Cheap & Equal racing of 944's
08-30-2007, 11:31 AM
#16
Instructor
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: San Diego CA
Posts: 158
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Here's a fine example of a Spec Racer for sale.
www.944specracing.com
Fun car, fun series, great guys. You have to drive rather than spend to be fast in this series. I know, I got spanked by the POC guys when I took the car out for it's first shakedown run with them. Of course, it was a shakedown run and it's much more competitive now!
The fast guys in these cars have posted some incredible times at various tracks.
It's a great drivers series.
www.944specracing.com
Fun car, fun series, great guys. You have to drive rather than spend to be fast in this series. I know, I got spanked by the POC guys when I took the car out for it's first shakedown run with them. Of course, it was a shakedown run and it's much more competitive now!
The fast guys in these cars have posted some incredible times at various tracks.
It's a great drivers series.
08-30-2007, 11:44 AM
#17
Rennlist Member
Yep, Jim commented on how easy it was to get a license. He has been pushing guys around here hard to jump ship from their higher $ PCA stock class cars, and build up 944 SP1/Spec cars. Said he was trying to lobby you guys to put BIR on the event schedule for next year.
However, right or wrong (probably the latter), PCA does not require dual door bars, or the right side net/halo seat at this point.
So the problem a lot of existing PCA stock class cars/guys (myself included) will have if wanting to run NASA - the dual door bars will need to be welded in. On a bolt-in cage (OG Racing, Racetec, factory Matter, etc that use weld-in nut plates and bolt-on single door bars: legal and the most common in PCA), welding in a cross-braced door bar set makes the cage permanent. The front hoops on all these type cages come down on the face side of the dash - so after the bars are welded in, you cant pull the dash out. So then you need to cut up the dash which leaves big gaps between the bars and the a-pillar & door jam. The best solution is to have a full front hoop custom made tight to the a-pillars and door jams, and make small cuts in the dash to fit in over the permanent cage. Might as well then have the entire cage removed and have a custom built weld-in installed.
Each organization (NASA, PCA, SCCA, SVRA, etc) has their own rules (both safety and allowed perf. mods), for their own reasons - which is fine. If you build a car from the ground up, making it legal to run in multiple venues - great. Problem becomes making a car built specifically to meet the rules of one organization, also eligible to race with another organization, after the fact. You have to redo a lot of **** that was already done = wasted time and re-spent money. Unfortunately, looks like I fall into the "after the fact" category.
However, right or wrong (probably the latter), PCA does not require dual door bars, or the right side net/halo seat at this point.
So the problem a lot of existing PCA stock class cars/guys (myself included) will have if wanting to run NASA - the dual door bars will need to be welded in. On a bolt-in cage (OG Racing, Racetec, factory Matter, etc that use weld-in nut plates and bolt-on single door bars: legal and the most common in PCA), welding in a cross-braced door bar set makes the cage permanent. The front hoops on all these type cages come down on the face side of the dash - so after the bars are welded in, you cant pull the dash out. So then you need to cut up the dash which leaves big gaps between the bars and the a-pillar & door jam. The best solution is to have a full front hoop custom made tight to the a-pillars and door jams, and make small cuts in the dash to fit in over the permanent cage. Might as well then have the entire cage removed and have a custom built weld-in installed.
Each organization (NASA, PCA, SCCA, SVRA, etc) has their own rules (both safety and allowed perf. mods), for their own reasons - which is fine. If you build a car from the ground up, making it legal to run in multiple venues - great. Problem becomes making a car built specifically to meet the rules of one organization, also eligible to race with another organization, after the fact. You have to redo a lot of **** that was already done = wasted time and re-spent money. Unfortunately, looks like I fall into the "after the fact" category.
08-30-2007, 12:50 PM
#18
Race Director
Joe,
My car is a PCA D-Class Club Sport/Cup spec 951. Not sure it could be legally converted to SP3/SuperCup rules, and regardless, no chance I would put 500 lbs of ballast in it - which is why I inquired about GTS classes/race groups running at the events Eric is advertizing for 944 Spec. I may consider running a NASA race or so next year, depending on event dates and tracks. However, if the safety equipment requirements deviate significantly from PCA requirements, the number of PCA guys crossing over to NASA will be reduced.
My car is a PCA D-Class Club Sport/Cup spec 951. Not sure it could be legally converted to SP3/SuperCup rules, and regardless, no chance I would put 500 lbs of ballast in it - which is why I inquired about GTS classes/race groups running at the events Eric is advertizing for 944 Spec. I may consider running a NASA race or so next year, depending on event dates and tracks. However, if the safety equipment requirements deviate significantly from PCA requirements, the number of PCA guys crossing over to NASA will be reduced.
GTS is simple bring a dyno sheet and then you classed by weight and hp. All other mods are open. Clearly your current hp/weight may not be ideal for classes (ie bottom of a class), but a few lbs in either direction would help out alot.
Performance Touring is another option. The car would start probably as a 944 Turbo S and you would take points for all mods above a 944 turbo S. Sometime dynos are required for turbo cars, but it depends on the mods to the turbo system. It is a little more complex to class, but another option.
Being on west coast I have never run with NASA in Eric's area, but overall NASA is great group to run with. I perfer the atmosphere of NASA as compared to PCA Club Racing. Maybe it has to do with NASA being more realistic on rules and understand that cost containment is a factor in every racing class.
08-30-2007, 01:01 PM
#19
Race Director
However, right or wrong (probably the latter), PCA does not require dual door bars, or the right side net/halo seat at this point.
So the problem a lot of existing PCA stock class cars/guys (myself included) will have if wanting to run NASA - the dual door bars will need to be welded in. On a bolt-in cage (OG Racing, Racetec, factory Matter, etc that use weld-in nut plates and bolt-on single door bars: legal and the most common in PCA), welding in a cross-braced door bar set makes the cage permanent.
So the problem a lot of existing PCA stock class cars/guys (myself included) will have if wanting to run NASA - the dual door bars will need to be welded in. On a bolt-in cage (OG Racing, Racetec, factory Matter, etc that use weld-in nut plates and bolt-on single door bars: legal and the most common in PCA), welding in a cross-braced door bar set makes the cage permanent.
Those are the big ones I can think of right now. SCCA also requires 2 door bars as of 2007 as well. Each body does have their own safety rules, but they are very similar. It is usally quite easy to build a car to meet safety rules of multiple orgs if you plan it like that. Adding in elements afterwards can be more difficult, but that is just the way it is.
09-03-2007, 02:14 AM
#20
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Joe, autopower makes kit to add a second door bar now, so that should be do-able without too much pain. The right sided net is pretty simple. Wether you come out to run with us or not *please* make your car as sae as it can be. With the money we spend on consumable and entry fees, one lesss day would more than pay for all these things. With the perspective of being a small town Doc, and recently having had a fatal accident unfold in front of me at the track, this safety stuff hits pretty close to home.
