Road Race

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jake700r
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Road Race

Post by jake700r »

Hi guys this is a very broad question sorry...i live just over the boarder of PA out of ohio (sharon PA) and i really want to get into road racing. im not too far from mid ohio. i have raced 4 wheelers and dirt bikes and i work on cars(also have a degree from UNOH in automotives/high Performace and Alternative fuels) so racing isint foreigh to me nor working on perofrmance vehicles and making modifying vehicles but never had the chance to race cars. i dont really like drag racing i really like the real racing feel with braking and handling too haha no offense to anyone either. However i have no idea where to start...i read on some driving schools but im kind of looking for what i would need as in licenses and insurances so on. i dont know what classes they have to run in but i would want something i could run a normal car with just modifications nothing like an all out race car. im wanting to buy an "off-road" car for racing but i cannot afford a class that is pure race car. if anyon has any information at all that could help me i woul really appreciate it
Thanks Jake
mbrooks
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Re: Road Race

Post by mbrooks »

i suggest kart racing. i've done sedan racing and kart, kart is much more fun and less expensive.

ekartingnews.com is a good forum. i would suggest starting out with a tag kart (around 85mph top speed)and using a brand kart that has parts available locally if possible. after that if you are feeling really froggy you can move up to 125 shifter(around 125mph top speed), then if that doesn't do it for you you can always go unlimited :mrgreen: . they race all the big tracks also, find the different sanctioning bodies for more info. all your stuff fits in the back of a full size pickup also. some of the f1 drivers and i am sure others use shifter karts for practice.
Barbapapa
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Re: Road Race

Post by Barbapapa »

NASA is where you need to look. You can start by doing track time in your street car with just a helmet required. You can move on up and get a racing licence eventually but forget the idea of w2w racing in a street car, that only happens in video games. The closest you can get to that is LeMons but you still need a cage.
NASA has every possible combination of showing up and doing track time in your street car to actual w2w. Time trials are also a possibility for you. That could be done in a street car but you will have to earn your time trial licence which is not as much work as a racing licence, it takes several events of having an instructor ride with you and getting approved along the way. You can have some great competition in time trials. Heck, I do w2w racing but rarely actually see another car in my class anyway. If you ever do feel you need to mold your life around road racing, try to pick a class with alot of entrants. For some reason that always involves mundane cars like Miatas etc. If you want to race a cool car you may not have many in your field.
You're either in it for the racing or for the car, keep that in your mind when making plans.
Mike S.
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Re: Road Race

Post by Horsewidower »

Let me second the above suggestion.

I've been a member of NASA for a number of years. It is as cost effective a way to get your feet wet as you can get. There is a division in that area, I think its this one:

http://www.nasamidwest.com/season/
jake700r
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Re: Road Race

Post by jake700r »

thanks for the responses guys ill be looking into all of it
David Redszus
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Re: Road Race

Post by David Redszus »

I would also suggest NASA as an entry level to road racing.

But I would not suggest that you start by driving. Spend some time as a corner worker or tech inspector. Then latch onto a team as a gofer. Learn the racing rules, procedures and protocols. Learn about vehicle preparation and safety. Talk to various drivers and crew members. Learn as much as you can before you set a wheel on track.

Meanwhile, find a local club that does autocrossing. Autocrossing will allow you to drive at the limit safely. Mistakes will not cost you very much. After you have mastered car control skills, you are ready to attempt road racing.

Don't waste you time with a driving school; they are mostly BS. Find a talented, older (older means survivor) driver who will act as your mentor. Start by learning to drive in traffic, then learn how to pass other cars. Make sure your car is bullet proof with no mechanical failures and that you understand suspensions, tires and brakes.

And then, and only then, should you attempt to go fast. :)
mbrooks
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Re: Road Race

Post by mbrooks »

in the meantime you could go to a nice indoor kart track and tear their stuff up. driving the different karts gives you the experience of different setups because each kart will handle differently and make different power. plus you learn the lines and much other different driving techniques, some days the track is slick and some days it grips. then when they put the new tires on everything is good and later in the months as the tires wear things get dicey. find something with gas engines and faster karts for the indoor driving thing, lots o fun. at less then $1 a minute it is a bargain, 2 or 3 10 minute sessions is about all a person needs in a day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLQDaR_X ... re=related

here's kyle busch doing a 360 at the local track. he was driving the owners higher hp kart and tried to squeeze between a slower kart and the wall. afterwards parked it, walked out of the building, and didn't grant any interviews... :mrgreen: must be why they use spotters.
Monkeywrench
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Re: Road Race

Post by Monkeywrench »

Vintage, NASA, SCCA, PCA, BMWCCA. There are many avenues to get into road racing. It just depends on the type of car you want to race and what rule set you find most attractive.
-Bob
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Re: Road Race

Post by Conway »

I have also been as a member of the NASA and my race forum is the Vintage and NASA itself and reduce the mistakes because these are not effective.
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Re: Road Race

