NPC: Anyone here ever raced Formula Vee?, i'm interested... Options

[andys]

n,

I'd suggest a lot of research to determine what's out there that interests you. If it's V's, then so be it. I raced roadrace shifter karts competitively for 20+ years, and they too can be expensive, especially if you have to farm out things like motor work (I built my own stuff, so I saved a lot). The magic word here is *competitive.* Doesn't matter what you run, you're going to spend $$$ to be *competitive.* If running for the win is not your wholey single focus, and you want to have fun, then costs can be quite reasonable.

Frankly, the most fun I had with racing various things throught the years, was a roadracing stock car. Restricted motor (well, kind of........465HP two barrel SBC), spec tires, and Sportsman specs. Ran a very competitive series that paid real money! A similar series run today I believe is NASA Pro, that are basically ARCA chassis' with spec ZZ4 crate motors. Parts are cheap, and available everywhere. There's nothing that quite compares to the sound of an angry SBC. When you compare that with say a new $40,000 D Sports Racer, I would do the roadrace stock car in a heartbeat; oh, they're built like a tank, so they're fairly safe in one.

Andy

[groot]

I don't think FF is a cheap as others do. Sure it's much cheaper that FC or FM, but that's not saying much. In my mind FV probably costs approximately the same as an ITB car, if you're okay with being a mid-pack runner.

It has always seemed to me that there are open wheel racers and closed wheel racers and not very much cross-over. So, I would decide which appeals more to you. Then let your budget and desires guide you to picking a car. But, be realistic. I started out thinking, "I'm just happy to be here" but that didn't last long. I'm now on my 3rd different race car in 6 years. That gets expensive.

[propricer]

Karts, then FM.
When considering racecars, consider not only the initial cost ( most of which you get back anyway ) but also the maintenance cost ... like what does it cost to replace the entire right front assembly.
FM will win this battle almost every time ... and they are faster than almost anything else.
Ran an FM for 4 years all the way up to win the Pro Star Mazda National series and I can tell you that I wouldn't consider anything else - yes, I have a Porsche racecar but a serious racecar is much faster and yes, much cheaper !!!