AI is club racing... The AI banner comprises three distinct series, all limited to US marque pony cars. Camaro-Mustang Challenge (CMC) is the "entry level" series, where modifications are extremely limited, and is geared around a 260HP cap, and is primarily populated with 3rd/4th gen F-Bodies and the Fox, SN95 and S197 chassis. This is truly a driver's series, since you can't really buy your way into a podium. With weight and mod limits to balance the various chassis, and a hard HP/TQ cap, the cars are essentially equal, so it's up to the driver to make things happen. Since the mods are limited, and the HP low, stock parts are the norm (if not the rule!), and are relatively unstressed. For a 302, you're talking shorty headers, mild cam (E303) and stock Cobra intake bits. For a 4.6 3-valve, it's just stock, period. Take a stripped out car, slap in a basic 6-point cage, spec tires (they suck, but they suck equally for everybody), and go racing. Very low entry cost for the car and build, and relatively low consumables.
American Iron (AI) is the flagship within the series, and is geared towards a much higher level of vehicle prep. 9.5:1 power-to-weight, and 9.0:1 torque-to-weight max, plus defined limits on what you can do to the track width and chassis stiffening. After that, it's essentially wide open. Think high-dollar motors, high-dollar suspension (SLA is NOT uncommon!), plus a decently expensive aero package, on spec tires (maybe, maybe not next year).
American Iron Extreme (AIX) is the "yougottabekiddingme" class. With just a few key restrictions, it's wide open. NO power to weight limits, virtually unlimited suspension and chassis mods, no aero limits, and wide open tire choices. In the last few years, the horsepower war in AIX has pushed numbers well north of 850, with 1000+ having been seen. Obviously, cost of entry and maintenance are HUGE.
In general, in all three series, the racing is clean, with contact at a minimum. Does it happen? Yes. Do cars get destroyed? Yes. Are there some beat-up race cars running around? Sure. That is the nature of the beast, however with ANY wheel-to-wheel series. With TT, it doesn't matter if you passed me or I passed you on any given lap or any given session, it's about who had the single best lap of the day. With W2W, the name of the game is to get by the guy ahead of you, and then keep him behind you! I won't say "at all costs," but let's face it, you're racing, and when the white flag has flown, you either need to figure out how to get by the guy ahead of you or make your car REALLLLLLLLYYYYYY wide to keep the guy behind you from getting around.
TT and W2W are both competition, and can get intense and fierce, but in completely different ways. If you're planning on going racing, factor some repairs into the equation! FWIW, I do both, with different cars. I wrecked my TT car in April in a single-car rain incident, and the CMC car blew the engine all over T1 of the same track just last month. Racing just isn't cheap, and if you don't have the budget to sustain the needed repairs, then you need to seriously consider whether you can afford to drive the car at 99.999% or not. If you're having fun in HPDE, where you can run around at 80% and occasionally push it to 90% when you feel like it, that's totally cool. If you're driving at 90+% on every lap, including the out-lap, then eventually something is going to go the wrong way, and you'll be facing some expense. It's all part of the game.
