[GreenThree]

So I have watched some pretty addicting shows about tuning cars and then racing them competitively amongst 10 or so drivers in a circuit. For example, the driver /team would be responsible for buying a $75,000 car that has already been mostly tuned. And then would race regionally for a few months. These drivers in this show have not had any prior racing experience other than occaisionally tracking themselves and regular day to day street driving.

Who provides the funding to buy the car / maintain it throughout the races? Sponsors, or is the driver / team responsible? This is something that I have always wanted to try, and I am sure other enthusiasts have thought about it too - but it seems awfully expensive. Does anyone have experience with this?

[S4to335]

Which series are you talking about. I use to race in Spec Miata...all spec cars. MX5 Cup is a series with the newer faster Miata...There is that Mustang series now..but those guys got expernience...some tons of experience.

[GreenThree]

Yea, it was the Mustang Challenge.

So when you were racing, did you incur the expense of aquiring the car, maintaining it and cost of races? Or did someone else (sponsor?)

How expensive is it Thanks

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by GreenThree

Yea, it was the Mustang Challenge.

So when you were racing, did you incur the expense of aquiring the car, maintaining it and cost of races? Or did someone else (sponsor?)

How expensive is it Thanks

My understanding is that you spend a TON of your own money to get yourself to the point where others will consider spending their money for you to drive, and for almost everyone driving will never be a cash flow positive proposition.

[scollins]

Originally Posted by Nick Nazareno

My understanding is that you spend a TON of your own money to get yourself to the point where others will consider spending their money for you to drive, and for almost everyone driving will never be a cash flow positive proposition.

Heh, sounds like the following common wisdow applies:
"Want to make $1,000,000 racing? Start with $2,000,000 and quit when you get down to $1,000,000........"

[S4to335]

There are a handful of racers that make money...Randy Pobst, Bill Auberlin are ones that come to mind quickly. All others are spending lots of their own money just to play..and I am talking about SCCA Pro Racing...not SCCA Club Racing.

As for cars...almost all of them want you to bring your own car..or you arrange with someone to provide a car for an arrive/drive. I was crew for a team that charged someone 20,000 for a race weekend to use our car. It was an Audi S4 in Grand Am.

Racing is very expensive for anyone except for a very rare few.

[GreenThree]

I suspected it was crazy expensive. THanks guys

[mike-y]

it's can be crazy expensive to support a racing hobby. Your best bet is to start out with some local track days with an organization that provides instruction. Try it a few times, and then decide if its something you want to do more seriously.

Tracking a car is expensive - tires, wheels, brakes, and other consumable items add up. Then you have car prep and safety equipment, and possibly a trailer and tow vehicle. I track an older honda, because it's cheap to run and cheap to prep (compared to a lot of other cars anyway). If I wad it up, I'll be out less than $8,000 which is a lot less than a newer car like an E90. Sure, it's not as glamorous as running a porsche or newer bmw, but it fits within the budget I have allowed myself for doing this.

There are plenty of series within the SCCA and NASA to get started in club racing or spec racing if you are interested, like Spec Miata, spec 944, Honda Challenge, and Improved Touring to name a few.

One series that is getting pretty popular and won't break the bank, is the 24hrs of Lemons. Basically, cars that are purchased for $500 - yes, 500 bones - before safety equipment, brakes, and tires are added, race for a two day event. It's more tongue and cheek than real serious racing, but you, and a few friends can put together a car for minimal investment, and get a taste of some real wheel-to-wheel racing on a minimum budget. I recently came back from their last event at Thunderhill, where our 87 bmw 325 placed 32nd out of over 100 cars entered.

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by mike-y

it's can be crazy expensive to support a racing hobby. Your best bet is to start out with some local track days with an organization that provides instruction. Try it a few times, and then decide if its something you want to do more seriously.

Tracking a car is expensive - tires, wheels, brakes, and other consumable items add up. Then you have car prep and safety equipment, and possibly a trailer and tow vehicle. I track an older honda, because it's cheap to run and cheap to prep (compared to a lot of other cars anyway). If I wad it up, I'll be out less than $8,000 which is a lot less than a newer car like an E90. Sure, it's not as glamorous as running a porsche or newer bmw, but it fits within the budget I have allowed myself for doing this.

There are plenty of series within the SCCA and NASA to get started in club racing or spec racing if you are interested, like Spec Miata, spec 944, Honda Challenge, and Improved Touring to name a few.

One series that is getting pretty popular and won't break the bank, is the 24hrs of Lemons. Basically, cars that are purchased for $500 - yes, 500 bones - before safety equipment, brakes, and tires are added, race for a two day event. It's more tongue and cheek than real serious racing, but you, and a few friends can put together a car for minimal investment, and get a taste of some real wheel-to-wheel racing on a minimum budget. I recently came back from their last event at Thunderhill, where our 87 bmw 325 placed 32nd out of over 100 cars entered.

Where are the results of Lemons...my friends were in the 944 porsche?

