Ok I am thinking of running my Crossfire in stock class autocross next season. I have been autocrossing for 6 years now and have experience with pretty much every drivetrain layout. I have been told by one person who is fairly experienced with different cars that says the Crossfire pushes like a dump truck in stock form. Now I will find out in a couple weeks when I take it to its first event but what are the opinions of those who have raced theirs whether on the track or at an autocross? For helpful information the only modifications allowed in stock class are shocks, front sway bar, and race tires. I would have to run Hoosier 245/40/18 in the front and 325/30/19 in the rear. The rear size is less than optimal but it is the only size I can get that is stock legal and can be within 10% of each other in overall diameter as not to screw up the traction control sensors.

 

Sounds like a question for the all powerful and magnanimous HDDP!

 

I wouldn't quite equate it to a "DUMP TRUCK", more like a "SNOW PLOW". I'm assuming you are running a N/A Crossfire, not the SRT6. If this is the case, the OEM suspension sucks for the track. Way too much understeer and way too much body roll.

Get rid of the OEM shocks (and springs if you can sneak them past tech inspection) Go with the adjustable Koni Sport Dampers (and Eibach, K&H or H&R springs) ((I'll give you the spring specs in a PM if you want them)). Swap out your front and rear sway bars for the SRT6 bars. The current bars are (front: 25mm / rear: 18mm) The SRT6 bars are (27mm / 20mm respectively and will never be caught by the tech inspectors. This will make a world of difference in the handling of your car. Also, go to chryslerpartsdirect.com online catalog and order the camber adjustment bolts from the collision repair parts catalog and have your alignment guy take the camber out as far as it will go (max is about -1.8 with these bolts (($8 ea.))

245/40/18 Hoosier R3S05's will not fit the car because the A-frame bolt at the top of the wheel well will cut into the tire. As far as that goes, neither will the 235/40/18... If you're going to run Hoosiers, the widest you can go in the front is 225. As far as the rear tires, a 325 is WAY too wide for the OEM wheel, let alone the wheel well and mechanicals underneath. I would check the rule book to see if you can run a smaller 18" rear wheel. If so, get a 18x10.5 wheel and run the Hoosier 285/30/18 R3S05 (since you're running autocross get the A, not the R version of the tires. The "A" is a softer compound designed to come to temp. much faster for autocross.

For road racing, I run wider 18" wheels all around with Hoosier's 235/40 fronts and 285/30 rears and I only get "DINGED" +1 point for running wider tires and wheels.

 

Ok let me clarify the rules a bit better to see if we can all put our minds together for a good setup. I need to run everything stock except for the shocks. I am going to run Koni’s. The springs need to be OEM as well as the rear sway bar. I could change the front sway bar but that would only add to the under steer. I am going to fabricate a straight pipe from the last cat back to shave some weight since I can only add exhaust from the final cat back. The biggest handicap is I need to run the stock size wheels with the only variance allowed being + or - .25 of an inch offset. I might run the 225/40/18 front Hoosier and something less sticky on the rear since I am stuck running 19s on the back.

 

Upgrading the front sway bar to SRT specs. on this car is only going to help eliminate the large amount of front body roll and stiffen the front end, it's not going to create an understeer situation. Because if that were the case, all the SRT6's would have understeer. If you adjust the camber -1.5 to -2.0 and run a lower front tire pressure you'll definitely not have any understeer.

Since you have to stay with the OEM wheel sizes, forget the idea about the mix and match Hoosiers for now and go with Michelin Pilot Sport Cups (heat cycled). They have 18" + 19" sizes. Or, you can try the Toyo R1A. Good luck with your Auto-X.

PS: the biggest handicap you have is that you bought a Crossfire... Just kidding...

 

Well I bought the car as a good sporty daily driver to begin with but I have maxed out the prep on the Miata and have a need for more horsepower so I figured I would try out the Crossfire. After talking with some more people I figured that I might try running the Hoosiers up front and the Michelins in back to get rid of even more understeer because the softer A6 compound Hoosiers will grip better. Thanks for the advice, I will be giving the car its first shakedown in just under two weeks. It will be bone stock. From there I will give it an alignment as long as I feel it is competitive in class then during the off season I will be installing the front sway, Koni's, and getting some real race tires. I am classed in with the Acura Integra Type R, BMW 330, and Subaru WRX (Non-STi). I feel the car has a chance but the sorting out of the chassis and finding what works will take some time.

