PA Hillclimb

Hello All! I am new to the forum and recently joined as I now wish to post. Thanks for allowing me become part of your community! A little bit about myself; I recently turned 50 and have been competing in some form of motorsport for most of my life. I began in the 1970s with two seasons of Stock Car racing the three stints of Drag Racing for most of my adult life.

I always enjoyed the concept of Road Racing and, living near Weatherly, have been to the HC off and on. After the second stint of Drag Racing, I joined SCCA, in the early 2000s, and purchased an ’85 RX7 with an eye to IT class racing. Ultimately, I abandoned the project for my third and final stint in Drag Racing. Having taken my alcohol injected dragster effort as far as any “working man” can (7.10 @ 185 MPH) I called it quits at the end of the 2011 season, sold everything off, and “retired”. I purchased a 2010 Camaro SS which turned out to be much more fun to drive than I expected. The wheels began turning…

That being said, I would like to pose a couple questions regarding the use of street cars in HC competition. My Camaro has a couple basic mods (full exhaust with long tube headers, race cats and muffs and a cold air intake). I understand, as a Level 4 venue, I am most likely looking at least a 6 point rollbar. But, before I do any of that, I wish to know if this vehicle has a home in HC and which class do you think it would compete? I understand there may be better vehicle choices but, I already have this one and would like to examine that option first.

Thanks again for allowing me to ramble about myself and I look forward to hearing from you!

Hi and welcome. I've been waiting to see one of these show up at our hills. Sounds like the car is a good fit for ESP. I run 3rd and 4th gen Camaros in ESP and Street mod. I would be happy to help with your questions.

Thanks Mike! I'm not sure where to start. I thought it may not be competitive in ESP due to the weight. I guess the first question would be the roll bar. Does it have to have to have the diagonal or is a welded, straight shoulder bar acceptable?

ESP is the lowest class your car would fit in based on your mods. I know what kind of times these turned going straight so it is just a matter of going around turns. Tires are the biggest help here. Yes the rollbar needs a diagonal. Idealy this would be in the main hoop going from drivers side top to pass. sibe bottom. Also it is preferred to be on piece. Make the horizontial bar going through it two piece.
On a side note......don't worry about being competitive your first time out. Most of the time it takes a while to learn the hills. Let the speed come as your comfort leval rises!

Understand. This gives me a couple things to look into over the winter. The roll bar should be no trouble. And I believe ESP will open up options for better springs and sway bars. Tires, from what I understand were an issue due to the 20" SS wheels. I am sure the stock Pirellis will be good enough for getting my feet wet. As far as credentials go, I am sure none of the licenses I hold now have any carry over, should I start by picking up a Novice Permit? Do I need to join SCCA first or can that come later?

Yes you will need to join the SCCA and get your novice permit. Also drivers suit/jacket and pants(3.2/5) rating if memory serves me right. Arm restaints, min of 5point harness, gloves.
You can upgrade springs and shocks and sway bars. With the tires, can you step down to 19's. I beleive you still have caliper clearance?

Are Arm Restraints required in a closed cockpit?

Yes. If you had a cage you could do a window net.

Jason,
Apply to the SCCA (call 800 770-2055 and ask for Membership & Licensing) for a Time Trial Novice Permit application. I believe they are $35.00 and give you up to two years to satisfactorily complete three events (when you will apply for a Time Trial License). With the Novice Permit application you will be required to do a self medical exam. Later, when you apply for the license, a serious medical exam by your doctor will be necessary.
Show up at the events, turn in your Novice Permit at registration (it will find its way to Steve Lewis or me [driving instructors]) and be sure to attend the novice meetings first thing Saturday morning. At the end of the event (Sunday, after last timed runs and before trophy presentation) you find the instructor for that weekend and pick up your permit.

You learned something about the PHA early: Members of your racing class will be the best mentors. Never be afraid to ask questions. And, for the first year or two, race against yourself: first finding your way up the hill, mastering braking points, turn apexes, and your comfort level going fast between the trees and rocks. Your goal is safe steady improvement and in a bit of time you will be running with the best of them. At a road race you get 20-30 minutes of practice on a 2 to 3 mile course and you can figure most of it out before you race. At a hill, you will get one touring run (novices only) and then timed runs commence --- it takes a while to master a hill climb course, with time measured in years.
Looking forward to meeting you on the hill,
John

Thanks for the info John! Actually I joined online Friday afternoon and found the medical form as well. I should be good to go for now. I noticed the list of available numbers. At which point, and what is the process for being assigned one? Looking forward to meeting you as well.

Jason,
when you register for an event, pick a number you like that is not on the reserved number list. when you get to the event, you may ask that the number be assigned to you for the season for a fee of $5.00. Currently Matt Rowe is the master of reserved numbers.
John

Hey guys! Another quick question, I’ve been reading the rules regarding classification, and although my car complies with the Street Prepared (ESP), what would keep it from being classed Street Touring (STU)? Just curious...thanks!

Hope you all don't mind if I jump in here to help.

Jason, STU is for under 3.2 L. If you are looking for a Club Race class, there is T2 but there are limits on modifications.
In any case you may want to consider up coming TT rule changes before making a decission.

Dave Yeager
HP GTI

Dave i thought the same thing when i first read the post. I will assume from his wording, that he is asking about the SOLO class Street touring? STU in road race is called Super touring under. As long as i can remember the PHA has never run the street touring class or any of the SOLO stock classes. Pretty much any of the Street prepared or Street mod classes are the only SOLO classes they run. If you do not like the look of any of those classes you can pick up the GCR and find a road race class. But, as Dave pointed out. The rules for safety prep in those classes is still yet to be determined by the PHA and should be available in the supps. Just remember, finding a class has nothing to do with what is required in regards to safety. It is just to determine what class your car is eligible for. The TTR (time trial rules) and the event supps are the docs you will need to find out about safety requirements.

Also, you are not required to run a 6 points roll cage. Just a 4 points roll bar in the SOLO classes. (that does not mean you cannot run more safety gear then required). Or, at least that is the way it has been and i would assume that will not change in the PHA.

Thanks for the replies! Yes, at the time I was reading the Solo rules and referring to Street Touring Ultra and saw some overlap and wondered "why not"? I was just perusing some of the rulebooks and comparing Club Racing to TT was all. ESP, however, is what I am actively modifying toward and will eventually use. Ultimately the car will remain a street car so I won't be going too crazy with modifying.

I will most likely opt for a 6 point bar, however. Other vehicles I had were always caged and, lacking that, I prefer not having anything less than 6 points (just my personal opinion). I still have my SA2005 Helmet, Simpson gloves and shoes. My last venue required a /15 suit (5-layer) which I sold before the cert ran out and am looking at a /5 jacket and pants for this. I can get away with the /1 as I have a set of Nomex underwear but wasn't a huge fan of wearing it in the heat of summer.

I see many references to the "supps" and understand what they are but am having difficulty finding "where" they are. Are these documents achieved or do they only come out immediately prior to a scheduled event?

thanks again for the replies and all advice and opinions are welcome!

Jason, The supps are with the entry forms. If you send me your email address I will put you on the email mailing list and you will get all of the entry forms emailed to you. Also I can email you an entry from last year so you can see the supps (they will probably change for this year). If you follow the safety rules from the early 2013 you will be OK. If you can no longer find them I can email them to you.

Thanks Nelson! Yes, send me all of the above and anything else you feel may be useful. I would appreciate it!

Email to: jbhun (AT) ptd (DOT) net.