2010 Bench Racer's League

[CarPsyco84]

It breaks all kinds of things on dsm's too, I garentee I will snap at least 1 axle this summer racing... I snapped one with street tires on 45degree pavement 3 months ago so I'm willing to bet in the middle of the summer 1 bad hop in first is gonna happen.

[Swifty1638]

A funny way to look at it. Launching breaks all kinds of very expensive things on Evo X's. I'd have to upgrade the center diff pins for sure...it'd be wise to upgrade front & rear diffs as well. $5-6k I'd guess.

This right here is why I stick to DSM's. Cost for parts when broken are easier pills to swallow. I don't need a new car, or a newer vehicle when I can still have a blast with my old, faded vehicle.

I'm looking forward to some racing coming up really soon.

[Matt D.]

Bah, where'd all the drag racers go... for those of us too poor to auto cross.
Since when was autocrossing expensive? There are people driving a Taurus, stock base model Focus, G5 GT... Why? Because it's fun. A single autocross event costs just as much as a day at the drag strip, maybe less because it's local.

[CarPsyco84]

I look at the fact that if I even wanted to attempt to auto cross a dsm it would need springs at a minimum... I guess I'm more competitive in the sense that going out and being last isn't fun for me... besides the tire wear, and the fact that I don't even have tires that are anywhere remotely sticky for the street...

[mlomker]

besides the tire wear, and the fact that I don't even have tires that are anywhere remotely sticky for the street...

Drag doesn't wear tires? haha. The rubber on the track must come from somewhere.

I think the point is that drag doesn't cost less than other forms of motorsports...you've just chosen to build your car for drag. That's a very different thing than trying to tell us you can't afford it. I've built my car with road courses in mind because that's what I want to do.

I like watching rallys on TV and hope to get out and spectate at some of these other events this year, though.

[CVD]

I look at the fact that if I even wanted to attempt to auto cross a dsm it would need springs at a minimum... I guess I'm more competitive in the sense that going out and being last isn't fun for me... besides the tire wear, and the fact that I don't even have tires that are anywhere remotely sticky for the street...
Autocrossing is much cheaper unless you aren't modifying or breaking the car you're drag racing.

[cmspaz]

Those of you interested but expressing doubts about autox or whether or not your car will do well...

Just do the novice school. Seriously. You'll get to give it a go in a non-competitive environment and be able to talk to some of the best local autox'ers about your driving and setup possibilities. You really can't ask for more.

Plus, it's a ton of fun.

[Matt D.]

I look at the fact that if I even wanted to attempt to auto cross a dsm it would need springs at a minimum... I guess I'm more competitive in the sense that going out and being last isn't fun for me... besides the tire wear, and the fact that I don't even have tires that are anywhere remotely sticky for the street...
I can't tell if you're just making excuses because you don't want to autocross or if you really do think that these things are issues. Autocross has nothing to do with having a properly set up car. It's just like going to a fun day at the drag strip, run what you brung!

The novice class doesn't care how fast you are. The point is to get out there and drive your car and learn how to drive it, not worry about how you're doing compared to everyone else. It's not about competition unless you want it to be, and frankly being competitive should be the last thing on your mind. Fun first, becoming a better driver second, everything else doesn't matter.

I used a set of 180 treadwear tires for a season and a half of autocrossing (19 events) and close to 30,000 driving miles. If you're using all seasons I guarantee you will not see much wear after a couple events. The tires will be scuffed, yes, but it isn't like you're taking a cheese grater to them.

[CarPsyco84]

Alright, you make good points. Its just a personal choice thing. I guess the drag racing is fun for me cause I am friends with a few people that are going to have cars roughly as fast as mine, so it's competitive without loosing the fun I guess. We can agree to disagree right?

[scheides]

I look at the fact that if I even wanted to attempt to auto cross a dsm it would need springs at a minimum... I guess I'm more competitive in the sense that going out and being last isn't fun for me... besides the tire wear, and the fact that I don't even have tires that are anywhere remotely sticky for the street...

Alright, you make good points. Its just a personal choice thing. I guess the drag racing is fun for me cause I am friends with a few people that are going to have cars roughly as fast as mine, so it's competitive without loosing the fun I guess. We can agree to disagree right?

The thing you're forgetting, and I want to make PERFECTLY clear to everyone else involved is that there is no real competition in this little bench racer's league, its to go out, give some events a try, and go from there. Sure we'll be comparing notes while at events and after, but it'll be completely about SELF-IMPROVEMENT and HAVING FUN!

Guys that have done these events before I appreciate your input, but please make sure to be respectful of me trying to just get people out and have some fun w/o making this too much about racing. At the same time, I don't want to segregate our group too much either, since we're a pretty small one as-is :D