lack of understanding of the Limited Prep rules these cars utilize.

Most of these guys are going to simply look at the fact that the Yaris is new, has VVT-i, and way more power stock than the other cars in the class. Not understanding that it has no chance of getting within 200lbs of the 1500lb minimum weight for GP - a weight that the Honda's, like the one the won the Solo natls this year, can hit easily.

Also, because we are talking about Solo, which typically uses it's own rule set, there may be some confusion on Club Racing Production rules that carry over for the Prepared Solo classes. All of the current GP Solo cars are the same cars and prep level as HP Club Racing cars - minus the required rollcage. Trying to take a Limited Prep HP car and competing in the EP Solo class is impossible. A LP car requires stock pick up points for suspension, stock brakes, stock engine internals (crank/rods) with max 11:0-1 compression (cams are allowed with a max .390 lift). Stock Yaris suspension geometry versus push-rod stuff, head and cam work versus a full built unlimited compression ratio motor, no way.

I can see no justification for letting all of the other HP Club Racing cars into GP for Solo, but exiling the Yaris to EP.

I really don't have a dog in this fights, as in all likelihood the Yaris will be back with Toyota next season, I just think they need to give cars like the Yaris/Mazda2/Fiesta/etc a competitive place to play.

[HTM Yaris]

Amen I agree ..... That is part of the reason I don't autox much anymore .

It seems to me that if they want new members they would find a way to make the Econo Cars ( Yaris , Mazda2 , Versa etc. ) more competitive . I mean lets face it , it is FAR cheaper to do a year of Solo in an Econo car than say an Evo or S-2000 .

Basically I think they need to go back to being more "grassroots" . By that I mean making Solo more affordable . With the resurgence of the econo car it seems ripe that Solo would take advantage of a tremendous opportunity to expand its membership and create some damn good competition . But hey , if they want to be nostalgic and class themselves out of members and competition , Solo will die a slow death .

[ilikerice]

ive been autox'ing a crx in ssm for 2 years now and got the yaris so i could run stock class to help my pax times... but looks like im going to have to run FSP cuz of my rim choice and rear sway bar. almost tempted to go back and run the crx instead and leave the yaris on the backburner from what im reading now..

[Astroman]

I'd just be happy if there was any autocross close to me

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by Astroman

I'd just be happy if there was any autocross close to me

Packwood or Tri Cities.

[justjesus]

Some guys in the Cal CLub region were telling me that they were writing to create an "IS" class, for the smaller econo boxes. They reason these cars stand little chance in HS.

I'll write that letter. Hopefully, it will help.

[ilikerice]

personally, i ran HS on my first event. bone stock except of course 225/50/15 compitition tires on steelies. i was amazed i came in first. i was going against a subaru legacy, early 90's golf and a crx. crx was the only one runing street tires though. i beat the legacy by .2 of a sec.

when i went to my next event i threw on my 7" rota rims with the same size tires but of course that threw me in FSP which i pouted cuz i was the only one in my class that day. but again, i was surpised at the times i ran and would have come first in HS again or even st class...

OF COURSE keep in mind none of these were nationals.. just the regular monthy events so i honestly cant say i competed with national champs. if i was to set it up for a track car i could see the big disadvantage the yaris would be in in an EP class for autox. that i think is PAC just being ignorant about certain cars in autox esp the new ones. suppose to be a cheap form of racing so any mods like for track are going to push a car in a group that people spend serious money on like the EP, HP, SM, SSM and the XP classes

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by justjesus

Some guys in the Cal CLub region were telling me that they were writing to create an "IS" class, for the smaller econo boxes. They reason these cars stand little chance in HS.

I'll write that letter. Hopefully, it will help.

Regional and National classes are two different animals. If you get pigeon holed into a Regional only class you better not plan on running in another Region, at a Divisional or National event, where they likely won't offer that class.

A National class is one that is offered by every SCCA Region. If you are setting your car up for Cal Club's CST or CSM you would be hosed if you went down and ran an event in San Diego. I personally see little upside to Regional only classes, they set you up to fail if you ever aspire to run with another Region or at a big event. They serve a purpose for that group, but only that group.

p.s. do not use the SEB website to submit a letter in support of Cal Club's Regional class, the SEB has nothing to do with a local class, they only work on Natl stuff. I think if you want something to happen within Cal Club you need to join one of the teams, and talk to your team rep about it.

[Jason@SportsCar]

The latest issue of FasTrack has been posted... And two more of the top cars the Yaris has to road race against have been moved to the GP solo class, while the Yaris is left in EP.

For those that have watched my video, or the speedcast coverage of the HP Runoffs race, a Corolla blasted by me on the strait like he had a turbo. Yet the Yaris must be too fast to autocross with them.

Add the following listing items for Appendix A, GP Limited-Preparation:
“BMW
1600 (’68-’71) - 1574 - 1575 - 13x7 - 1.65/1.38 - 56.5/56.5
Carburetion
Comp. ratio limited to 11.0, valve lift to .450”
Alt. intake manifold #CAM-6618
Toyota
Corolla (’71-’74) - 1588 - 1590 - 15x7 - 1.61/1.42 - 57.9/57.5
Carburetion
Comp. ratio limited to 12.0, valve lift to .450”

[Jason@SportsCar]

Still no GP Solo love for the Yaris.

Yaris reclassification to GP (ref. #2808) After considerable discussion, the PAC is not in favor of classing the Toyota Yaris or
other current vehicles in GP, due to the wide disparity in technology between the Yaris and every other car currently classed
in GP. Thus far, the CRB has chosen to class three current vehicles in H Production Limited Prep - the Toyota Yaris, Honda
Fit, and Mini Cooper. Only a single Yaris was present at the 2010 Club Racing Runoffs, so there isn’t much data available
to verify the validity of the GCR listings for these vehicles in a road racing setting, let alone determine they are a good fit for
competition with current GP Solo cars. It’s important to note that classing the Yaris in GP wouldn’t be a re-classification, it
would be a new listing, as the Yaris would be a Limited Prep vehicle in GP, subject to a different set of allowances than those
available in EP. Therefore, the Yaris, Fit, and/or Mini Cooper could be added to GP under Limited Prep rules at any time in
the future, as sufficient data is available to better evaluate competitivenes as compared to current GP cars.

[cali yaris]

What is "sufficient data", or is it intentionally vague?

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by cali yaris

What is "sufficient data", or is it intentionally vague?

They want a prepared car to show up and run. In an ideal world this would be a fully built car, with a proven driver at a national level event. This gives you are 100% car, with a 100% driver in a venue where they have competition.

Problem is no one is going to fully build a Prep Solo car without a competitive class for it. Along those same lines, no competitive driver is going to waste a natl event to prove a point. Its a vicious circle.

[ilikerice]

is your car not a fully built prepared car? if so, is it possible to let a pro solo driver run it at a natl. event?

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by ilikerice

is your car not a fully built prepared car? if so, is it possible to let a pro solo driver run it at a natl. event?

Our car is very close to a Limited Prep Solo GP car. If you were going to purposely build a Yaris for GP Solo you would remove our cage and fire system, the rest is the same.

Finding a driver is easy... I have won four Solo National Championships, and I know a dozen or so other local guys that would qualify for the job. The problem is in a typical year there is one national solo event within 12 hours of Socal. I don't know to many competitive drivers that want to waste that one event on research.

[Tamago]

ahh good ol SCCA.. still scared of "newfangled technologies"

[ddongbap]

Originally Posted by Tamago

ahh good ol SCCA.. still scared of "newfangled technologies"

LOL.