SCCA Houston Region B Spec build :)

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by FHT_Racing

So we are weighted down an extra 80lbs with or without the TRD suspension?!

Not only is the weight now 2500lbs, the 2014 GCR still does not show the kit.

[Larry@CFR]

Haven't heard from FHT_Racing in awhile, how's the build going in Houston?? Saw Joe McClughan used Taake's TCB car for a B-Spec SCCA Major race last weekend and set the lap record. Unfortunately, no competition there but he ran well.

[FHT_Racing]

No turning back now :) Dropped off the car for CAGE!

[malibuguy]

Sweet build.

I'd love to build a yaris for track duty to eventually replace my turbo tercel track day car.

With the weight limits it looks like for bspec...it might be easier to build a sedan...take advantage of the slightly better aero

[Larry@CFR]

If you guys want to see some great B-Spec pictures from SCCA Major at Sebring, check Facebook at 'Michael Lilley Photography and Design' and search for '2014 BFGoodrich Tires Sebring Super Tour'. The Saturday set starts with B-Spec group and a Fiesta getting punted on the 1st laps! 7 B-Spec's were entered and 6 showed up. PWC TCB driver Ernie Francis, Jr was DQ'd on Sunday due to "Unsafe Driving". Wonder where he learned that??

[xnamerxx]

If it were me I'd start with trying to get another suspension approved, the TRD isn't good enough for track use. Given Bilstein has worked with my HR springs it should be pretty easy to adapt the HR coilovers to something useful.

[xnamerxx]

Well throwing my hat into the pool with a B spec Yaris. Got 2 Honda Fits signed up for the license school so I should have some fun trying to keep up with the Hondas.

Been thrashing for the past few months trying to get the car ready and its finally close enough to be legal to race. Gotta add quite a bit of weight for it to hit the minimum 2500lbs



With the stock suspension car rides kinda high.

[Jason@SportsCar]

Originally Posted by xnamerxx

Well throwing my hat into the pool with a B spec Yaris. Got 2 Honda Fits signed up for the license school so I should have some fun trying to keep up with the Hondas.

Been thrashing for the past few months trying to get the car ready and its finally close enough to be legal to race. Gotta add quite a bit of weight for it to hit the minimum 2500lbs



With the stock suspension car rides kinda high.

Should have grabbed the blue mirrors. Remember that weight is with driver at the end of the race.

[xnamerxx]

Yeah it really would have matched the car better with the blue mirrors but I've got some ideas for livery on the car. There has been some talk at work about adding a corporate livery to the car but I don't think it'll gain any traction.

I figure the car would need about 100-120lbs with my weight when its all said and done.

[RJay]

2500 lbs? That's quite some weight for a little car, that's heavyer than stock or isn't it for your modelyears?

I weigh 1035 kilos / 2277 lbs with just my road car with the stuff I have in it on a normal day including me & half a tank of fuel. (Yes, that's my yaris. My bmw weighs about 30-70 kilos less depending on fuel and including me)

[xnamerxx]

The car has never been vetted so the minimum weight might change in the future, depending on how competitive the car is with its competition.

I've been told the Fiat 500 is so slow that all the other cars had to be dumbed down so it could keep pace.

My autox car weighs 2110 with a full interior and a really lightweight exhaust, but it doesn't have a cage to deal with.

[RJay]

Fiat 500? Wouldn't you be better off racing the scorpion-badged version?

Mine's bone stock. with spare tire and tools and such. Also airconditioning adds a little.

[ilikerice]

The Abarth is turbo charged pushing 180ish bhp. That would slaughter the others with the rules that allow certain upgrades for all vehicles. Best was is to just add weight to even out the playing field.

[RJay]

I see the problem, bound to an average bph / weight ratio....
And it's cheaper to add weight than to add power.

A friend of mine had to ad about 140-150 lbs of lead to his Suzuki Swift cupracer last year, cause the caŕ's stripped out and he himself is little more than a twig....

[xnamerxx]

Well final weight on the car is 2430 so I have to add some ballast but not a ton.

[xnamerxx]

Almost looks like a racecar now.

[xnamerxx]

Well finished up my Drivers school, got my competition License and attended my first B-Spec race. Its been a long weekend but I finally have some time to reflect over the past weekend at Buttonwillow. We ran configuration 14 cw



The car performed about as well as expected, the weight and suspension are holding it back, spinning the inside tire on every corner aside from Riverside was extremely frustrating. High speed stability is still questionable, but somewhat easy manage if you keep the speed below 95. The car really needs some more rear roll stiffness ala TRD bar or something. The stability issue was probably tire or alignment related, haven't figured that one out yet.

I had 2 Honda Fits to compete against and the 5 second gap between me and the faster driver of the Honda Fit is likely something I wont be able to overcome with the cars current setup. While it was quite fun dicing with the slower driver, but its difficult in knowing I have a long hill to climb if I want to keep up with the faster cars.

All in all I'm finding it very hard to get motivated with this car as penalized as it currently is. A few tweaks to the weight and suspension, and it should be good.

[Larry@CFR]

Originally Posted by xnamerxx

Well finished up my Drivers school, got my competition License and attended my first B-Spec race. Its been a long weekend but I finally have some time to reflect over the past weekend at Buttonwillow. We ran configuration 14 cw



The car performed about as well as expected, the weight and suspension are holding it back, spinning the inside tire on every corner aside from Riverside was extremely frustrating. High speed stability is still questionable, but somewhat easy manage if you keep the speed below 95. The car really needs some more rear roll stiffness ala TRD bar or something. The stability issue was probably tire or alignment related, haven't figured that one out yet.

I had 2 Honda Fits to compete against and the 5 second gap between me and the faster driver of the Honda Fit is likely something I wont be able to overcome with the cars current setup. While it was quite fun dicing with the slower driver, but its difficult in knowing I have a long hill to climb if I want to keep up with the faster cars.

All in all I'm finding it very hard to get motivated with this car as penalized as it currently is. A few tweaks to the weight and suspension, and it should be good.

CONGRATULATIONS! You have built & raced a Toyota Yaris in SCCA which only one other car/driver has done. Now we can use your & Jason's experience to lobby SCCA Comp Board for changes. Without another car on track it's impossible to have any data to prove our case. Good job building a car that ran the entire school and was able to compete, but I know you didn't feel competitive. Were the 2 Honda's schoolies or licensed drivers getting track time?