I am writing this for a number of reasons. First, we are sponsoring a new 200TW Championship series within NASA Texas Time Trials. We also sponsor Texas Region SCCA autocross and Club Trials events, which we also compete in. We also run in Optima series events, which are completely based around 200TW tires. All of these series have completely different classing systems, which is a bit frustrating. There are a number of folks that like to jump around and run in more than one series.
Racing budgets are tire dependent: 340TW vs 200TW vs R-compound tires shown above
When you are used to one way of doing things, it can be overwhelming to try a new series or group of classes - especially when the main aspect of your road course car (the tire) is fundamentally different. NASA Time Trial does not have a good way to equalize 200TW tires vs Hoosier R-compound tires, but this new series of 200TW sub-classes might be a bridge to bring some of those other folks over.
Optima's Ultimate Street Car Shootout has time trial (and autocross and speed stop) with 200TW tires
We are not trying to steal competitors from other series, just give them another place to compete with a new group of racers. We hope this "bridge" works both ways, with NASA TT competitors going to try out Optima events and other series as well.
We hope that this series of posts can serve as an "Unofficial Guide to NASA Time Trial", as well as a discussion of the HPDE / TT / W2W spectrum. We have done this before but updated it heavily for the 2019 NASA Super Touring / Time Trial rules.
WHY CHOSE TIME TRIAL COMPETITION?
A little history: NASA started their first full season of Time Trial competition in 2003 (that's the Version 1.1 of TT rules, Feb 2003) and Vorshlag has been involved in NASA since 2006.
Left: My college TT car was a Fox Mustang. Right: Running our LS1 powered BMW E36 with NASA in 2008
I did my first Time Trial back in 1991 at Texas World Speedway (above left), back before these events were formalized or even called "Time Attack" or "Time Trial". It was a lot of fun, and I ran a lot of HPDE events in the 1990s that got me hooked on road course speeds - but I was I was an avid autocrosser during this period as well. The emergence of a real Time Trial series gave me the road course speeds plus the competition element I missed from autocross, without the costs or risks of W2W racing.
What is W2W? Let's back up a bit and explain some terms. When it comes to amateur road course motorsports, there are a lot similarities between Time Trial vs HPDE (track driving events) vs W2W Road Racing (Wheel to Wheel, aka: "club racing"). Some say its a ladder, and the only way forward is to continue "up" to W2W. Others see it as a broad spectrum of events that are based on a road course - a spectrum from which you can choose based on what suits your level of commitment, budget, driving style, and level of risk. There is no shame in "only" doing HPDE, or never aspiring beyond Time Trial - don't let people tell you otherwise.
HPDE events are fun, low risk, and possible in street cars. But if you get the competition bug...??
At one end of the spectrum is "HPDE" (High Performance Driving Events), which is a fun way to learn track driving skills with lower risk - passing is only done with "point bys" and only on the straights. In-car instructors and structured classroom sessions teach HPDE drivers vital driving and safety skills. But after doing HPDE for a few years, some folks get bored... They start taking lap times, then comparing times with their friends. They often get bit by the "competitive bug"...
Wheel to Wheel Club Racing is a blast, but with "passing in anger" things can get expensive, fast
At the other end of this spectrum is "Wheel to wheel" (W2W) road racing at the "Club" level. This is class racing, with a "start to finish" goal (racing to a checkered flag). These races normally run over a 20-45 minute session, with qualifying sessions beforehand to set the starting grid order. But when you ask Club Racers, much of the actual "racing" happens in the first 1-2 laps (or in Qualifying itself), and the rest of the race duration is spent holding off other cars and managing consumables. Every race lap matters, and one mistake can put you back many spots - or put you into a barrier.
W2W safety: extensive roll cage, no door glass, no interior, cool suit cooler, fire suppression system, window nets, racing harness
Due to the much higher potential for car-to-car contact, safety requirements are radically higher than HPDE or TT. These cars become dedicated race cars (not street legal), and most racers figure on at least one or two car-to-car contacts per season. Some W2W racers think that every other form of on track experience is pointless, as they are all about "making that pass". Good for them, I say. W2W costs are of course much higher, and many folks end up racing a significantly slower car than a comparable or lower budget would yield in TT competition.
NASA Time Trial pits a driver against the clock - there is no need to make "passes in anger" for finish placement
Time Trial sits between these two ends of the road course spectrum, with perhaps the best of both worlds. It has the low risk of HPDE, but with a competition element. TT is essentially identical to Qualifying in any W2W series, but held over 3 to 5 track sessions instead of 1 Qualifying session. A Time Trial competitor's best lap is compared to the top times of other cars in their class, with results tabulated at the end of each day. These results are ranked by class and time, often with contingencies and trophies, but with risks and car wear that are far lower than in W2W. TT cars are often dual-purpose track/street cars, as they do not require a full roll cage (which is usually the tipping point to making a car no longer safe to drive on the street), fire systems, etc.
