shiners780

FWIW, I am considering SP3 for next year, as my inaugural entry into the dark realm of racing.

JerryW

Trying to find the funds for a NASA 944spec/SP1 car out here. Probably wont run till later next year if I find/build it. Probably have to sell the S2 to fund it and turn the 964 back to street only.

trackjunky

I am planning on running SP3.

The way I see it, all of the SP classes really put the emphasis on driver and car set up. In F, you need to buy a Euro SC or 968. Hell, SP will still run with the F and G cars, so you'll still be racing the same people.

I'm still lobbying for a weight break or an S2 ring & pinion for the non S 944 Turbo. There are a lot of reasonably affordable cars out there, but the rule makes them uncompetitive. When is the last time you saw an '86-'88 non-"S" 944 Turbo win in F? You haven't!

Nader Fotouhi

Watching this discussion on "SP" classes and the PCA rules and Weights has really gotten me thinking about how to proceed.

I have an S2 which has historically been competative in F. I have been developing the car as a F car, but I would primarily race 44SC because of the number of opportunities to race without having to travel long distances. Howver, I belive S2 has a big disadvantage in SP3 where it is classed with 951S. Just based on observation, I think a header and big exhaust pipe produces a lot more HP in a turbo than in a NA car. So, I think that it makes little sense to convert my S2 to a SP3 car. On the other hand, I think that SP2 would bring out a lot more cars in PCA and moving to SP2 makes for more competation in both NASA and PCA.

I guess I will have all winter to agonize over what to do.

Nader

trackjunky

I agree, the Turbo S looks like it should clean up in SP3. But, I can tell you that the Non-"S" turbo with the mods you state is already uncompetitive in F. Hell, we can't even hang with the S2's due to a different Ring & Pinion.

I offered a suggestion to PCA to either add weight to the Turbo S, or take weight away from the other cars. As far as 250 hp, many of these cars make well over 250 hp in stock form.

Eric in Chicago

I am going to run SP3 next year as my F class car was stripped to run NASA GTS this year (no supercup in the midwest yet) Rather than put it back together to run F and strip it for GTS, I am going to leave it as is and run SP3. Dont discount the S2 in SP3. I run the same times in my NASA trim S2 as my buddy in a E class 951.

M758

Jerry,
NASA 944 spec is growing in Northern Cal and is strong in So-Cal right now, Plus is available in POC. So once built you will have many many places to race. Not sure if you have been to a 944 spec race, but go and hang out in the pits. One of the best parts of the class is guys pit together and help each other out off track so we can make fight more intense on track.

trackjunky

This just makes my point to PCA stronger. The S2 runs 33 lbs heavier than the regular 944 turbo in F, but will run 100 lbs lighter in SP3 (2900# vs 3000#). This may be why so many people with Non-"S" 944 turbo's modify them. The rules make the car uncompetitive in F and now SP3.

I may need to add ABS and put an S2 motor in my car.

M758

Bill,
If you want really equal racing SP1 is pretty darn close. No need to worry about how much weight to add to a S2 vs 951 to make them "equal". We just run the same cars at with same hp at the same weight on the same tires.

Remember SP2 was started a few years back to equalize PCA I & H cars with SCCA ITS cars. Supercup (SP3) came along in response to the fun of Cup and given that it not really possible to weight balance a 951 and 2.5L 8valve NA.

trackjunky

Joe, I know your right , but I just can't stand the idea of building another track car when I have a really nice one already.

I don't see why PCA is so myopic on this. I mean, if you just look at the race results you'll see that the regular 944 Turbo needs a little help to be competitive.

This is why I have thoughts about only running NASA events. I can make my car as competitive as I want, as long as I keep to the HP/Weight rules for the class where I wish to compete.

M758

Well PCA has their own take on how to make rules. Many like it and others don't. I did not have the money to run a 951, S2 or even an I 944. Many around here did not either and we took the cheapest Porsche we could find and created a set of rules around keeping the cars equal and the costs down. 944 spec is the result. I have looked at GTS, but even in GTS I would need to spend alot more and never be as "equal". I have luxury of running with cheap $600 a set dampers, cheap $200 a set wheels, $128ea tires that get replaced after 4 or 5 weekends and when we argue about who has "HP" it comes down to 2-3 hp not 15 or 20.

It would be tough however to sell of a perfectly good race car and get have to rebuild a slower one.

mjensen

For 2007 NASA is looking for a 944 cup directorfor the midwest region(I am considering!) which would be for supercup and cup. This would be SP2 and SP3 PCA cars. This would be a great "melting pot" of ITS, E and F PCA cars along with the GTS NASA cars that would prefer a more restrictive enviornment. I am planning on a 944cup car/GTS1/SP2...

svochuck

Anyone with a S2 or 951 looking at going SP1 or SP2 drop me a PM. I have 1 944-spec car and 3 cars on there way to being SP1. I would like to keep one or 2 SP1 cars and get a S2 or turbo track car.

Side note... I should have a car (or 2) to rent out next year at NASARM events. This is not a for profit deal just a way of getting more guys into the class (break even price on car rental).

Chuck Taylor
NASARM 944-spec series director

JerryW

I know -- I'm in touch and have been hanging out with Ken (who keeps sending me craigslist ads for donor cars )

M758