Discussion of New Class as Alt. to D/E Mod... SLM Yahoo Group ("Street Legal Mod.")

[DeanD3W]

A new Yahoo group has been formed to discuss the development of an alternative class to SCCA D Mod or E Mod... If you're interested in a class that doesn't allow any aero additions and requires two side-by-side adult size seats, and which may even allow bike engine cars then please join the group. The discussion so far is that all cars must have current registration and insurance (be truly streetable).

 

Nothing is decided yet, including the name of the class.

 

A class that is for street cars that don't fit well into any SCCA class is the thought... Including Ariel Atoms, various kit cars, Midlana, any one-off car, and of course any 7 that isn't already optimized for D or E Mod.

 

Please go to this site to join the discussion.

Here are the details on SLModified:

Group home page: https://groups.yahoo.com/group/SLModified

 

Dean

[randychase]

Interesting idea (though I myself struggle with and dislike Yahoo groups).

 

The main pushback will be that SCCA has too many classes now and has added even more now with the CAM classes. The main problem in all these kinds of discussions is the attempt to be open to the group of people with a certain car, and the fact that too many classes is hurting the sport.

 

Having said that, I can also see that if one can justify the CAM classes, then one could justify a special built class...more a niche streetable sportscar class. But how do you define it? And then how you do make sure that someone does not jump into the class with a purpose built autocross car that smokes the entire field... such as Jeff K's rotary Sprite or Huffman's Elan? And maybe that is not the goal here? Maybe the goal is to provide a class that allows the cars to play and not worry about the relative competitiveness of the street car vs the solo car? Or not...

 

So just for fun... what kind of rules would this class have? Would it have a minimum weight? Would it have things to level the playing field (which works against most of the street cars as people will not ballast, etc). What about engine limits? HP limits? Street tires only...no Hoosiers, etc? Max wheel widths?

 

I think the name MOD is fine by the way... it is a mod class.

 

So SLM. Any car with 2 seats that is currently registered for street use. Running on street tires with a minimum treadwear of 140. Any power train.

 

NO aero unfortunately rules out some of the cars that may want to play, why not have it be unlimited?

 

SLM would not cover any car currently listed in the other class appendixes. A larger group could be supercar owners that are not classed. And yes, they do come out at times.

 

Cars that can play in SLM-

Factory Five Racing 818

Factory Five (any)

Superformace Cobra and GT40

Aerial Atom

Zenos E10/E10S

Seven clones (any)

Magnum

BAC Mono

Palatov Cars

Drakan Spyder

Exomotive

Local Motors Rallye Fighter

Nobles/Rossions

Ultima GTR

Ginetta (any)

Mosler

Ferrari (NOC)

Lambo (NOC)

Any other NOC car that is street legal.

[DeanD3W]

I'm not too hot on Yahoo groups myself, but it is really just an email based system. I rarely log in to the DMOD-EMOD group site, since the emails provide most of the info.

 

Your list is a good one, but so far there is a strong desire to mandate two (adult size) person seating that is fully side-by-side, so the BAC Mono would have to go to A Mod instead.

 

Also a strong desire to have no aero devices, so for instance, an Ariel Atom that comes with wings would need to remove them for the event. Now if someone decides to produce a super downforce kit car that could be an issue... You should hear Glen Minehart's "Democracy in Modified" thoughts... They're on the site in the list of messages if you would like to join.

 

Dean

[randychase]

Oops.. on Bac Mono.. of course.

 

The issue with Aero though... see the main problem will be class participation. There will not be enough. We will need more. Anything we do to restrict participation, even if well intentioned and rational, will reduce hurt the cause. How do you define aero then? Any spoiler, splitter, whisker, wing? What about when it is built into the body ala the Noble? What about the stock wing on that exotic? He is not going to take it off to autocross.

 

IMO... if the goal is to make sure no A-MOD style car comes into the class, we would be better served putting some parameters into the rules over added aero max size.

 

And in general... start out less restrictive because it will be a struggle to get SCCA/MAC to allow any new class and even if they do, to meet the 25 entrant goal at Nationals. IMO.

[DeanD3W]

All good points Randy... I hope you will join the email list at yahoo. The "No added aero devices" desire will likely be the most difficult thing to sort out. There are some who don't want to make their cars ugly and less street worthy with added aero devices, but once a kit car or homebuilt builds in excellent aero then what do you do... One thing to do that is proposed is to then have a vote, with a majority rules outcome that may disallow a particular car... Glen mentions this is his post on the Yahoo site.

 

Dean