 

You will find that the car is a dog, but a cute dog none the less... I'm still racing mine, not winning, but racing...

 

Well to be honest my WRX felt like much more of a dog when stock than the Crossfire, and people have done well with them in DS so I figured I would give it a shot and get some impressions. It can't hurt to try the car out. If I feel it has no chance then back to the Miata for another year until I can afford a newer autocross only car.

 

Keith. do it. We've got to have at least one SLK chassis autocrossing next year and it doesn't look like mine will see much action!

 

I will be at Dixie with it to see how it stacks up against the Type R's since both Brett and Matt will be there and there will be someone in a 2006 WRX there also. It will give a good impression if the car has the guts or not to keep up.

 

Well make that 2 Crossfires at Dixie as long as my wheels and tires come in. Unfortunately I will be running in ASP because I will be running 18's all around with Azenis on my SRT-6. I am going to get my butt handed to me if anyone else shows up in ASP, but oh well it will be fun. I was autocrossing my Dodge Dakota and Nissan Frontier on Kumho Victoracer V700's, so I think this might be a little different.

See you there.

 

It will be great to have 2 crossfires at that event. I guess I need to bring my camera to get some action shots.

 

Ok, I got back from the event today and whoever says the Crossfire is a dog or a pig needs to re-evaluate their stance or maybe my driving style just works with the car really well. I won my class over two very fast Integra Type Rs and a 2006 WRX. My time was also fast enough to collect the fastest time of any other stock class car.

I saw AutoX Dak there and spoke to him for a little bit but didn't get to see how well he ran, I was running around trying to get my car setup, since my tires didn't show up until late. Not that I am complaining because I am very grateful that Dave let me use them. I am going to have to make a really tough decision to either run the Miata again next year or sell it and prep the Crossfire to run. The price of tires might be the decision point considering I can get tires for the Miata for $150 a piece compared to over $300 a piece for tires on the Crossfire. I will post some pictures in a couple minutes of the two cars there.

 

Here are a couple of pictures. Sorry no action shots, I barely got to watch any runs other than when I had to work the course.
Here is AutoX Dak.
Crossfire_racing003.jpg

Here is my car with Dave getting ready to take a run to see what it feels like.
Crossfire_racing001-1.jpg
Those are the 245 front tires and 275 rear tires.

 

Congrats on your event... please let everyone know that those front 245's are on 17" rims with 8mm spacers so you don't mislead the forum members into thinking they can put a 245 tire on the OEM size wheel and make it fit the car.

 

Good to see you today SoloII. Yeah the autocross was lots of fun today! I will say this, my car is much faster than the driver. Oh well I will need to work on my driving a lot! The Falken Azenis were good, but I really miss the R-Compounds that I had on my Dakota. The Azenis seemed to be pretty slippery, but again I am sure that was more the driver than the tires.

 

There must be some MAJOR differences in AutoX and road racing, because the car is a dog in OEM configuration on a full road course. Perhaps it's just so much better than your Miata that you felt like it was a rocket ship.

 

Well the funny part is the Miata is in a faster class than the Crossfire so it SHOULD be faster but I beat guys today in the Crossfire that normally beat me in the Miata. Yes I am sorry that I didn't mention the 245s on the front are on 17x8 inch wheels not 18s.

Edit: I will say the power and torque make the Crossfire easier to drive than the Miata in someways but you need to man handle the Crossfire more to get it to go that fast. I let the ABS do the thinking for me in the braking zones so I could brake really late and get the tail to come a little loose for better rotation. Doing that in the Miata will lock up the front brakes as weight shift around.

 

I didn't know the miata was in C Stock... But then again I don't know much about Auto X... I've had quite a few nice little short challenges from Spec. Miata's on the track, they don't last very long, usually about a few laps then they're in my rearview. Again, my kudo's on your day...

Did you see any Solstice's out there today ? I have heard alot of people are starting to Auto X them, but I have yet to see one on the track with us at road racing events.

 

No my Miata is in E Stock, but that class is suppose to be faster than D Stock where the Crossfire plays. SCCA classing gets weird sometimes. I have yet to see a Solstice run at a local event but they are being campaigned quite successfully at National events. First and Second at Nationals was taken by Solstices over a '99 Miata in C Stock.