The thread of discussing my stupid cars and how I waste my

[sharkythesharkdogg]

...time. A few people were interested in my little hobby. They were persnickity enough to demand pictures, videos, and even wanted me to explain this ridiculousness.

So be it!

I am a member of the SCCA. While officially that stands for Sports Car Club of America, in reality it stands for Social Club for the Consumption of Alcohol. When we aren't standing around in the evenings, slightly intoxicated, making excuses for why we're so slow we're actually out driving (very, very sober at this point) our cars and enjoying being big kids.

The SCCA has many different stages of membership and participation. Do you own a car? Did you know that you, yes you, could be a member and participate in sanctioned SCCA events?!?!? All you need is a car, a driver's license, and nothing better to do! In fact, you don't even need a car to be a member. It's a club based on volunteers and we could always use more volunteer help.

The entry level events are called autocross, also known as the gateway drug, and that's where most people start. It's a chance to get your street car out (or other car) and push it's limits and yours in a safe environment.

From there the levels of car preparation, speed, and driver qualification begin to move up.

The next stage is called Solo 1 and Solo 2. These are events on closed courses where the driver is still racing against the clock, and not actually against other drivers. As you move up in this class however, the cars become more prepared. This is the stage in car development where you begin to see roll cages, racing seats, 5 point racing harnesses, suits and helmets.

From there, the final stage level full wheel to wheel competition. You must go to a school to earn your racing license. There are many different car classes at this point. You have very large, very quick GT cars, open wheel formula cars, closed body prototypes, and a very large section of cars, in many different clases, based off of production vehicles. This is the area I race in. The class is called "Improve Touring" or "IT". You have ITC, ITB, ITA, ITS, and ITR. The last two are relatively new classes. I race ITA.

Each class has a set of rules of what car are eligible in each class, and what can and can not be done to modify them.

Some of these production cars can be modified much further, and move in a class called "Production" or "Prod". You have HProd, FProd, and EProd depending on motor size. My father races in FProd.

So any way, here's a few pictures.


First up is the ITA Mazda Miata #2. My car.

(SPOILER)












An observant person will note the car says Henry Payne, and not Joe Bryan Payne.

It's only recently become mine. I was co-driving it with my father, but frankly he became tired of me being faster than him in the same car. So....

We are developing his FProd. They look similar now, but as the car is developed it will look and be much different.
(SPOILER)