THE GURU:

David Hedderick

Who would really want to "race" in one of the slowest class in Solo? Outspoken, but known for his ability to extract speed from the most budget conscious autocross vehicles, it was no surprise to see David in the hunt for the STF Championship in 2013 (It was also no surprise to see cones hamper his campaign :-) ). In 2014, he switched manufacturers. Why? Well, here's his take on the growing Street Touring FWD class:

The Pitch:

STF is an economy-car based class that is the prefect entry level into solo. College students and others with some budget constraints can find a practical and fun car that can still be driven to and from every event, as well as daily driven. The small car size lends itself to small wheel sizes that keep the tire costs down and bolt-on parts actually make the car more enjoyable to daily drive. The lower speed of the class keeps the equipment wear and tear reduced, and the cars are generally very reliable and fuel efficient. Finally, with the B-segment of the car market continuing to grow, there will continue to be a ready supply of econo-boxes populating used and certified pre-owned sales lots for the foreseeable future.

The Scoop:

Finding a car is easy: Mini Cooper, Mazda 2, Mazda 3, Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic, and Honda RSX have all been produced and sold in considerable numbers. Each has a weakness that balances against their strengths. The Toyotas and Hondas all make more power, but are held back by hefty weights and the Mini's and Mazda's may be lighter, but lack the grunt to pull out of slower corners.

In either case, sticky tires, camber plates, off-the-shelf coilovers or springs and a rear swaybar, will provide the most benefit. Upgraded intake/header/exhaust, ECU tuning and weight reduction may help keep a strong car at the front of the pack as the class continues to mature. Tire costs are kept in check though by the camber allowances, the cars are relatively light so brakes are not abused, and the rear suspension geometry on these models is poor enough that multi-thousand dollar shocks do little to remedy what can't be fixed under the ST ruleset.

While Honda Civics, Honda RSXs, and Toyota Corollas have been competing in the class since its inception and they're relatively powerful, the wheel/tire widths restrictions seem hamper these cars. Also, these chassis tended to need more extensive and expensive suspension development work to handle well. That’s not to say that someone couldn't get the formula right in the near future.

Early in the class’s life cycle, Andy Hollis showed the Mazda 2 to be a zippy car, with the lowest curb weights in the class at sub-2100. His R&D is widely publicized on Facebook and other forums, showing what worked well (intake, suspension) and what didn't pay off (exhaust). As long as the minimum treadwear ratings were at 140 UTQG, the M2 was able to use the 195 wide Toyos. The move to 200 treadwear may hamper the 2, but the Rival’s and ZII's are offered in sufficiently small sizes.

The Mini Coopers may be the "easy-button" as they are stiffly sprung relative to the rest of the class. For a budget build camber plates, and wheels/tires would be the minimum necessary to build a HS car into a capable STF car, assuming a big rear swaybar was kept in the class change. The 2007-2013 R56 variants and the e-diff options take a lot of the guesswork from throttle applications and keep the nose planted, but at some extra expense as it was a pricier option.

The Mazda 3 was the 2013 reigning champion (displaced in 2014 by the Mini Cooper) and may be the most practical. The 3 chassis has plenty of interior room that allows extra wheels and luggage for two to be stored inside the car for out of town events. Immensely popular with the sport compact scene, the aftermarket has lots of parts available for them and cheaply. For example, there are value priced suspensions that perform capably, such as BC Racing or K-sport, and the engine really wakes up with most of the I/H/E modifications commercially available in the aftermarket.

For all the possibilities, adding polyurethane bushings will decrease the slop in the suspension travel and the motor-mounts. Most of the cars are OBDII and have ECUs that are easily reflashable to wake-up a few extra ponies and bump the rev-limiter a bit. Finally, in the quest to knock a few pounds off the car battery replacements and aftermarket driver's seats will help.

Price Tags:

For most of these cars, brand new they were $15K-20K, certified pre-owned versions run from $8K-13K, and private party numbers drop off from there, depending on abuse and mileage.

Wheels and tires are the single biggest expense, costing from $1500 to $2000 right away.

While camber-plates and swaybars alone will only cost a couple hundred dollars, value-priced set of coilovers run $1500, with more adjustability and more features adding to that amount. Replacement bushings also will run a couple hundred dollars.

Intake, header, and exhaust can add another $500 or more. It may be more cost effective to buy a high-flow performance exhaust and then have your local muffler shop fabricate the portion beyond the catalytic converter. Reflashing the stock ECU will add another $500 or more, depending on who does it and the access to a dyno.

Finally, racing seats and batteries may be sourced from the lightly used marketplaces for a couple hundred dollars each, and much more for new items.

The Truth:

It may not be THE CHEAPEST class in solo, but it is close. A budget build can be accomplished in a few weeks for less the $3500-5000 that will put the car in the trophies or contention for them at any event.

It's the slowest class in Solo, so be prepared to hear about that, all the time. More when you’re competing on an index or PAX. But, when conditions get slick, cold, and wet, an STF car is very easy to drive quicker than many faster, more powerful cars. Did I mention it's slow?

Top Tips:

Pick the car that you like the most, re-re-read the ST rules, visit the STF Facebook page, visit the forums related to it, and plan a budget. Start with tuning the handling: wheels, tires, suspension, and then work from there.

Mini and Mazda offer very high levels of support for Soloists, Honda, Toyota, and VW do too, just at a lower level. Similar support may be found from BFG, Toyo and the other tire companies that offer contingency.

Just remember that you've won top PAX as you’re driving home in your car.