scorke

iTrader: (18)

It's all down to the sanctioning body, they adjust the rules and allow manufacturers in that suit them,financially. The amount of money and crowds the BMW and Acura brand have brought to the SCCA is immense, if the evo came in and started mopping up what motive would they have to stay?

As GPTourer said its all down to the sanctioning bodies.


Scorke

evremonde

iTrader: (7)

I would guess its the awd format and lack of support from mitsubitshi.
The engine was specifically designed for rally racing, so maybe it doesn't fit into classes of the mainstream competitions.

I assume we are talking about anything outside of rally.

MonacoGP

As I said I found earlier SCCA is now allowing the Evo's except the X in Touring Class. They moved them down from GT where the Evo 9 ran last year and broke. I read they had a new WRX STi at Sebring so maybe they would let the X in too. Moving the Evos and the STi down to touring to get more entries seems like the SCCA wants them around.

evoone

iTrader: (8)

why don't you go on on the bmw and acura forums, ask them why bmw or acura don't run WRC. then go chase a fire engine.

GPTourer

Thank you. Although Mitsu isn't in the top WRC, they do have privateer teams running, and plenty on the Group-N level.

But besides that if you look up Super Taikyu you will find plenty of road racing Evos doing very well. Unfortunately its a Japan only series.

blk-majik

iTrader: (6)

So what do you consider a 'pro' racing series? In the US, there are only a few I think of that are open to cars in the Evo's calibre. The KONI Street Tuner, and SPEED World Challenge - Grand Touring class come to mind. Both of them specify an exact short list of makes and models they permit in the series and both exclude Mitsubishi's from that list. It's a shame, too, because they'd be very competitive (the WRX does well).

The only exception I can think of is the US Touring Car Championship series. They allow 2003-2004 Evo VIII's only. Last year, every Evo that raced in a USTCC race (granted there weren't many) finished in the top 3.

Now if your perception of what it means to be a 'pro' series is something more like ALMS, then thats your problem. An Evo is in too deep, even in their lowest tiers. I mean, even in GT2, you're going up against Corvette C6.R's, Porsche 911 GT-RS's, Ferrari F430 GT2's, etc. We're looking at cars that all START at over $200k, and thats before race prep. When you lower your sights, the choices for 'pro' circuits gets cut pretty thin and success is still pretty ungratifying.

Aby@MIL.SPEC

iTrader: (161)

because turbo awd cars dont meet nascar regulations would be my guess.

seriously, whats "professional racing" to you?

if people run in a sanctioned event by world wide known organization, would that count?

Bueller

iTrader: (1)

Depends on what you consider to be pro racing. But before you saying anything else, keep in mind that there are plenty of "pro" drivers racing in a "pro" series that dont get paid. Either way, i honestly dont know why there arent more Evos out there racing. Some people say its money, but when you take a look at most of these "chitty chitty bang bang" looking time attack cars, its difficult for most people to think that these big name shops dont have the money to prep their Evos for some real w2w racing.

The reality is that prepping and funding a real racecar for an entire season of racing is demanding. The chances of being punted, chopped, or simply demolished by another car in a time attack is close to none. Besides, its less demanding in so many ways. These time attack events are few, and the sessions are hardly long enough to be called sessions (1-3 hot laps). So youre basically left with all this money that you can dump in the car in the form of modifications. Whereas in racing, youll be spending all your money on traveling, your crew, parts, tires, gas, fluids, and so on, and so on, and so on. Sure, most of these big name time attack cars already spend money on those factors, but they dont have to worry about replacing all those bling parts from one race to the next. Beyond that, none of these time attack cars can realistically last in a full blown race with their setups. And the higher you go up in the classes, the more demanding the maintenance will be. A 300+whp racing Evo vs a 500+whp racing Evo is significantly different. And if thats not enough, funding is low. Mazda and those few other manufacturers provide good funding.

As far as amateurs, i have no problem people calling me an amateur. Im a rookie racer racing my Evo in Super Touring with NASA. Im also the first person from Socal racing an Evo in Super Touring, and one of the few across the nation. So i dont mind at all if im called an amateur.

apex electric

Evolution X's are being professionally road raced everywhere but in North America. Evo X's took 1,2,3 at the Australian Bathurst 12 hr race. Evo X's are being road raced in the 2009 Britcar series and Mitsubishi may create a spec pro series in Europe using Evo 10 factory motorsport prepared road race cars.

Balrok

iTrader: (15)

Like everybody else already said, but the big part is the factory support. In SCCA classes, which a couple years ago the Evo looked to be the fastest on paper, GM comes in and lays down some money to "help" their Solstice's be the fastest, what's SCCA gonna do, say no? The end result was huge restrictions on the Evo and little restrictions on the Solstice, result? The evo doesn't stand a chance.

Now look into ALMS, most of the GT2 cars ARE factory cars, meaning STOCK in it's form from the FACTORY. And in this form, they make 400-700 HP. So any team can go buy one, prep it to specs that have been written and re-written for that series, and be competitive on paper.

95% of the Evo's on the time attack or any racing level, are all unique, there are no standard parts or upgrades or "packages" from the factory that anyone can use. So SHOP A can spend more then SHOP B and be faster. And they can't allow shop A to be a monopoly in the series because the series is all ABOUT THE MANUFACTURE.

I mean, look at TA-X from AMS, there's no way in hell everyone could spend the money or get it "exactly" the same.

spool_sample

iTrader: (3)

http://www.evo-challenge.co.uk/

OP - You were saying...?

MonacoGP

For all lthe people citing European, Australian and Japanese series you are making my point. Why not here in America where we can see them run on TV or go to a race in person? Everybody is offering all kinds of off topic answers. My question was why aren't any of the US tuners and aftermarket parts companies doing any professional wheel to wheel racing like they do in the rest of the world. Time attack cars are fine but as was pointed out they wouldn't last in a multi lap race. A road racing car is the best example of making a durable setup power wise for street use. If it doesn't go boom in a professional road race you're probable good to go on the street. Regional club racing and National class club racing is not the same. T1 and T2 as somebody mentioned are essentially stock classes and not professional road racing. No Pontiac Solstice is in any pro racing series. There are pro racing series the Evo's are qualified to run in here in the US why aren't there any or so very very few out there? The answer isn't factory money. Most of the cars in ALMS and SCCA production based racing are not factory involved and are privateer.

GPTourer

ALMS prohibits 4wd in GT1 (scroll down to page 16, english on right column)
http://www.imsaracing.net/2009/alms/...lmgt1_2009.pdf
and GT2 (scroll down to page 15)
http://www.imsaracing.net/2009/alms/...lmgt2_2009.pdf

and only 2 door cars are allowed.

scorke

iTrader: (18)

Monaco GP....

You don't even know what you're asking, you just know that everybody else is wrong, and your "answer" will never be satisfied to your extent.

First off I will argue that T1 and T2 is very much professional level racing when it comes down to winning the national championship race. It might not take a lot of prep to win a fluke regional race but winning an SCCA championship means something.

You don't see american tuners racing EVO's in wheel to wheel for all the reasons we listed above, I don't get what you don't understand regarding car classification and the kinds of cars that are popular to be raced over here in the states.

The way you ask the questions and argue your point is as if they have some arena that has been over looked to go and race, and frankly there isn't.....

Scorke

scorke

iTrader: (18)

ALLL ALMS cars have factory involvement except for maybe the busted Ford GT.

The cars that race in ALMS are all Homologated, if you know what that means you know that means the factory is heavily involved.

You have NO idea how much development goes into those cars from year to year, and even within season.

Sorry but you DON"T KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT..

Scorke