Want to race for real??

**Shane@DBPerformance** · 09-13-2011

...start a Chumpcar team.

I can not stress how much fun it is. Driving a 140hp piece of shit FWD Honda on Road America is the rain is only about 100 or so more times fun than driving a 700whp car down the drag strip or on the street. You don't need some super car, you will just need some balls, taking a corner at 100+mph in a piece of shit and hoping your brakes are back coming into that 30 mph corner after they seemed to be kinda gone a couple corners ago is scary enough.

It's a lot more fun that your typical HPDE days at the road course because you are actually trying to race other cars, if you go off course it's no big deal, you aren't driving a $15,000 Evo that you are scared of crashing, and you have a roll cage.

Even with all the different kinds of cars out there, it is very competitive. At the June BIR Sunday 7 hour race, the difference between 1st and 6th place was 4 laps. To be competitive you need a lightish car with around 115-150whp.

It is probably the cheapest form of real road racing that you can get into, you will get shit loads of seat time and it's run at some of the best tracks in the country(most of us just run the upper midwest tracks). And if it rains, you still get to race. I really like to be the one who has to race in the rain on our team, it's a great equalizer, I like to slide all over the place and our car handles really good in the wet.

#1 It's cheap, but still costs a decent amount(Build car, towing gas, tires, gas at race, hotel). The more people you have on your team the cheaper it will be, but the less driving time. You will need a real race suit, real automotive racing helmet(not a motorcycle), gloves, shoes, socks. That part is a bit expensive, but I see people waste money on all kinds of things on their DSMs/Evos that are not needed, but someone or some shop on the interwebz told them they needed to have that.

#2 You need someone or a few of you that actually know how to fix basic things on the car. The checkbook racer teams often don't very far when their car isn't 100% perfect.

#3 You don't need to be a good driver or ever even driven on a road course before. It would help, but it isn't essential. The first race or two your team will probably mostly be getting used to the car, driving in traffic, passing, getting passed, etc.

#4 You need to build a $500 car and will want to bring some spare parts. Now is the time to start a winter Chumpcar build to get ready for hopefully Road America in early spring. You can run just about any old pile, but the most competitive cars are BMW E30, BMW E36, Hondas, Taurus SHO, Miata, MR2, Porsche 944, Sentra, Impreza, Saabs, and probably more I don't know of. A simple Mirage or Galant might do well.

93gtpeater · 09-13-2011

I would love to do this. I have a car that would be perfect and I got it for free. If some people want to get a team started I will join and we can use my car. Its a 98 maxima 5 speed. I have owned one before and they are a dependable and can take alot of abuse. if someone wants to get a team together iam in.

AJ · 09-13-2011

Hope to do this in a year or two, almost had a celica lined up for this year but didn't pan out.

1QUICK4 · 09-13-2011

I will donate a GVR4 shell for a Mitsustyle Chump car

Who's down?

93gtpeater · 09-13-2011

Hell yeah. We need to do it Mitsustyle chumpcar.

s1ngletracker · 09-13-2011

There are going to be 1, and most likely 2 races at Road America next year. If you haven't raced there, its freaking epic. It is like brainerd but longer, more turns, and introducing the concept of elevation gain/loss.

Also, Shane, Myself, Matt D, simulatedwood, or any of the other shake and bake guys are great resources if you're trying to feel out what you can legally do to improve your car. I'd rather see mitsustyle people succeed sooner than have to attend a few events and realize "oh, look at all the stuff people are able to do" - unfortunately the reality is its a bit more than you think. What the rules say and what is enforced is different. I mean.... us lowly jap crap econoboxes have to keep up with the E36s!

**scheides** · 09-13-2011

Guys that do this, how much time and money do you spend prepping the car? I think if I had a spot in my garage to work on one and easy access to a trailer and something to haul it with I would be three steps way in the right direction. Maybe I should pull a swifty and buy a suit with nothing to use it in? :P

turbotalon1g · 09-13-2011

I'd love to do this, but I'm not at the point in my life to do so. Well at least start a team.

**Tachyon** · 09-13-2011

Has a 2012 schedule (official or otherwise) been posted anywhere?

