OK ...so my wife gave me a 3 days of racing school with Jim Russell at Infineon as a present. I drove open wheel formula cars including hot little formula Mazdas. I'm definitely hooked on the track thing.

Now my dilema. Do I pay big bucks to continue driving and racing Russell formula cars or spend big bucks on my 914 and turn it into a mild track car. Or is only route to go with prexisting track car? I prefer the idea of slowly evolving my stock 914 into a fast street/track car.

Here I am flying around Infineon in a Formula Mitsu. Lots o fun!

i'd say it depends on your budget.

if you can, buy a race-prepped 914 and keep your stock as a daily driver ...

Andy

I can totaly relate to the track addiction.

My personal advice is to buy a race car that is already done. Find one that is close to your ideal. You can then make any changes you need to have it be the way you want. Most race prepared 914 sell for less than the cost of the parts. If you do it this way you will be $$$$'s ahead over converting your stock teener.

It really makes little difference as far as money goes since you'll spend moooooore than you want to anyways! If you take your car and can do the work such as puting in a cage, fire supression system, race seats, video syste, radio system, etc then you'll get a lot of satisfaction. If you don't care about that then buy a car already built and just go racing. Formula Vees are the lowest cost way to get into it and the price goes up as you progress to Formula Fords, Super Vees, etc. For enclosed cars the price will depend on if the car has a race history, was raced by someone famous and the age of it. It is getting past the time of the year for race cars to for sale although there were a few in the HSR West vintage race at PIR this past weekend. If you buy one, get an expert to help check it out and get ALL the spares available. If you convert your 914 into a race car, build to the strictest safety requirements, unually SCCA or NASA. Finally, you'll need a trailer if the car doen't come with one and of course a tow vehicle so get ready to spend even more $$$$$. Good luck

We have several nicely prepared stockish 2.0 914's in this area right now for sale (all under 10k) all the cars have well over 18k in them.

B

racing isn't cheap on any level.

Most of us love prepping our cars and tweaking them between events, but consider the luxury of racing the russell cars.

I have done arrive and drives before, it is really nice. You just show up and drive the car, everything else is taken care of for you. Gives you the ability to really focus on your driving and not worry about tires, brakes, etc.

You can always buy a car later and go to work on it.

dr

You could also rent a spec miata from me.
(see attached attempt at marketing below)

It really depends on how you look at it what is cheaper and what route you want to go.

Building your own car is definately fun and educational, but it does cost wayyyy more.

Purchasing an already finished race car is good also, because it is economically cheaper, but you have to figure out what the previous owner did with the car yourself. Plus all the bugs have probably been well sorted out of it.

Renting is good too, because you won't need to buy a car, no need for a truck to tow a trailer too. You just drive your street car to the track and hop in and go. (again, another attempt at a sale )

Here's another problem with track use: do you guys on the left coast have to worry about insurance coverage or do you just say to hell with it and if I wad it up, it comes out of my pocket. After several years of PCA membership, I totaled a 993 at Bridgehampton at a Driver's Ed event (recovered from an early apex, but off track the sand caused the car to flip and roll) ouch! That wasn't bad enough. When I told my insurance company exactly what happened and that this was a driver's ed event (not timed, not competitive, not racing) the insurance company immediately sued me to disclaim coverage and claimed the driver's ed program of PCA is a secret racing event. Well, after 3 years and $32,000 in lawyer's fees, the jury saw it my way and made them pay. But the whole experience has kept me off the track since then. Driver's Ed and track coverage is not otherwise available here in Massachusetts. So, after spending $20,000 plus on a track car, I gotta ask, how do you afford to do this?

this is exactly why I got rid of my 993 C2S. Was virturally a race car before I got rid of it. Never raced it because of the liability, just track days. Also, cars get beat to hell on the track. Not just the mechanical stress but chips, dings, sand blasted windshields, etc. The car was just too damn nice to beat up.

With the 914, I can race the car and not worry that it will ruin me if I wad it up.

There are agencies that will cover racing but it is very expensive and usually has like a 20% deductable.

