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Hello All,

After attending my first NASA Nationals at Miller this past year, I am really amp'd to start road racing, and do not want to race LeMons (hate the theatrics).

I am looking into several different NASA classes that seem relatively inexpensive to run. I would like to know which are the most popular in the socal region.

I am looking into the following classes:
SM or SSM
Spec E30
Spec 944
HC4
CMC2

Spec Miata is appealing due to the heavy traffic, however, it looks too expensive to be competitive. I've heard that there is too much cheating going on in this class.
CMC2 is cool cause the guys who race in it are really chill and laid back.
I don't know much about Spec E30 and 944.

2 of my co-workes raced in HC1 in the past and loved it. HC4 is where my budget is fixed to. Only down-side: I want to start racing in a rear-wheel drive.


Bottom-line: Which class is the cheapest to race with the most amount of action? Is it possible to win a race with a budget that is less than $10,000?


Thanks in advance for the responses!

Out of the classes listed 944Spec and Spec E30 are certainly the cheapest 2. I can't talk about E30 but 944Spec can easily be under a budget of $10,000. Cars have been going from $6000 to $12000 built out and the cost of consumables is reasonable.

In SoCal the 944Spec Director is Tim Comeau at

http://comeauracing.com/cre/

Give him a call and talk it over

_________________
Jerry Whitteridge
NorCal 944Spec 552

+2 on Spec 944

If I didn't find the deal on the car I have now, I was looking very hard at Spec944. All the guys seem to be very helpful with each other and very close clean racing.

HC would be ok too. But a little more competitive (agressive) racing. From what I've seen.

BMW guys are kind of in a would of there own (my, out side, obsiavtion)

SM looks like a blast, but I hate doing body work so that was out. For me, Personaly I think it's ok to cheat (not saying anyone is) as much as you like till you in the top 5 (and top 10 at nationals). Then you'd better be playing by the rules.... again just MHO

CMC...I like it. most people like watching it. Some what low cost getting in, BUT hell yes, lets burn some tires and fuel....woooohooooo!!!!!!

Or just pick up something fun in PT. Bottom line is. Bigger the car and HP. the more it's going to use up ($$) in a weekend. But as long as your in PTE and up. There will be someone to play with.

Anyways, That's what I came up with this last year looking for a car and class to run.
Others minds and thoughts may differ.
Hope that helps.

_________________
Gian Bowles
I know I can make it faster,
I just don't know where I'm going to get the money

If you'd like to start racing a cheap car that's rear wheel drive, then look no further than Honda Challenge 2!

"What?" you ask.

The new rules package for 2011 allows the S2k to be run in HC2 with very very little modification. You could build an HC2 S2k for little more than the cost of the car and the safety gear because not much else is allowed. Then you can upgrade the car as you race it during the season when you can afford it.
You will be hard pressed to find a class at a socal NASA event that has better racing on a continuous basis than HC2.
The only reason I mention this option is because is seems that you have an affinity toward HC and you already mentioned that you want to race RWD. Best of both worlds then right?

Building an S2k for HC2 certainly won't be as cheap as picking up a used HC4/944/SpecE30, but it might be worth it to you in the long run. Only you can answer that.
I believe CMC2 would be a very fun class for you, but certainly not the cheapest due to maintenance and travel!

We hope to see you out there soon!

BTW, if you decide on HC4, I have a perfect car for you to start out in for sale! It's a top level build CRX with everything you'd want on an HC4 car for $6700! It's impossible to beat this price for the parts your getting.

_________________
NASA Sponsorship Manager
www.drivenasa.com

Im with you on that. Lemons isnt really about racing. To me its the rock opera of motorsports. I digress.....





Spec E30 is a relatively new group of guys in the SoCal region. At the end of the year, there were 4 cars running in SE30. That number is growing. Currently there are 6 of us who are heading up to Infineon to play with the more established NorCal Spec E30 guys. Its a friendly rivalry that we are trying to foster between us. We went up there last year to do an event with them and we were warmly welcomed and we genuinely had a great time. So now we are trying to grow the series in SoCal.