Post by flyingwedge »

Jake, I too, am preparing for road racing,(vintage). Until the car is ready, I'll do some indoor electric carts, up to 45 mph. When the Nascar boys run at Fontana, they play at "Pole Position"- Not an endorsement. I think this teaches more for less $'s spent, than some other forms of early learning curves-pun. Much less hp/lb than shifter carts, but you still learn passing, picking your lines,and how to compensate for "dog" power or handling. Good Luck, flyingwedge.
23Root
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Re: Road Race

Post by 23Root »

I my self looked into the road racing stuff before settling in where i am now( dirt modifieds) and i would suggest just going out to a auto cross event, you can use your daily if you want.
After that i would go to miata spec racing or karting. that is where most big names have started.
plus if you go out and win some auto cross events its easier to lure sponsors when you get a all out race car, knowing you have already won events.
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Re: Road Race

Post by David Redszus »

23Root wrote:I my self looked into the road racing stuff before settling in where i am now( dirt modifieds) and i would suggest just going out to a auto cross event, you can use your daily if you want.
After that i would go to miata spec racing or karting. that is where most big names have started.
plus if you go out and win some auto cross events its easier to lure sponsors when you get a all out race car, knowing you have already won events.
Autocrossing is a fun thing to do but does not teach very much about road racing.
The same goes for go-karts. They are cheap and you can learn how to drive in traffic; just don't spend too much time at that level since it does not really teach race craft. While almost everyone starts in karts, just as everyone goes to kindergarten, that does not provide any special qualification for upward progress.
The same holds for any form of spec racing such as miata.

Winning races has very little to do with obtaining sponsorship. Real race sponsorships should not be confused with race charity wherein someone gives you money so that you can go play at your hobby.

Real race sponsorship provides the means by which the sponsor is able to make money from his investment. This rarely happens at the amatuer racing level.
Monkeywrench
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Re: Road Race

Post by Monkeywrench »

Something to add,

There aren't a whole lot in the ways in purses in road racing. There are contingencies, if you're fast (usually a free set of tires). Probably no different than it is in circle track.

Politics, like in any series, are strong. SCCA has a reputation for a lot of politics. Being a member driven organization means you get people in charge who probably shouldn't.

Some classes are much stronger and more competitive than others. Are you looking to race, or build and develop a car?
-Bob
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Re: Road Race

Post by Z Greek »

I am quite new to this forum, and this is a bit of an old topic, but thought I would chime in. Chumpcar World Series (CCWS, or just Chumpcar), is the biggest bang for your buck in motorsports. Chump is a spin off of LeMons, but with some important twists. LeMons is more of a circus with silly black flag punishments like being taped to your competitor and being forced to walk around the pits for 10 minutes or so. Chump has none of this nonsense, it is serious racing. There will be over 60 races in 2013 throughout USA, Canada, and Mexico. So chances are, there is a race near you (or at least within a reasonable tow)
The basic premise of the rules is simple. $500 crap can racing. There is a list of "pre-approved" cars, but if you want to run a car not on the list, you have to prove you can buy 10 examples of your car, running and driving for an average of $500 or less. Of course you have to add safety equipment like roll cage, fire suppression, etc., and this does not count towards the $500 threshold. Tires are DOT rated tires with a tread-wear rating of 190 or greater. Brakes are limited by a 2X rule. For example, if you can buy a stock rotor for $100, you are allowed to spend up to $200 for a rotor. This same formula holds true for calipers, master cylinders, etc. Brake pads are open.
I raced with a couple of buddies last year, and had so much fun, I am building a car of my own this winter. Just about everything has been raced in Chump. Mustangs, Camaro's, lots of Honda's, BMW 3-series. I have also seen everything from a Peugeot sedan, to a Rover V8. I ran an old Datsun Z car with my buddies last year, and that is what I am building for myself this winter. Reliability, and fuel economy are important considerations. Even at a modest consumption rate of 8 gallons per hour in the old Z, gas adds up!
Race formats are generally road course, but a few on Ovals. These are ENDURANCE races. Length varies from 7 hours, up to the 36 hour race planned for my home track here in Spokane, WA July 5-7. Most teams have 4, or more drivers. The longer races you are required to have at least 4. This is wheel to wheel, pass and be passed, run the piss out of it racing, and it is a kick in the ass. I would recommend it to anyone interested in serious, budget oriented racing. Even in one of the "shorter" formats of 8 hours, each driver in a 4 driver team gets 2 hours of track time. And this is not just a track day putting down hot laps. This is RACING. Check it out! www.chumpcar.com.
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Re: Road Race School ?

Post by flyingwedge »

I'm considering "Danny C's" at Willow Springs, 1 full day. Has anyone used this school ? Results ? This is only to help me better prepare, for driving my vintage GT1 car, when it's ready. Thanks, flyingwedge. :)
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