TRAKCAR

I heard some parts for the 996 CUP are getting more expensive and harder to get?

If I would be happy only driving my car once a month without ever driving it on the street, I would concider a 996 CUP, but our cars are roughly the same speed and I get to enjoy it almost every day.

I can't deal with a full cage for daily driving anymore (Did it for years) so I lose some safety, but I think in DE the risk is not too bad of wrecking where the cage / fuel tank fire system makes all the difference.
I'd still drive it in shorts and a t shirt.

Serge944

Oh, I agree. You have to be wealthy to reasonably justify owning a CUP car, since it has zero utility away from the track.

NJ-GT

Correct, your slightly modified GT3 RS 3.8 on the same slicks being used by the Cup cars should be capable of 2:15 at Sebring, while a Pro driven 996 GT3 Cup (PCA GTC3 legal) is a 2:13 car.

Your car still has A/C, street legal, cats, looks amazing, and you can even get a thing or two fixed under warranty.

I have a spreadsheet I put together years ago with the costs of running a 997 GT3 Cup per hour. The number was close to $4,000/hr, so a weekend with 3 hours of driving was $12,000. 8 events per year was $100k. I did not include track support, tuning, and paying a race team for transportation and storage. The cost per hour moves up when doing IMSA, or Pro races.

However, as I suggested Mooty before he started building the stripper, the best track day car from Porsche is the 996 GT3 Cup. Affordable entry price, ABS, just switch to DOT-R tires instead of slicks, it has a reliable transmission, and under DE conditions the engine should last a long time. On R6 it is capable of 2:15s at Sebring. For $85k, you still have money left to buy an OK daily driver, such as a 2005 997S.

TRAKCAR

Yup, I agree.

When I get even older and fatter that's what I will do. I won't event take it home just leave it at Orbit.
I won't have 997 daily driver but a big fat asocial SUV with lots and lots of of torque, in case I get fatter. Hopefully the upcoming G65's will drop in value like the brick they look like because I want an old beat up one in 10 years as I am sure it will be keyed wherever I park it.

Perhaps a 300SEL 6.3 so my wife will drive with me instead of following me everywhere.

Nizer

And nice examples can be had for substantially less....

jenk12m

Definitely valid points from both sides. There are other race cars besides cup cars that are a lot cheaper to run as well. However, all this won't come into play for another 5-6 years for me anyways

Veloce Raptor

Warren (Nizer) nailed it.

Also, why is everyone assuming that a Cup is the only race car? And why is everyone assuming that Jenks would automatically race a Cup?

Nizer

One other point and then I'll stop beating this dead horse (at least in this thread). Many are bashing the 991 citing plushness, loss of connectedness, steering, size, feel, yadda, yadda, yadda. I can tell you that the gap between driving a 996 Cup vs 997.2 RS on the track is waaay wider than the gap between current RS and a 991. Again, this is coming from someone who's driven all three as opposed to many that are passing judgement on what they've read.

Not sure how many caught Chris Harris comment in a recent article (can't recall publication at the moment). He quoted a conversation with his race engineer at VLN race where he asked the engineer what else they could do to make their 997 Cup faster and the engineer replied make the wheelbase longer and the front track wider....

TRAKCAR

He does not fit in a Miata or Cayman.
So that leaves BMW, fake RX8, fake anything else or NASCAR

Nike sponsor a racecar yet??

The Greek

I would drive up north just to see Jenks race in the Miatia series. Cut a whole in the roof for his head....

TraqGear

Almost anyone can fit into a miata. I put one on every month or so. And, lot bigger guys than me that drive them.

TraqGear

I've raced NASA, PCA and SCCA. Talent in every area. Lot more talent in Spec Miata simply because of the cost. But, nonetheless, always talent in each body. I would never take any race in either club for granted.

jcastle

ebay auction has ended. is car still for sale? if so, pm me. thanks.

jporro68

I remember the day I thought twice about racing. I was at turn 10 in Sebring watching one of the club races and this yellow Turbo went way too hot and broke way too late in the inside of 10 passing like four cars prior to t-boning a Ferrari. The Ferrari owner was minding his own business and BAM!!!! A $20,000 plus bill plus a few sore body parts. The same could be said if the victim was a Porsche. Super solo is fine. When and if I go racing, I will try the Elan Imsa lites car.

I agree with Mooty........the right thing is personal so do what you want to do! "Life is short and it is shorter when your not on the race track"

Veloce Raptor

Wanna bet? Miata or Cayman with full race shells is a lot more roomy head room wise than stock. So there are those. Or maybe an older 911 E car (huge fields in PCA). Or Spec 996. Or BMW M3. Or Z06. Et cetera.

Yup. Same with BMW as well. Ol' NJ-GT doesn't know what he is talking about...