The future of CS & ES

[POS Racing]

So what is the general consensus on where the various generations of Miata are going to be classed in the SCCA??

Do you guys think the 1990-2005 Miata will end up in the same class? Where will the NC (2006- ) end up?

[Treibenschnell]

Won't the horsepower edge of the NB be too much of an advantage over the NA?

Unless they do as SPEC racers do and handicap the NB's, I think it would be silly to group them together.

[sammm]

Won't the horsepower edge of the NB be too much of an advantage over the NA?

The early 1.8's ('94-'97) are already in the same class as the 1.6's. Probably just a matter of time before they lump them all together. GS (or the cars in it) needs to be looked in to IMHO.

[altiain]

The current status quo ('99+ in C Stock, '90-'97 in E Stock) will continue to exist at least through the '07 season, imho. Currently, both E Stock and C Stock are well subscribed classes on the National level, and the upcoming NC and Solstice - so far - don't sound like they're going to have what it takes to obsolete the NBs in C Stock.

I think, with time, the NC or Solstice may become "the car to have" in C Stock, but I think if that happens it will happen gradually as top drivers sink development money and time into them - the new cars just don't seem to have anything that makes them a slam dunk in C Stock, and they could very well turn out to be worse than the '99 Sport.

Regardless of what happens on the National level, the NBs will still be Regionally competitive in C Stock for a long time to come, imho. Sort of like how the '91 MR2s are in E Stock - they may not be the "car to have" at the National level, but that won't stop a good driver from being competitive in one, as the performance gap between that car and the "car to have" is negligible.

In other words, I think a good driver will still be competitive in an NB in C Stock for a number of seasons to come. If - and this is a big if, given the initial reports - the Solstice or NC turn out to be the "car to have" in C Stock, they still won't be so far ahead of the '99+ cars that the NB will be hopelessly outclassed. You may not be able to take home a jacket in C Stock in a '99 Sport in '07, but I'll bet you'll still be able to kick plenty of ass at any level below that.

Long term? Whether E Stock remains a viable class or not is still a good question. They aren't building any more '93 MR2s, the top ones all have well over 100,000 miles on them, and the performance of the '94-'97 Miatas this year may deter many people from building or campaigning these cars at the National level. I predict a slow, gradual decline in the number of E Stock entrants at the National level over the next couple of years, as the newest car in the class is now nine years old, and the "car to have" is still apparently a rare, thirteen year-old Toyota. Given the current suspicions that the NC and Solstice aren't going to be runaway C Stock contenders, I would venture a guess that if E Stock's numbers start to decline, we'll see E & C Stock recombined in an effort to free up another class for other cars (rally cars, Super Stock has-beens, etc.) that could use it.

That's my take on the subject.

[Miatamoto]

I was pretty dissapointed to see the Miata performance in E stock at Nationals this year. The MR2 was obviously the car of choice. It's making me think about building a CSP car.

[blackzx3_13]

I It's making me think about building a CSP car.

Whenever I get my car, I think I'm going to spec it out and go DSP.