Serious Autocrossers?

[RHDVIPbB]

Nasa events are fun. We have local HPDE events that are fun to compete in. Next year I plan to compete in more events especially with our new road course being finished.

[ozmdd]

I found the Yaris to be great for TT events, so long as the course really is a TT-style. A good TT course is more open than an autoX course, but less open than a road course/track event. Just be sure to pay attention to your brake temperatures. converting your foglight openings into brake ducts is very useful for this. There is a write-up ont his mod somewhere.
Also, SCCA ST-class allows the addition of brake ducts if you dont' have to modify the body work. It is legal to cur a hole in the fender liner for this purpose.

[kngrsll]

Originally Posted by ozmdd

I found the Yaris to be great for TT events, so long as the course really is a TT-style. A good TT course is more open than an autoX course, but less open than a road course/track event. Just be sure to pay attention to your brake temperatures. converting your foglight openings into brake ducts is very useful for this. There is a write-up ont his mod somewhere.
Also, SCCA ST-class allows the addition of brake ducts if you dont' have to modify the body work. It is legal to cur a hole in the fender liner for this purpose.

err, not sure what you mean by a TT. a TT to me, is a Time Trial. These are run on a full road course. It is usually run during an HPDE or a track event.

[ozmdd]

Well, you are correct, lots of versions of a time trial. The Texas Time Trials club here in Dallas sets-up TT's like what I described.

[anonymous user]

It's refreshing to see that other people (morgan) are taking notice that the Yaris is not the "ultimate" racing machine that many forum members revere it to be.

On that note, after blowing my motor on my SM WRX, i have gone ahead to race the daily driven yaris in ST. You have to put your ego aside if you are a good/decent driver, because this car just was not meant to performance.

Would I like to be competetive in this car? Of course. But not at the expense of spending thousands of dollars to build a car barely better than many stock cars out on track already. If you are modded to the limits of ST class, I'd have to say FSP is a great option. R-comps should drop your times significantly on longer courses, as well as shorter layouts.

I am really glad that so many of you take this car out to events. I have really enjoyed reading this thread, as I felt performance-type threads have been lacking for a while on this site.

[Yaris-x]

I race a yaris because its what I could afford at the time(Replaced my 85 Olds Delta 88) But I am really looking foward to buying the FT-86 when the Yaris is paid off that should be the "Ultimate Racing Machine"

[anonymous user]

Originally Posted by Yaris-x

I race a yaris because its what I could afford at the time(Replaced my 85 Olds Delta 88) But I am really looking foward to buying the FT-86 when the Yaris is paid off that should be the "Ultimate Racing Machine"

Could'nt agree more. But the wait is like 2 years. If i can wait that long, i may get one.

[kngrsll]

well, i autox'd today... took 2nd in ST out of 9 cars. i missed 1st place by 0.2 secs :(

the new set up is fun! its very oversteery...

[ozmdd]

Originally Posted by kngrsll

well, i autox'd today... took 2nd in ST out of 9 cars. i missed 1st place by 0.2 secs :(

the new set up is fun! its very oversteery...

Ha! Ironic... I pulled 2nd out of 15 or 20 "under 2.3L" cars at the S2000 autocross today, missing 1st by .1 sec! I actually had the lead until an STS miata's final run.
I made some setup changes that really made a difference, and the car is rotating in a very controllable manner. With the right front camber, the turn-in has become very good, and the Kumho XS tires are damn sticky.
I'll post the results on another thread.
Maybe we can get a thread going just for autocross/TT results?

[kngrsll]

Originally Posted by ozmdd

Ha! Ironic... I pulled 2nd out of 15 or 20 "under 2.3L" cars at the S2000 autocross today, missing 1st by .1 sec! I actually had the lead until an STS miata's final run.
I made some setup changes that really made a difference, and the car is rotating in a very controllable manner. With the right front camber, the turn-in has become very good, and the Kumho XS tires are damn sticky.
I'll post the results on another thread.
Maybe we can get a thread going just for autocross/TT results?

throw in setup as well, and we have a wiener

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by ozmdd

You just made my point. There is no factory-provided part here. Again, read the quote in blue in the above post. There is no such thing as a factory-installed rear sway bar on a US Yaris. The rule you quote clearly states that a factory-available part can ALSO be installed at the port instead of the actual factory and still be considered "standard."

While you may have good intentions you are incorrect with your interpretation of the rule. 12.4 specifically allows Port Installed options, and treats them exactly the same as assembly line parts. This is regardless of if the part was ever available on the factory assembly line, or if one was ever built at the factory.

