Chump Car!!

[IROC]

So, some buddies of mine at work decided to build a car to run in the Chump Car series. They needed an additional driver, so they invited me to drive with them. Our first race is the 14-hour enduro at Road Atlanta in February. I use the term "car" loosely as the vehicle is actually an S-10 pickup. Despite the "cheap racing" spirit of Chump Car, they have over $11k in this thing. Very good work, actually.

I'm the only one of the four of us that has any track experience at all (DEs/instructing since 1993 - but no "race" experience).

Anyone ever run a Chump Car race? Anyone going to be at Road Atlanta in February?

[ErVikingo]

Chump Car is a hoot! I have raced on "the Chump Bug" a 72 Super Beetle.

Its fun but its still racing. I dont plan to race Road Atlanta but thinking of NOLA.

Have fun!!!!

[jhynesrockmtn]

Have fun. It is a hoot. Our team won the 1st Chumpcar race in Portland in 2009, a 24 hour event, in a Miata. We've run a few others but the car got pretty banged up at the 2012 Portland race, the car is sitting and may see the light of day again at some point.

[trekkor]

I've raced in 1 Chump car race and 14 24 Hours of LeMons races.

Good times!


KT

[andrew15]

ChumpCar is a blast - I've done 1/2 dozen races and with 2 kids and a busy schedule, never would have thought I'd be able to participate in real racing at tracks like Daytona and Laguna Seca.

2014 brings in a new car for me - A 73 914 with a V6 engine swap - will debut at Autobahn as a warm up for Watkins Glen.

A few laps from the rainy Daytona event a couple years ago driving a Ford ZX2:

[Skytrooper]

This is (close) to the start of my 6th season in Chumpcar.

[edgemar]

is Lemons the same thing? This is an awesome engine failure from a race:

[romad]

11GRAND!!!!.....So much for the sprite of the rules. Another failed attempt at promoting low cost racing.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by romad

11GRAND!!!!.....So much for the sprite of the rules. Another failed attempt at promoting low cost racing.

That's seems reasonable to prep a racecar. Welded in cage, seat, harness, fire system, new shocks/struts/balljoints, alignment, spare wheels and three sets of tires, tuneup, fresh fluids, new pads, wheel bearings, rotors.....etc.

Racin aint cheap. Above items all safety, none add performance, and I wouldn't drive a 'beater' at speed without it.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by dad911

That's seems reasonable to prep a racecar. Welded in cage, seat, harness, fire system, new shocks/struts/balljoints, alignment, spare wheels and three sets of tires, tuneup, fresh fluids, new pads, wheel bearings, rotors.....etc.

Racin aint cheap. Above items all safety, none add performance, and I wouldn't drive a 'beater' at speed without it.

Exactly. The vast majority of the cost has gone into safety equipment and the rest to basic maintenance. There are almost zero "performance" mods to the truck. New (but stock) brakes, brake ducting gutted the interior and re-wired the whole thing to only include circuits that are really required. Basically, all of the maintenance was done and new (but stock) items replaced where needed. It simply adds up.

There's really no such thing as "low cost racing".

[dad911]

Gad to see you are using a real beater. Some of the perps I've read about seemed not to be in the spirit, like a BMW bought with bad engine, so they were under $500, then a fresh engine....

Hey, maybe someone will sell me a boxster with a blown IMS for $500?

[trekkor]

$4-5000 is the cost to build and prep a safe car that will pass tech.

There is no reason to spend $11k unless you like cheating~


KT

[romad]

11 grand of safety equipment? Right You're not going to build a safe 500 dollar car, but 11 grand is not about safety its about over spending to win a plastic trophy. You can build a safe 2-3 thousand dollar car with in the sprite of these rules all day long.

Everyone thinks they are king **** if only given the chance, so they stroke their egos by playing big dog in small pounds. To bad for the rest of us losers with no delusion of grander who just want enjoy racing at a simpler level.

[trekkor]

Inside of mine:





I did all the prep myself, including the roll cage welding.


KT

[IROC]

Originally Posted by romad

11 grand of safety equipment? Right You're not going to build a safe 500 dollar car, but 11 grand is not about safety its about over spending to win a plastic trophy. You can build a safe 2-3 thousand dollar car with in the sprite of these rules all day long.

You know nothing about what these guys have actually done on this truck on yet you feel the need to write the above?

Originally Posted by trekkor

There is no reason to spend $11k unless you like cheating~

Accusing these guys of cheating? I expected more than that from you, Trek.

Maybe I should have been more clear - they have over $11k in this whole venture. Trailer, pit stuff, personal safety equipment, they've spent money going and volunteering at Chump Car events (working tech inspection, pit out etc. to learn what's going on).

Sheesh, you guys must be fun at parties.

[Schumi]

Sorry IROC, but when you said '11k in this thing' right after mentioning it was an S10, we all kinda assumed you meant 11K for the car.

I've done this stuff before as well, we all bought our own gear f we didn't have it (I used it as an excuse to upgrade to a newer helmet and HANS) so yeah, a lot of money goes into it especially in personal safety gear.

But that's like counting the cost of the tools you buy before doing a new project. No one likes to think about how much they spend on that stuff.

[IROC]

Originally Posted by Schumi

Sorry IROC, but when you said '11k in this thing' right after mentioning it was an S10, we all kinda assumed you meant 11K for the car.

I guess I didn't fully understand the implications of blurting out a dollar value. The guys that built the truck are suffering from irrational exuberance, I'm sure. I can assure everyone that this truck is in no way a "cheater". We're just looking to have fun. I didn't realize so many would take offense.

Carry on.

[Schumi]

If you ain't cheatin, you ain't tryin....

[trekkor]

I'm not offended.

For $11k, I could build two cars and still have money left over.

I look forward to seeing the build.
Do you have any pics of the donor?


KT