SomeGuy25thZ

Anyone involved in road racing? I want to get into it but the SCCA website and HPDE and club racing websites are focused on telling you what you CAN do rather than telling you HOW to get started.

Can someone point me in the right direction on getting started? i know first thing is going to get your license but are there different licenses for different classes. where can classes be taken? if there is a link to a site with this info please let me know.

Thanks!

GMan 3MT

iTrader: (4)

Are you looking to do actual wheel to wheel racing or just open lapping your current car?

If W2W, then you first want to figure out what class you want to build your car to. If you're looking to race the 383 LT1, the only class I know of that it would fall into would be some sort of unlimited class, where you would get destroyed and not have fun. A third gen runs in SCCA's American Sedan and Improved Touring E (if I'm not mistaken) in most regions. NASA (another racing organization) has Camaro-Mustang Challenge and American Iron. I *think* of those your car would fall into ITE, AI or AIX (American Iron Extreme).

If this is what you want to do, for SCCA (in the SW Div anyways), they hold a racing school once or twice a year where IIRC you must drive a race ready car. You get evaluated and may get your license. For NASA, you attend a few HPDE events and work your way up til the licensing guy passes you off with a provisional race license.

Now, if you're looking just to run your car flat out on a race track, you'll want to go with an open lapping organization. Yes, you could run with NASA, but my feelings is that it is better to go with a club dedicated to open lapping.
Drivers Edge (DE) and Texas World Speedway Motorsports Club (MSC) are two groups I'd recommend if you were in Texas. Don't know what's up northeast.

For DE and MSC and NASA's HPDE, you simply sign up, usually online. Most of these groups are very friendly and willing to answer questions before an event. If you want to be really prepared and know what to expect, usually you can show up as a spectator to get a feel of how things are ran.

SomeGuy25thZ

I am just getting into learning about this different types but i def. do not want to go into oval track racing. I want to race with other cars and on tracks with all sorts of turns and what not. This is what wheel to wheel is correct?

I am not going to run the 383 LT1. I am building this car as my first and have recently been getting more and more into following what i love to do and thats race. The car i am building now is more a pro street type build. very clean and nice looking car with plenty of power for fun.

I have my stock 305 TPI still sitting around which I am considering to use as the base for a new race car build. I'll have to check the classes and see where i want to go but i was thinking a turbo 355 unless that would take me out of a lot of classes. Where can i find out about the different types of classes available and the requirements in each? When you are in a class where can you go? as in how far can you move up or do you keep racing the same few races and really dont get anywhere?

GMan 3MT

iTrader: (4)

Yes and no. Wheel to wheel typically refers to actual racing which means fighting for position during a set time/lap race on a track. First guy/gal across the finish line wins. You get to read thick rule books involving what you can and can't do to the car. It's very difficult to build a dual purpose car, one that you can race (and be anywhere near competitive) as well as drive on the street. The car will need a race seat, 5-6-7 point harness, rollcage, fire system or extinuisher etc. You'll also need race tires. This usually means you also need a truck and trailer. You'll also need safety gear like a SA2005+ helmet, nomex suit, nomex socks, fire-resistant shoes and gloves, a HANS or head and neck restraint. Entry fees are usually a bit higher than an HPDE. If you win, you might get a sticker and a plastic trophy (and maybe some contingency money).

A lot of people mistake opening lapping/drivers education events as racing, it's not.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Pe...vers_Education
It still involves the same racetracks, other cars on track, driving really fast, but a little more controlled and a bit less risk of wadding up the car. Passing, I guess you could call it coordinated. Rules for the car are more dependant on it being safe, not falling apart or leaking fluids. You can run on street tires, tho you'll probably want to use a 'good' set of brake pads. You need a helmet and some organizations require a long sleeve shirt and pants/jeans. It's much cheaper, tho the risk of wadding up the car is still there. There is no winner, but it can be a lot of fun.

And then there's always Time Trials/Time Attack or autocross.

A 305 TPI would fit in CMC. If you threw a carb on it and rebuild it to get oodles of hp, you could run ASedan. A turbo 355 would put you in AIX with $75k+ cars. For me personally, I'd find out what class is the most popular in your area and try build to that.
Goto SCCA.com or NASAproracing.com to find out and contact the regional reps.

SCCA's GCR
http://cms.scca.com/documents/Club%2...CR-January.pdf
NASA's CCR (General rules) and CMC and AI rules
http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf
http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/C...-Challenge.pdf
http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/a...iron_rules.pdf

For amatuer racing, you can go as far as your wallet allows you to. You pick a class and car, spend the money, and your racing. To move from ITE to ASedan (or CMC to CMC2 to AI to AIX) with the same car just costs money. Or you can start over with a new car or build a tube-frame GT1 car.
If you're looking to "move up" like a NASCAR driver does (from local series, to truck series, to Busch (or whatever it is called now), to the Cup car), or the IRL path (which is typically karts, to formula cars, to Formula Atlantics) or get signed on as a paid driver to a pro team, I don't know. To get in the door or be noticed typically takes a lot of time, dedicaiton and money.