You have to earn your TT comp license before you can compete, to make sure you are safe to share the track with
Like W2W, NASA TT competitors must earn a TT competition license, usually after years of HPDE driving and a specific "check ride" by a NASA TT director. Unlike in other groups, a NASA TT Comp license is not an "attendance award", and not everyone that tries to get a TT Comp license, will earn one. It takes thorough knowledge of safety rules, demonstration of passing kills and situational awareness, as well as some level of outright speed. There are no "slow pokes" running in TT. If you violate any of the rules you can lose your TT license also.
Here the TT3 driver pulls offline, points by the TT1 car, not affecting the faster car's lap time
While there is "open passing" in NASA TT, generally any on-track passing is done with a "point-by" procedure, to help avoid any chance of car-to-car contact (which is extremely rare - I have been doing this almost 3 decades and have never had contact with any car). There is simple no need to make a "pass for position" in Time Trial. Any time there is a pass in a TT session, both the car being passed and the passer tend to lose time and scrub any chance of an ideal lap. Sometimes (like in the above situation) the slower TT car ahead pulls out of the way of faster car from behind, gives a "point-by" signal, and only the slower car loses time. Ideally that's how it works.
The grid in NASA TT is set by cars running fastest to slowest, to minimize passing
To reduce potential traffic issues and the need for passing, NASA grids all cars based their overall best lap time, from fastest at the front to slowest at the back. There are also procedures to make sure the group stays "bunched up" a bit on the out lap, so that the fast cars at the front don't catch the slower cars for at least a few laps. Sometimes a certain amount of strategy goes into getting a lap completely clear of traffic, within the window that your tires are in their ideal working temperature.
The minimum safety standards for TT are the same as HPDE, but many TT competitors do a lot more
Safety requirements for TT are no higher than HPDE, but some TT competitors do choose to much more than the minimum. This option is entirely up to the competitor - you can do the bare minimum (Snell rated helmet + 3-point factory belts + roll bar in a convertible) or you can do more. The faster TT cars tend to have a 4-point roll bar (or cage), a fire bottle (or fire system), fixed back FIA racing seats, 6-point FIA racing belts, and a HANS device of some sort. Some even wear a fire suit, gloves, and Nomex underwear. Again, been at this 3 decades and have never had a car catch fire, just like to be safe.
Winning TT can lead to track records (left), free tires (Hoosier contingencies are great), trophies and bragging rights
There are also records kept of TT track record (by class, track and region), Regional trophies, contingencies, and National Championships. It is normal for the TT run group to have the fastest times at any given NASA race weekend. Since you only need to make one hot lap per day, you can choose to to run as many or as few laps as you want, which can greatly affect consumables and wear (tires, brakes, etc).
continued below
Racing budgets are tire dependent: 340TW vs 200TW vs R-compound tires shown above
When you are used to one way of doing things, it can be overwhelming to try a new series or group of classes - especially when the main aspect of your road course car (the tire) is fundamentally different. NASA Time Trial does not have a good way to equalize 200TW tires vs Hoosier R-compound tires, but this new series of 200TW sub-classes might be a bridge to bring some of those other folks over.
Optima's Ultimate Street Car Shootout has time trial (and autocross and speed stop) with 200TW tires
We are not trying to steal competitors from other series, just give them another place to compete with a new group of racers. We hope this "bridge" works both ways, with NASA TT competitors going to try out Optima events and other series as well.
We hope that this series of posts can serve as an "Unofficial Guide to NASA Time Trial", as well as a discussion of the HPDE / TT / W2W spectrum. We have done this before but updated it heavily for the 2019 NASA Super Touring / Time Trial rules.
WHY CHOSE TIME TRIAL COMPETITION?
A little history: NASA started their first full season of Time Trial competition in 2003 (that's the Version 1.1 of TT rules, Feb 2003) and Vorshlag has been involved in NASA since 2006.
Left: My college TT car was a Fox Mustang. Right: Running our LS1 powered BMW E36 with NASA in 2008
I did my first Time Trial back in 1991 at Texas World Speedway (above left), back before these events were formalized or even called "Time Attack" or "Time Trial". It was a lot of fun, and I ran a lot of HPDE events in the 1990s that got me hooked on road course speeds - but I was I was an avid autocrosser during this period as well. The emergence of a real Time Trial series gave me the road course speeds plus the competition element I missed from autocross, without the costs or risks of W2W racing.
What is W2W? Let's back up a bit and explain some terms. When it comes to amateur road course motorsports, there are a lot similarities between Time Trial vs HPDE (track driving events) vs W2W Road Racing (Wheel to Wheel, aka: "club racing"). Some say its a ladder, and the only way forward is to continue "up" to W2W. Others see it as a broad spectrum of events that are based on a road course - a spectrum from which you can choose based on what suits your level of commitment, budget, driving style, and level of risk. There is no shame in "only" doing HPDE, or never aspiring beyond Time Trial - don't let people tell you otherwise.
HPDE events are fun, low risk, and possible in street cars. But if you get the competition bug...??
