So what's the new special category for next year?

pimpm3 said:

I have been involved with the special class since its inception and have built a car for each of them. Heck, I entered two in the aristocrats and two in the pickups.  I will bring a car for whatever we decide to run 2019.  Having said that I think its important to remember that this event is ultimately a fun excuse for generating editorial content.

While malisse era leviathans, Korean vehicles or ex-police cars would be entertaining I think the CAM suggestion is the best thing suggested so far from the magazine standpoint.  Some of the malisse cars could work for CAM as could a few ex-police vehicles. 

I asked Tommy and David at the town hall what they would like to see from the special class and they mentioned something that the magazine readers would like to see.  I think CAM fits the bill nicely and is open enough for some interesting interpretations.

Another thing that several of us discussed was a tire class.  We discussed a tread wear limit or a price cap to introduce a build strategy conundrum.  While this would make for some interesting design compromises and would make the requirement for purple crack in the autocross moot it would ultimately be less applicable for the average GRM reader than a CAM class.  Also the CAM 200 treadwear requirements sort of dovetail nicely with one of the treadwear requirements suggested.

I vote that next years special class be Scca CAM eligible vehicles...

So when you say CAM, you actually mean the SCCA CAM specific set of rules?

If so, it's a great idea.  One that's long time coming (in terms of making an SCCA legal class of Challenge cars.  

It would be cool, too, if the car ran at a SCCA event, legally, prior to the challenge.  Better if it was Nationals the month before.

(BTW, for a single event, are the 200 tires really that much cheaper than R or slicks?  For repeated events, or for an entire season, I can see it- but not for one event)

How about a clash of champions class? Get all of the former challenge winners that we can find to get their cars running again as they were when they won, and bring them back.

SaulGoode said:

How about a clash of champions class? Get all of the former challenge winners that we can find to get their cars running again as they were when they won, and bring them back.

No Thank you.  We will not bring ours back without improvements. I doubt other could either.  

How about a saloon class? As I understand it a saloon is a vehicle with generally a three-box configuration, being engine compartment, passenger compartment and trunk. Has an a pillar, a b-pillar, and A C pillar. Would cover a wide range of vehicles both foreign and domestic. Usually four doors.

Or perhaps a shooting brake class?

In reply to alfadriver :

I believe that is what was proposed earlier. 

I think it would be pretty cool to have a challenge vehicle that is not a one trick pony.  As mentioned earlier it would also be interesting from a magazine standpoint to have a "control" vehicle participate, ie. A national level CAM car.  It would be neat to see how close one can get on a limited budget.

pimpm3 said:

 As mentioned earlier it would also be interesting from a magazine standpoint to have a "control" vehicle participate, ie. A national level CAM car.  It would be neat to see how close one can get on a limited budget.

This.

Or what about a tribute class. Most people seem to lean towards performance either in the drag race or autocross. But what if you had a class that was just for cars that were finished in a tribute livery kind of concentrated on The Concourse portion?

Lots of possibilities for creative artistic folks.

Remember:

SVREX's Reown miata

Richard Petty 43 Tribute civic with wing

Subaru 666 civic

Etc

Imagine:

Blue/orange gulf livery on Geo metro

Dupont rainbow warrior on a cavalier

Ken Block monster mustang on a mustang II

YADADA

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

That could be incorporated easily on a CAM eligible car.  Donahue livery Camaro anyone...

In reply to pimpm3 :

A TRANS AM CAM CLASS

Plus, by putting emphasis on tribute schemes likely a bit more aesthetic editorial content for mag.

If you guys want a CAM style class, may I suggest we create MAAM: Malaise and Ancient American Muscle.  Any rwd American car built pre-1950 or from 1976-1984 is eligible, none of that cheaty stuff from when engines actually worked is allowed.

pimpm3 said:

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

That could be incorporated easily on a CAM eligible car.  Donahue livery Camaro anyone...

