? about Chumpcar, LeMons, etc..

[Boneman]

So lets say that you buy your way onto a team to get seat time in an endurance race. What if you are the 3'rd or 4'th driver to go out for your team, but the first driver destroys or damages the car. You are out all of your money, and didn't get the chance to drive. Have fun guys, but that is not the deal for me.

[cake]

No risk no reward.

[RSB]

Rex, it depends on the team you sign up with. My team will have two rental drivers for Road Atlanta. Cost to race is $1,100 for the team. We are splitting this 4 ways. The rental guys have each sent me a check for $275. This is non-refundable but I will offer them a credit for the next race if they don't get to drive.
From what I've seen most teams charge from $650(cheap) to $850. Since my car is unproven and I know nothing about what's inside the engine, how old/worn out it is, I've decided to charge by the stint($150). The co-owner drives first, the rental drivers next and lucky me gets the last chance. I lost the coin toss! Since it's a 14 hour race, best scenario would be the we get 3 stints each.
We're testing the car locally on 1/24 to make sure nothing falls off! If all goes well we may even run the Sprint races in Atlanta too. Additional $50 ea. for 4 one hour races. I just don't see a Chevy making it through the entire weekend without repairs...big repairs! We shall see. I think I already have two additional drivers for Daytona but if you decide to get off that fat wallet of yours....

[Groundpounder]

Mr. Bone,
You could drive 200 miles to a race and get rained out. You could crash in warm ups and lose many thousands. The list of risks could be large.
If things go right with this thing, you get alot of track time (which we all want) and just show up and drive. Could be a good deal. You know, half empty or half full. I thought you were a half full guy!

[RSB]

Chumpcar= no rainouts. Pretty much

[Lurkin]

I saw a perfect ex scca iroc camaro on the interwebs that I'd love to do the Chumpar with. I know I have at least 3 other friends that would probably rent the ride if I took the plunge and got the car going. I'd enjoy watching them thrash it after me.

[SeminoleWind]

The best aspect of Lemons and ChumpCar is they have provided an platform for hundreds of new racers to enter the sport. Many will do only 1 race, many others will start careers in road and oval track racing.

I do have some first hand knowledge of this because my company sells a lot of safety equipment to these guys and girls. Most of these folks did not grow up around racing and the the opportunity to go racing with a bunch of buddies is much less intimidating compared to going at it by themselves at the local short track or road course. Heck, have you ever met ANYONE who did not want to get behind the wheel of a race car?

Most of all....these series promote FUN! Despite being a ton of work, effort and expense, for most of us, once racing ceases to be FUN, we get out of it and find something else to do.

Short tracks could tap into this formula of getting new drivers out of the grandstand and onto the track.

[Lurkin]

The car I was looking at would be a freaking hoot to tool around any of the tracks they run at with just a 602. The guys I'm thinking of have all raced drag or Moto Cross or Bicycles or something and ALL want to race like you said.

There is some appeal to me in that every single car out there is one of a kind. I like the thought of putting a car together without having to adhere to a bunch of rules too that makes it appealing for some dirty dirty reason :-)

[RSB]

I bought an old SCCA Z28 and the only thing I've really had to do is buy new wheels(changed to 17" because of the really crappy size selection available in 15 and 16") and I'm going to ad large Vette brakes on the front and rear. I think a 602 crate will also be our engine of choice when this one dies.
Also, I recruited a friend of mine to join us that has never been in a race car. He comes from a motorcross background and still races enduros at the ripe age of 55! I'm a little nervous about him making his debut at a track like Road Atlanta but hopefully he'll be okay. I'm hoping we "hook" him!

[al_tere_go_05]

did you buy that 3rd gen A Sedan from down south?

[RSB]

Yeah, and I now wish I would have been more cautious and not so "trusting" of someone's word. Was in BUYING MODE!

[Boneman]

Many good points here!

they have provided an platform for hundreds of new racers to enter the sport.

Yes, they have and that is a huge plus.

Short tracks could tap into this formula of getting new drivers out of the grandstand and onto the track.

That is a frequent and important topic around here. Local circle tracks have a entry level class or two, and its no harder to do that than it is to get into chumpcar. In my opinion, I prefer local because I can easily come back and do it the next week, without the expense or the high degree of coordination required to assemble a team of multiple drivers and move them around.

You could drive 200 miles to a race and get rained out. You could crash in warm ups and lose many thousands.

Of course that could happen to anyone in oval or chumpcar. My problem is being the guy who looses the coin toss, drives last, and has his team mates tear the car up before I got the chance to go. That would stress me out.

I thought you were a half full guy!

Yep, I always am. There is no questioning the success of chumpcar. I read where they are the fastest growing segment of motorsports, and are expanding in many different directions including racing Euro style big rigs.

All I'll suggest is that anyone interested in this think it over. The overhead required (entry fees, travel time, lodging, etc.) is much higher than running at your local short track, and so are the logistics of assembling and coordinating a team. The potential for running often is no where near what a short track can offer.

Different strokes. If you are down for the adventure of traveling and running on a big track, then chumpcar or SCCA is for you. On Facebook I follow the adventures of many friends who are in it, and they are clearly having a good time. Race on y'all.

[palmbayer]

We are having a blast just putting the cars together. One car is based in New Orleans ( because of a job transfer) the other here in Melbourne. We didn't plan it this way, but it sure is giving us some oppertunitys at tracks that were to far to tow to.
New Orleans car is a "94" Honda Accord and the other is a 91 Mustang. Neither car will set the world on fire speed wise, but they will be durable. Most of the budget is focused on this.
This racing is all about racing on some of the coolest tracks in the country. Can't pass up doing this a couple times a year.
Still got my Toyota bomber waiting on OSW rules. Fingers crossed for a 4 cyl class.

[SeminoleWind]

"Race on y'all" The Boneman

I love it!

[Lurkin]

Though it wouldn't be the Spirit of Daytona, I could be doing this in an 87 Camaro former scca car for under 10 grand. But there is some sadness that the money/time/effort is going out of town instead of to your local track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6R9O1A7EQK0