Making some decisions about racing, might get rid of the 914... might not... Options

[nebreitling]

so, i want to race. i've wanted to race forever, and i've seen this becoming more possibly the last year or two. i'm tentatively planning to get my scca license next march, but may wait til 2007.

so i've been throwing around ideas and doing a lot of research into what class i might race in, what cars i might rent or buy, and of course, the possibility of racing the 914. it doesn't seem like a cost-effective or logical platform, but hey, i've already got one and it's fairly well sorted.

I can race the 914 w/ my engine (very fast 2056) as is and no weight requirements in the catch-all class of ITE. it's basically an anything-goes DOT-race-tire class. I'd run mid-pack or slower (probably slower), so I don't know how much fun that'd be. ITE times at thunderhill range from 2:00 to 2:20. we'll see what I run this saturday, but I'm guessing that with some experience, the car and I are capable of running 2:15's... maybe less, but I ain't going to be running 2:00s without serious power AND tire width AND some real experience.

now, with a stock 2.0 engine and some ballast, I'd be in ITB, where I'd have a chance. front runners in ITB are running 2:16s at thunderhill. an ITB car is almost exactly a BP car with ballast. BP cars can run 2:17 to 2:25 at thunderhill. so with some experience, I'd have a chance to be competitve.

stock 1.7 engine and very little ballast is ITC (2:20s and up). this is a class it'd do well in, but a stock 1.7 would break my heart after being used to my engine... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif)


SO, the latest idea is to turn the car into a BP (PCA class)/ITB car. I could run PCA AX and TTs, as well as race SCCA (never mind the proposed points system). seems like it might be a decent compromise, in terms of having a class/classes where I can judge my improvement and progress.

If I sold my engine (just broken in) for a fair price I could pick up a decent used 2.0, do a budget top-end on it, and hopefully have a little money to spare for safety equipment. I fucking love that engine though. it really *makes* the car....

now, I'd run my current engine in NASA GTS-1 (http://www.gtschallenge.com/Rules/2005rules.htm ) if it was in Norcal, but it's only in SoCal right now... (IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/sad.gif) that seems like a cool group.


above are the only ways I can really envision racing the 914. vintage racing isn't active enough for my plans (I'd like to do a full 10-11 race season).

if I sell the 914, the doors are wide open. spec rx7 (scca) and pro7 (nasa) are basically the same class in norcal, so I could run both series and get all the damn seat time I wanted. miatas are also a possibility, but cost about 2x as an rx7 to get into. running costs appear similar, though -- and slightly less than a 914, which will never be as reliable. frankly, i think a spec series would be a better place for me to learn racing.

I definitely do not have the space nor can I probably afford to keep the 914 and buy another race car. it'd break my heart to get rid of the 914 i've built, and i'd sure as hell miss being as active a part of this awesome community, but i want to race that bad.

so if anyone wants to make this decision easy for me and buy a very well-prepped AX/TT/Street car for, say $6750, let me know.

maybe i'll just buy a cheap kart for 06...

all input welcome
(IMG:http://www.914world.com/bbs2/html/emoticons/beerchug.gif)

[smg914]

You were given some great advice. I agree with both Racer Chris and Vegas Racer. Probably the best bang for the buck would be the Miata. From what I understand, you can get a bran new engine in a box for a couple of thousand dollars. And you would be involved in some serious wheel to wheel racing.

Having said all that, for me I didn't want to race anything but a 914. 914's were and still are my passion. I did 17 years of PCA Driver's Ed in a 914 and when PCA Club Racing came along around 1995 it was the perfect venue for me. I bought a SCCA ITB 914 1.8 and had a great time. A few years later I sold it and bought a 914-6 race car which bumped me up two clases. It was a tremendous experience and I have no regrets.

I was spending about $12,000 a year. But I wasn't doing anything close to as many races you plan on doing. Some of the expenses you may not be thinking of are: motels, food, gas for the tow vehicle, gas for the race car, entry fees, tires and brake pads. Also don't foget some of the up front costs even before you get the car on the track. ie; racing suite, new helmet at least every 5 years. If you do 10 races a year you'll need a new helmet sooner than later. You will have to purchase a transponder, nomex golves, nomex socks and nomex boots. I believe your 5 point harness can't be older than 5 years.

To have fun you don't need to be a front runner. You just need a bunch of cars/drivers's that you are competitive with and can go wheel to wheel with them. So no matter where you are, front middle or back as long as you have 4 to 10 cars around you, you will have a blast. To be a front runner in a 914 takes a lot of money and or some tremendous tallent. Just and FYI, if you decide to race a 914 you will have to install a front oil cooler. It's amazing how how the engine gets when you run the piss out of them in a 40 minute sprint race not to mention an enduro.

Don't get discouraged. I highly recommend you do it. You will never regret it. In fact, if you don't do it, you will eventually regret it. The people you meet the experiences you will have will last a lifetime. And my wife enjoyed it too. She went to every race with me. Traveling to the different tracks in the Southeast was great fun. But remember with gas at $2.50 a gallon and with my tow vehicle getting about 9 miles to the gallon........well it's only money!!!!!!!!!!