Just an interesting thing I always wondered how to get into. I had a friend who used to go to events in his Miata that had a roll bar.. If I could only track him down lol. I just was not into imports,
But that car could corner good.
Just something I would like to find when funds come together, out in the future.
Road racing...
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Re: Road racing...
SCCA is a common way. Find the local region and become a race worker (timing, scoring, flagger, etc) and/or bring your car to their autocross events and get your feet wet with 50-70 seconds of non-stop intensity. Autocrossing is actually a good way to build discipline and precision in driving your car. Compared to track days or wheel to wheel it is much lower cost and risk. You can also participate in non-competitive high speed track days with other clubs. Again lower cost and risk than W2W racing, but not as low as autocross.
For W2W racing, SCCA and other sanctioning bodies will require you to take a driving school. In fact many of the vintage clubs require the SCCA driving schools.
Only exception is the somewhat lower speed LeMons and Chump races. One you're involved in any sort of grassroots motorsports, you'll probably find someone(s) who are also involved in LeMons - somewhat tongue-in-cheek and always team projects.
For W2W racing, SCCA and other sanctioning bodies will require you to take a driving school. In fact many of the vintage clubs require the SCCA driving schools.
Only exception is the somewhat lower speed LeMons and Chump races. One you're involved in any sort of grassroots motorsports, you'll probably find someone(s) who are also involved in LeMons - somewhat tongue-in-cheek and always team projects.
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Re: Road racing...
See Nasa http://www.nasaproracing.com/proracing/
SCCA is good but, to many rules and classes you may not be able to get into.
SCCA is good but, to many rules and classes you may not be able to get into.
We Race, We Vote!! Limotorsports.org
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Supershafts.com
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Re: Road racing...
Starting out with open track or also called HPDE events is a great way to get involved. Go to http://www.motorsportreg.com/ and click on the Event Calendar to find events in your area. NASA also puts on a great HPDE as well as TrackGuys and many others.
Be careful, its like having a cocaine habit...
Mike
Be careful, its like having a cocaine habit...
Mike
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Re: Road racing...
I have been involved with budget endurance racing for about 4 years. We raced in Chumpcar for 3 years, and most recently have been running in Lucky Dog Race League. Lucky Dog's rule book is only 17 pages long (compared to Chumpcar, 70 something). 2016 will be Lucky Dog's second year, and will run about 10 races on the west coast in 2016. Great way to get into budget endurance racing. Merry Christmas!
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Re: Road racing...
I race with SCCA, but wouldn't recommend it as a starting point.mjschneidy wrote:Starting out with open track or also called HPDE events is a great way to get involved. Go to http://www.motorsportreg.com/ and click on the Event Calendar to find events in your area. NASA also puts on a great HPDE as well as TrackGuys and many others.
Be careful, its like having a cocaine habit...
Mike
I've also done HPDE with NASA, TrackGuys and the like, and don't recommend them for the beginner.
BMWCCA is by far the best bang for your buck, head & shoulders above the rest.
Plenty of seat time, including an in car instructor, plus a structured classroom program.
They accept students with any make car, doesn't need to be a BMW.
Non-club members might get wait listed, membership is ~$50
I agree, it's a very addictive hobby...
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Re: Road racing...
BMWCCA is by far one of the WORST ways to get started.Seat time is mostly wasted. In-car instruction has been shown to cause many more crashes than a student driving alone. Check out whether Bondurant or Skip Barber puts instructors in cars with students. They do not and for very good reason. Its a dumb thing to do.BMWCCA is by far the best bang for your buck, head & shoulders above the rest.
Plenty of seat time, including an in car instructor, plus a structured classroom program.
Their classroom instruction is sophmoric and mostly technically incorrect. Just because someone can drive a track fast, does not make them a qualified instructor. In fact, the opposite is generally true.
The best place to learn how to drive is in a go-kart. It is cheap and can be very competitive. It will also be quite humbling as 12 year olds blow past you.
The next best place to learn car control skills is autocross; SCCA Solo events. They are cheap and require only limited vehicle preparation.
Re: Road racing...
Let me add one MAYBE related road racing tidbit about what I think is a common misconception, and that is, most passing is at end of a straight, at or during braking. Most hear road racing, and immediately say you need low end mid range power, yes you do, BUT, putting it down to the track is difficult, and top end HP is is what makes passing easier, added by the fact a draft is also part of the process. Now if you are running with against slower classes/under performing cars, then low end helps you deal with them early on the straight,, but other then help your ego, that is often not the case. If you are on the track solo, your needs change again.Rant over.