i may be going racing

[T77911S]

my wife is back home in maine and she called me the other night. her dad has a race car he has not raced in about 10 yrs. he also has a box truck and trailer. the offer was made to buy the box truck for 3500 and I THINK the car and trailer come with it.
problem is I live in SC, the car is a camero circle track car. she said THEY looked at the rules for the charger class here. the motor, brakes and rear end are not legal but he thinks since I am new to racing they may let it slide.
I think he had a new racing suit that may fit me, I already have the helmet. I would just need a HANS device and if the seat is not a full enclosed seat I want one of those.

he is in his 80's and although he still gets in a car he is not going to race this one.
my other thought is turn it into a road course car. that depends on the cage and gear box. I don't know if it has like a hi/lo, a 3 speed or a 4 speed box in it.
also, to do HPDE driver events I would have to put a passenger seat in it and I don't know if any roll cage bars are in the way. yes I would have to do suspension changes, springs and alignment and corner balance. maybe even brakes.
good thing is it has a quick change rear end so easy to change gears for a track.

she said he has mentioned giving me the car when he dies but I think since she told him I (and my brothers) had been looking into the lemons races he may have changed his plans. my wife was also checking to see if he had any racing suits that would fit me and he had also helped her find me a helmet for an HPDE I did in the 930. (he and his wife use to sell racing equipment and when she died, he no longer has time to do it so he still has inventory).


now for the REAL problems. I am not setup/equipped to support a race car.
what about scales for weighing it.
alignment tools.
fixing body panels
not sure what else I would need
nitrogen bottle
pyrometer. was going to buy one anyway
tools to take to the track $$

the positive is the box truck and trailer are already setup to go racing.
the bad, that will be a loooong trip home and I don't know if I should stop over night with a race car.

I hate to ask for any of that stuff. he use to build race cars but now all he does is repair rear ends so I would think he would no longer need any of it,
I wonder if everyone that races has their own scales. just looked it up, $800.

I would really prefer to have a dedicated track car for DE events. I feel if I take it I am obligated to race it, which I would like to do a few times but that is not would I prefer, but who knows, once I do it I may love it. the positive is I would only have to learn 2 turns instead of 15. (yea I know they say 4 turns)

[Craig T]

I'll tell you what. I'm going to do you a very big favor. Just give me $250,000.00 now. I'll change the names on my $15.00 PCA and POC trophies. You say something that really angers your wife. After all that, you'll feel exactly like you've been racing for three years.

[Tervuren]

Craig, seems like to me that based on her dad - racing is in the family.

Not all women view cars/racing like some other women might.

[dad911]

Originally Posted by Craig T

I'll tell you what. I'm going to do you a very big favor. Just give me $250,000.00 now. I'll change the names on my $15.00 PCA and POC trophies. You say something that really angers your wife. After all that, you'll feel exactly like you've been racing for three years.

Acquisition cost of the car will be your cheapest expense.
When I started club racing it was about $1000 and 1 set of tires per weekend.

Like Craig alludes, I stopped when the guys in my class were putting on new tires for every qualifying session, dyno before every weekend, etc. All for that $15 ribbon.

While it was fun, if I could go back and trade it for more time with family, regardless of the cost, I would.

[Tervuren]

Short track racing has a perk that it is a shorter trip to your trailer from the track with a broken car. Its a decided advantage.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by dad911

While it was fun, if I could go back and trade it for more time with family, regardless of the cost, I would.

This^^^^

My numbers were close. About $2400 per weekend (If nothing broke and nobody hit you ). $1100 in hotel, food, entry fees, and race gas. Now add tires at $1,300 per weekend. We had a gentleman's agreement amongst our race class to stick to one set per weekend, but it was broken at the end of the season with class championships at stake.

I didn't realize how much money it was until I quit. The $1300 on tires was gone on Monday. After I quit I would treat myself to something on the Friday before a race I didn't attend and be amazed that I still had it on Monday. e.g tools, a new spoon, golf clubs etc

My wife and daughter didn't mind the racing, but they only went when we were at Laguna Seca. Both were really happy to have me back on weekends though.

[CurtEgerer]

A race car is a bottomless hole to dump money into. But it doesn't seem that way, until it does. So until then have fun! Ask me how I know.

[911boost]

Tim H can offer some valuable input in this thread.

[MBAtarga]

I don't have first hand experience with costs of racing, but from my interpretation of your concerns ($800 for scales as example) you don't have the money required.

What's going to happen if that car engine needs a rebuild before you even show up at your first race, or the box truck transmission goes out? You've basically got to have enough money to start out that you can burn some without a concern ....

