When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I'm sure there are a bunch of you guys who have went from just having fun at the track in your sports car to owning a dedicated track car and maybe back. I would like to hear your thoughts. I own a C7 Z06 which I use as a dual track/street car. I started tracking it stock but then wanted more safety so I put in a harness bar and 6 point. I was of course spending a fortune replacing CCB rotors and pads so I put on the Giro-disc setup. After spending another fortune on Cup 2 tires ($2000/set) that last 3 days I have decided to buy forged 18's so I can run Pirelli scrubs which are much cheaper and last about the same amount of heat cycles. This prompted me to get an enclosed trailer so I can tow back and forth and not worry about things. Ah yes the slippery slope. I bought a 991 GT3 with the idea that I wouldn't drive the Corvette much on the street but I still do enjoy driving it on the street because of the manual trans, and of course I ended up tracking the GT3 a few times too(that has remained stock). All of this has lead me to the question of whether or not I would be better off with a track car. Heres a few thoughts.
-I live in Wisconsin (Road America is my home track) and the season is limited, I feel like its tough to use 2 sports cars so adding another seems tough
-I could ship a track car south in the winter but that seems like a lot to coordinate and expensive
-I love the idea of a lighter car thats easier on consumables. I have looked at older Cups and Radical's. Am I in fantasy land that these will be easier to deal with? I know brakes and tires last a whole season on the radicals but the other Mx seems higher
-I enjoy the fact that I can drop the cars off at the dealer if I don't feel like changing fluids, bleeding brakes, etc
-I usually do 12-18 track days a year
-I really want a lighter car for the track but it seems dumb to rip apart nice street cars
Radicals and cups are likely to be more expensive than your current cars.
At 12-18x a year yes a dedicated car makes sense. And if you’re doing DE you might have more fun if you start racing or doing time trials.
How much of your track hobby is rooted in going fast in a cool car, getting better / self improvement, and are you interested in racing now or just doing DE and/or time trials?
Have you considered an arrive and drive series? That prevents you from doing a lot of the things you don’t want to do and you can do a formula car, prototype, or sedan without too much trouble.
No interest in racing at this point. I am still finding ways to improve as a driver and enjoy that. Maybe in a few years but for now I enjoy keeping the cars in one piece looking good
I started going to the track with my daily driver - a tired 2000 Audi A4 quattro. I next bought a 1987 Porsche 944T with a half cage, stripped out, race suspension, etc. It was a street legal DE car.
Eventually I bought an I class Cayman with a full cage and went race. Last week I bought a 991.1 Cup car. I went from the Audi to the Cup in 14 years. Along the way I have had several tow vehicles and three different trailers.
A "compromise car", which handles both street and track, will always be a compromise car. That being said, you have to do what fits your budget but a dedicated race car is always going to be best. Keep in mind that driving on the street with a full cage is not recommended as you can split your head open with out a helmet.
Bigger car with more power will eat brakes and expensive tires. If you want that power, gotta pay up. Something like a 987.2 cayman will lower your costs, but your lap times will not be in the same range if youre hustling that vette
Alternatively, something like the elan np01 has nice consumable costs but obviously a track only downforce car, not a power car.
Ah yes, a 987.2 race-ready Cayman built for DE.
You would love it - I love(d) mine.
And after only 6 seasons of DE-only, it's for sale.
Would be lovely at Road America. https://sstauto.com/listings/2009-ca...nual-for-sale/
I don't know man. I've been driving caged track only cars for 15 years. I just spent my Sunday fabricating a chassis mounted wing. But I'm jealous of the guys who roll up in the morning in their GT3/4, haul *** on track, and are long gone while I'm still dicking around loading trailers sweating my *** off. It's a lot of BS to deal with if you aren't racing competitively.
I started down A similar. Started drag racing a Corvette. Then autocrossed it. Then started tracking it. Eventually it go to the piont where I was fast enough to need more safety and realized that my car was modified enough that it wasn’t a great track car and wasn’t a good street car. So I decided to get a race car. While I was searching for the right car I decided that if I was going this far I really wanted a car with decent downforce. I ended up going with Radicals and have really enjoyed them. Once you experience a lightweight downforce car with slicks and paddle shifting it is hard to consider anything else. It is hard to find a way to go faster for less. That car is light so consumables last a long time. The major cost is engine overhauls which are recommended every 40 to 100 hours depending on which engine you choose. Check out this SR3 Buyers Guide that I wrote to learn more about the cars, and if you have any questions feel free to contact me.
You already have one of the hurdles for a dedicated track car - a trailer and an enclosed one at that. I assume you have enough truck to pull it.
That said, I went from a dual purpose car to a dedicated track car and have never regretted it. Both cars are E36 M3s with the track car having a lot of track and safety upgrades. As a tool, the dedicated track machine is just better in every way. It's also nice to not need the car I drive on the track during the weekend to get me to work on the following Monday.
I really found out how much I like the dedicated car last year when I was able to return to the track, but I had to take the dual purpose car. Was not nearly as much fun - I was really surprised just how much I missed the track car. It's just so much more capable, comfortable, and safe on the track.
As you have already noticed, it costs a lot less to buy a track car than turn a nice street car into a track car. Also, you don't need to spend a whole lot if the goal is truly improving your driving. Miata, 944, E36/E46, etc can do that for a whole lot less dollars and if you can pedal one those fast you will be fast in anything. My first PCA instructor drove a Spec Miata. When I asked him why, his response was he could DE the Miata for the entire year for what is cost to buy one pair of rear tires for his Porsche.
If you want to learn how to DRIVE, buy a car without all the nannies. Preferably one that has already been built and set up by someone else who knows what they are doing.
If you want to learn how to DRIVE, buy a car without all the nannies. Preferably one that has already been built and set up by someone else who knows what they are doing.
+1....The best P-Car is 944 and non P-Car is the Miata. Buy a used race car not a street car to take to the track. Be patient and then pounce. That is what I did, getting the race car for 30 cents for each dollar spent by original owner. Greg Fordahl was the builder.
10-11-2020, 10:45 PM
Stick with street legal or go for a track car