At one end of the spectrum is "HPDE" (High Performance Driving Events), which is a fun way to learn track driving skills with lower risk - passing is only done with "point bys" and only on the straights. In-car instructors and structured classroom sessions teach HPDE drivers vital driving and safety skills. But after doing HPDE for a few years, some folks get bored... They start taking lap times, then comparing times with their friends. They often get bit by the "competitive bug"...
Wheel to Wheel Club Racing is a blast, but with "passing in anger" things can get expensive, fast
At the other end of this spectrum is "Wheel to wheel" (W2W) road racing at the "Club" level. This is class racing, with a "start to finish" goal (racing to a checkered flag). These races normally run over a 20-45 minute session, with qualifying sessions beforehand to set the starting grid order. But when you ask Club Racers, much of the actual "racing" happens in the first 1-2 laps (or in Qualifying itself), and the rest of the race duration is spent holding off other cars and managing consumables. Every race lap matters, and one mistake can put you back many spots - or put you into a barrier.
W2W safety: extensive roll cage, no door glass, no interior, cool suit cooler, fire suppression system, window nets, racing harness
Due to the much higher potential for car-to-car contact, safety requirements are radically higher than HPDE or TT. These cars become dedicated race cars (not street legal), and most racers figure on at least one or two car-to-car contacts per season. Some W2W racers think that every other form of on track experience is pointless, as they are all about "making that pass". Good for them, I say. W2W costs are of course much higher, and many folks end up racing a significantly slower car than a comparable or lower budget would yield in TT competition.
NASA Time Trial pits a driver against the clock - there is no need to make "passes in anger" for finish placement
Time Trial sits between these two ends of the road course spectrum, with perhaps the best of both worlds. It has the low risk of HPDE, but with a competition element. TT is essentially identical to Qualifying in any W2W series, but held over 3 to 5 track sessions instead of 1 Qualifying session. A Time Trial competitor's best lap is compared to the top times of other cars in their class, with results tabulated at the end of each day. These results are ranked by class and time, often with contingencies and trophies, but with risks and car wear that are far lower than in W2W. TT cars are often dual-purpose track/street cars, as they do not require a full roll cage (which is usually the tipping point to making a car no longer safe to drive on the street), fire systems, etc.
You have to earn your TT comp license before you can compete, to make sure you are safe to share the track with
Like W2W, NASA TT competitors must earn a TT competition license, usually after years of HPDE driving and a specific "check ride" by a NASA TT director. Unlike in other groups, a NASA TT Comp license is not an "attendance award", and not everyone that tries to get a TT Comp license, will earn one. It takes thorough knowledge of safety rules, demonstration of passing kills and situational awareness, as well as some level of outright speed. There are no "slow pokes" running in TT. If you violate any of the rules you can lose your TT license also.
Here the TT3 driver pulls offline, points by the TT1 car, not affecting the faster car's lap time
While there is "open passing" in NASA TT, generally any on-track passing is done with a "point-by" procedure, to help avoid any chance of car-to-car contact (which is extremely rare - I have been doing this almost 3 decades and have never had contact with any car). There is simple no need to make a "pass for position" in Time Trial. Any time there is a pass in a TT session, both the car being passed and the passer tend to lose time and scrub any chance of an ideal lap. Sometimes (like in the above situation) the slower TT car ahead pulls out of the way of faster car from behind, gives a "point-by" signal, and only the slower car loses time. Ideally that's how it works.
The grid in NASA TT is set by cars running fastest to slowest, to minimize passing
To reduce potential traffic issues and the need for passing, NASA grids all cars based their overall best lap time, from fastest at the front to slowest at the back. There are also procedures to make sure the group stays "bunched up" a bit on the out lap, so that the fast cars at the front don't catch the slower cars for at least a few laps. Sometimes a certain amount of strategy goes into getting a lap completely clear of traffic, within the window that your tires are in their ideal working temperature.
The minimum safety standards for TT are the same as HPDE, but many TT competitors do a lot more
Safety requirements for TT are no higher than HPDE, but some TT competitors do choose to much more than the minimum. This option is entirely up to the competitor - you can do the bare minimum (Snell rated helmet + 3-point factory belts + roll bar in a convertible) or you can do more. The faster TT cars tend to have a 4-point roll bar (or cage), a fire bottle (or fire system), fixed back FIA racing seats, 6-point FIA racing belts, and a HANS device of some sort. Some even wear a fire suit, gloves, and Nomex underwear. Again, been at this 3 decades and have never had a car catch fire, just like to be safe.
Winning TT can lead to track records (left), free tires (Hoosier contingencies are great), trophies and bragging rights
There are also records kept of TT track record (by class, track and region), Regional trophies, contingencies, and National Championships. It is normal for the TT run group to have the fastest times at any given NASA race weekend. Since you only need to make one hot lap per day, you can choose to to run as many or as few laps as you want, which can greatly affect consumables and wear (tires, brakes, etc).
continued below