As you’ve hopefully noticed, we are in the midst of a project car series focused largely on the SCCA’s relatively new Classic American Muscle autocross class. The rules of the CAM class are simple in that there are almost none.
The entire rules package for CAM fits on one side of a single sheet of letter-size paper—even in rather large …
I'm running my former challenge car, a 1991 Firebird, in CAM and I'm pleased with the changes for 2016. The moved the cut off for CAM-T to 1990 (some grandfathering of older chassis like Fox bodies to '93 and F-bodies to '92)
Previously I had to run with Coyote Mustangs with 295's all around and every trick piece of suspension tech you could by. Really frustrating, I gave up half way thru 2015. Now I'm playing with crazy built Chevelles, Foxes, and other assorted classics. Sure they beat me, but I don't mind a bit
Have no fear it will evolve to the point where the rules are changed because someone wins everything. Then another combination will bubble up from the depths to dominate. Then after much whining and gnashing of teeth that combination will be kicked out of the class or handicapped so severely no one will run it. Then another will bubble up, rinse and repeat. There will always be another unicorn, thats the way racers are and how we got to where we are. It's a good thing I am not running that class because I would screw it for everyone. First thing you do is dissect the rules look for all possibilities of advantage. Then build it and whoop ass! Then it's boring racing agains inferior cars.
Just go straight to E Mod and quit messing around.....
I also think nobody wants to be the guy who spends $100k and breaks the class and gets his car banned. Creeping just a teensy bit further than the last guy makes it harder to get singled out.
The amc spirit challenge car was originally destined for cam. But the it went caged with a zolatone interior and window nets (all in the works). By reading the limited rules, no interior throws it right out, even though it is going to look like a vintage imsa race car everywhere. I'm sure they would let me play in the class locally, but don't want to be that guy.
Dusterbd13 wrote: The amc spirit challenge car was originally destined for cam. But the it went caged with a zolatone interior and window nets (all in the works). By reading the limited rules, no interior throws it right out, even though it is going to look like a vintage imsa race car everywhere. I'm sure they would let me play in the class locally, but don't want to be that guy.
Can't you just put carpet in from the firewall to the back of the seats and be legal?
So the question is do you want to be the guy that blows the class away and does a mic drop after picking up his nationals award?
In reply to snailmont5oh:
The way I read the rules, has to have a full interior and all glass.
I have a really stupid question. Is AWD allowed in CAM? Asking for a friend etc.
Should just be "no sponsorship, no company cars" keep things relegated to the average joe. And then Have a "I make six figs a year" class.
Trackmouse wrote: ...And then Have a "I make six figs a year" class.
Followed by a "Living in San Francisco" exemption.
CAM has the overwhelming majority of 'real money' cars in autocross. Not just expensive cars, but money spent by companies to advertise their ability to make got fast parts/cars.
SCCA is going to be careful keeping that group of big spending car guys even if this is going to be CanAm in a parking lot soon.
mazdeuce wrote: ..CanAm in a parking lot...
I'd be 1000% ok with this. 
Chadeux wrote: I have a really stupid question. Is AWD allowed in CAM? Asking for a friend etc.
CAM is limited to RWD American vehicles
I was thinking about this, and while have no doubt that someone will push the envelope to it's breaking point.... (and this may be a stupid question, so forgive me) But, won't the minimum weight and tire specs be the limiting factor?
Will it come down to "how much tire can I stick under body 'x'" ?
Personally, I could see a copped/channeled 40's pickup, with an Ls, stock car suspension, and enough rubber under it's fat fenders to pancake Judge Doom.
mazdeuce wrote: CAM has the overwhelming majority of 'real money' cars in autocross. Not just expensive cars, but money spent by companies to advertise their ability to make got fast parts/cars. SCCA is going to be careful keeping that group of big spending car guys even if this is going to be CanAm in a parking lot soon.
