Obviously, installing the SCCA mandated safety equipment should be your first goal. After that, getting your SCCA competition license and getting a few door-to-door races under your belt are the next steps to competing in T2.

 

Yep.

 

SG,
Give me a call if you like. I'm pretty familiar with the 350Z and T2 and in your area. I'd be happy to let you take a close look at our T2 350Zs and glean any info you may need. We'll be at Pacific Raceway for the memorial day Dbl. national and at the Portland races. By the way, Johns car even though a good deal would have needed quite a bit of work to bring it into T2 spec.
Thanks,

Joe Hermes
503-702-2178

 

Thanks I really appreciate it. I will be at pacific that day as well.

 

Update on the March '09 Fastrack rules: NISMO Z bodywork is now homologated for use in T2.

 

^ David the way I read it the Nismo model is OK for T2 now. So you get the benefits of the welded chassis, bodywork, HR motor etc.

 

SCCA rulemaking can be a bit puzzling...

Updating and backdating in T2 has always been allowed, so 350Z competitors could swap a VQ35HR into an older Z33. Now, we're allowed to use the NISMO bodywork, but I don't know many Z racers who have the $3-4K necessary to do the swap. As for the specialized welding on the NISMO Z, unless you're converting a fresh NISMO Z into a racecar (and I haven't heard of anyone attempting that), that feature won't benefit any Nissan T2 competitors.

 

^ For sure. It's a shame Nissan wouldn't donate a couple of the test Nismos for racers to build from. I even mentioned this to Paul St Clair last year. At the time the Nismo was not approved. I really think if you could pick up a cheap or damaged Nismo to start from would be the way to go. I know there is a wrecked one over at the Nismo forum right now. The GA Cup guys at C & D say you can feel a difference with the aero package installed. I was chatting with Rob last night about the Nismo. I think a race prepped HR will be a benefit too. It is untapped at this point as far as I know. I know it has a higher rev point. David you have driven the Nismo Z at high speed so you are probably better able to tell the others how much better the Nismo Z feels than a stock 350Z.

By the way David, Greg Ira won the Kimberly Cup for Most Improved SCCA Club Racer. Let me know if you want info for a Nissan Sport article. That trophy has some pretty impressive past winners including Mark Donohue, Roger Penske & Brad Frisselle.

 

There's little question that a NISMO Z would be the way to go if you were building a new 350Z T2 car today. And you're right about the development potential of the VQ35HR. The question becomes one of finances. Having driven the NISMO Z on both the street and at the track, I know it would have several advantages--including top end power, high speed aero downforce and improved handling. But without deeper pockets in a insanely tough economy, that advantage may go unexploited by privateers.

 

Yep. No doubt.

 

By the way David, Greg Ira won the Kimberly Cup for Most Improved SCCA Club Racer. Let me know if you want info for a Nissan Sport article. That trophy has some pretty impressive past winners including Mark Donohue, Roger Penske & Brad Frisselle.[/QUOTE]

Tell Gregg congratulations on the award when you talk to him next time. That award is selected, I think, by the CRB and Board of Directors of SCCA out of about 10,000 licenced drivers. Rob Hines has his name on there somethere about 1998 or 1999, I forget which. I asked Rob to make hotel reservations for us for VIR. This year we are running as Southeast Division since we do the double at VIR and Roelbling Road and can still hit a couple of NE Division races at tracks we like. Maybe we will do Mid_Ohio again, that track has always been a good 350 track.

 

Bob- Thanks for the post, but Jmark beat you to it! He has the Greg Ira award pretty well covered for Nissan Sport Magazine! Look for Ira's Kimberly Cup award to be part of the motorsports section in the Spring '09 issue. It's certainly a prestigious award and Z car drivers everywhere can be proud of Greg (and Rob) for their achievements!

So you'll be a SEDiv runner this year? Changing divisions never made much sense to me, but then again, it might be embarrassing for the RMDiv reporter to make such a swap. Good luck this year- I hear you'll have some Z tricks up your sleeve for T2!

 

We are at the geographical bottom of Northeast Division and never go to New Hampshire and Canada. Also Lime Rock is a struggle with the outrageous hotel and track gas prices not to mention entry fee. We like the spring double format at VIR and the double at Roebling Road so thats already 4 races. Then Summit Point is 1.5 hours away and we can pick a couple more NE races where its fun to race. If we need a last minute national CMC isnt that bad for the Z car. We ran NE with the Z last year and SE with the Honda in T3 so this year we are consolidating to SE cause its just easier. Tricks up our sleeve, whatever do you mean???

 

David,

Here is a shot of Greg holding the trophy. I think Cliff took this shot. Here is what I have been sending to various papers about the award. Feel free to use what you want for Nissan Sport.

Greg Ira wins most improved SCCA Club Racer and receives the Kimberly Cup

2008 Runoffs E Production polesitter and podium finisher Greg Ira, of the Central Florida Region, was presented with the Kimberly Cup as the most improved SCCA Club National driver. Greg drove his Datsun 240Z to a third place finish behind past champions Jesse Prather & Thomas Thrash Jr. Past winners of the award include Mark Donohue, Roger Penske, Peter Revson, Brad Frisselle, Dennis Firestone, Pratt Cole, Jeff Winter, & Kent Prather.