Swearing Off the MacPherson Strut: 2009 Solo Nationals Analysis

Because I’ve been planning on rearranging our car situation, I’ve been car shopping. I decided I want to get a car that’s seriously competitive in autocross and noticed, while I haven’t been driving very well, the cars I’ve picked thus far just aren’t competitive and simply aren’t used in competition. I grabbed the 2009 Solo results and tried to figure out what cars showed up, which ones won, and why.

I’m not going to provide much analysis, but below is the data for anyone else who wants it. I will say this though, for any class that offers a car with a double wishbone front suspension, you basically eliminate the cars with MacPherson struts from being competitive. Even cars with more torque and better power to weight ratios seem to be out-classed in autocross. The one exception to this seems to be the Chevrolet Cobalt in D Stock, which is touted for it’s excellent stock suspension (and one of the trophies was grabbed up by the very talented Kevin Dietz).

Currently I’m leaning towards the RX8. I like the car’s styling, suicide rear doors, and suspension. However, I’m having a lot of trouble getting behind the rotary engine, which offers a fairly awful power / MPG ratio, all while remaining pretty torqueless. All the other reasonably priced cars in A-D Stock seem be convertibles, which are definitely not my thing.

Super Stock   # Drivers: 60      
Car Total Trophies % of Field Trophy/Car Trophy/#Drivers % of Trophy
Corvette 36 9 60.00% 25.00% 15.00% 56.25%
Elise 15 5 25.00% 33.33% 8.33% 31.25%
GT3 6 1 10.00% 16.67% 1.67% 6.25%
Viper 2 1 3.33% 50.00% 1.67% 6.25%
911 1 0 1.67% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
A Stock   # Drivers: 57      
Car Total Trophies % of Field Trophy/Car Trophy/#Drivers % of Trophy
S2000 36 9 63.16% 25.00% 15.79% 60.00%
Solstice 7 4 12.28% 57.14% 7.02% 26.67%
Corvette 5 1 8.77% 20.00% 1.75% 6.67%
Boxster 4 0 7.02% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
993 3 1 5.26% 33.33% 1.75% 6.67%
Civic 2 0 3.51% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
B Stock   # Drivers: 22      
Car Total Trophies % of Field Trophy/Car Trophy/#Drivers % of Trophy
RX-8 19 7 86.36% 36.84% 31.82% 100.00%
350Z 2 0 9.09% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
MR2 Turbo 1 0 4.55% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
C Stock   # Drivers: 26      
Car Total Trophies % of Field Trophy/Car Trophy/#Drivers % of Trophy
Solstice 10 4 38.46% 40.00% 15.38% 50.00%
MX-5 8 3 30.77% 37.50% 11.54% 37.50%
Miata 4 1 15.38% 25.00% 3.85% 12.50%
MR2 2 0 7.69% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
7 2 0 7.69% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
D Stock   # Drivers: 25      
Car Total Trophies % of Field Trophy/Car Trophy/#Drivers % of Trophy
Integra 13 5 52.00% 38.46% 20.00% 71.43%
Cobalt 4 2 16.00% 50.00% 8.00% 28.57%
IS300 2 0 8.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Mazdaspeed 3 2 0 8.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
330i 2 0 8.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
TT 1 0 4.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Corvette 1 0 4.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
E Stock   # Drivers: 42      
Car Total Trophies % of Field Trophy/Car Trophy/#Drivers % of Trophy
Miata 24 5 57.14% 20.83% 11.90% 41.67%
MR2 14 5 33.33% 35.71% 11.90% 41.67%
944 2 1 4.76% 50.00% 2.38% 8.33%
924S 2 1 4.76% 50.00% 2.38% 8.33%
F Stock   # Drivers: 26      
Car Total Trophies % of Field Trophy/Car Trophy/#Drivers % of Trophy
Shelby 22 8 84.62% 36.36% 30.77% 100.00%
Camaro 3 0 11.54% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
GTO 1 0 3.85% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
G Stock   # Drivers: 18      
Car Total Trophies % of Field Trophy/Car Trophy/#Drivers % of Trophy
Cooper S 12 6 66.67% 50.00% 33.33% 100.00%
Cobalt 2 0 11.11% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Genesis 1 0 5.56% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
C30 1 0 5.56% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
SRT4 ACR 1 0 5.56% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
GTI 1 0 5.56% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
H Stock   # Drivers: 22      
Car Total Trophies % of Field Trophy/Car Trophy/#Drivers % of Trophy
Cooper 14 5 63.64% 35.71% 22.73% 71.43%
3 6 1 27.27% 16.67% 4.55% 14.29%
318i 1 1 4.55% 100.00% 4.55% 14.29%
Benz 1 0 4.55% 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
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