The latest on B-Spec race cars
01-26-2012, 02:16 PM
#1
The latest on B-Spec race cars
We have surpassed the government-mandated allotment of the headline "Killer Bees" for these cars, so let's just say these are fun, fast and inexpensive Bs. And there are more of them being built all the time. Tiny, inexpensive cars from Mazda, Honda, Mini and Kia are being turned into race cars all across the country to compete in SCCA, World Challenge and Gran-Am races in 2012. The field does not yet approach the glory days of the Honda CRX in the Escort World Challenge or the Volkswagen Rabbit or Scirocco series of decades past, but by 2013 it'll all be going great guns--maybe.
The SCCA hasn't decided yet whether the B-Spec cars will run in their own new class or whether they'll continue in the SSC class as they have been. It might be that the SCCA holds off until 2013 to separate the Bs into their own class. World Challenge announced that it is adopting rules--three races in 2012. Grand-Am should announce its B-Spec rules soon. And the Canadian Touring Car Series announced that it is adopting B-Spec rules.
As for the cars, the greatest number of B-Spec race cars built so far seem to be Mazda 2s. The Mazda 2 is the lightest of the Spec Bs but also has the least power in stock form. That should all be evened out by the SCCA with weight penalties and intake restrictions on competitors, though.
Even this early on, Mazda 2s have been seen at races all across the country. Wisconsin's Dave Wheeler built a Mazda 2 and recently campaigned it in the SSC class at Sebring in the SCCA Nationals. Randy Hale of Connecticut drove his Mazda 2 at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, as well as at hillclimbs, autocrosses, regional races and a 13-hour endure. Charles Paquin of Pennsylvania raced a car built by Hale at track-day events and has plans to race it later this year in Spec B. Joel Weinberger and Continental Mazda of Naperville, Ill., have a brand-new car that is just waiting for a suspension but otherwise is done. And the Mazda R&D house car, with "more miles on it than a Greyhound bus," has been campaigned by the in-house racers at Mazda at any race they can tow a trailer to.
Mazda 2 B-Spec kits should sell for about $2,600 from Mazdaspeed Motorsports when they officially go on sale soon. The kit includes Bilstein coil-overs, front and rear springs, rear bar, strut bearing plate, a cat-back exhaust, braided stainless brake lines, front brake pads, air filter, oil cooler and an A/C delete kit.
The SCCA hasn't decided yet whether the B-Spec cars will run in their own new class or whether they'll continue in the SSC class as they have been. It might be that the SCCA holds off until 2013 to separate the Bs into their own class. World Challenge announced that it is adopting rules--three races in 2012. Grand-Am should announce its B-Spec rules soon. And the Canadian Touring Car Series announced that it is adopting B-Spec rules.
As for the cars, the greatest number of B-Spec race cars built so far seem to be Mazda 2s. The Mazda 2 is the lightest of the Spec Bs but also has the least power in stock form. That should all be evened out by the SCCA with weight penalties and intake restrictions on competitors, though.
Even this early on, Mazda 2s have been seen at races all across the country. Wisconsin's Dave Wheeler built a Mazda 2 and recently campaigned it in the SSC class at Sebring in the SCCA Nationals. Randy Hale of Connecticut drove his Mazda 2 at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, as well as at hillclimbs, autocrosses, regional races and a 13-hour endure. Charles Paquin of Pennsylvania raced a car built by Hale at track-day events and has plans to race it later this year in Spec B. Joel Weinberger and Continental Mazda of Naperville, Ill., have a brand-new car that is just waiting for a suspension but otherwise is done. And the Mazda R&D house car, with "more miles on it than a Greyhound bus," has been campaigned by the in-house racers at Mazda at any race they can tow a trailer to.
Mazda 2 B-Spec kits should sell for about $2,600 from Mazdaspeed Motorsports when they officially go on sale soon. The kit includes Bilstein coil-overs, front and rear springs, rear bar, strut bearing plate, a cat-back exhaust, braided stainless brake lines, front brake pads, air filter, oil cooler and an A/C delete kit.
11-03-2012, 03:33 PM
#3
Grand-Am closes down B-Spec series after one season
http://www.autoweek.com/article/2012...D_AM/121109949
They just didn't get the participation that was imagined.
http://www.autoweek.com/article/2012...D_AM/121109949
They just didn't get the participation that was imagined.
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