My priimary vision for $2019 (ie the hardest most complicated build i've ever done in my life) incorporates elements of CAM, Trans-Am, and tribute.   and just to toot my own horn, the Penske Camaro look has already been done.  by me.   in 2004.   Crown V8 Corvair convertible.  ;-)

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

If you guys want a CAM style class, may I suggest we create MAAM: Malaise and Ancient American Muscle.  Any rwd American car built pre-1950 or from 1976-1984 is eligible, none of that cheaty stuff from when engines actually worked is allowed.

why eliminate 1951-1975?   it's not like those turd-buckets can claim any inherent performance advantage over the pre-1950 or the 1976-1984 eras.

CAM sounds like a great time if we get more than 5 cars. 

Having a class that uses the street touring SCCA rules would probably be good for the magazine to promote. Won’t get many fast drag times, but could still be fast at the autocross. Those rules could also make the car a little less of a one trick pony.

AngryCorvair said:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

If you guys want a CAM style class, may I suggest we create MAAM: Malaise and Ancient American Muscle.  Any rwd American car built pre-1950 or from 1976-1984 is eligible, none of that cheaty stuff from when engines actually worked is allowed.

why eliminate 1951-1975?   it's not like those turd-buckets can claim any inherent performance advantage over the pre-1950 or the 1976-1984 eras.

Plus CAM keeps all of those cars, as well as extending the TransAm cars well into the 80's.  Better to have more choices than fewer.  Especially if anyone wants the best CAM car to be competitive for the overall.  Maybe not win, thanks to the tire rules, but competitive.  

In reply to AngryCorvair :

Imitation the sincerest form of flattery?

AngryCorvair said:

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ said:

If you guys want a CAM style class, may I suggest we create MAAM: Malaise and Ancient American Muscle.  Any rwd American car built pre-1950 or from 1976-1984 is eligible, none of that cheaty stuff from when engines actually worked is allowed.

why eliminate 1951-1975?   it's not like those turd-buckets can claim any inherent performance advantage over the pre-1950 or the 1976-1984 eras.

E36 M3ty cars.  Funny name.  I don't know I slept like 12 hours in the last 4 days!

The other good thing about a CAM class is it would include trucks.

I'm gonna refrain from voting on a Sub-Class.  I have had lots of input in the past years.  The Aristocrats really just started as a side bet between Robbie in his V12 BMW and me in my second Q45 back in $2015.  I unfortunately couldn't work this years event in my schedule.  If I return next year, I already have my steed-of-choice chosen and it will be either my Manual Trans, NOS Q45 or a Chrysler Crossfire (but I really don't want to own a Crossfire.)  

Does as Chrysler Crossfire qualify as CAM?  (oh, I really don't want to own a Crossfire.)    

maschinenbau said:

Orphan class sounds like fun. Just a bunch of dead brands, like Saab, Satun, Merkur, AMC, Mercury, etc.

Could have lots of funny themes revolving around "Extinct Class" or "Endangered Species" with dinosaur paint jobs or EPA warning labels.

Oh I like this one.

I am thinking of doing an engine swap and bringing my Innocenti next year. It would fit with this.

How about "no pro driver times" class?

What about this:

American Muscle

Must be an originally-rear-wheel-drive vehicle from an American motor vehicle company. Minimum competition weight 3100 pounds with driver. 

Doesn't CAM encompass that and the street tire class at the same time?

John Welsh said:

I'm gonna refrain from voting on a Sub-Class.  I have had lots of input in the past years.  The Aristocrats really just started as a side bet between Robbie in his V12 BMW and me in my second Q45 back in $2015.  I unfortunately couldn't work this years event in my schedule.  If I return next year, I already have my steed-of-choice chosen and it will be either my Manual Trans, NOS Q45 or a Chrysler Crossfire (but I really don't want to own a Crossfire.)  

Does as Chrysler Crossfire qualify as CAM?  (oh, I really don't want to own a Crossfire.)    

I notoriously hate reading SCCA rules, but this maybe official, maybe out of date document seems to indicate that it'd maybe classed as CAM-S?  I'll defer to greater authorities, though

I’m down with CAM even though I won’t participate.  I could, but that would be silly of me.  

In reply to pimpm3 :

Tom's wording seems to cover American badged grey imports where from my understanding CAM vehicles have to be manufactured in North America.  Domestic badged minitrucks like Ford Couriers and Dodge Ram 50s would be legal technically then assuming you meet weight requirements.