American Sedan is a wonderfull class a real throw back to Trans-Am of yore my rant is with the SCCA comp.board won't even think of "E" let alone a "A" bodys being added to it as this class is camaro/mustang clutter only. I gave up and built an "A" body super production (regional class) so I could go spank the "legal" AS ers in an attempt to get Ma MoPar out there in a national class and came to the conclusion that they no want MoPars kicking *** using a 318/833 and the general guide lines for AS they won't hear of it AMC's wonder cars either. Too bad it is a good class with too much power too little brakes and DOT tire. though rule restricted 5.0 only, Performer rpm, 4776 Holley and a host of other "if it's not in the book it's not allowed" modifications allowed a true thinking persons (some say cheaters) class. the first AS builds I did truley amazed me I never thought one could build over 400 hp/350 ft.lb. ish engines using these guidelines to date the best 305 chiverlay we have built was 431 hp and ford 5.0 397 hp! The class has evolved over the years allowing better parts for durability in our Camaro AS the T-5 (developed for the Chevette) trans had the best overall gear ratios compared to the T-10 so we carried 2 spares as third gear and the counter shafts were not up to the task now we run a tremec 3550 that was allowed in 2002 and have not broken it yet.Now the class is whinning to the comp board for aftermarket calipers.

 

The reason that the events board will not consider anything else into the American Sedan class is becaust Chevy and Ford were the only ones that actually mad and american soprts SEDAN. If you look at the rules they state that ANY AMERICAN MADE SPORTS SEDAN WITH 5.0 LITRES OF DISPLACEMENT OR LESS IS LEGAL. Of course you have to abide by a minimum wieght and safty regulations but at this time the only vehicles to meet the criteria are the Chevy Camaro, Pontiac Firebird, Pontiac Trans-Am, Ford Mustang, and the Ford Mustang GT. And as it seems unfortunatly for you your MOPAR does not meet the requirements. However you car would meet the rules for a Production class on a national and might even be elegible for a Improved Touring class at the regional level.

A good resource for you to check out would be the SCCA Forums. And also download a copy of the SCCA General Competetion Rules at SCCA Web Site and also go over the guidelines for filing a injuction with the AS BOD, to petetion the inclusion of larger displacement cars into the class.

I to have noticed that certian classes within the various forms of competetion in the SCCA have always been a Chevy and Ford class. In SOLO 2 it happens to be the F Stock, E Street Prepared, and C Prepared classes. But the Solo Events Board classes these vehicles together because, "When prepared to the maximum allowences of the respective classes these cars have similar preformance capabilities and would provide fair competetion to all drivers in the class." If you read in Sports Car this month you would have seen in FASTRACK that a number of overly competetive cars were reclassified to allow fair cometetion.

 

Well then as myself and my clients are all in consensus that the SCCA rule book is designed to **** you off. We'll go with the old "The Club may alter or adjust certain specifiactions to equate competitive potential" and the old, "Cars are classified by make, model and engine displacement (see section E.1., "car classification")". Lines which pretty much say the SCCA says what car, and thats it.

Now then hows it that that there Donahugh dude spanked everyone in a AMC in Trans-Am of yore? which American Sedan took it's model from?? now leeme spark a fatty here and contemplate. "adjust certain specifications" line would be why the Ford guys get too have .500 net valve lift (measured at the valve zero lash) and the GM guys get .480 As all of the Ford engines I build for AS displace 308 c.i. and all the GM engines I build displace 312 c.i. both engine makes may have no more than 10.3:1 compression ratio that bit of displacement variance gives the Ford guys more net valve lift to equate. bringing a 318 Dodge into the fracus isn't that far fetched as it is a small bore (between 4.00 and 3.736) small valve engine so limiting the Dodge boys to a +.030 bore sure they will displace more c.i. but that can be dealt with via. net valve lift and the fact that 318 would have the smallest intake valve. Let alone being stuck with a A833 trans unless of course "adjustment" could be made to allow Tremec as GM and Ford are now a days. A +.030 318 is 322 c.i. add some weight and a net valve lift of .450 would easily compensate.

And then the classifications state Camaro, Firebird 82-92 and 93-99, Mustang 94-98 includes cobra thru 95 79-93 Mustang includes Cobra and Cobra R and Mercury Capri. (2000 GCR ASCS) classification as my trailers not here with 2005 rule book in it to reference from. Other the the inclusion of 00's and up it's the same.

That Ma MoPar was more fixated on cartoon cars than Trans-Am they got bagged but really showed that another season and they would have removed the title from AMC. GO 77!!

My whinning here is just that of the last ten years that I have prepared AS cars and every time I have written to the comp board it's met with the "not enough member input" line and been laughed out of the tent meetings at the run-offs just shows how much of a tight *** orginazation the SCCA can be (no offense too Sven) I guess you missed the part about my building a Super Production Duster, Regional class that had competetive AS times sporting a standard bore 318 and a 500 c.f.m 4412 Holley 2 bbl. carb on a slightly modified Iron 360 Intake.

