When it comes to NASA, people usually do 1 of 2 main strategies from what I see. They either run A LOT of grip with Hoosier A7 and drop their power to accommodate. OR they run tires like Toyo RR, Toyo R, Maxxis RC1 or any other tire that allows them to increase their power the most. You will see A LOT of people running toyos because the contingency prizes are really good. All the high budget cars are typically running Hoosier. Whether a high budget car is competitive or not is usually hit or miss in the socal region from what I see. I am faster than multiple people on slicks in my class (TT6) and even some in TT5. But the socal leader in TT5 is typically like 8 seconds ahead of my lap times (he runs toyos)
https://form.jotform.com/83435707892164
^This is the link to the classing calculator everyone uses. You can punch in you power and weight and then afterwards just check the boxes based on tires, width of tires, and check the boxes on any other applicable boxes. Then you will know exactly which class you fall in or what you need to do for the class of your choosing. FYI NASA socal does random weight inspections at every event I have been to. They also do dyno checks to confirm power if you are within 1s of your class record.