There are a number of examples of 12.4 in active competition on the national level, and a great example of this allowance in Appendix F. Aside from the Subi clarification, there is the Shelby Mustang and Camaro SS, both built off site and stock legal. Many of the top Toyota MR2s in ES are hand built cars. The top guys have taken advantage of documentation that shows a hardtop, non-power steering ABS equipped MR2 option. There is zero evidence of one ever being built by the factory, or port, but because it was an option people have built them. The Mazda MX-5 MS-R is Port only built car, never done on the assembly line.

I as an tell you as a past member of the Solo Events Board, and having sat on number protest committees, that the Port is considered the same as the factory for SCCA Solo purposes. However, dealer installed items, even those that could be ordered from the manufacturer are not legal. Toyota, Scion and others have made it difficult for some people to figure out which ones are which, but if you do your homework you will not have an issue.

12 Automotive Definitions:
12.4 STANDARD PART
An item of standard or optional equipment that could have been
ordered with the car, installed on the factory production line, and
delivered through a dealer in the United States. Port-installed options
provided by the factory are considered to be the same as
those installed on the factory production line. Dealer-installed options
or deletions (except as required by factory directives), no matter
how common or what their origin, are not included in this definition.
This definition does not allow the updating or backdating of parts.

Appendix F:
SUBARU WRX OPTIONS
The following items are port-installed options on the Subaru WRX,
are listed when installed on the vehicle’s window sticker, and
pending evidence to the contrary are considered legal: carbon fiber
trim, turbo boost gauge, titanium shift knob, short throw shifter, rear
diff protector, spoilers, arm rest extension.

[lilredrocket]

So to run a rear sway bar on a Yaris in HS does the car need to be ordered with the sway bar or can it be put on at a later time?

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by lilredrocket

So to run a rear sway bar on a Yaris in HS does the car need to be ordered with the sway bar or can it be put on at a later time?

No. You are not required to "order" you car with the options. The stock category allows you to "build" your car. However, keep in mind when adding any options, or doing an option package conversion, it must be a 100% addition/conversion. And most importantly the part must have been available from the factory/port for your model/year car . If Toyota said you can not have a RSB with a moon roof, then you would have to delete the moon roof to add the RSB. Also if they offered it as an option on the 2007, but not the 2008, you would be out of luck if you had an 08'.

Example: In very late 2005 (about a month before the Solo Natls) Lotus decided that an LSD was an option on the 2005 Elise. None had been built that way at the factory or port at the time, but two current owners were able to get the parts to equip their cars in time for the event. In this case the LSD option package also required adding traction control. Had they just installed the LSD, and left off the TC, they would not have been legal.

I am not up to speed on the Yaris, I just signed up here yesterday to do some research after a meeting our office had with Toyota. But looking at the Yaris page and building a car on the web site, it seems pretty easy to determine which options are factory/port options, and which are dealer. All of the non stock legal parts are the ones the say "**installation not included. See your Toyota dealer for installed pricing".

[ozmdd]

Originally Posted by Jason@SportsCar

No. You are not required to "order" you car with the options. The stock category allows you to "build" your car. However, keep in mind when adding any options, or doing an option package conversion, it must be a 100% addition/conversion. And most importantly the part must have been available from the factory/port for your model/year car . If Toyota said you can not have a RSB with a moon roof, then you would have to delete the moon roof to add the RSB. Also if they offered it as an option on the 2007, but not the 2008, you would be out of luck if you had an 08'.

Example: In very late 2005 (about a month before the Solo Natls) Lotus decided that an LSD was an option on the 2005 Elise. None had been built that way at the factory or port at the time, but two current owners were able to get the parts to equip their cars in time for the event. In this case the LSD option package also required adding traction control. Had they just installed the LSD, and left off the TC, they would not have been legal.

I am not up to speed on the Yaris, I just signed up here yesterday to do some research after a meeting our office had with Toyota. But looking at the Yaris page and building a car on the web site, it seems pretty easy to determine which options are factory/port options, and which are dealer. All of the non stock legal parts are the ones the say "**installation not included. See your Toyota dealer for installed pricing".

Thx for the informed update. We had come to the same conclusion after consulting with the SCCA rules guys, but its nice to have someone who's actually seen the process work give some insight. Welcome to the board!

[Yaris-x]

Just out of curiocity what is you office doing with Toyota?

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by Yaris-x

Just out of curiocity what is you office doing with Toyota?

No comment.

[Yaris-x]

Ok fine...but I did like your article on the Tire Test. It made my happy with my decision on the Star specs. But I do wish you used the RE01R's for bridgestone I have been curious how my tires mount up against them

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by Yaris-x

Ok fine...but I did like your article on the Tire Test. It made my happy with my decision on the Star specs. But I do wish you used the RE01R's for bridgestone I have been curious how my tires mount up against them

We ran the RE01R in our 2008 guide, I liked the feel of it much better than the RE-11, but its not as fast as the current stuff.