Start in track racing

I have been seriously considering lately actually participating in Open Track. However, since I am a University student, and most of my income goes to the State, this will be done on the cheap and spread over a long amount of time. (however, I should have finally written my final BIG tuition check, I should only have one last small check to write for one class in Fall of 08).

What is the best way to start? My midterm goal is to develop a track-only car and a membership at something like MSR or Eagle's Canyon. I have some clue how to get there, but there are a few blanks.

So far, here is my plan:

Phase 1) Restart participation in Solo II with my NC, at 5/10 to 7/10 effort. I don't want to break my new car and ruin the tires too fast. This will most likely start in the May event. I currently take 3 graduate level classes and I expect to have an ever decreasing amount of free time until exams in the first week of May. However, as mentioned earlier I will only have one in Fall of 08 and should have a greater amount of free time. Also during this phase I will source my own helmet and a set of Solo II-only tires and wheels.

Phase 2) I don't know if I should seek a driving school and possible racing license? At what point in my plan should I seek a license?

Phase 3) Acquire a track-only car to start as a project. The goal is to have the car in good enough shape to simply run and pass track inspections, and reliable enough that I have a reasonable expectation it won't turn into a track hazard (blown engine, spilled oil, spilled coolant, you get the idea). The desired car should be relatively inexpensive to acquire, restore, and operate on a track. It should have a sound chassis and suspension design. Power is of secondary importance but should not be ridiculously underpowered. I say relatively inexpensive because I understand that racing is fundamentally pricey, but I am not looking for a 996 or something with rare and expensive parts like a Jaguar E-type. I am thinking more along the lines of like an NA Miata or an FC RX-7 or maybe even a Locost build.

Phase 3b) This may run concurrently with Phase 3 above. Participate in open track events with you guys at Hallett and open days at MSR with my NC or my above track car if it's ready. Again at less than full effort so I don't break my car, or a little more liberally if I am using the track car.

Phase 4) Seek membership at MSR or Eagle's Canyon or any other track that may be open in the future.

Sorry that was so long, but as you can see my biggest blank is licensing. I see on MSR's page that a member must either hold a race license, or attend a driving school, or pass an MSR evaluation. This is the part I am not clear on how to approach. Should I join SCCA? I know SCCA has schools, and that may open the door for future club racing.

Buy a SA not MA Helmet. This will save you the cost of having to buy one when you start road racing.

Start with driving schools for Autocross. Very cheap and applicable to what you are currently doing. From there look at the other types of racing and find an school that will specialize in that area.

Solo 2 is a great place to start. But don't be fooled into believing it is cheap if you are chasing a National title. I spent $7,000 on my S2000 when I was in AS chasing one. In the Mini I added Koni shocks at $1,800 and I amlooking for light weight wheels probably about $1,200. Don't forget the fresh rubber for National events at $1,000.

Find a car that is as close to what you will want for a race car. It is much cheaper to buy something finished or almost finish than to start from dirt. Staring from dirt is very expensive. You get the honor of buying all the parts new or searching for used parts.

Track days are great. Apex Driving Academy is one of the best deals around. Safe group and good instructors. This will give you a feel for the different tracks before you join. Get signed off solo by one of the DE groups before you join a track. I know ECR will offer lessons to help you solo if you are a member.

Look at SCCA and NASA as two possible groups for road racing.

+1 on finding cheap schools. The local Porsche club puts on the bargain of the century with their AX and TT schools. Do the AX101 first, then follow up with the TT school since you want to be a track junkie.

Good luck and have fun.

Your final goal is wheel-to-wheel racing on a race track, right?

While autocrossing for a few years will probably make you a better driver overall, I wouldn't spend too much time or money on the sport if your final goal is wheel-to-wheel racing. Autocrossing can be an expensive habit, and competitive autocrossing won't actually get you any closer to a wheel-to-wheel competition license (which is why I've chosen to spend a lot less time autocrossing this coming season).

Start going to track days. NASA is another good organization, and NASA sanctions quite a few racing classes, so you can work your way up through the HPDE classes to time trials to a competition school to wheel-to-wheeel racing.

Unless you're bound and determined to be a member at a specific track, I would skip the membership. First off, they're expensive - for the cost of the membership fee and a year's dues to Motorsport Ranch you could buy a nice Spec RX7, or over 50% of a decent Spec Miata. Your membership won't get you any breaks on entry fee for a club race with NASA or SCCA at your home track, either.

