I just finished reading about the 912 racer in Excellence, and was starting to feel inspired, thinking of ways to come up with the $$ to properly prep my 914 for the track.

Before I do anything drastic, I'd like to hear from the guys that track their cars regularly.

What type of racing do you do, and how much $$$ does a season cost you? What are the primary expenses?

Time off (most good stuff is available on weekdays also)
Track fees
Tires
Suspension
Housing
Food
Transportation
Tow Vehicle

Rich

Race fuel
new parts engine rebuilds
Tools and more tools
Canaopy
chairs
compressor or air tanks
extra wheels
sign up fees
possible sriver school to get license

etc..etc

figure a $1000.00 a weekend and you wouldn't be far off in either direction.

A weekend with POC running the Short Track Series at Willow Springs with everything runs me about $800 if nothing goes wrong.

That's track fee, transponder, hotel, gas, food, and tires. I get 4 days out of a set of tires, so I burn up one tire per day or $150 per day $300 per weekend just for tires.

That's running the 914-6, running the RSA takes it up to about $1200 a weekend, tires cost more.

Later, Don

If you've never been on a track, you might want to start off with DE (drivers education).

All you need is a good running 914, a helmet, and maybe $200-300.

you can spend as much (ok... more...) than you can afford..
more than your wife is comfortable with
and more than your visa card is comfortable with...


but it doesn't have to be that way.
I know a lot of guys (myself included)
who got lots of seat time in DE and did just a few races a year and kept things under a tight budget.

I still see lots of guys who spend very little (couple thousand the whole year) to do fun racing in the stock-ish 914's

Take the plunge.
start doing drivers ed.
be armed to keep your Wallet defenses up and don't fall for the magical siren who calls out to buy that next part!

make a committment to your budget and don't get over zealous with tires or performance parts. Stay stock for a couple of years. Then if you decide to go modified or get a bigger motor or something, you will have a full understanding about what kind of $ that committment would take and what kind of classification you want to move towards.

brant

Anthony, that's the plan, and I've got one coming up in June. Unfortunately, I'm guessing it'll be pretty addictive!

All others, thanks for the input, and helping me gain perspective. I think I'll just go back to my original plan of making a nice street car with occasional track time.

I guess I'd better rewrite my sig......

John,

PLEASE come to Lajunta (I hope thats the one you are referencing... and its actually MAY 20th)

I want to introduce you to Grant who club races a 914.

He is an inspiration....
I certainly don't know his bank account numbers, but he has a GREAT car and is FAST!

yet I'll bet that you could run a car like his for 1000 bucks a summer... maybe a little more!

There are ways!
and seriously, in colorado there are great resources to do this that no one else has access too... I know people in state that can fabricate things for half of the price most people pay.

I've been through all of this..
you'll have to meet grant and see
you will be so Addicted!

now I'm going to have to get Greg hooked too, so you can beat him and brag about it (teasing greg!)

There are 3-4 guys in colorado running production classed (stockish) 914's in club racing right now and TONS of people to play with...

did I mention how hooked you are going to be!

what do you need still to make the lajunta event?
(I'm counting on you being there!)

brant

LOL, racing costs exactly every last dollar you've got...plus $1...

Brant, yeah LJ is the one I was referring to. I must have my dates messed up. I'll email you offline.

QUOTE (campbellcj @ Mar 19 2006, 09:37 AM)

LOL, racing costs exactly every last dollar you've got...plus $1...

perfect answer...

short, direct and accurate
lol!


brant

I only DE. No racing here

It costs me about $300 per day in fees.( actually less )

Since DE's are not for competition you don't need the best track tires to have good time.

I run Kuhmo 710's. They are around $160 each.
I already have 14 hours on them and a few a/x's.
they look to be around half worn. Maybe.

I've done sessions on my street tires, too.
Not as fast, but still really fun.
It truly gives you an idea of the limits of your track/street car as you won't be running track tires on the street.

I use a full tank of fuel per day.
Most of the events I attend are 2-3 hours away.
Sears is twenty minutes

Keep an eye on your brake pads and fluid.


KT

If the first question is "How much?"....you can't afford it if you want to win.

In SCCA, we figured $1K per weekend race cost (tires, fuel, hotel, towing, food, entry fees, etc,)

Now if something broke...........

Now to the car...........