[wdfifteen]

Sounds like fun, and I don't see how you could lose. Try it for a few races, hopefully you'll get it out of your system, and sell the car at not too much of a loss.

[Craig T]

Here's $250,000 in $10 trophies. I did have fun though.

[ted]

Let's see a picture of the Camaro?
Since it was your father in law's race car your wife might be nostalgic, sentimental and more willing to let you spend time and money on it.
If you want to get on track get the Camaro.

Circle track racing would be a concern as it may require a lot of repairs between races.
Lots of contact at circle track races.

If it can be converted to road course DE and that is what you want to do go at it.
It might make a fun, safe and easy to work on Lemons car.

It sounds a little like my 2 Camaros, tube chassis all analog no abs or nannies just car set up and driver skill.

It does help to have a good friend as a pit helper and in the garage between races.

in car video
https://youtu.be/XAc4KVQJunY?t=476

[GH85Carrera]

In my single days I really wanted to get into racing. I went with a friend that had LOTS more money than I did to a race weekend. He paid for most of my expenses. I worked my butt off all weekend, and got to talk to the other teams. It was clear which teams had the bigger budgets and who the shoe string racers were. I talked to one of the shoe string racers and it was evident to me I had no way to afford it, and pay my mortgage, and save for any retirement, and food and utilities.
In the end I might well have had a few trophies that cost a 1/4 of a million, and had a lot of fun, but I am glad I decided to just take pictures and do a few DE's in my paid for 911.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Craig T

I'll tell you what. I'm going to do you a very big favor. Just give me $250,000.00 now. I'll change the names on my $15.00 PCA and POC trophies. You say something that really angers your wife. After all that, you'll feel exactly like you've been racing for three years.

You mean the old saying is true?

"To make a small fortune in racing, start with a large one."

[Cajundaddy]

Race cars are like race horses. Buying-in is cheap compared to running expenses. Average costs for an active club racer who wants to stand on the podium is around $5k per weekend. Average costs for a series like Pirelli Cup is $10k/weekend. If you stuff it in the armco, expenses will escalate.

You can spend less and still have fun but you will run at the back with the rest of the drivers who are on a budget.

[ted]

Originally Posted by Craig T

Here's $250,000 in $10 trophies. I did have fun though.

The last time I got a ribbon or trophy was almost 20 years ago at PCA autocrosses.
In Vintage/Historic racing they give one preservation trophy per class for the car in the most original form as it was raced back in the day.

Lemons racing would be your cheapest form of racing.

My favorite sheep trophy from NASA at Miller years ago.

[jwasbury]

Some surprisingly negative comments here. Of course racing is expensive. Its also ridiculously fun and immersive.

I’d think carefully at the type of racing you want to do. Based on your interest in Lemons and the comment about converting the circle track car into a road race car, you may be better off starting with a different platform.

Even if you get this car for free you will have invested thousands of dollars (or equivalent value of your time) by the time you’re done preparing it to race...especially since it hasn’t been run in 10 years.

Go have a look on racingjunk.com and see what’s available at an entry level price point. If you want to go road racing there really isn’t a better way to go than Spec Miata (IMO).

Good luck

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by jwasbury

Go have a look on racingjunk.com and see what’s available at an entry level price point. If you want to go road racing there really isn’t a better way to go than Spec Miata (IMO).

Good luck

Around here it is known as wreck miata.

I have more faith of not getting into contact being on track with NASCAR drivers than Spec Miata drivers.

However, it is probably something that varies from locale to locale.

My #1 advice, look over the entry lists and see who is on it. Grandson's of race team owners or drivers are often the type to happily send some one else's car into the wall - they don't pay for their stuff; and they often know you do. Its a way of "keeping out competition that could beat them".

Not having two or three of these in whatever you race is an immediate reduction in possible need for crash related repairs.

Typically the dad encourages it, or isn't there and doesn't know.

For the former, observe Max Verstappen in F1.

[jwasbury]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

Around here it is known as wreck miata

I have heard it called Spec pinata

Regardless the Miata is a reliable, fun to drive and relatively low cost platform to go racing in. They are the most raced car in the world for good reason.

[Craig T]

Originally Posted by jwasbury

I have heard it called Spec pinata

Regardless the Miata is a reliable, fun to drive and relatively low cost platform to go racing in. They are the most raced car in the world for good reason.

I considered moving from racing Porsches to Spec Miata as a way of lowering costs and easing out of my racing addiction without going cold turkey. Local SM races around here can have 30 cars. That would be fun, and fenders and doors are cheap, so rubbing doesn't hurt so badly.

I decided not to do it and to stay focused on preparing for an early retirement. I'm glad I did.