[scottherbert]

DS is a tough class if you're up against the Acura ITRs or the BMW 3 series 'sport' cars (even a properly tires Mazda Speed 3 is very hard to get around). Unfortunately, where I compete, I have a national champion ITR running in DS...

STX is a dollars chase on street tires.

DSP can be fun, but again, it depends on who's in your area (and some regions have tried to stick the IRL in CSP -- I'm waiting on a formal ruling from the SCCA SEB on this -- but everyone who's seen the request agrees that we're in DSP). Here again, I have a couple of national championship DSP BMWs to compete against -- but I think I have a better chance getting up to speed here than in DS.

I'm in the process of upgrading to DSP; I've added a strut brace; I've added a rear sway (and softening the Konis); I've added 'frame connectors'; I'm adding a stage 1 kit; I'm adding an Ingalls 'stiffy'; I already have 17 x 7.5 rims and spacers and 225/40 x 17 Hoosier A6s and 2 degrees of negative camber up front, but I plan to have the rears 'shimmed' out to .80 degrees of negative (max allowed by the factory); and next season, I'm looking at 245/40s, 255/45s, or 275/40s depending on the rims I can get, or have made (I'd need 17 x 9.5" for the 275s). I'm thinking the 255s with new 17 x 8" rims, but it might be as cost-effective to get custom 17 x 9.5" rims -- it just depends on what I can find. (The Cobalt Koni Challenge cars are using Enkei 17 x 9.5" -- +18mm offset wheels that seem to be custom -- at least I can't find a listing from Enkei, but I have to query Enkei. There are Kodiak custom wheels @$600/800 each and Panasport customs @$400/600 each -- but that's a lot of money for a set of race-only wheels.)

SM is just like STX but even more expensive.

And the rules change. SCCA is discussing moving the IRL from DS to GS (a really big class change down) and moving the ITRs up from DS to BS -- both for 2009. You might be smart to stay stock.

I'm afraid I'm not one of those people who competes for 'fun' -- I really prefer to win, and it's almost impossible to win in my region in DS... I'm really tired of being in 2nd place.

Scott