We expect to have at least 10 cars competing in SE30 by the end of the season this year. We have guys either in various stages of their car builds or they are still in the HPDE program or both. At this point, anyone can win a race in SoCal which makes it fun. And, with it being a spec car series, its affordable (in terms of racing!) and unlike Spec Miata, were not replacing body panels after every race. (Nothing against SM racing but they historically have a long history of body contact.) You dont have to have the best motor built to be competitive as we have guys running on motors right out of the junkyard and are turning in fast laps. The rules limit what you can do to the engine and car, which is pretty much nothing. Spec suspension parts and exhaust and thats about it.

Our focus in SE30 is to have FUN with some competitive racing. We work together to get everyone up to speed. We hang out in the pits together. Its a good time, as it should be.

if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

Class rules are here: http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/spec30_rules.pdf
Have a look thru them and see what you think!

This is the national E30 web site: http://spece30.com/
The SoCal region: http://www.socalspece30.com/SoCalSpecE30/Home.html

Hope this helps!

_________________
Shawn Meze
SoCal Spec E30 Series Director

I will make it short and sweet.

Spec E30 parts list

Suspension kit ($1342.00)
(kit includes)
Springs
Shocks
Front and Rear sway bars
Front sway bar mount re-inforcement
Rear sway bar re-inforcement
Rear sway bar upper mount re-inforcement
Rear upper shock mounts

Spec exhaust $297.59
Wheels run from $85.00 to $100.00 each
Tires are same as Spec Miata Toyo Ra1 (shaved to 3/32) $140.04 each and they last a long time
Cage depends on what you want. From $1500.00 on up
Good racing brake pads Fronts $245.00 Rear $275.00 You can run cheaper pads
Front and rear brake rotors of good quality run $18.00 each
Racing seats are a wide range of prices and so are harnesses.

Lots of cleaning with elbow grease usually

Race engine.... Find a 180k to 200k yard motor and put in new rod and main bearings. Then have a good valve job done and let it rip.

Cheap,fun,fast and the Spec E30 group are a blast to hang out with and BBQ with.

I probably missed a few things but not much OH yeah! have fun!!!!!


My pennies worth.

Seth

I've not had a comp license since 2000. I needed something to come along like spec miata that I could use to get back into racing cost effectively. having done this sport before and gone off the deep end financially I have this time artificially created a condition for myself equivalent to the poorhouse. the only class that really works and has a mostly level playing field were spec miata and se30. While s944 and HC and cmc and even PT are attractive, nothing is as simple as a set of h&r springs, bilstien shocks and toyos under the dead nuts reliable e30 BMW chassis mated with the venerable and plentiful M20 (b25).

I have built my own car with a lot of help and my own hard work for less than $6k and I started with a cherry car that was more than $3k to buy. yes my friend is a very handy welder by trade. (advantage me).

We also now have the support of MidnightOil motorsport from San Diego. they have stepped in as socal's equivelent of Valley Motorwerks and are giving us all a huge leg up in terms of support and advice.

This is also the ground floor in socal for this class. no one down here is a killer or heavy weight in the class, we're also mostly BMW club peeps who love these cars and have no aspirations of body contact or win at all costs. we're just your average enthusiast out looking to have fun while racing.

to me, this has the potential for really great things in socal nasa.

If you decide to come to the SE30 side of the house we have created a Google group for the purpose of coordinating the class and getting news out the appropriate people in a timely and semi-confidential way.

http://groups.google.com/group/socalspece30

Let me know if you'd be interested in joining us.

Kieran

Buy a Miata and race PTE. You can run NT01s instad of Hoosiers to keep costs down unless you can win then Hoosiers become cheap. There probably isn't a cheaper car to race than a Miata. Expensive brake pads are $150 an axle, rotors $25 each, wheels start at about $100 each. Plus you can get a motorsports account w/ Mazda and get good deals on parts and they pay contingencies. Tough to beat.

_________________
99 Miata built for PTE - SoCal region
https://www.facebook.com/GreenmachineRacing

how many cars typically show up to the spec 944 class in socal?