Sell, build, buy?

Here's my dilemma: I have this wonderful race car that I've been perfecting for 10 years now and it needs nothing, it might win Nationals with the right driver. But, my autocross season starts in May, is over in September and I can't get enough seat time in the car I love to drive. My question is: Should I start building another car (street legal but competitive in XP,SM or XS class), sell everything and buy a cool street car that also is competent at autocross/track days (think used Porsche 911) or should I just enjoy the precious few moments that I do have in my race car? Keep in mind that with the first two options, the race car would have to get sold.

Sell. Buy 997.2. Enjoy 

It would be hard for me to keep motivated with such a short season.  It seems that you do enjoy the build process however it seems like you are really into it for the results it can bring.  It seems like the car has reached a point where the building process can't take you much further but now it takes seat time as the driver is what needs improvement.  

I nearly jumped both feet in a few years ago when I ran the MG at Nationals and went full on competitive.  I was slow but I knew that I could make up several seconds with easy changes to the car if I went autox only.  Tuning for Bias ply tires, carbon/fiberglass body, remove about 50lbs by redoing some of the rollbar and moving the engine back further and abandoning the passenger seat.  With that work I was thinking I could likely trophy in the car (with all the required driver tuning also).  But I decided when I got home that I just really didn't want a car that I could Only use for autox. 

When I got home I left the car on a trailer for a month thinking about just selling everything.   Buy a Cayman S or something and have a single all around car.  I decied to use the MG as is and just have fun with it.  My MG does trackdays, I street drive it some, I take passengers.  Yours is much faster though.

I understand the struggle.  I think your assessment of where you are vs voldemort is correct.  The car is there (or just simple setup tuning away) but you are the limit.  I know your talented behind the wheel but your up agains a car+driver combo that is first class and doesn't make mistakes.  Given your short season it seems that you just can't develop what you need.  

I know many people would think it's silly to sell the car so "close" to your goal but I understand.  Cars are supposed to be fun, hobbies are supposed to be rewarding.  If something is limiting your ability to put what YOU need into your hobby to get out what YOU want make a change.  

One thing to consider would be to give it 1 more year.  I'm not sure if you could financially or time away from work wise make this work but what if you found 2-3 EVO type schools to do this year.  Sure it would mean 2-3 more big pulls down to the states but spread them out.  Have your season have 300+ runs of driver development.  Sure you can't replicate the competition but you can develop the skills.  It would be expensive but if it worked and you were EM national champ the car would be worth more at the end of the year and you would of achieved your goal.  

I totally understand the appeal of XS.  It's a great ruleset to let you build your way into a solution that leaves you with a great all around car that is exactly what you want.  It can work at trackdays, autox, car shows, street use, just all around fun with cars.  I think the class will be competivie and deep in a few years.  I know a very talented driver/builder that is planning to develop my old 350Z track for this class.  

Hope my rambing helps some.  

Move south where the season never really ends? I think it's more than coincidence that so many national champs live in Florida. 

I know that my driving is the weak point so I am stepping up my practice game. Last weekend I was on a mini vacation in Las Vegas and found out there was an autocross event. I put the word out that I was looking for a co-drive and a generous KM competitor (Paul Durr) offered a drive in his kart with him. It was one of the most fun events I have ever been to and I was able to just think about the driving instead of tuning the car (kart). Out of 140 competitors (4 in KM) I got FTD. See Quickest Run here I lobbied to go to a Tour event in Vegas in March but it's 6 days of driving to get there and back so we settled on flying into Dixie Tour to drive a carbon fiber Jeep in DM.

We all fall somewhere on a continuum from "loves building cars/so-so on driving cars" to "so-so on building cars/loves driving." Where do you think you fall? What excites you the most, the raw canvas of a new car, the development of a known chassis, or driving a totally-dialed longtime friend? If you are considering shaking it up/re-confirming your current jam, might as well factor your personal enjoyment into in the equation.

I always like killing two birds with one stone via an autocrossable/trackable street car, but YMMV.

In reply to ae86andkp61 :

I enjoy the driving just a little more than the building of a car. There is no doubt that if the Pink Panther was good for drag racing, track days and car shows, I would be driving it there, too.

In reply to loosecannon :

A well developed but unproven car will not sell anywhere near what a national champion will sell for.