Too rich fer me.....that's why I quit.

To get started, go take a few buckets of money, take them outside and light on fire!

Cost me $1000-2000+ depending on distance, whether the venue is far from home (im in NY been to Road Atlanta etc), whether I use up the car, etc.

Then there are the at home costs prep between/before events.

I used to keep track of the costs, but it just depressed me at the end of the year so I stopped that practice.

I know when we run our GT3RS it will get silly expenive really fast

Does anyone know anything about the Summit Point race track in WV. It's like two hours from me and wished I could start racing there.

I figure $1,000 to $1,200 per weekend depending on which track and how far. That doesn't include major repair or maintanence to the car but does include running Hoosiers. Our last event at Las Vegas MS the track fees were $650 for three day event plus 4 nights in a hotel. It adds up quick. If I try to justify it I wouldn't race. So I just don't think about it.

About 300 this weekend. Stayed at a friends house over night. just autocross. 760 miles rounf trip.

Don't forget that your budget will have to increase as your class increases. If you stick to a street prepared four, you'll be classed with like cars, and you'll be competitive there at a fairly low budget. Get a six and a fiberglass body, and your budget (as well as initial costs) will skyrocket.

Low class is good. As you get better, you'll increase your classes slowly. And when you get to winning, and liking it, you'll come back to the lower classes, since that is where you can do it a lot with a small budget.

Although I've never raced (except autox) I had a chance to talk to Peter Revson back when he was driving McClaren cars before he was killed and I asked him what it feels like to go racing on a "big track" he laughed and said I could duplicate the experience by standing in front of a big fan and throwing $100.00 bills into the air by the handful....he was a loss, good driver and very approachable.

About 1K+ per weekend.
That is after everything else is in place. Is your car prepped to race? Do you have all of the safety gear that is required? Have you even got a competition license? How are you getting the car to the track? (Tow vehicle and trailer) The list goes on.

The $1000+ figure does not include anything bad that happens to the car.
Miss a shift at redline = $$$
Somebody punts you off the track fighting for a corner = $$$
Do you need more examples?

Whether or not to go racing is an emotional question.
It is impossible to justify the expense to anyone else.
Sometimes it is even difficult to rationalize it to yourself.
When something happens that has you loaded on the trailer before the green flag drops, it is very depressing. On the other hand, the high that you get when things go well is priceless.

Wheel to wheel racing - $600 a day.

The agony of defeat - much more $$

The thrill of victory - Priceless.

Racing, or other competition driving, can be as expensive as you want.

Contrary to what alpha said, your skill level does not in any way dictate what level pf preparation you need to put into your car.

There are a lot of great venues for competition with the 914. It makes a superb autox car, and out here you can find at least two events (or more) a month in summer. SCCA has a very active autox scene, PCA has a few events, but nowhere near as much as SCCA. BMWCCA has a series as well, and they take all comers.

Figure costs can be as little as $50 a weekend. Registration fees, lunch, and gas. If you keep your car bone stock, additional expenses are pretty minimal. If you -want- to prep your car for higher levels, you can. Just read the rules for whatever class you choose to compete in. Read 'em three times before spending a dime. Sometimes a seemingly simple modification can bump you into the trailer-riding-fire-breathing-monster classes.

Then if you want to step to track events, there are number of events at Pueblo this year. DE's are an excellent way to get track time in a more controlled setting than a full wheel-to-wheel race. Fees for DE's tend to run between $100 and $200 a day depending on the club and the track. DE's are non-competitive events. There are no trophies, but you learn the skills that you can take with you to competition events. And don't forget gas and lodging, as these events tend to be "away" events for most people...

Up from there is Time Trials. PCA, SCCA, NASA all have TT programs. Figure similar costs as DE's for entry fees but tak on additional costs for transponder rentals, and gas. And as it's a competition format event, keep in mind tire costs. Comeptition tires run from as little as $125 a tire to as much as $250 a tire for "street legal" race tires. Expect to go through two sets a season.

Then we've got wheel to wheel. Here the fees are a lot higher, and the costs of running a car in wheel to wheel competition go up as well. Tire costs will go up. Car preparation costs go up as well. Even if you kept the car "stock". You've got the cage, fire system, suit, and all the safety gear. Then you've got car prep above and beyond that.

