Racing on a budget

[Captain_Rat]

While I was surfing the web, I found a pretty interesting racing series. Chump Car (http://www.chumpcar.com/) looks like something that would be pretty easy on the budget to get into, at least compared to SCCA or something. They are running on a lot of cool tracks too. I’m going to try to put a team together for this! Check it out at www.chumpcar.com (http://www.chumpcar.com/).

[IllusionX]

spam?

[Loren]

While it probably is "spam" (ban that bastard OP if you must), I'll vouch for it being extremely fun and cheap racing!

Chump Car is based on the 24 Hours of LeMons series, expanding the concept to cover more of the country. I've done 3 LeMons races, myself. Racing is NEVER cheap, but this is about the cheapest possible way to go wheel-to-wheel racing, and it has it's own unique flavor that is just plain fun.

Figure $3-4k split between 6 drivers plus weekend expenses, some personal safety equipment, a garage or two full of tools and spare parts, lots of sweat and a little blood. What could be more fun?

[cali yaris]

Boy those rules are just about 100% the same as LeMons.

[TheRealEnth]

sounds like loads of fun, especially cause they do it at my track

[markitect]

I've already wondered about these races, It seems to me like the safety equipment could easily exceed $500.
A lot of 5 point harnesses alone will eat half your budget.

[Loren]

If you'd take a moment to read the rules, or even the FAQ, you'd understand. ;)

The $500 budget only includes the car and it's running gear. Safety equipment is not included in the $500 budget, and things like the cage, seat, harness, wheels, tires, brakes, fuel system, etc are considered "safety equipment". Plan on spending $2500-3k to build a $500 race car.

Like I said, racing ain't cheap. But, the next step up from here is something like Spec Miata, and you'll easily spend $10k before you take the first turn in your first race there... and then it will be a 20-minute race. LeMons (and now Chump) is the best bang for the buck in racing these days.

[jkuchta]

The difference between this and LeMons is that in Chumpcar, when the organizers claim your car, you loose all of the safety equipment as well. That means that nice race seat and belts are taken as well...whereas in Lemons, you get to pull all of that stuff out before they take your car...

Sounds like Chumpcar is a bad deal to me on that point alone!

[Loren]

Keep reading... if they claim your car, you always have the option of buying it back.

And they're claiming it not for $500, but for $1500. Enough to cover a race seat and harness plus a few other things. Then they auction the car with a starting bid of $1750. Highly unlikely that anybody's gonna even bid on it... but even if they do, you've got $1500 in your pocket. So (assuming you want the car back), consider anything above that to be your penalty for cheating... cuz they're only gonna claim a blatantly cheating car!

Chump isn't like LeMons where a car is generally selected at each race to be destroyed. (yeah, you get to pull your safety gear out of it... big whoop) If nobody's going overboard with cheating, no car will get claimed at a Chump race.

But, hey... this kind of racing isn't for everyone. If you're not up for it, it's no big deal, plenty of others are.

(yeah, I spent another day working on our race car today... it runs!)

[Zefoxe]

SCCA still seems like a cheaper alternative to me

[bearda]

SCCA still seems like a cheaper alternative to me

Cheaper how?

[Loren]

SCCA still seems like a cheaper alternative to me
By "SCCA" do you mean "SCCA Solo II" or "autocross"? Hell yeah, that's cheaper. Also not at all the same thing.

If you're talking about SCCA road racing. No, it's not cheaper. You'll spend more money preparing a car to their more stringent standards, you'll pay more to attend their driver schools to get your racing license, you'll pay more to enter their races, and the typical race weekend will consist of a few 20-minute sprint races, or maybe a 2-hour enduro...

Nothing against SCCA or NASA or any of the other racing clubs... but this is way cheaper and it's quite a different experience.

[RomGrr]

I'd love to do LeMons. I've been spying a mid 90's Hyundai with no hood sitting around locally for the same thing. Dollar for dollar, there is absolutely nothing more thrilling than ringing the shit out of a beater. Especially when a crowd is involved.

[Loren]

LeMons is sort of like fighting your way through morning traffic, only there is no speed limit, no "lanes", and nobody gets upset if you scrape their car.

Not sure I'd trust a 90's vintage Hyundai to make it more than a few hours, though!

[Zefoxe]

By "SCCA" do you mean "SCCA Solo II" or "autocross"? Hell yeah, that's cheaper. Also not at all the same thing.

If you're talking about SCCA road racing. No, it's not cheaper. You'll spend more money preparing a car to their more stringent standards, you'll pay more to attend their driver schools to get your racing license, you'll pay more to enter their races, and the typical race weekend will consist of a few 20-minute sprint races, or maybe a 2-hour enduro...

Nothing against SCCA or NASA or any of the other racing clubs... but this is way cheaper and it's quite a different experience.

Sorry, yea I meant auto-x. I know its not the same but when someone is 'racing on a budget' i cant think of a better alternative. Id love hours of track time but costs these days just arent practical for a weekend warrior with nothing more then pocket change in their wallets :P

[Loren]

Trust me, I've been autocrossing since 1996, I know what you mean. It's lots of fun, it's cheap, and it is THE best way to learn car control skills.

But, it's not the same. There isn't that element of danger that comes from driving on a race track where a mistake do a lot more damage than a cone mark, and could even kill you. And there isn't the thrill of NOT being able to drive the perfect line like you can at an autocross... instead, you have to be able to pick a line on-the-fly and find a way to make it fast enough to get around the other guy.

So, yeah... if you've only got $30-50/mo to spend on motorsports, autocross is the way to go. But, if you can scrape together $500-1000 a couple times a year and want some wheel-to-wheel action on a road course, LeMons/Chump is where it's at.

[echosqwat]

I'm doing Lemons if my team is accepted

[Tamago]

fyi, dollar-per-minute prices of autocross are grossly higher than a typical club track day.. yes you'll pay more for the track day, but considering the seat time, it's a bargain, compared to autocross

[bearda]

fyi, dollar-per-minute prices of autocross are grossly higher than a typical club track day.. yes you'll pay more for the track day, but considering the seat time, it's a bargain, compared to autocross

Yes, but the dollar-per-corner price is about the same :smile:

[Tamago]

Yes, but the dollar-per-corner price is about the same :smile:

how so?

[Sabretooth]

ok, well subjecting that your Autocross club is large in size, that means less runs per person...

If you run with a smaller group, pending you guys stay out for the same amount of time. You will see more seat time.

Example, in 6 hours, large group only puts in 4 runs. Small group in 6 hours puts in 8 runs. equals more seat time.

Autocrosses are a great chance to get seat time, plus there is a completely different mentality sometimes that goes along with it. Majority are willing to accept we all start from somewhere and are willing to help you out. Club Days sometime offer people who are just there for themselves, there is that time to help and learn...It just seems less formal and more interactive at an autox.