These classes often use SCCA Showroom Stock and Touring class rules, which pretty much restrict you to a stock car with safety equipment being the only real addition. Some cars are allowed to use parts packages to help equalize the field.

If you have a wild beast that is still able to be street driven (does not need to be street legal currently), you’ll probably fit in here. These classes follow SCCA Solo 2 rules. Street prepared allows for most bolt-on parts for suspension and drivetrain, but does not allow major modifications like porting/polishing or turbo/supercharging (unless it’s a stock factory system. Street Mod on the other hand, allows for radical things all the way up to engine swaps (within the same manufacturer). Keep in mind that these are “street” cars, so lights and interior are required (to varying degrees).

Essentially, this is where we get into cars that most people consider to be “real” race cars. This class allows similar mods to Street Prepared (mostly bolt-on type stuff), but allows most stripping of interiors (other than dashes), but some restrictions are placed on wheel sizes and such. Some classes are specific in car types and mods: A Sedan is for Camaros, Firebirds, and Mustangs, Spec Miata is (obviously) for Miatas, and Spec RX7 is for, well, you know.

These are all out race cars that still retain the original “tub”. Heavy engine mods are allowed, as are removal of all “street” items like lights, glass, interior panels, dashes, etc. Production category cars are (typically) mostly older vehicles, but some newer small-displacement cars are classified to run here too.

If you want an all-out race car that still has a street car body on it, here’s your class. These are basically the fastest things with doors. GT1 is mostly V8 (some 6’s, 4’s and rotary’s are run), RWD, tube chassis cars with a production-shaped skin over them. They may look something like the cars you see on the street, but don’t let them fool you. Many of these cars can also run in SCCA’s Trans-Am series. GT2-5 may not have quite the horsepower, but these are potent cars in their own right. Again, tube chassis’ are the rule (with a few semi-tube cars also running), and mods are done to every part of the car. It’s not unlikely that a GT car will have as much money in an engine as most people will spend on a new car…

If you’ve ever seen the Indy 500, you know what a formula car is. These are named for the fact that the frame of the car is built, or better yet designed and engineered, from scratch using mathematical formulas rather than starting with a production car. There are many formula classes, ranging from Formula Vee’s (using VW Beetle engines and suspensions) to Formula Atlantics (which can hit over 180mph on certain tracks). There’s a formula class for almost anyone, provided that you like the idea of seeing your front wheels while driving (which many of us do!).

Take a formula car and attach a body over it to cover the wheels and suspension, and you have a sports racer. While some have descended directly from formula roots, other sports racers are custom built machines. If you want the handling of a formula car but don’t like the idea of your wheels hanging outside for all to see, a sports racer may be the car for you.

These are our catch-all classes. Three classes divide cars by displacement. Essentially there are two kinds of cars in Special: those that are built just to set hillclimb records, and those that people want to run but they just don’t fit into any class. You might see anything in Special, from a Ford Torino dirt-track car (complete with top-fuel style wing) to a mini-formula car with a 3-cylinder 2-stroke engine and a variable belt drive.

Have an old race car that is running just as it did in the old days? Vintage or Historic may be a place for you to run. Again, cars are divided up by year, car configuration (sedan or formula), and displacement. These cars will have to meet minimum safety requirements to make timed runs, but it’s a great place to relive some of the old glory days.

The class is where INEX Legends cars are run. Cars must be prepped exactly to all current INEX rules.

All SCCA ClubRally and ProRally cars can run in this class if they do not fit into another appropriate class. Bring that Rally car out for a little tarmac practice…