> I've been pondering this for a while now. Let's assume a novice
> autocrosser. Would he be better starting off with a Stock Car as opposed
> to a Street Prepared? I'm not talking in terms of cost here. Only in
> terms of Driving Skill development.
Speaking strictly in terms of driving skill alone, I'd say Stock would be
the best place to start. Stock is the most limiting class in terms of
vehicle modifications, and therefore the driver has to learn to get the most
performance possible out of the car by driving it well. Once the skills are
perfected, they can take them and use them in any class they want, from
Stock to Modified.
However, let's bring this back to the real world. Many driving enthusiasts
who are brand new to autocross have already made certain modifications to
their cars. I'm speaking not strictly of the "riceboy" crowd, though
they're certainly included. Many "big bang for the buck" mods enthusiasts
make, like K&N cone air filters and rear sway bars, aren't stock legal, and
I don't see the average newbie wanting to DOWNGRADE for competition. Most
people also don't have an extra set of wheels kicking around that they can
put race rubber on (I know, it's better to learn on street tires, but
they're going to be thinking of their future too). Therefore, let's not
overlook Street Touring as an alternative. Their existing mods are legal,
and street tires are required, keeping them from competing directly with the
sticky tire crowd - that's what STR is for, and is a great alternative if
they choose to use stickies later. Better yet, they can continue to modify
their car with common and not-so-common performance upgrades, and if they
get bumped out of ST, hello STU/SM! (I didn't think DG would mind the free
plug ;) ) The whole Street Touring hierarchy is a viable alternative route,
which is why it was created in the first place.
> And to take it one step further
> would a Stock Class Driver be theoretically better than a (Street
> Prepared, Prepared, Mod, etc.) Driver?
Absolutely!!! I would love to get a top driver in any class to take my SC2
for a fun run sometime. I ain't bad none (even if my English is), but I
know I still have a lot to learn, and I'm sure someone with more knowledge
and experience than me could do things with my car that I didn't think
possible. :)
- Justin
95 SC2 "Locutus"
83 320i "Igor"
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