Does anyone race? what kind? autox, open track, formula, kart, .........

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advanR

advanR

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I have an e30 M3. I am going to go to some driving schools this year, along with autocrossing.

I am actually thinking of trying to start a formula career also. (havent we all wanted to???) I am going to Michigan Tech next year to get a degree in mechanical engineering. I hope to be a part of the formula SAE competition. I figure having some sort of formula background will help me get a job in the area in the future. Or maybe I will be f1 champion one day, hahaha.

I am going to the skip barber 3 day school in daytona for spring break this year. That will hopefully be followed by me going to the 2 day advanced school at road america soon after. I actually hope to participate in 2-3 of the races of the barber midwestern regional championship this year.

If I do well, I will try to participate in the 2004 fran-am 1600 championship. When I win that I race in fran-am 2000. When I win that I race in the super v6 renault championship. When I win that I get to test with the renault f1 team.

You know, I guess...... I could settle with participating in CART. But my aims are for something higher.

My only problem is trying to keep up with all of the very wealthy drivers. $$$ buys experience, and experience pretty much wins races. They sometimes make me sick!!

How about you??
 
Well racing and cars are in my family, inherited it from my dad who got it from his dad. I am still trying to sort out my racing career. The path spits into a few more roads. I love rally so I can get into the SCCA Pro Rally and eventualy make it to the FIA WRC, I can go the NASCAR path, or I can go into the SPEED World Challenge. They are all very good and its a herd decision for me to make as I like them all equally. I had made a thread of this once but it turned ugly between alot of the members over what was better and some NASCAR haters got into it as well so I just had the admin delete the thread and any spinoffs...
 
thats awesome. I wish endlessly that when I was younger my parents had gotten me into karting.

I dont want this to turn into an ugly thread highjack either so I will pm you about the rest.
 
I race Enduro karts (250cc) and plan on racing SCCA next year in IT. I also may race the Rolex 24 next year in a Porsche 911-GT3RS with a friend.
 
I was autocrossing before the untimely death of the miata. So now, I am wating to put together another car to get back into it. Eventually, I want to do showmanship in drifting.
 
Hi. I race go-karts, mostly on dirt but the club used to have a hill climb and hire the local car track, until it became to expensive:( . I've got a Honda XR200 (16hp), but the Xr200RE engine we have found will hopefully have 26hp:D . I've also been to motor racing school, we got to drive rx7 race cars and open seater formula fords. http://scfkarts.tripod.com thats the clubs site it has a couple of pics hopefully more soon.
 
AdvanR: If you're into mechanical engineering, look out for something called Formula SAE. SAE is the Society of Automotive Engineers. It's alot of fun, I tried my hand in it when I had the chance several years ago at FAU. It was a lot of fun, but you have to keep your grades up, too!
 
yea, i know about formula SAE. im reallly excited about that. what do you have to accomplish to be eligible to compete in it?

michigan tech has a formula SAE team also. i think i said that in the first post. it looks really neat. the current cars are midship 600cc superbike powered. one of the top teams last year even had a turbo on it.
 
I'm a little old to start a career in KART racing! I do some autocross with the local Porsche club. You young guys: If you have a dream and work hard at it you will succeed.
 
i am going to get into Kart racing this summer at the local dirt tracks in the area. the only problem is that i can only race on friday nights or sunday afternoons for i have to help my dad work on the sprint car when he races.
 
Originally posted by thinkers
I'm a little old to start a career in KART racing! I do some autocross with the local Porsche club. You young guys: If you have a dream and work hard at it you will succeed.
Click to expand...

Not really, everything depends on how much you're able and willing to spend.
 
I dont understand how that would put an f1 car in its place, bigwhlkid, sorry. An f1 car has about 850hp, weighs less than a midget, and has the downforce and aerodynamics to go with it. Even if a midget was faster in a straight line, i dont think it would put an f1 car in its place. Unless its place was to go faster in any setting other than a straight line, which it is, so im rambling and i dont know why.
 
also, if you are going to have a signature as pretentious as that, you should spell correctly. Come on!!!!! their, not there.

shame on you.
 
English has always been my worst subject.

but anyway, in F1 you are not constantly surounded by other cars on the track going sideways at 80 mph and you definetly need more throttle control because the downforce produced by those wings ruin the racing.
 
and a midget only weighs 900lbs


an F1 car, though weighing as much as a sprint will not be able to handle as much abuse because of all of the carbon fiber lightweight crap where a sprint is composed of metal

and they are not designed to go fast in a strait line, dirt + pavement ovals
 
Originally posted by advanR
I have an e30 M3. I am going to go to some driving schools this year, along with autocrossing.