We're in the process of building something.... odd... for this

MATCHBX · 09-13-2011

Now that I have a garage (well as soon as I clean out all the boxes of crap from the move) I am seriously thinking of building my MR2 into a chumpcar. I tried to sell it but nobody seemed to want it. Oh well. I guess it's just telling me that it was destined to be in chumpcar.

Like Scheides asked, how much would someone be looking at for prepping the car for battle? Just trying to look at what I would need to budget for the build.

s1ngletracker · 09-13-2011

The cost thing... is a hard question to answer. It depends greatly on what car you decide to run, what needs done to it, how thorough you are, how many upgrades you do... etc.

I'd say as a general rule, expect to spend $5k to get a car, and fully prep it for the first season of racing. During the season, expect to have to put a decent amount of money into it to maintain it, replace broken parts, etc.

Some parts you'll need:

Car itself
cage (I can't recommend enough how much more worthwhile it is to have someone weld in a cage - bolt in cages are a pain and not as safe)
seat/bracket/belts
motor 'freshening'
replacing worn/tired suspension, driveline and steering components
brake calipers/rotors/pads - get pads that will hold up to some decent heat and track racing
Wheels
tires (dunlop Star specs if you want to be competitive)
Personal safety gear - sky is the limit but Helmet, suit, underwear, gloves, socks, shoes, and I recommend a HANS type device.
Tools and spares to bring to the track - as luck dictates the more you bring the less problems you have

Tow vehicle and trailer to bring the car to the track
Parts vehicle?

also, the 2012 schedule will be out in a month or so.

**scheides** · 09-13-2011

Hrm, so team four, that's $5000/4 ~~$1300 / 12 months ~~$125/month.

How crazy do people go for spare parts? Seems like you'd want to have spare axles, brakes, alternators...fuck, a whole spare engine/trans?

Wonder how much renting a race trailer and filling it with car/spares would end up costing. Does anyone just drive the car to the track and then drink beer and AAA it home when it breaks?

I have a spot on the side of my garage that I parked my bro's DSM in for a while...no room to work on it back there though. I suppose it's 'in the theme' to just buy a POS, race it, and then park it outside the rest of the year though, eh?

**Halon** · 09-13-2011

I've been wanting to do this ever since I went and watched my buddies team at BIR. Unfortunately I have no time, money, or space to do it at this time

Wish I did, looks like a total blast.

Speedfreak · 09-13-2011

It's a lot more money than people think. Between setting up the car and getting it track worthy. Getting everyone on the team race suits/helmets/gear etc. Then arranging or buying a trailer, tow vehicle, gas to/from, new tires every race, gas for the race car, spare parts, broken parts/wearables, etc.. it keeps adding up.

So figure 5k on the car up front, then at least 1-2k per race?

Oh, btw, we are building a car for next year as well.

awd-drifter · 09-13-2011

Like Shane said, I think it's a lot cheaper if there's more people in your team. I'm sure someone should have enough time to drive if there is another 24-hour race event. I spoke of this Chump Car idea to my cousins and brothers and I think we'll do it in the near future once we're "settled" down in life. I think driving a civic would be very fun...that or a 240sx(they're gettin' cheaper and cheaper every year.

s1ngletracker · 09-13-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Speedfreak

It's a lot more money than people think. Between setting up the car and getting it track worthy. Getting everyone on the team race suits/helmets/gear etc. Then arranging or buying a trailer, tow vehicle, gas to/from, new tires every race, gas for the race car, spare parts, broken parts/wearables, etc.. it keeps adding up.

So figure 5k on the car up front, then at least 1-2k per race?

Oh, btw, we are building a car for next year as well.

For sure. The $5k I listed is strictly for the car. If you're adding in race suits for everyone, a tow vehicle, trailer, radios, GoPro, race costs, and repairs in between races, it does indeed explode to quite a bit more money. We spent about $900 on a full radio setup alone.

Even crapcan racing ain't cheap! Fair warning.

I look forward to seeing the mk3! That was on my list of possible cars to build next. But we've invested in the civic for another year.