[mike-y]

which 944? the "baconator"? That team came in 3rd.

Jalopnik has some articles here:
http://jalopnik.com/tag/24-hours-of-lemons/

and here are the top 100 with pics
http://jalopnik.com/5120461/the-top-...eeze+a+palooza

We lost the secondary fuel pump on our 325 saturday afternoon, and were out about 45 minutes fixing it. Add a couple of black flags on sunday morning, and we were down to 61st place, but were able to make up 29 spots before the race ended that evening. The goal was actually getting the car to finish in one piece, so we were pretty happy with 32nd.

here is the car we ran:
http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog....s_08_thill.jpg

[S4to335]

Now that I look at all the pics..I think its these guys...two dads and two sons...the dads are instructors with various groups..I track with all of them up here in NorCal

[GreenThree]

Good info, thanks again. The creativity of those cars is awesome! Sounds like that is a way to race on the cheap.

[jongchen]

You could look into go-kart racing. Some series run races on big tracks like you'd drive a BMW on for a track day. It's not as sexy as racing a M3 but is quite a bit cheaper. Low end karts go for 4k ish for something ready to race. If you want faster stuff you can get into shifter karts. Those will hit 150 MPH on longish straights and with your butt 2 inches off of the pavement must be kinda exciting.

[scollins]

Originally Posted by jongchen

Those will hit 150 MPH on longish straights and with your butt 2 inches off of the pavement must be kinda exciting.

I'd probably say more like "terrifying"!! That would be NUTS!

I'm a bit of an adrenaline junky, but that may be a little much for me.

[Feffman]

There's an old saying in racing "How do you make a little bit of money racing? Start with a lot!"

I looked into open-wheel SCCA, NASA and vintage racing before opting to stick with track days. The track days are just as fun and a heck of a lot more affordable.

Feff

[satakal]

I know this thread is dead but its kinda ontopic. I got this in the email and it makes me chuckle. To get this, all I did was sign up online. I guess i didn't think it through. Duh, of course they want money.

Jetta TDI Cup Driver Candidate Bulletin,

Congratulations, you have been approved to attend the upcoming Driver Selection Event at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma CA, February 1-4, 2009.

With the current global economic conditions and rapidly changing business outlook for 2009, many applicants and sponsors have expressed a need to allow more time to secure and process the necessary funding for the 2009 season. In respect of these economic variables, an amendment to the funding schedule for the 2009 SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup has been approved. These changes will allow approved drivers with the deposit funds ($15,000 USD) to attend the Driver Selection Event, find out if they qualify for the 2009 series, and submit the balance ($30,000 USD) of the drivers’ fee prior to the first race event.

Revised funding schedule:

• You must send in email notification before end of day Wednesday, January 28, 2009 to blahblah@vw.com confirming your intention to attend the Driver Selection event February 1-4. Please note, that as space is limited at Driver Selection, confirmations will be taken on a first come, first served basis only.
• A $15,000 USD deposit in the form of a cashiers check will be required upon entrance to Driver Selection on February 1, 2009 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma CA. Please make cashiers check payable to " Volkswagen of America Inc" and bring it with you to Driver Selection.
  
• If you DO qualify for the 2009 season after completing Driver Selection, your deposit will be cashed and is non-refundable.
• The remaining balance of $30,000 USD for the 2009 season will be required by close of business March 30, 2009.
• If you DO NOT qualify, your deposit check will be returned to you immediately before you depart Infineon Raceway.
• While a firm financial commitment is vital to the overall series, our hope is that this revised schedule will allow drivers who make the 2009 Jetta TDI Cup series more time to develop quality potential sponsorship opportunities for the 2009 season.

Please note: Registration will begin at 6:00 am February 1, 2009. Each day thereafter will commence at approximately 6:30 am and conclude at 5:30 pm including the final day February 4, 2009. For planning assistance please find the attached hotel recommendation guide.

Best regards,

Volkswagen Motorsport

[nicknaz]

http://www.endurancekarting.com/

That's the cheapest spec/wheel to wheel action I've found so far. I did a 1.5hr sprint race with another driver at Lime Rock and it was a lot of fun.

Skip Barber has an arrive/drive spec miata weekend race/training package for ~$4000 seems like a solid deal to get into a pro prepped car, get some telemetry instruction etc etc. I believe Jason Saini got contracts after winning barber SM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Auberlen

If I'm reading that wiki page correctly Auberlen started motorsports in 1970 and was a 'privateer' (ie pay out of your own pocket to driver) for 27 years until 1997, when he got signed by a BMW team

[S4to335]

Originally Posted by Nick Nazareno

If I'm reading that wiki page correctly Auberlen started motorsports in 1970 and was a 'privateer' (ie pay out of your own pocket to driver) for 27 years until 1997, when he got signed by a BMW team

And Bill is an awesome driver...some mediocre driver like me would foot the bill forever.

[nicknaz]

Originally Posted by S4to335

And Bill is an awesome driver...some mediocre driver like me would foot the bill forever.

+1