LVDell

I would STRONGLY suggest that you do NOT start adding up your costs unless you want to question your commitment to motorsports. Trust me, I have been thinking long and hard about getting out all together and just joining the local CC for 40K and playing golf until my hearts content. I cracks me up that I used to complain that a driver costs $500+, wedges, $150+, box of golf ***** $40+, etc.. ****, for the cost of one set of tires and brake pads I could replace my entire golf bag (clubs and all)!!!!!!!!!!

Then, I think about all the great friends I have made at the track and the sheer enjoyment I get lapping around a road circuit in one of the most fantastic cars built, and then I say, SCREW IT! I'm not going anywhere

DanH

That's got to be a severe underestimate! I reckon its more like 2k a day once you factor in servicing, diff rebuilts, clutches, bearings, track access (!!), lunch (!!!).

DanH

That's it. Nothing else comes close

(although I'd really like to do some racing. Wheel to wheel is another level again, even in karts!)

LVDell

It gets out of control quickly when you factor in EVERYTHING, doesn't it?

fryd

Dan - did I ever see you out at Brands, Silverstone, Bedford or Castle Combe in 2007? I did a few days with PCGB when I living in the UK last year and also a day with GoldTrack at Silverstone. Fun day that was with prototypes and all mixes there, including a number of VERY fast GT3s.

DanH

It's possible! What were you driving? I definitely did a PCGB day or two at Brands GP last year and the odd Silverstone date with Goldtrack.

There's a big posse of us with GT3s here who are all mates and some of whom are very fast. We tend to go quicker than the guys with GT3s we don't know but most of us are still at least a few secs off the pace of a proper race driver (although we have a few of them too).

mooty

yes, it is underestimated to illustrate a point and not to give myself a heart attack. even at $1k/day, it will easily add up to over $5k if you extrapolate my $1k to arrive and drive cuppies.

mooty

me too. was a golfer. now all $ is in the car.
but it sure is fun. on track driving or off track bench racing over a rack of BBQ pork ribs and some beers.

that's where i'll be at in two weeks with our GGR outing.

Austin

Thanks CJ. I've supported so many privateers and teams in many club and series, I could recite each.

For 8-10 weekends of PCA all self supported like the thread was asking, that's what we're looking at. (Without crash damage of course, maybe a bumper and a windshield here and there though).

There's a saying amongst my ALMS buds, you're ready for ALMS if you're prepared to through a trashbag of cash out the window. I give a lot of credit to those brave (and financially secure) gentleman who keep the pro series road racing alive in the USA.

Austin

I believe Mike K would like us to all get Stohrs?

Crazy Canuck

I drove Keith C's Radical last week.

That Stohr is uber-fast.

944TURBOS

I will chime in because I race in J class in my GT3 and have weighed all these options over and over again and still do pretty much weekly. Running in J class has its pros and cons. First of all its MUCH cheaper than running a competitive cupcar. Anyone who tells you differently, simply does not know much about the two cars operating costs. The thing with having a cupcar is that to be competitive you have to come with a team. You will need someone really working with you, additionally to be a front runner you will need an 04 or 05 car. These will still run you near 110-120k (depending on parts, hrs, history). So lets take the first factor the price of getting either car on the track. If you were to sell your GT3 for lets say 75k (optimistic) you would need somewhere in the ballpark of 35-45k more to buy the cup car. If you have suspension, exhaust, flywheel etc done you have your performance mods set (btw you have to run a stock wing in J class ). Get a kill switch, extra set of wheel/hoosiers, cage, kill switch, window net, transponder (from pca clubracing), seats and belts. This will run you under 15k. So right off the bat you are looking at a 20-30k savings.

Then we go on to the operating costs per weekend. Cup Car tires are going to cost you on average 600-1000 more than the tires you get for your GT3 (this will depend on who you know and what you buy for the two cars). You can get away with one set of scrub tires to practice on and one new set in your street GT3, so you will need 1 NEW set of tires per race weekend for you street car. You will likely need two sets for the cup car. There is another 2k per weekend.

Also if you factor in crew, transport, set up, brakes etc, this could end up looking something more like 5-7k more a weekend operating costs. I can break the individual costs down more, but trust me, I calculated ALL of this before buying the GT3. For me it was between my car and a 04-05 Cup.

So the bottom line is, you will be spending A LOT more money on a cup car. Not just a little, a ton more. However, with the added cost, you will go faster, you will be in a factory built RACE CAR. So you are getting extra fun and performance for your money. Also you will get more people to race with. I have anywhere between 2-4 guys at races. This is getting boring, to the point that I am considering selling. I have virtually had zero competition to run with this season. I will at road america because michael origer is very quick, but outside of a few of the big races I am running with myself or against the tale end of the cup car guys.

The question then becomes, are you ready to spend 7 or more thousand a race weekend before entry fees, transport, hotel, etc. If you want to spend less than half of that and have about 75% of the performance then the street GT3 is the way to go. I want a cup car very badly but at this point I can not justify that cost. So I am going to continue racing in J class, maybe even move down the PCA ladder to something like G class and come play with you cup guys down the line. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide to do.

Carnerd

How competitive are you in the J-Class? Is the field very large? What's been done to your GT3?

944TURBOS

This season I have had 5 overall races and won all five rather easily. Two starting from the back row (once by choice, once by getting to the pits late). Last year was my first season in the car and I won 3 races, took 1 2nd. So I would say I am pretty competitive. The fields like I said are small. They range from 3-5 cars which sucks. Most races I am well ahead of the field and at times lapping J class cars. I wish we could get some more hot shoes out in J class, but sadly I think most people end up in cup cars.

My car has Motons, Forgeline SX3-R Wheels, Fabspeed Muffler bypass pipes, Euro GT3 seats, DAS Roll Bar, Schroth 6 pt Harnesses, Pagid Yellow Pads, Moton Club Sport Suspension, RS LTW Flywheel/Clutch, Kill Switch, Window Net, and transponder...

This is pretty much the set up needed to track. I could do headers and a hi-flo cat and lighten up the car a bit (I usually come in a good amount over the minimum), but other than that my car is daily driven too. I will be getting a full cage this winter as the rules demand it.

C.J. Ichiban

I feel kind of ****ty saying this, but really I hope to do my current job long enough to save up for a few seasons at whatever price because F$%^ I don't care and want to race cup cars. main thing holding me back right now is time commitment, and getting some more experience.

I'm pretty sure unless I decide to open up my own car dealership/ race shop some day (which is a laugh in it's own right), I'll be that guy throwing trashbags away. at least it will be fun.