On Sun, 28 Sep 1997 10:35:29 +0000 Roger Gibbs <rgibbs(at)pacbell.net>
writes:
>Jarrid & Tom, If I understand, you are pseudo-racing your street cars
>? Can either of you
>post the approximate costs to do this ? Do you drive or tow to the
>track ? How many
>events per year ? Did you have to make serious compromises to your
>cars (tires, brakes,
>rear end ratio, suspension) which make them poor street cars ? The
>entrance fees include
>insurance ?
>
>-Thanks guys
OK, you want to try on the racing bug for size, here are your possible
choices.
1) occasional "club events" will not likely break you, it will only set
you
back $200 for a roll bar, $250 for a new helmet, and a cheapie fire
extinguisher. Most clubs have these basic requirements, but others
require more. Club racing will get you a taste, but it is generally
with definate limiations, which distinguishes club track events form
real road racing. Events run about $80 for single day events to over
$250 for dual day events.
2) SCCA will let you run in the class that you would have run in during
the sixties. You are allowed certain modifications to your car, but just
about no matter what you do to the car, it will not make as much power,
handle as well, or weigh less then a prepped saturn or neon, so expect
to be lapped often and unmercifully. SCCA racing is one of the main
routes onto profesional road racing, so expect that the people that you
will race with to have little sympothy or tact in how they pass you, or
how they rub your sheetmetal in doing it. Events cost in the $300 dollar
range, but you get a lot of track time, plus the races run around 45
minutes.
You will need the helmet, a driver suit, gloves, shoes & socks,
a bladder fuel cell, a fire system + extinguisher,
good DOT tires "$120+ each" and have passed a $1000 driver school.
3) Vintage Racing will allow you to run your car along with other cars
that raced SCCA type racing 20 or 30 years ago. You wont be too
competitive without major modifications across the car, but many
vintage racing clubs have a special grouping for vintage correct
race cars where depending upon what cars are running, you may
actually win a race. Racing here is very real, but passes must be
clean and safe, because nobody really wants to rub fenders to win
a race. Racing here is generally quite "civilized" becuase if there
is any contact, the offending parties will lose points and or get
suspended for up to 13 months.
You will need the helmet, a driver suit, gloves, shoes & socks,
a bladder fuel cell, a fire system + extinguisher,
and have passed a driver school "cheap+effective".
With all three of these types of "racing", the insurance that is paid,
relieves the track of the financial responsibity of any injury, damage
and gulp... death. It will likely pay for your trip to the hospital, but
wont pay a dime after you get there.
Insurance to protect your vehicle is very expensive,
and you are sort of on your own here. Your normal car insurance
coverage lapses at the gate.
There exists an unwritten code that says that if two people rub
fenders, each one pays his/her own damage. If the offender
of the collision wishes to pay damages, then great, but it a law
suit occurs, it is very likely that the plaintiff will never race in any
race event anywhere forever.
You may drive your car to the event, if it is reliable, and it is trully
drivable. If your engine is tweaked to produce the required BHP
to run with the pack, it will NOT likely be drivable in any manner
other than racing. "My torque band is at such a high RPM now that
I will have to launch the car to keep from stalling. Try that
at some intersection with a vette next to you". Racing is such
a blast though that I would fully reccomend that you try to build
a car that is both street drivable, and can run at a track event as
well. Such a vehicle is not to tough to make.
On the last note I will make, Tom Yang talked of running with
The porche club "PCA" running some events. The PCA has
some of the best driver training available "probably due to the
porche car's inherant potential". The PCA has more stringent
rules and safety requirements, so low dollar entry level runs
are next to impossible with them. If you ever buy a porche,
and want to race it right, definately go with them.
Jarrid Gross
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