I see we all have the same concerns about how electronic wizardry will do on something as reflex oriented as autox. I really dont think the IX or X would be an overdog in BS at the local levels. Lets face most of us realize that its 80% driver. I think however the agility of the low weight cars in AS (cayman, s2000, etc) is going to be tuff to overcome lugging 3500lbs around. Then again I also want stock classes to have street tires someone get me a snowball the floors getting cold

 

You can't class a car based on local results. You have to get to the national level where the drivers are known quantities to see where a car fits. The Evo (IX or X) is so overpowered for B-stock that it would be a class killer. It would be like putting a GT3 in A-stock.

Just to give you an example, I raw-timed the entire BSP class at every event in my A-stock Evo this past year. In a bone-stock car I could have been the regional BSP champ. There were two or three events where I got raw-timed by two G-Stock Minis (runway courses). After I switched into a Z0K halfway through the year, I would have trophied in SS in just about every event. In smaller regions, the car owner and I would go 1-2 for FTD and PAX. None of this means anything because it was all just local events. I went out to Nationals in the aforementioned Z0K and placed 31st of 60.

 

I don't know if BS is that far off. Isely in his BS RX8 beats all of us locally in STU, but he's the champ. I don't know if an AS Evo is faster than it would be with STU mods?
AS should be quicker than STU by the PAX.

 

True, but the top _10_ AS entries beat isley's BS times at nationals. The Gospel According to Ruth (PAX), says that both BS and AS should be faster than STU, but for the 8 and 9, I would say STU is faster. I could never get my car balanced with the stock suspension parts. Sure, it may have craploads of grip with R compounds, but it wouldn't transition.

d

EDIT: Oh and if we really want to go offtopic: Should we petition to move the RX8 to STX? Would that scare them scuby boys?

 

And certain cars will be faster in STU because you can correct the major deficiencies in the car, making it go faster even with the reduction in grip from the ST legal tires.

PAX is one guys educated guess in November how fast cars and classes are going to be next September. It's a good reference but should not be taken as anything more than a guess. Look how much the numbers changed this year in many classes.

 

The other thing you have to look at is that it's hard to move the Evo to BS without moving the STi to BS. They're pretty much the same car. Besides, with the Evo being pretty dominant in three other classes, I think most people are OK with letting it be buried in AS at the national level.

Also, has anyone really prepped an AS Evo for national competition? Custom shock valving and the whole nine yards? I don't think it can win AS, but I'll bet it can get closer than you think.

 

As a national level RX-8 B-Stock driver and an Evo owner, I would have to say that while the they may be close. There are plenty of times where the Evo would quite simply destroy the RX-8. I firmly believe that they RX-8 handles better in all aspects compared to the Evo.

But the power difference is just too much. I do feel that the Evo could do at least as well as the STi in AS trim. And that the X should be able to trophy in AS as it sits. The verdict is still out to which generation will be better. But I would suspect even with the additional weight that the X would be faster than previous generations.

I'm willing to try if anyone has a donor vehicle....

Jeremy Foley BS#75