Disagree. CAM does have a few high-profile builds, but they're certainly not making the classes unwinnable for anyone else. There's way more money parked on the average Super Street grid—where you basically have to have a late-model GT3 to be competitive—than CAM grids at this point.
Also, none of these high-profile builds, such as the Speedway cars, use any technology that isn't available to everyone else in the class.
At some point, someone will push past that line in the sand. It's inevitable. What I don't really know, though, is precisely where that line is located. As someone else mentioned, there's also a built-in limiting factor with weight and tires. Sure, someone could throw some carpet in a GT1 car, but they still have to weight 3200lbs and run 200tw tires.
From the outside looking in (I had plans to run CAM-S but the c5 broke every time I'd get to test it)
The SCCA claims the goal was to draw in Goodguys/Optima cars with this class. That being the case people have to remember that the cars built specifically for those series are going to be high dollar, big money cars, show casing what sponsor's parts are capable of and with pretty darn good drivers to boot.
Looking at regional/national events that happen to pop up near where those guys call home looks quite a bit different than what we saw at Lincoln this year. At Wilmington Danny Popp was almost 4 full seconds faster during the champ tour than the next fastest cam car, he was over 2 seconds faster at the pro-solo. Granted there are other events like the Cam Challenge in TX that a STU classed car was able to win by over 1 second (albeit extremely well driven by a national champion) however the 69 camaro it beat out was said to be having some teething issues and is one of those "meteorite cars" While the owner has done some awesome paint/interior work on the car in the truest sense of a street car, the under pinnings of the car are what really excite me. With pushrod suspension, twin turbo v8 that traps over 140 in the 1/4, stand alone ecu running traction control systems etc. It's a work of art in a classic body. Per the previously mentioned teething issues, that's a lot of car to sort out, and is one of the things people always point to, it's a lot of work to build a car faster than the GM/Ford engineers. But he's been sorting it pretty consistently for 3 years now and once it's fully sorted and becomes a meteorite, he'll have a multi year head start on development.
Neither the Dusold Camaro nor Danny Popp went to Lincoln though, and maybe those guys wont if there's no jacket to win, no prizes to gain etc. (the argument for keeping it not a jacket class that some hold to)
However, I think as long as we see: AS/STU c5's beating CAM-S cars and FS/ESP cars beating CAM-C cars, to worry about a killer car ruining the class is a bit silly. The Corvette forum is ripe with people bemoaning the cobra or solstice that could end the class as the reason they won't compete in the class. However there has been 1 maybe 2 national events all year that a CAM-S c5 has gone faster than a STU c5 and so that leads me to this: If you can't beat a base model c5 that is tire/wheel/power limited just by fixing the tire/wheel limiting factors, let alone power? then both the car and the driver have lots more speed to gain.
I'm a series director for an "open" class - American Iron Extreme. We have still had a lot of success, even with the diverse entries. Everything form 400hp to all most 1000hp! May racers just like to openness and don't care if someone shows up and kills the class. They are more into building the car they want and driving it.
Driven5 wrote:Trackmouse wrote: ...And then Have a "I make six figs a year" class.Followed by a "Living in San Francisco" exemption.
Not sure I follow friend? 
Personally, I still contend that the true beauty of this class is at the local level where a muscle car club full of members with nothing other than maybe some drag racing experience can come and play without intimidation of people who trailered racecars to the event.
Everyone I know who owns a vintage American car has made some modification to it that would quickly put it in a "racecar" class per SCCA rules (thinking aftermarket carb or intake manifold).
That said, I know this applies to CAM-T only. I don't understand the other CAM classes.
STM317 wrote:Chadeux wrote: I have a really stupid question. Is AWD allowed in CAM? Asking for a friend etc.CAM is limited to RWD American vehicles
What I thought but was too lazy to go download the rule book again. The vehicle I have in mind is American, but AWD.
Must be a dadge.
In reply to Trackmouse:
Not really....but close.
Really... I was thinking charger awd... back to the drawing board... amc spirit??? Might be cool with a built 304 or whatever they came with...
Hes rocking a brevada.
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