As far as Fast-Track goes firstly American Sedan is SCCA Club National competition is not Solo or Solo II or Pro and I see nothing pertaining to National Club racing classifications allowing any A/B/E/F/J bodys of the Chrysler corp. In Club National classifications.I still would like to see E/A bodys in a Club National class who knows someday all will be right with the SCCA!

Jeeez fingers really smoking now! guess I oughta put some N20 on it!

 

I can understand your fustration on the subject but I believe very firmly that if the Club Racing BOD were to allow older MOPARs in AS that it would create unfair competetion. The older MOPARs were better engineered and were faster with smaller displacement engines that any other American car of the day. And for the most part they are still faster and out handle even more "modern" muscle cars like the ones allowed in AS. When the AS concept was first introduce it was spaer headed by General Motors with backing from FoMoCo, with the stipulation that MOPAR could only enter the class with ristrictor plates. This may be inaccurate, comming from a friend that has a 3 digit member number, but to the best of his recoliction thats how it happened. The MOPAR guys got pissed off and left the class to run in the more "open" classes like GT and T.

For years I have been after the **** on the Solo side to list the Dodge Dakota and the Dakota R/T in a lower class other than ESP. A lot of these cars in ESP(Evo 8, WRX STi, BMW M3, etc) are even outclassing the more seasoned cars in the class like the trans-ams and Mustangs, and also spanking the pickups. I don't know about you region but in mine we have a very loyal truck following and have a regional class that would be perfect for a national level Solo class, but just don;t have the backing in other regions as we do in Oklahoma. However if you could find enough people in other divisions across the US then you have a base for a provisional class at the Run-Offs in Topeka next year.

Also about FASTRACK, that section of Sports Car also has protest rulings and rule changes posted for national club racing as well. However the Solo and Rallycross section do take up the majority of the green pages and there are even times that I miss the club racing section.

 

Well when the purpose (section A) of ASCS states,

"The American Sedan (AS) class is intended to provide the membership with the opportunity to compete in V-8 powered automobiles, suitable to racing competetion. To that end, cars will be those offered for sale in the United States. They will be prepared to manufacturer's specifications except for modifications and alternate specifications permitted by these rules. The Club may alter or adjust certain specifications to equate competetive potential."

I would say that most of the problem I have in gaining a MoPar and or AMC car classification is just not enough letter writing from other possibly intrested competetiors that are suitably warped enough to want AMC or MoPar!

As the purpose rule states it's open to all American produced and sold V-8 powered automobiles. maintain in mind that the SCCA was founded around 4 banger kinds of cars the and the V-8 classes have pretty much been the minority can't say A,B prepared or Trans-Am, Can-Am didn't exist but those were high dollar examples where as American Sedan was looking to be more budget minded. American Sedan class as I saw it evolve out here in the Southern Pacific Division came from the ITE guys already in Mustangs / Camaros trying for a more realistic attempt (read less $) at early Trans-Am. And when they got tired of SCCA's "beyond the scope/intent" responses to changes most went off to NASA AI and AIx or CMC, we lost well over half of the competetors here to those series. The first three- five years out here would easily see 6-10 AS cars for a National/Regional race weekend, now they're lucky to fill the podium.

Oh sure I'm frustrated about it but do have an AS Camaro devolpment test vehicle if ever AS really comes back out here or I can find a suitable funded driver. It's a pretty damn sad state of affairs when my one AS client in 2004 went to one race in the 2004 season (California Speedway) 2nd place Saturday, 1st place Sunday ( I think there were 4 AS cars that weekend)and still ended up number #3 in the region for the year.

I'm just saying that the class could be really good if more people were aware of cars other than Camaro or Mustang's existed. When the AS had it's first National season all that I had spoken with had hoped to see other than the Camaro and Mustang thing, but just not enough "bastard car" people intrested, as American Sedan is still not what you could really consider a cheap cost class, as I've seen in 20 years of SCCA, there really isn't anything totaly low buck as there is always someone with the resources to stretch the rules in favor of sometype of onobtanium thing.(applys to all classes)

We would have cars out here from Texas, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Washington, Kansas and Canada in the first few seasons of AS I don't recall anyone from Other states(no offense) ever coming out to Cal-Club but I don't imagine many states farther than AZ has seen many American Sedan Cal-Clubbers other than Mid-Ohio!!

Looking at the evolution of the American Sedan rules it is a classic study of rules creep towards too much money. As it is put slicks and bigger brakes and you would have a damn GT-1 ala 1975!

As you see here Mr.ultimateanswer not many people in U.S. too concerend with road racing unfourtanatly. Hope to see you in Topeka in 06 if either of my GT-1 or GT-2 clients makes it for the Run-Offs! No AS cars for this season (06) either. Sure will miss Mid-Ohio for the Run-Offs as it is a great track.