New.....looking for budget

All things specracer!

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:59 pm
I am looking to go racing next year. I have been doing track days and I am ready to race instead of pretending to... I am currently looking at Spec Miata and SRF. It seems that SRF is more spec, or actually is spec. Spec Miata has gone past the "Spec" concept, but is still a reasonable cost to go racing at least at the regional level. I have researched Spec Miata and know a lot more about it than SRF, hence why I am here. I looked into it about a year ago but it looks like the old forum where most of the info I saw is now gone... So for the questions:

Budget

1. Tires- How many heat cycles or races do they last for?

2. Brakes- Is there a spec pad and rotor that is used?
rotors- how many hours/races do they last for?
pads- how many hours/races do they last for?
other brake parts?

3. Engine hours/races before rebuild-

4. Trans hours/races before rebuild-

5. Shocks hours/races before rebuild-

6. Other suspension pieces life-

7. Bodywork and chassis repair-

8. Fluid changes- what and how often?

8. Entry Fees-

9. SCCA Fees-

10. Any other charges or fees not associated with the actual race car-

11. What am I missing?

Also is this class as "spec" as it is advertised? Is there a large number of racers "walking in the gray areas" (cheating)? Are a lot of guys buying 10 parts to use the one best (motors, ecu's, trans, etc)? Basically is this like spec miata? Or is it truly a class that is run well by good drivers with legal well setup and maintained cars (what spec is meant to be)?

If anyone has an excel file that would be great. But please feel free to fill in the blanks. I appreciate any help and look forward to learning about this class and the cars. There seems to be a great bunch or racers in this class and from all the videos I have watched good, clean, respectable racing. I like that....
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 4:41 pm
Adam,

First thing I would do is contact your local CSR. They will have a wealth of information regarding your budget questions.

Here is a couple links to get you started:
http://www.scca-enterprises.com/specracer.html
http://www.scca-enterprises.com/customer_service.html

A fellow N.E. SRFer Michael Hausknecht summed it up pretty good comparing SRF's to other race classes:
"...SRF parts are readily available and relatively inexpensive. They are easy to work on, repair, and tune, and there is plenty of help available from CSRs and other competitors. All any of us have to do is ask ( and sometimes not even ask) if we need or want help. SRFs are relatively inexpensive to race, even if you only get 10 heat cycles out of a set of tires, and rebuild or replace most everything that moves every year or two. Beyond all that, and this is the most important part, we all get to race hard at all but the smallest regionals. Whether you're at the pointy end at the National level or any where up to 4-5 seconds a lap slower, there is always racing going on. Other than the SMs (for more money and more PITA issues), no other class offers anything near the same level of competition."


As far as your "spec" question goes... You will not find another class that has such a level playing field, or a better group of people to hang out with pre and post race.

Cheers,
Rob
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 5:22 pm
I'm still pretty new, so I don't know a whole lot. But I too was recently choosing a racing class and went SRF over SM and 944 Cup. I'll just add the BIG things that I am fairly certain are true.

> Put an SM and an SRF into a tire wall hard and they're both done for the race. But, if you bend the Miata's unibody, you may be in salvage mode, building a new car. The SRF has snap on bodywork, and below that a tube frame. And if the tube frame bends, it can be replaced in sections. They're hard to total.

> Sealed engines will always do more to level the playing field than a spec engine.

> A 25 year old SRF is as good as a brand-spanking-new one.

> You can swap brake pads and rotors in 5 minutes per corner.

> You can bleed brakes without taking your wheels off! With the bodywork off (a 60 second job) you can literally see everything, and work on virtually everything.

> People gravitate to SRF if they're more into racing and not so much into race car buying, building and tuning. I still look at the ads in Grassroots Motorsports magazine, but there is no temptation to buy anything. The UPS guy does not know my first name.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 6:17 pm
adam81 wrote:Also is this class as "spec" as it is advertised? Is there a large number of racers "walking in the gray areas" (cheating)? Are a lot of guys buying 10 parts to use the one best (motors, ecu's, trans, etc)? Basically is this like spec miata?


There are some $40,000 Spec Miatas out there. I don't think it's possible to build a $40,000 SRF.
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:55 pm
porcupine wrote:
adam81 wrote:Also is this class as "spec" as it is advertised? Is there a large number of racers "walking in the gray areas" (cheating)? Are a lot of guys buying 10 parts to use the one best (motors, ecu's, trans, etc)? Basically is this like spec miata?


There are some $40,000 Spec Miatas out there. I don't think it's possible to build a $40,000 SRF.


Heck, I know of some 50K spec miatas..... :o

I've come out of oak tree at VIR behind guys who have won the runoffs and they weren't able to pull away from me down the straight and my motor is of unknown age, at least 30 weekends by my count.
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 8:53 pm
Adam are you the same Adam81 of Boss Mustang fame?
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 9:44 pm
Adam,
Besides the great group of racers, the opportunity to rent an SRF to really try it out should not be overlooked. I was in your position 4 years ago. I rented from my local CSR (Motion Dynamics) and was hooked. After a couple of seasons of renting I bought a car last year. It is a fun car to drive, has fantastic support and the SRF community is the best (on the track and in the paddock). Budget will always depend on how much you race and how much work you do on your own. My goal is to run 4-5 weekends and stay under $7.5K. Best of luck
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 9:54 pm
porcupine wrote:
adam81 wrote:Also is this class as "spec" as it is advertised? Is there a large number of racers "walking in the gray areas" (cheating)? Are a lot of guys buying 10 parts to use the one best (motors, ecu's, trans, etc)? Basically is this like spec miata?


There are some $40,000 Spec Miatas out there. I don't think it's possible to build a $40,000 SRF.


It's easy to build a >40K SRF:
A new kit, professionally built, with 2 sets of wheels+tires, and a CDS system will put into the mid- 40s.
Kit 27.5+delivery 1.5K+ paint 2K+ extra wheels/tires 2K+ probuild 5K+ CDS 6K. That's 44. And i am leaving out the AN bolts and some other stuff - Butler, etc.
That's why not many new kits are being sold since the supply of good used cars is good at present.

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PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:29 pm
So even if you do build a $40k SRF, the great thing about the class is that the rules aren't going to be rewritten next year to make your car obsolete. I also like that the big national races are decided on the track at the finish line instead of waiting a week or so for the tear downs, penalties and appeals processes to finally shake out the cheaters. Too much man drama in SM for me.
-Scott

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PostPosted: Fri Mar 30, 2012 3:33 am
I appreciate all the replies. So far they confirm my initial beliefs of the types of people racing these things and the level playing field brought on by the rulebook and sealed parts. I plan on renting a couple different cars from different classes after I have narrowed it down to 2 or 3. My plan is to do the comp school at Roebling in Feb '13. So I need to have my short list and cars rented by then. I plan on contacting a CSR, but I would like to be educated so I don't waste their time by not knowing what questions to ask. Knowledge is power. I still need to know costs to run this class.... This could become a great thread for newbies like myself looking to join. I looked in the "gettign started" section and searched prior to posting and there isn't really any good information out there.

enzo wrote:Adam are you the same Adam81 of Boss Mustang fame?


Yep that's me
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