Motorsports can be as expensive as you want it to be.... Just ask Brant...

Come on out to the La Junta event!!! I'm hoping to have my car back together and running by then...

-Josh2

Josh, you had better be there!
I'm counting on you...

how is your throat feeling?
You sound a little horse?
don't you think you need to take a "sick day"
(and work on that motor why you are home!)



brant

QUOTE (JPB @ Mar 19 2006, 04:47 PM)

Does anyone know anything about the Summit Point race track in WV.  It's like two hours from me and wished I could start racing there.

JPB-
Summit is a great rack I think. I've been to the Little 500 scca weekend there as a spectator. My brother in Alexandria has a 911 and he has driven it. His PCA region has used it for DEs I think. It should be a fun drive!

I never add it up, that would spoil it. Just do it, you cant take your money with you. You probably only have a small window in your life where its even possible. Wanting to do something and living with regret is unbearable for me, racers make sacrifices..........big sacrifices. The definition of a "season" also changes relative to financial ability. Good years I can get out 8 weekends, not so good just a couple! Karting is much less expensive and made me a better driver, very physical though. figure 2000 a weekend, racing cars depreciate parts fast!

QUOTE (brant @ Mar 20 2006, 08:08 AM)

Josh, you had better be there! I'm counting on you... how is your throat feeling? You sound a little horse? don't you think you need to take a "sick day" (and work on that motor why you are home!) brant

I have to admit, I haven't put a minute of work into the car in many weeks.

The little one is getting all my attentions...

Mom and Sara are going to visit the great grandparents again at the end of April, so I suspect that will be the window of oportunity that I'll have to get the car back together. I'll let you know the days, when it gets closer. Might have a more involved car assemebly "party" then.

Brant, do I need to "class" my car for the event? Haven't run with PCA in years, so I'm not too sure what class my car would be in...

-Josh2

Biggest thing for me was the time. I just couldn't commit that much time to racing. I much rather race bicycles then cars. Not to mention it's better for me(except the crashes).

brew,
the local pca is having an A/X weekend on April 1st at DIA. You should come up. The first day is a training day, and the second day is timed. More Info

Josh...

classification..
hmmm...

you have stock brakes right
and carbs
and is your flywheel lightened...
and are those rims 8inch?

top of my head says:
thinking...
5 points for rims
2 points for carbs

I'm guessing Improved #1
same class I'm running my stock F.I. black car in
(I'm bumped into this class due to my brakes)

won't matter too much anyways..
your not probably running the whole season for the points championship so doesn't matter.

what matters is whom you get to drive with on the track.
and if you have Lajunta previous experience you could make the arguement to bump out of novice.

(although i might run in novice, just because the 914 only run group is going to be a mostly novice run group, and I want to be on the track with 20 other teeners!)

brant

oops...
Josh I forgot the challenge series rules link

try this:
CS

or this:
#2

should be able to down load the rule book for free if you want

brant

Q: How do you make a million bucks racing a Porsche?
A: Start with two million!


Running a stock class car in POC STS series I figure $500 out of pocket for the weekend. The additional big expenses for car maintenance (my car '90S2) amount to 1 additional set of tires/year and 1.5 sets of brake pads/year. There are those incidental things that'll add up over time (liters of Castrol LMA, additional oil changes, ... ) but I'm not tracking them. So far I'm not breaking many things so that's not been an issue (knock on wood) and I'm having tons of fun.

On your mark, get set, go!

Later,
Kevin

Best answer is as much as you want to spend and how fast do you want to go? Fastest 2 liter cars run in HSR East and engines alone can run $40,000 because they are making 225-240 hp. A top flight car can cost $75000-$100,000 to build. These cars are running 2:08 at Daytona, 2:26 at Sebring. Pretty amazing when you consider Grand Am GS 996's are only running 2:03 at Daytona and Rolex GT cars 1:55 at Daytona with 400 hp. All that said one can have just as much fun doing DE's and running a stock 4. The fun is in the competition at whatever level you choose to compete at.

Buy a kart.

We run at all the major road courses plus a bunch of short tracks.
Total cost for 11 races last year was 2218.76
Sportsman heavy, 100cc Yamaha spec , used Emmic chassis.
Absolutely the best bang for the buck.

JT

p.s.
My wife won't let me do anything but a/x the black car