My friend crashed his 996 carrera cup car twice. the first time was below the deductable but the second time it cost the deductable and then some. Unfortunately, he sold that car not too long after the second crash.

Anyway, if you are too worried about wrecking the car, I say get over it or take up golf.

dr

After 20 yrs or RR'ing Bikes I took the teener out on the track at PRP (formally Seattle Intnl. Raceway), last yr and had a BLAST!!
It was slower than Im used to but hell ...I ve been trying to find a way to afford it (track car) since.
Bike racing is expensive but not NEAR as expensive as 4 wheels.

If you can't afford to total a car at the track, then probably you shouldn't be racing. But I shouldn't be saying that because I can't afford it and I still race and wad up cars.

Maybe that's why I picked up a go kart.

I'd like to talk to you about those

I think that Bert Delvillano's BP PCA 2.0 is still for sale. Race ready - just get in and go. Maintained by Rich Bontempi. $8500 or so.

Demick

The previous posts are right on when it comes to the use of a car on the track. My first instructor when I started racing motorcycles in the 70's said "whatever you race, consider it expendible" So far in the last several years the San Diego reigon of PCA has had several cars totaled at autocrosses! Sure does make for a lot of stress at home. That is why my wife said to quit messing with her 930 and get my own race car!

Give us a school report... Get enough track time?. How are the instructors?. Cars in good condition?
Learn anything?

Thanks, Pat

I've heard a saying before that rings true:
If you can't afford to push it off a cliff you shouldn't be racing it.

I'm on my third engine in seven years, and there is no insurance company that pays for blown engines. The only advice i have, is the same as others, - you race, you break.
If you can't afford to loose the car, then leave it at home, and rent.

William,

There was a similar instance as yours in New Zealand about 3 years ago where someone totalled a Ferrari on a track day. It went to the High Court over there and the Ferrari owner won (eventually). Probably only of interest to lawyers.

The older I get, the more conservative I get....I raced my primary rides for years. Now I am too attached to them, but like the ability to cut loose on the street. So....my rides still have some oomph...

At one time I had a two car enclosed trailer and crew cab tow vehicle. The parking and storage was a bitch. IF I get back into competition it will be with a rental or karts....

As someone who has just finished his SCCA competition career, I have a couple of comments-

-Are you absolutely sure you want to dive head first into wheel-to-wheel competition, or do you just want to drive your car fast around a track?

-Are you prepared for your on-track minutes to be less than your garage hours?

-Are you up for the tire bill for a year long race effort? Engine rebuilds after x minutes?

-Most racers would advise you to rent the first year, until you have sorted these questions out. A decent prod or IT car can be rented for several hundred dollars, with separate arrangements made for brand new tires, damage repair, etc.

-I know you can put a legal IT on the track for $2,500. Not the fastest, but it will be reliable since it is stone stock and you will get maximum track time which is what you need most. ( I did this, and because I entered the most races and outlasted my class competition I was the SCCA Midwest Division champion in two IT series. No DNFs really helps the point total. Tires and travel was the greatest expense and that wasn't really that bad.)

-If you are looking for track time go with DEs. My usual SCCA weekend was a 20 minute practice/qualifying session in the morning, followed by a 15 or 18 lap race in the afternoon. Because multiple classes are combined into race groups, the ITS cars usually put my ITC two to three laps down by the finish. Same track time, fewer laps. Repeat on Sunday.

-From looking at a few DE schedules and entries, the entry fee for a DE seems very close to what I was paying for an SCCA weekend with a whole lot less track time.

-You will have a HUGELY greater chance of car damage in a race. Are you prepared for this? Do you have a couple of parts cars lined up just in case?

-I followed racing since 1963, and spent 20 years spectating and then as a corner worker and starter before I took Barber and Bondurant and started with a basket case Formula Ford. Later into an Improved Touring Sentra. I am tired, and just want a place to drive the car, air it and me out so to speak. DEs for me from now on...unless I was to stumble across something in Vintage racing that was particularly enticing.

For what its worth.