Autocrossing is not necessarily a "starting point" for road racing. A membership to MSR is, at a decent cost, but NOT necessary. Eagle's Canyon is considerably more expensive. I would suggest you start by doing open track events in a bone stock Miata on street tires. Porsche Club has excellent instructors, NASA does HPDE events that would be good, as well as APEX driving schoola at MSR. I can't emphasis this enough: SEAT TIME. SEAT TIME. SEAT TIME. Learn to drive in a low power car on street tires. 'R' tires tend to mask bad driving habits that will eventually bite you. With street tires, everything happens at a slower pace and they "talk" to you where as 'R' tires don't. Don't think you will hurt your MX-5. You won't! Just make sure you have a good alignment, then work on YOU. Many people think it helps to add performance items to there car to go fast. That is the WORST thing you can do. You will learn more, and become a much better driver. Get a basic setup and then don't change anything for the first two years. That way, all the improvements you see will be your driving. If you don't want to track your MX-5, get a well used NA for $3000, and dedicate it to the task. Don't worry about mileage. These cars are bullet proof. My 92 has 215,000 miles on it and I drive it pretty hard on the track ;)

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Originally Posted by MadMerv

Eagle's Canyon is considerably more expensive.

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Only if you don't use it. ;)

One time fee: EC $3250, MSR $3400
Monthly dues: EC $190, MSR $90
30min Session Fee: EC <none> MSR $20 each

So... If you run less than 5 30 minute sessions a Month, MSR is cheaper. More than 5 and EC is cheaper.

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Originally Posted by Titus

Only if you don't use it. ;)

One time fee: EC $3250, MSR $3400
Monthly dues: EC $190, MSR $90
30min Session Fee: EC <none> MSR $20 each

So... If you run less than 5 30 minute sessions a Month, MSR is cheaper. More than 5 and EC is cheaper.

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Didn't they do away with that membership option?????

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Originally Posted by MadMerv

Didn't they do away with that membership option?????

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No.. What I listed above is the "INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP"option. It replaced the "JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP"(that was done away with). The Jr membership had a $2500 fee to join and no monthy dues, but $100 memeber day fee when you used it.

Contact Gary at Track Dog racing. He is getting a list together for the next group membership buy at MSR. The last one he put together was a great deal and the last group save thousands of dollars in membership, dues and session fees.

Also I highly recommend the Apex schools at MSR, get a Spec Miata driver as an instructor and learn from someone who knows the car. The Apex schools are a good value and well worth the cost. Not sure about the NASA but I suspect that running in their driving events would help you prepare you for one of their racing licenses. Which is a plus for them. Getting your SCCA license can be taken over one of their race school weekends but you'll need the proper car and all the proper safety equipment, which can be rented.

Just remember that cheap and racing don't go together at all. Nothing is cheap about it. SPec Mata was started as a grassroots inexpensive class. Its grow into a national high price affair with engines costing more than the original class total builds use to cost.

You might even want to help crew for a local Spec MIata racer and get some behind the scene experience of what it is all about. I did that for a season and that was enough to end my pipe dream about racing cars. Seeing 4-5 Spec Miatas crashing into the wall at TMS and being totaled out made me reconsider my little dream. I remember talking to one driver saying that "you have to be willing to push your car off a cliff and walk away without any regrets". Thats was too much for me to handle.

Good luck. Start with driving events and work on the driver first. Your NC is a perfect platform to learn from.

Wow, thanks for all the responses. The SA Helmet tip is a huge one.

Unfortunately I wasn't clear on my goals. I let slip the word club racing. That is actually a long term (possibly 10 year in the future) goal. And I will not be chasing AutoX titles. My goal starting off with autoX is simply to participate, get my face out in the local motorsports community, and to improve myself as a driver.

In the end that is my goal in all of this, improve myself as a driver. I personally would prefer to start a project car from scratch. However a coworker just told me that his son might be selling his Z31 300ZX race car. I believe it was mostly an AutoX car.

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Originally Posted by Titus

No.. What I listed above is the "INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP"option. It replaced the "JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP"(that was done away with). The Jr membership had a $2500 fee to join and no monthy dues, but $100 memeber day fee when you used it.

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Yup.

Jr. is the level I have. :D Got in on a group buy and saved quite a bit on it. Beats having another monthly payment.

You might consider the SCCA AX school and event on 3/15 and 3/16. It is a great way to get some instruction and get your feet wet. I went to my first AX without any training or knowing any of the Miata drivers and it was a little intimidating. Doing the school and then the event would have been a lot easier, so I suggest it.

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Originally Posted by jrj512

You might consider the SCCA AX school and event on 3/15 and 3/16. It is a great way to get some instruction and get your feet wet. I went to my first AX without any training or knowing any of the Miata drivers and it was a little intimidating. Doing the school and then the event would have been a lot easier, so I suggest it.

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Yeah, but that is smack in the middle of the school year for me. It might be spring break, but I still remember last year spending ALL of Spring Break working 8+ hours a day, including weekends, sitting in the CAD lab busting my rear to design a DRAM.

This semester I am taking DSP Assembly programming so I suspect this Spring Break won't be much different. I would hate to sign up for it and then find out I can't come because my academic career depends on wrapping an enormous project over Spring Break.

There is a reason I am going to kick this off for the May event. I finish exams Monday May 5th.