m3bs

Interesting stuff. Like the OP, I've been looking into a GT3 to replace my aging M3 track car. I pretty much came to the same conclusion about cost: $1000/day vs. $1000/weekend for my M3. Just refer back to the old drag racing axiom: Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?

I test drove a '07 C6Z06 and a GTR last week. I suspect the operating cost for a GTR would make a GT3 look cheap. The Z06 felt so disconnected, I don't know how people drive them quickly on the track. The experience only served to convince me that the only move for me to make would be to a GT3, or else figure out how to add 200HP to my M3.

DRG13

I heavily tracked my 996 GT3's for a few years and operating costs were not $1000/per day, I'd guess half that. This was not competitive racing, but car was run very hard and lived full time at the track. Ran R6 Hoosiers on average of 15 heat cycles, rotor replacements, pads, brake fluid, oil changes, gas, track fees, etc, The track that I am a member at is not very hard on brakes but can eat tires, R6's being my major expenditure, 1 set rotors a year, 4 sets of pads a year, oil change 2 x month, brake fluid 2 x month..never a major mechanical failure, car is pretty bulletproof. An average day consisting of 4 x 30 minute sessions. I never broke out detailed costs, but I do have a detailed break out of 996 Cup car running costs, those figures average out to around $600/hr...for a normal track day that would come to 2 hrs for a total of $1200/day...that was for a Cup car and that included a $20K engine rebuild every 3rd year....a GT3 ain't no Cup car...just my .02 cents

I'll see if I can find that Cup car running cost document and post it...it's pretty thorough and comes from a highly regarded rennlister who runs the crap out of his cup cars (Racing, not DE'ing) I found the spreadsheet but it's a large file, if anybody wants it, send me a PM with e-mail address and I'll send you a copy.

mooty

DRG, you got pm

DRG13

Mooty, document sent...

AllanJ

Track day expenses are going to vary from person to person and track to track. Some tracks eat brakes, others are more kind, etc. Do you pay someone to do maintenance or get a shop to do everything? Travel expenses is another item. Hotel, gas, food. It all adds up. I'm afraid to add mine up.

DRG13

just to clarify...My $600/hr Cup car cost estimate was based on local track, not a race schedule and 60 hours of use a year. No tow vehicle or tow vehicle depreciation, no travel costs, no entry fees, etc. associated with a race season...

When estimating the costs for a 16 weekend race year, the estimate jumps to $1,194/hr to run a Cup.

Backmarker

I do 10-12 track days/year. I typically don't pay for seat time since I instruct. I find that to be the single biggest savings (200-350 waived/day)

Over the course of that many days I replace

350 front pads
1000 tires
350 oil/diff/tranny fluid
200 brake fluid
??? gas

I recently put deman rotors on (about 5 track days ago) and they seem like they will last a full year
I have 10+ days on p50 rear pads/pccb and they still have almost no wear
i have 5 days on NT01s and they still have plenty of life

Doing the math above I'd say I spend about $250/event not including gas. I do not really drive the car on the street, but when I need to I swap for street wheels/tires to save the r comps. I also have a set of hoosiers and when I can get someone to take them to the track I run them and save the r comps a bit more.

I tracked 2 m3s for 8+ years, the biggest cost difference is the parts cost.

Crazy Canuck

Doing a proper cool down with Cup front brake cooling ducts really prolongs the life of front rotors. I had a set of pads and rotors last a year. 30+ track days, over 10 were open full days so the car got lots of use. I'm not the fastest guy out there but I'm far from the slowest.

Deman or Girodisc slotted front rotors are cheaper and last longer than the cross drilled OEM or Cup rotors.

I run Pagid RS14 (Black) on the rear and RS29 (Yellow) on the front. This seems to even out brake wear a bit by transferring more braking power to the rear brakes due to the more aggressive black pads.

During a busy season, like last year, I had the transmission oil changed mid-season.

Tires are a personal choice. I've tried MPS2, MPSC, Nitto NT-O1 and the Pirelli Corsa (real ones). I like the MPSCs the best. Best grip and the lifespan is acceptable. THe Corsas are close gripwise but much better in the wet. Nittos last and last but I'm tripping ABS constantly. I'm having to brake much earlier and the cornering grip just isn't comparable. There just isn't the same amount of grip as cups. There is easily a few seconds a lap difference. I haven't tried Hoohoos and I'm not going to. Cost/Lifespan ...

The car is fast. IMO you're nuts if you're driving it at 9/10ths+ without a rollbar, seats, harnesses and a Hans.

A Cup car has its appeal. Paying for the much more frequent maintenance (engine & trans rebuilds) isn't one of them.

Serge944

Even though the gt3 you sold hasn't even left your garage!

Porsche917K

+1 The seats and cage are pretty much a requirement if you're going to be driving hard. If you try to do it with stock seats you'll be worn out after a few sessions. I recently drove a buddy's 4S extensively at an open track day. He had stock interior and I was surprised how tired I was by the end of the day.

va122

BS! Mooty is spot on! You don't drive hard enough. I do about 30+ days per year and I'm a racer (in my M3 not in the GT3) I spend 1000 to step foot on track and about 1700 of tire per weekend (I run slicks). Include trailer costs, fuel (that mooty leaves out) 14/ tank per 20 min session and the like and you got the 1000$ easily!

himself

As another data point: I drive to my car to the track and I don't spend anywhere close to $1000 a day - especially since I don't buy sticker tires. [I buy scrub Hooiser R6s that last an entire event]. I do drive pretty hard, btw.

-td

tlarocque

Well, I'm not trying to say you don't spend $1000/day, I'm just saying that I don't. Again, however, I'm a DE'er, not a racer. I may not drive hard enough but I drive as hard as I want and I have a damn good time doing it. I try to preserve my equipment, I don't need a trailer as I have 3 tracks within 30 miles, and I don't run slicks. NO WAY I am spending $1000/day.... maybe half that.

Serge- yes, its killing me to have your car sitting in my garage! I was all paid up for a DE last weekend, I wish your check had taken longer to get here! Sat that one out and I'm missing one tomorrow too. I'm tempted to take my '88 Carrera out just to have a little fun but that motor only has about 400 miles since rebuild and the damn car is just too pretty to track. Hope to have another GT3 soon but need to see where I'm at at the end of the year here.

996FLT6

250 on average per given trackday, $100 for gas that's track and back home/ 100 per nite hotel/ food $100/ mpsc's are about 20 hc at 1000 for a set u do 5 sessions so $ 250 rotors/pads equal to $100 per trackday - $1000 bout right then theirs maintenance ie alignment 2 times a year and fluid changes. Mime

mooty

front pagid roughly 500. last me 5 days tops, usually 4 days so 100/day
front rotors about 800 over 10 days at most, usually 8 days. let's call it 100/day
fuel at least $100 a day (track only, i am not counting trip to and from track)
oil change every 4-5 days: 200/4 = 50
alignment 200 every 4 days = 50
diff fluid/brake fluid amortized to about 50 per day
R888 tires last me at best 4 days 1400 after tax and mounting = 350
LSD wear and tear amortized to 50/day

that's 850/day

BUT i didn't count rear pads/rotors yet.
i do not count hotel and food cost b/c that cost would be same no matter what car you drive.
i also didn't amortize for tranny and engine rebuilds. if you drive them hard, the rebuild time isn't much better than cup cars.