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// Autocross Guide

The dominant G Stock autocrosser has moved to D Stock...will it remain king?
The Integra Type R is an awesome autocrosser. In stock form, the Type R competes in the SCCA D Stock Class, after dominating G Stock for the last few years. Its competition now includes the Audi TT and S4, Celica GT-S, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Subaru Impreza WRX, and Lexus IS300. One look at the SCCA Solo II National results from previous years will tell you that the Type R was THE car-to-have in G Stock. Will it remain the car-to-have in D Stock? We think so!

Thomas Smith, a national level ITR autocrosser, who has been racing his Type R over the last year and a half, has been kind enough to offer some of his autocrossing tips. Another up-and-coming ITR driver, Shane Force, has also offered some of his suggestions. I have quoted them below where applicable.

Note: This guide is geared more towards ITR racers who will compete in D Stock. Depending on the modifications you do to your Type R, it can end up in C Street Prepared (CSP), Street Modified (SM), or Street Touring X (STX). See the SCCA website for more details.

Wheels...
Many Type R autocrossers will choose to run factory size wheels. The US Type R comes with 15x6 wheels which, due to their light weight and durability, make great autocross wheels. If you are choosing to run race tires, you might want mount them on the factory wheels, and then get a different set of wheels, maybe larger ones, for the street. Note that running bigger wheels on your ITR in an SCCA autocross event will immediately bump you out of D Stock and into another class. See the ITRCA wheel guide for more info on wheels.

Many of the faster Type R racers have chosen to run Mazda Millenia wheels because of their light weight. These wheels will save you about 3-4 lbs per corner, all while maintaining the same size and offset, making them legal for stock class.

Tires...
The US Type R comes with 195/55-15 Bridgestone RE010 tires. These are descent tires that perform pretty well between the cones. However, the best autocross upgrade is a set of R Compound tires like the ones offered by Kumho, Hoosier, and Yokohama. Generally, you will be MUCH faster with R compound tires. A good size tire for the stock size ITR rim is 205/50-15. This size is legal for G Stock, fits without any problems, and seems to be readily available.

Some of the national level ITR drivers are running 225/50-15 tires in the front, but need to run spacers to minimize tire rub problems. Thomas Smith says that most competitive GS ITR's run 225's in front and 205's rear. This, he says, helps the car rotate better. Also, he notes the rear tires will last forever, while the fronts may last 30-60 runs depending on surface.

Some general guidelines for tire pressures...
Street Tires: 40 to 45F and 38 to 42R for a normal 60-70 degree day
R Compound Tires: This is dependent on the tire

Thomas Smith suggests the following...
Kumho V700's should be 38 to 42psi front & 40 to 50psi rear
BFG R1's should be 32 to 34psi front & rear

When running 225 Kumho V700's in front...
Run from 38 to 42 psi. Adjust the pressure based on surface and keep a close eye on the rollover, then adjust accordingly. Starting with 38 if you run an asphalt and 40 if you run on concrete.

The given pressures are "hot" and should be bled down between runs. Thomas always sets his tires at the hot pressure, even for the first run. He considers the first run to be practice anyway so it really doesn't matter. He then bleeds his tires back down to the hot settings after each run. He does this as soon as he gets out of the car. By bleeding the pressures, it helps maintain a consistent feel. The important thing is to always follow the same procedure.

Spacer info...
Anyone wanting 5mm spacers so that you can run 225 tires, here's the setup:
Manufactuer: H & R
Part Number: 1065640
These can be purchased from SoloRacer.com