My only problem is trying to keep up with all of the very wealthy drivers. $$$ buys experience, and experience pretty much wins races. They sometimes make me sick!!

How about you??
Click to expand...

You have an M3 and rich people make you sick? Just feel lucky that you actually get to drive/race a sweet car. Now don't get me wrong I’m not saying that you don't deserve it. I don't know you or how you got your car. I'm just saying being rich is relative, you saying that these wealthy drivers make you sick would be the same thing as me saying that you make me sick. I'm not saying that by the way.

Anyways back on topic I'm going into mech engineering next year too (I'm in Civil right now). Hopefully the SAE will give me a taste of what a mechanical engineer actually does and maybe a little of the racing industry too. Definitely after I get my degree I will try and race something somewhere.
 
Its an early M3. E30 M3. I bought the car in near perfect shape for $12k USD.

Yes, rich is a relative term. When I mentioned it, I meant that all of the extremely rich people, that get their way through racing paid by their family. To make it to F1 it does require skill, no doubt about it, but you can pretty much buy your way into it as well. Money buys experience, experience wins races. Also, you dont even get the chance to race unless you have the money. One season in Fran-am 2000 costs over $100k for an arrive and drive situation. Without outside support, Im sure getting to F1 would cost well over a million.

I will see if I have the natural talent this Spring. If I consider myself good enough, I will see what kind of scholarships I can get. Winning race series runoffs, or the ultimate goal of getting backed by Red Bulls American Driver Search.

I am glad that if you are good enough, there are ways to get past your money troubles in racing. The way Skip barbers formula dodge series' are setup for example. But I hate the idea of competing against others for these scholarships, that have bought themselves a ton of experience.

What really tees me off is these punks that are racing in a few series at the same time. Fly out to france to compete in one race for formula renault, then come home for a fran-am event. Some of these guys obviously have crazy amounts of cash.

That said, I am very lucky to have the M3. I love it, and if I could afford an E46 M3 or 911, I would still rather have the E30. $12k could be considered as a large purchase to some, but I dont go looking for the best I can afford. I was set on this car and this car only. Also, I bought this car because I would much rather have this than the current car my family had purchased for my sister. A 99 civic EX. Bought new for 17k, it will probably fetch $14k today. I would much rather have the M3, thanks.
 
Yeah I agree with you, I just wanted to make a point. :)

Anyways, good luck with school and your racing career. Who knows, maybe we will be competing at the SAE formula finals, I think they are usually in Detroit if I’m not mistaken.
 
Point taken. I totally understand. I know I am very lucky. Actually anyone living in the United States or any other developed country is lucky. It is ALL relative. But once you are lucky enough to be able to provide a living for you and another, anything else is just ....... extra.

I think you are correct. Because I think the SAE is based out of there also.

Im not sure if either of our schools will make finals. How many schools do? Im not even sure what school you are at. I think I read at the Mtech site that the placed 20th one year (out of over 400 i think). But Im not sure what year that was. Because on their website I only see information about their 2001 entry. I will need to figure this out. I am still not even sure if I will attend there. Lets just hope.....

Thanks. I think the only luck I need is in finding sponsors or support. I am serious when I say it is *almost* all about the money. Also, who knows if I will even pursue it. I will probably have a good idea of it after this spring. The 3-day formula school, and BMCCA drivers school should give me a good idea where I stand. I have no actual experience, but I could imagine simulations are so realistic these days that they could be used for initial preparation, just as karting. Not as well I know, but to get the basics down. Being smooth, apexes, etc. I will pick up GPL soon and see if I cant find a track for the Daytona 24-hour course or Brainerd IS for a bit of preparation in getting to know the courses area.

Im sure I will let all of you guys know how things have gone later. I will probably bring a digital camera down to daytona to take a bunch of dorkey pictures of me in one of those gay looking race suits.
 
Originally posted by advanR

I think you are correct. Because I think the SAE is based out of there also.

