+1 for 944 spec
i'm currently running a 924s on the east coast..
i just ran the clubrace with PCA at the glen in SP1 and i will see u guys at hyperfest !
v-tach

 

Wholly crap! While looking up the info on the Spec Racer Fords, I found the spec Formula SCCA cars! I'm in freakin love. How cool would it be to have one of those!!

$50k each is probably out of my league... so SRF is probably a better option, however.


PS: I've been lurking on this thread with huge interest. I'm nearly in the same boat as you, except I'm a little bit older, and my budget may be a little itty bit bigger than yours (I graduated and I have a real job, at the moment). I don't have the all of that karting experience, though. All I have is a couple of year's experience in HPDEs, and apparently some natural talent.

While talking with a pro racer (rolex series), he said it's "not impossible" at my age to get into pro sports car racing. I realize I'm still smoking crack, but it has me really thinking seriously about getting into a ladder type series, and see where my abilities take me.

I've been dreaming about racing since I was like 7, and basically told since then that it was an impossible goal. I have a lot of regrets about that, to be honest.

Now I'm starting to realize that it's not so impossible, and that I'm just a few years behind the curve on that type of thing. If I had known this even less than 10 years ago, I think I could have already had a real shot at it. Getting a shot now will be much harder, but, damn if I knew there was a chance while I was still in high school, I wouldn't have thought twice about dropping everything and going for it.

-Judd

 

It is frankly quite easy to get a seat in pro race (rolex or ALMS or even LeMans) at any age. All it takes is $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

Even at LeMans there are a number of racers who simply buy the seat. If you are looking to get PAID to RACE.... Then unless you are 18 and 10 years (6-8championship) of Karting under your belt you will have a VERY VERY VERY tough time.

 

That is currently slated as my next racecar actually in 2-3 years.

 

This S/M is for sale, I've driven it and it's a solid and competitive car. Dave Delgennio built it, he's the guy who invented the class. The owner is motivated and asking around $14k, I think. A really nice trailex is also available for it.

 

 

Is that a Formula Mazda as your avatar? How is racing that car (whatever it is)?

-Judd

 

judd u have a PM

I think its a formula continental.

Btw Circuit I like that shot of it, for some reason reminds me a little of the 73' tyrell f1 car from that angle

 

ride a bike...

 

89 Van Diemen Formula Continental. Old but good. Can take a serious beating while I work on learning. Not the fastest, most slippery car but it can get the job done.

 

The SCCA FE class is very attractive. Some believe it may supplant the SRF. I doubt it, mostly due to the added upfront and running costs. They are becoming increasingly reliable and are picking up their numbers especially given that they will now be running at the Runoffs. A smaller National may only have 5-6 running in a mixed wing group, but some of the larger, bigger venues will get 10-20.

Why just run one car though? A few guys run both. A very fast, former karter, is running both. At the last Great Lakes National at Mid Ohio, he won both the SRF and FE races from pole. He also set the track records for both.

For those interested in using it as a platform for pro racing, Adam Burrows was a frequent podium finisher in the NE division. A fast driver, but not always the fastest in the region. He won the Koni Challenge championship in the touring class last year in his rookie season.

________
Jason

 

A couple points.

If one wants to win a national championship, any class is really expensive. If you want a cheap way to go out and race, SM can't be beat IMHO. You won't get a front runner for $10k, but you'll get a car a good drover can run on second weekend tires in the middle of a huge pack of cars. You'll have someone to fight with from green to checker. Parts are cheap in the porsche sense. The key to having a good time racing is having someone to race with (preferrably several someones). You almost always have this in a SM.

I stopped racing them just because I wound up leaving the racetrack unhappy on too many occasions due to unsportsmanlike driving in the class. My first love is racing open wheelers, and I've gotten spoiled by the racing room and sportsmanship usually present in club open wheel racing.
(Unsportsmanlike drivers leave fairly quickly when they run out of budget to buy new corners for their car.)

I'd think twice about the FE cars. The local FE cars seem to break gear boxes and half shafts with regularity. Parts are fairly expensive as well.

 

In SRF's if you have a relatively fresh car with fresh tires can you win a national (assuming your good enough)? Or are there any games played like in spec Miata? Also is a slightly older chassis # as good as a fresh one? Are there any "good" and "bad" chassis if so whats the time difference? because even with the most spec series its just the nature that some cars are inherently different than others but its a question of how much? Thanks, Mike

 

Yes, you can win National races in a decent car on talent alone...maybe not the Runoffs or Sprints.

Yes, there are games. The games are mostly with respect to creating draft partnerships (which can sometimes backfire...and you can get stabbed in the back at any moment). If you try and draft behind someone and an agreement is not in place, they may back off their lap so that you don't leapfrog them in qualifying. It can get pretty interesting and the drama can be as thick as afternoon soap operas.

______
Jason

 

See I think thats real racing not money spending and cheating games !!! Thats what I like to hear about a class, now all I need is the 20k

Btw thanks for being so helpful pyruvate!