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The chase for points to compete at Road Atlanta for the Sports Car Club of America’s (SCCA)
National Championships began in January and ended in early September. Drivers from seven geographical
regions within the United States compete during the season to earn an invitation, based on their performance
during the year,to participate at the Runoffs.
Drivers also race in Regional championships that are conducted within the seven divisions.
During 1982, National and Regional racers scored points in twenty-one different classes.
These groups fall into one of five different categories:
- Production Category – There are six classes in the production category – C Production (CP), D Production (DP),
E Production (EP), F Production (FP), G Production (GP) and H Production (HP).
These production-based vehicles are grouped according to their performance potential.
Sports cars such as the Mazda RX-7, Datsun 240Z, Lotus Elan, MG Midget, etc., are most
often associated with this category.
- Grand Touring Category – Four classes, are identified as Grand Touring – they include Grand Touring (GT1),
Grand Touring (GT2), Grand Touring (GT3) and Grand Touring (GT4). These vehicles are also grouped according to
their performance potential. The quickest class, GT1, features cars such as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette,
while at the other end of the spectrum, GT4 includes the Mini Cooper and Honda Civic.
These vehicles are allowed a larger number of modifications than the production category.
- Showroom Stock – Three Showroom Stock categories, Showroom Stock A (SSA), Showroom Stock B (SSB), and Showroom Stock C
(SSC), were created by the SCCA to accommodate performance street cars with a minimum amount of modifications required to race.
Showroom Stock A includes the more powerful vehicles such as the Mazda RX-7, Triumph TR8, Datsun 280ZX, etc.
Changes to these vehicles are for safety purposes.
- Sports Racers – These are purpose-built closed-wheel race cars. There are four classes within this group –
A Sport Racer (ASR), C Sport Racer (CSR), D Sport Racer (DSR) and Sports 2000 (S2).
Sport Racers include a variety of chassis’ which may be constructed by the competitor or a race car manufacturer.
With the exception of Sports 2000, which must use a 2.0-liter Ford engine, there is also a wide range of engine
options used by the teams.
- Formula Category – These are also purpose-built race cars. This category includes four classes – Formula Atlantic (FA),
Formula Continental (FC), Formula Ford (FF) and Formula Vee (FV). There are a variety of rules that govern these open-wheel cars.
The images below are from the 1982 Mahoning Valley National at the Nelson Ledges Road Course and Finger Lakes Fun One
Regional at Watkins Glen International.
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