I have…. And I must say, I was very happy with the way the car responded.

My car:
Factory stock 10yr old suspension, all season tires (BF-Goodrich Comp-T/A HR4s).

Autocross experience:
One season

I put 120lbs worth of sand bags in the rear-well just to see how it would feel. The car was far less tail-happy and much easier to control.

Does anyone have any thoughts/experience with this in an F-body?
What are the rules for this kind of thing in a stock or modified class?

Thanks,
-Jason

 

I dunno SCCA rules, but NHRA would rule that, or any other "unsecured load" as illegal ballast.

In NHRA at least you need to bolt it in to prevent bludgeoning in a crash. I can't imagine SCCA being any less strict in this regard.

 

Good point Steve, I think our tech guys would probably take issue with that as well.

Last weekend I finally pulled the spare and jack out and ran with minimal gas and turned in one of my best events so far, though I'm just into my 2nd year as well. Prior to that, I was generally runnung 3/4 tank at the advice of a divisional racer I met.

 

From the 2003 SCCA Solo Rules:

3.3.3.A All loose items, inside and outside the car, must be removed. . . .

3.3.3.B Snap-on hubcaps, detachable fender skirts, and trim rings must be removed.

3.3.3.O . . . All batteries shall be attached securely to the frame or chassis structure . . .

In Philly Region at least, spare tires and jacking equipment may be left in the secured condition, and the trunk mat may be left in place, but everything else has to be removed from the trunk.

Personal experience suggests that you're better off with everything out of the trunk, though you have to be a little smoother with your throttle.

Norm

 

Well, the bags aren't legal, but yes weight helps. One reason that we all run F-stock (and usually ESP cars) with full tanks and the spare tire in. You balance the car better and get more traction from the easily spun rear tires. And quite frankly, a 3400 pound car with a driver added doesn't much care about another 50 pounds of gas......

 

Yeah, I am aware that any unsecured ballast is illegal (and therefore the bags are illegal). I just threw them in as an experiment.

In what classes are ballasts legal (when they are properly secure)?

 

Discussion of ballast per se doesn't get addressed until you get to a class with specified minimum weights, as in Prepared. SM doesn't address it, so you'd go back through ST and SP and find that all the way back in Stock you could add "one rear trailer hitch" and that the resulting weight addition is specifically allowed (13.2.I). The hitch may serve no other purpose, which is a limitation that's probably aimed at disallowing complex hitch installations that could provide structural stiffness benefits but might leave enough room to contest an unreasonably heavy hitch (i.e. one rated for far greater payload/tongue load than the car is rated for as published in the mfr's owner manual or service literature).

Norm