Im not sure if either of our schools will make finals. How many schools do? Im not even sure what school you are at. I think I read at the Mtech site that the placed 20th one year (out of over 400 i think). But Im not sure what year that was. Because on their website I only see information about their 2001 entry. I will need to figure this out. I am still not even sure if I will attend there. Lets just hope.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, now that i think of it "finals" is not the word I should have used. I'm at concordia university in montreal right now, and I know last year we went to detroit but i doubt we got anwhere close the finals. Like you said money is really imprortant and from what my friends tell me(that are in the SAE) they really don't get much budget compared to the universties in the states. I think they did win an award of some sort for best bang for the buck or something like that.
 
really? I would have guessed that there would be a maximum $$ amount that you could use. Like other competitions of the sort. But then again the budgets in this competition would run much larger and I dont think it would be easy to set a standard amount as the smaller teams could not compete.

I never thought about money in this competition, but that is a shame. If money has such a large influence, which I could imagine myself, then the competition isnt about what it is supposed to be about. Engineering.

I know what you mean about money. I have an issue of Road & Track that has the top 5 or 6 finishing teams competing in R&Ds own event. All of the top teams are using superbike motors. Most are 600cc I think. One team even had a turbocharger on it, damn! Every team had the engine mid-mounted, which I could imagine would cost more. I think many of the teams also had full aerodynamics kits, or atleast a rear wing.

Well that stinks about budget, but that is how everything in life is. If the school I am at has an obviously much lower budget than the other schools, I hope there would be a way to make up for it by using engineering skill. If so, that would deminstrate real world engineering well. Making the best performing car possible, using the least amount of money.
 
Originally posted by advanR


All of the top teams are using superbike motors. Most are 600cc I think. One team even had a turbocharger on it, damn! Every team had the engine mid-mounted, which I could imagine would cost more. I think many of the teams also had full aerodynamics kits, or atleast a rear wing.
Click to expand...

Don't quote me on this but I remember hearing something about a 600cc V8. It’ completely custom made from one of the really rich universities, don’t know which one though.

I think the turbo's are actually quite common since there is a crazy intake restriction of something like a 10 or 20mm diameter. I think my school is actually doing a 2-year project and skipping the competitions this year so that they can put a turbo in for next year.
 
v8? jeez, thats 75cc per cylinder. I thought the pistons for F1 cars were tiny. they arent making the engine themselves are they? that must be like, really expensive.

About taking a year off, I think Mtech might have done that also. I havent heard anything about their 2002 entry.

If you have a link to a site for your schools SAE project I would love to see it.
 
I kart this will be my 3rd year. I'm ok for my age. My rookie year i finished 5th out of 17karts at that track. I've won a few races here and there. Just got a new kart for this upcoming season.(2003 Phantom Nemisis Champions Edition) Hopefully I will do pretty well this year.
 
5 out of 17 is damn good. How old are you? what class?

I will be purchasing either an 80 or 125cc shifter within the next couple months. Any advice as to what chassis or motor? Someone before recommended I look at CRG. I have also heard good things about Tonykart and Trackmagic.

If you could help me out, I would like it if you could tell me features to look for, or why one brand is better than another. I know almost nothing about them as you can see, and it isnt much help when someone just suggests a brand without backing it up.
 
i am 15 and in JR II. Next year i'll move up to one of the stock classes. I have no clue about the asphalt karts because I race mainly on dirt. I have only raced 1 time on asphalt and we decided to stay on dirt. This year we will race all over. Especially in the new Burris Illinois Dirt Karters Series. It is a new series all over IL at diff tracks all over IL. I only race 4 stroke so i have no clue about 2 stroke engines. Sorry, only dirt and 4 stroke is all i know about.
 
Also, www.nationalkartnews.com is a great place to look up some info. Or you could try www.4cycle.com for some links and some stuff for sale.

To look for in a kart:
-Dependiability
--Customer Service
---Adjustments(Caster,Camber,etc)
----Aftermarket Accesories (Upgrades etc
-----Price (some 2 stroke stuff can be a major startup investment
but maintenance won't be as much as a 4 stroke). Some 4 strokes have to be rebuilt every 5-10 Weeks but a 2 stroke needs it about 1-3 Times a season.
------Comfort(Whatever you feel comfortable with. If you have a kart shop around you, you could ask them to sit in one or maybe even race one for a minimal fee.) Even if they don't let you test one ask lots of questions!!!

If you have any more ?'s Don't be afraid to ask them. Or you could ask me but I probably don't know the exact answer.

Good Luck in whatever you end up doing.
 

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