SomeGuy25thZ

Wow thanks for all the info! Just to clarify i am thinking of buying another thirdgen (a shell) and get my old 305 rebuild to whichever class i want to be in and then go from there. i'll always have my street car for the street.

i sure am not looking to race against people with big pockets because i dont have the funds to even dream for getting into something like that.

i want a class where i can race a decent budget car that can go fast and race on various tracks. i am afraid of getting into a class then getting bored after a while and then getting into a whole new car or major modifications to switch into something else. Based on what you said maybe open lap club racing is the way to go?

I'll do more research and see what i find. i appreciate the help.

Thirdgen89GTA

iTrader: (5)

The MFBA just had its October rental at Road America. We ran it with 4 classes based on car and driver skill. Novice, Intermediate, Advanced and Aggressive. I ran my daily driver in Novice class w/an instructor because it was the first time I'd ever been on RA. I ran a 25 minute hot-session with passing allowed (though I was the one getting passed). We had no passing zones for safety sake. Also took a few rides in instructor cars last April which was a blast too.

MFBA's event was extremely safe. We only had 3 incidents. 3 Porsche's found a wall, but there was never any contact between cars. Racing open wheel would be scary in a car you care about the paint on. Eventually you are going to trade paint in a open wheel format.

There are groups that do these types of rentals all over.

GMan 3MT

iTrader: (4)

I'm trying to convince a buddy of mine to buy a CMC2 car ($7k) and trailer ($1400). I came up with ~$20k for the first year (if he bought everything right away). My annual budget is about $5k-$6k for 6 race weekends, and I'm pretty cheap. In every race category, there will be a few guys that simply out spend everyone else. You can still have fun if you don't have bukoos of money.

Based on what you've said tho, I'd recommend doing open lapping (not club racing) first. If you get bored there and decide track days arn't your thing, then you havn't wasted a bunch of money. If you like it, you can look more into actual racing, find out what the popular classes are up in the NE.

For HPDE stuff, there seems to be two primary ways of doing it. Either a club/organization rents the track (like the one 89GTA attended) or the track itself holds an event.
Don't know how far or good this one is, but here's a track in PA.
http://www.beaverun.com/thrills_flat...t_sessions.php

GMan 3MT

iTrader: (4)

It took me three years, but I had my first at fault car to car contact last race of this season.


_________________
- Gary R.
1986 Z28 "KNOCKER"

My Racecar build thread

SomeGuy25thZ

After reading a bit about the CMC and AI, AIX classes i really want to get into the AI. AIX seems like its going to be loads of money and time to even have a chance at competing. i work 50+ hrs a week so i doubt i can even get into that.

Whats your opinion Gman? I think with the CMC class i could try and find a nice 5 speed 305 TPI Iroc and use that as the base to get started. And like you then get into AI or CMC-2. I like the higher HP allowance with the AI class because i think i would get bored with the lower power classes quick. Personally i think all stock thirdgens are extremely slow (no offense to anyone - I LOVE thirdgens). It may be different once on the race track but thats why i would appreciate your opinion. Very interested but dont want to go half way into a class i cant afford then abandon it. i am thinking CMC-1 just to get into the game and then when i have money build for getting into AI

GMan 3MT

iTrader: (4)

I would contact your regional NASA CMC rep and ask what has or will have the larger fields. CMC-1 seems to by dying out in some regions. Personally, I'd build a CMC2 car at a minimum. The nice thing with that is, it's easier to transition from CMC1/2 to AI than it is to go from AI back to CMC1/2. I'd only get bored if I didn't have anyone to play with.

The playing fields are typically more even in CMC and CMC2. As in, the cars are more equally matched, and the driver plays a greater role. When you get to AI, the rules open up a bit more and there is more of a difference between the level of prep of the cars, so even if you're a good driver, you need to be that much better than the other guy if his equipment is better thans yours.

The guys that race Spec Miatas don't do it for the HP, but rather the cars are fairly equal and there's a lot of competition.

The thrill isn't really in the top speed. It's not uncommon for a guy with 30 less hp to pass someone simply due to him being a better driver / having a better setup. Some will say the hp is a crutch. I know I find it annoying when an AI or AIX car will blow by me in the straights, then hold me up in the corners.

SomeGuy25thZ

hmm ok. i have an email in with the contact for the northeast region. I'll see what he comes back with. Thanks for the info on the CMC. i'll post what i find here. in the mean time im going to try and look for a ride