So, what do you do when you don’t have a rally car and are saving up to buy/build one? Read the rules of leagues you want to compete in of course! How else can you correctly dream about building your car?
Anyhoo, after reading lots of rules regarding competing in Rally America I stumbled onto one of the most awesome classes (next to open): Super Production. First let me explain Production classes:
Production Classes
Basically they are the classes that are closest to stock from the factory. Buy, add a cage/seats and race. You are only allowed to modify certain things, and the car’s settings will be similar if not the same to the factory (gear/differential ratios, etc…). For example, the brakes on most race cars are heavily modified, but in the Production and Production GT classes you cannot make the friction surface in the brakes any larger than stock. You can add beefier suspension as long as it uses the original mounting points on the frame of the car and as long as it works the same way the stock car’s suspension worked (ie Leaf or Hydraulic or Torsion).
The interior goes only slightly modified. You have to keep the front interior the same (dashboard and a-pillar) but you can get rid of carpeting and sound proofing. Of course seats are replaced with one piece racing seats and rollcages are added.
The engine can be barely touched at all. All routings have to be the same as factory and even the cooling devices have to be OEM sized. The only modifications allowed are usually electrical in nature, related to ECUs and tuning. While you cannot replace the factory ECU you can reprogram it.
There are also weight minimums for the Production and Production GT classes. For the production class it is 1.05 lbs per adjusted cc of displacement. So, if you have a 2 liter natrually aspirated engine in a FWD car, your minimum weight is 2100lbs.
So how is super production any different?
Super Production
It borrows a lot from the other production classes, but is far less restricted (hence the super). Plenty more things are modifiable. It is especially the cheaper parts that you’re allowed to go crazy with, like the brakes. They only restrict you in choosing cast iron rotors only (aluminum hats optional) and you can have no more than 4 pots/brake. Other than that you can have the largest/smallest friction surface you can fit (while also being street legal!!).
Weight minimums are thrown out the window, except for WRXs and EVOs. So the cars can take turns at higher speeds (less intertia) and accelerate way quicker than their Production class counterparts.
The engines of Super Production cars, hopefully, out produce the engines of Production GT cars. Turbocharged/Supercharged cars in Production GT have a 32mm diameter inlet restrictor on the intake, while Super Production cars have a much larger 34mm. While it may not sound like a ton, 13% increase in intake size means 13% more air available to the engine (all things equal), hopefully that means 13% more engine power.
Super Production cars are also allowed to play with cooling devices’ positions and their hoses. This might make for quicker responding cars and cars that won’t break from overheating. But what really sets Super Production apart is the fact they are allowed to use whatever ECU they so desire. Aftermarket ECUs provide much more flexibility in how to tune the engine.
I’m eager to see what competitors start showing up in the Super Production class as they’re going to be quicker than their production/production gt counterparts. I’d be eager to see what cars end up winning the Super Production class (WRXs and EVOs I imagine). I’ll keep watching to see how this cheaper than open class class evolves.
October 24th, 2008 |
