For anybody considering wheel to wheel in the future, SCCA finally admitted there's a world beyond 7" wide rims. See pages 20-21.
http://www.scca.com/_FileLibrary/File/06-7-fastrack.pdf

Improved Touring offers a very good choice of mild mods.

I'm guessing 4th gen's might fit in around the 2550-2570 weight spec.

 

If I end up that with THAT much extra cash, it would be fun just to see what a max could really do. I'll tell you this, they could probably muscle some other cars out of the way fairly easily late braking into a turn.....hmmmmm

 

I still remember when they had that 5th gen in speed world challenge back in the day, it was killing everything, so they imposed the displacement limit for the two classes and knocked it out of the series for good as it didn't fit in the lower class, but wasn't powerful enough to compete in the higher class...

bejay1, this is a good find...wish I had the time and money, and sponsorship, and another car to pursue this...

btw, when you got the 700/450 springs from progress, what did they revalve your struts to? did they ask for your input and such?

 

You got any links or pics about that Max in SWC? Except for the Grand-Am cup I hadn't heard about other Pro's running Maxes.

I'll PM you regarding the Progress rates as I've had em done twice now and nobody else reading here will understand. Suffice to say tell them what you're after and they'll setup correctly. Josh Sutor's WRX in STX is proof of that.

 

bejay, have you done any significant lightening to your car? if so, did you ever get it weighed?

 

Some lightening but nothing crazy. I started around ~3088lbs and last cornerweighting in '05 said 2925lbs. Guessing now would be around 2860 STS legal, 2750 drag setup. I've got full power sunroof, windows, doors, antenna, SS exhaust etc. adding poundage.

 

were those weights with you in the car?

my last cornerweight was 3260 or 3250 with me in the car and full fluids of course, and I am about 175/180lbs...so that puts my car at about stock 4th gen curb weight, 3080 or so...which is a little over 100lbs. shaved off a stock 2000 maxima...but my car is fully loaded as well, bose, sunroof, leather, heated, powered seats, etc.

so you have taken off quite a bit of weight it sounds like!

I only wish my car was at 2860lbs during autoX with me in it!

 

: That would be something with full interior + me.

 

well I just thought maybe you did a lot of weight reduction, cause usually people post their cornerweights with them in it...as that is what is done when your car is cornerweighted...so really, your car with me in it would be more like 3040 or so...hmm...well your still 200lbs lighter than my car...!

 

Remember, the SCCA gives you a place to race, but does not guarantee that car will be competitive. Looking at some of the other cars on that list, the Maxima would still be a minority in my opinion. For me, that's not a bad thing, but also knowing that at some point you'll wish you could keep up and start spending megabucks or mega credit cards on an unconmpetitive car. NOt a good thing, that. I'd rather the car be in ITS myself or maybe even ITA. It would be one of the heaviest cars in ITA, which could make it an even trade for its power advantage.
I don't remember 5th gens in WC either. There was a race in Canada I believe and 2 5th Gens ran there but placed in the upper 20's.
WAAAY back I DO remember TWO 4th Gens at SCCA Runoffs and one crashed HEAVILY. I saw that on Speed Tv (when it was Speed Channel). I wonder if they still have that footage?

 

Given those weights what do you think would be an overdog? I'm thinking the IS300, M3, and 328i/s would have the best knowledgebase and setup out of the garages. If they did class our 4th gen below 2600lbs then we could probably hold off many of the lighter cars. Top end 4th gen power worries me though.

You're thinking of the Canadian drivers who ran the GrandAm/Motorola Cup series. You're right, they didn't finish strong in SportTouring but that could've been for any number of reasons.

 

well, they could always run the european spec maxima's with the mevi's...that way it wouldn't be an illegal swap of any sort since they did come with those overseas...

 

My draft letter is already started asking for the '95-01 to be classed on the same line for simplicity...