Theo911

Which PCA Class--sorry left that off my subject. I'm a relative newbie to Rennlist, primarily a lurker here. I've been DE'ing for 7 years and currently drive an 80SC with a 3.6. I think I'm ready to make the jump to Club Racing and I'm researching which class to find a car ready to race. I know this is a vague question and will receive a million answers but I'd like to know why you race in the class you do and which car do you drive? I'd like to be competitive in whichever class I choose so I know the model of Porsche is important. Assume my budget is 20-25k for a car and I'll be doing 3-4 club races per year. Thanks for your responses.

f1rocks

You're in NE so you'll likely do:

Hallet
Topeka
Hastings
High Plains

or do you want to tow farther? Do you already have a tow rig? If not, that needs to be in the budget as well.

How much track experience?
Assuming you want to run in class with more than one, look at mylaps.com data for those races and see what the largest fields are.

You've budgeted money for the car but how much for the consumables. It will be well over $1000 to $1500/race weekend for entry and consumables.

6 races a year costs me $8000 and I run the least expensive class possible.

Theo911

Own a tow rig and trailer already. Track experience is 20ish DE's over the past 7 years. I'll check out Mylaps for the field sizes. My early guess is I'll end up somewhere between D and F. Consumable budget would be roughly $8000 to $10000/year. Thanks.

good hands

Looks like you already drive a 911 so go get yourself a legal SC or Carrera and drive in D or E.
Nice field sizes.

swftiii

I would start by looking at the last couple years of results for your local tracks to see the class participation levels. This can be found on pca.org under the club racing section (history).

Then I would look at the cars you would like to race and see where the registration levels are and where those cars would be classed. I find running in a larger class is a lot more fun than being 1 of 2 or 3 in your class.

I race in stock F with a 964. I started my track time in the 911 platform (993 C4S) and when I got to the club racing stage found the current platform could not be very competitive and the G class wasn't well attended. I wanted to stay in a rear engine car and had always liked the 964 platform, so made the move. F is well attended in my area, stock class is where I wanted to be (I actually like to drive the car on the street, so have kept it streetable), and I really enjoy driving my car.

Hope this helps - others I'm sure have different thoughts, but this is what was important to me.

-Skip

Chaos

E,numbers don't lie(everyone else is in E)

Theo911

Funny you mention that I was just counting the E's in the last race at Hastings--and E was highest number, then D.

Chris M.

For me, it's about running a lightweight 911 in a class with lots of competition. A GT class car would be ideal, but also a lot more expensive. An SC in D, E, or F depending on the motor and mods is a great choice. D cars are nice but I've never been to a race where there's more than a couple. There were almost 30 E cars alone at Road America a few weeks ago including SCs, 3.2 Carreras, 944 S2s, 944 Turbos, and 968s. The 84-86 3.2 911s are fast but they are hampered by the factory rev limiter and run 100 pounds heavier than the SCs. The 87-89 cars have the same rev limitations and run 200 pounds heavier.

HERE is an example of one of the great deals available right now in the used race car market. You need to be a PCA member to view this. If you can't, send me a PM here and I'll get you the info. It's a well-sorted SC E class car for $22,500.

Astroman

Yep, that's a good car and good price. I've seen it in the paddock.

E class is consistently one of, in not THE best represented PCA class anywhere in the country. Even at "small" races, there are often more than a dozen cars. Big races= 20-30.

John H

I don't see it. Is it the one advertised on Pelican too in TX I believe?

Chris M.

It's been in the last two Panoramas and it's located in Memphis. I last saw it at Putnam a couple years ago. Really nice clean car and it has a low hour Pat Williams engine and a zero hour transmission. PM me John with an email address and I'll send you the info.

U4EEAH

NO BRAINER!!! (even if no one else here seems to share my opinion.)SPB is growing in leaps and bounds, and will continue to do so while the other classes dwindle. "Production" classes are far from production and the costs of campaigning a COMPETITIVE car will far exceed what you are hoping for. The parity in spec classes insure good racing, the tire costs are nominal (huge savings), and cheap stock boxster parts are plentiful.

cajuncroc

I've been running an E class 944s2 for the last year. The 944 is a popular racecar in my area, so the is always someone who can help with setup, repairs, or spare parts at the track. The fields are usually large and you can always find someone to run with. In the Texas, OK area there are a lot of Spec Boxsters. They will run similar times to the E class depending on the track. It seems most are going in the $35,000 range. There are some possible rules changes for next year including having cars with remote reservoir shocks being bumped from E to F. In E class almost everyone runs Hoosier R6 @ $1200/set. The set will last 3-4 race weekends (12-16 heat cycles), but will drop off by 1-2 seconds after about 8 heat cycles. I think SpecBox run Toyo 888 which are cheaper and last longer. Entry fees are $400-500/race weekend, plus hotel, gas,etc. Assume 1-2 oil changes per year, at least 1 brake flush, maybe 1 brake pad set and 1 front window. A understanding wife is priceless. I've had a lot of fun, met some great people and made a lot of friends this part year, and you will too!

Sean F

Buy Fred C's awesome 3.0 engine that is for sale here on RL and sell your 3.6 setup (you'll be cash positive) and then go race in D or E prepared. You'll have a blast.

Astroman

Great idea!