Spyerx

Tony @ TC Design?

That's who I'd be calling in norcal.

https://www.facebook.com/tcdesignfabrication/

Mahler9th

Yes, a fraction of that much. A set of GTL tires costs about $1600 and last for two weekends, at least. We have 6-7 event weekends a year.

I don't think many Spec 911 drivers spend $3-4k a weekend. Probably half that or less for the vast majority except the guys that arrive and drive.

If you are in Norcal you can benefit from speaking directly with folks here. In other places around the country, the culture may be different. They can give you some ideas, but the best answers come from the folks here with local boots on the ground experience.

Yes Tony.

If I wanted to run up front in E30, E46, Spec Boxster or Spec Miata here in NorCal (or Cal in general), Tony would be my first and likely only stop. I think he is building one or more E46ers right now.

For Spec 911, JWE (which is right around the corner from Tony) would be a stop. They probably get north of $150k for a complete build, where all you supply is a checkbook and a sigh. But you have to remember that these builds probably have $10k or more worth of Motec alone. The customers get an economy of scale, but Motec does not make the car more competitive. These cars are what I call "hot rod race cars." That is they are what the owners want, and all of those spendy items do not necessarily make the car faster.

I'd also talk with Reno Rennsport. They probably have the greatest number of customers running up front in the PRC, yet spending the least. A lot of us are happy to go up to the mountains for their services.

The competition in Spec 911 is awesome, and we hope to get there with GTL.

If you are in SF, JWE, Tony (TCDesign) and Reno Rennsport may not be considered convenient, but I am pretty sure that none of their customers worry about that, even the JWE arrive and drive folks. There are lots of good reasons to work with these providers.

Plenty of opportunity to gather perspective from local folks.

Not likely to be achieved via these forums.

ProCoach

Yes, you can benefit from waking the paddock and interviewing a variety of shops.

Unless Spec911 allows (requires) a MoTeC engine ECU, there is no reason why any car should require more than a CDL3 kit, which with all desirable options and even a bespoke harness would be hard pressed to be half that much. The kit is half that, again. Data is an investment, anyway.

I disagree. I think there are more data points within this forum. Part of the homework.

You pay your money and make your choice!

audipwr1

Thanks for thoughts - I'd like my next step to be national and very competitive in nature so while an air cooled sounds like a blast it's not the right thing for me!

ProCoach

Do this and THEN make a decision.

All are competitive classes, all are National.

Paddy

The car giving me a little punt is an old TC Designs car built by Tony Colicchio, it won the West coast SE46 championship. It's now owned by my 993 rennlist buddy JeffDC. Very well built and clean car.

hf1

OP, you're prob aware of this already but because costs go exponentially higher with speed/grip, your requirement (more speed, more braking, national races) will tend to conflict with your goal of keeping costs under 4k per weekend. Another conflict with the higher speed (cost) classes is competitiveness as their fields thin out to just the racers rich enough to afford them -- which may or may not be the fastest. So keeping costs low should help with competitiveness.

Was SPB not competitive enough in your area? Did you win all/most races last year? I hope I have this ("bored from winning") "problem" with SPB when I start next season.

SpecMiata will likely give you the most national-level competitiveness per $.

Another data point on cost... Few years ago 3-4k per weekend was the cost of arrive and drive Skip Barber racing series (SBRS) if you bought the season in a packet (6 or 8 weekends, don't remember -- each weekend including practice day + qual and race1 on day1, race2 on day2) for both the MX-5 Cups and the forumula cars. I don't think they made much money (if any) even with the huge economies of scale (fields of same cars), subsidized parts from Mazda, and subsidized Bridgestone street (low grip, same for dry snd rain) tires.

Not sure how they are on the west coast but SBRS (and similar) may be an option in terms of cost and competitiveness as a lot of young hotshots use the series as a jump off to professional carreers. I raced it for years then stopped as I was getting worried about the safety of the cars which were getting older and more beat up while the company was struggling to make a profit. But mostly I just wanted to drive my own car.

audipwr1

Is he fast? Would he be interested in renting to me during a test day @ Sonoma? Ideally he would drive too so I can see relative pace

I have a contact who is going to set me up in a Spec e30 now as well

I don't fit well in miatas so won't be headed that way

ProCoach

It's now on the East Coast. Mid-Atlantic region.

audipwr1

Hf1 - thanks for your thoughts.

West coast SPB is great, lots of fast guys and a very friendly group. Lifetime friends for me. Seriously best group of guys I've spent time with in car world.

I did win the series in my rookie year.

ProCoach

Congrats! Hard to do, come East!

hf1

I figured. Not a small feat for a rookie. Congrats!

mooty

yes to paddy and mahler, tony's BMW wins. if it didn't, likely the driver.

spec 911 reno and JWE.

FeuerRacing

I don't know how you're going to get less expensive racing than SPB - especially with the Toyo bucks offering. Towing and tires are going to be the same for any car class and the only thing I'm doing between race weekends are brake pads ($500) and changing out all fluids ($300). Every 3-4 race weekends are front rotors ($200). Every 6 race weekends are bearings ($600). Running 10+ race weekends on a transmission ($1000).

Don't see how you're going to race cheaper...

I had (and sold) and e30 and got rid of it after clutch and rear diff issues. Also seemed like there was a big variance in having a competitive engine whereas SPBs seem to be much more closer no matter how the engine has been treated.

You just need to come east and get more competition.

audipwr1

Chris - don't want less expensive - want wins to hit the radar of people who want a co driver that they will subsidize for 25hr etc