Hendricks Motorsports to sell turnkey track day cars. Thoughts?

Keith Tanner said:

I agree that a factory-fresh turnkey race car is a different beast than one that's reached end of life and is being liquidated. It's like saying "why pay $25,000 for a new Miata when I can get one on Craiglist for $1500?". If you have the time and inclination and skills, you can turn a worn out race car into a fun track day toy. But you will need that time and inclination and skill.

Indeed.  And if you buy a used Cup car and take it to a race shop and pay them to refresh it to the level that the turnkey ones are, you're not saving any money.

In reply to Adrian_Thompson :

I didn't say it was a waste of time and money. I just said that it can be done cheaper than $125K. May not be as fast, but damn sure it is as fun. 

stuart in mn said:

VegasNick said:

You can buy used cup car all day long for under $10K minus the engine. I have seen some up in NC for as low as $3,000. Easy in most states to get the tagged as long as you do all the street legal upgrades. (most states support them as a kit car)

As for getting tags on a Cup car, I don't think it will be that easy since they have zero street legal necessities - you'd have to add lights, turn signals, wipers, horn, safety glass windshields, parking brakes, defrosters, and on and on.  Even then getting a title may not be simple, it will depend on the state.  Some may be pretty lax on the requirements but most are not.

 

I have seen quote a few done. In fact, I have considered it as a business venture since I have a good line on more of those cars that I can count. Here in FL it is pretty easy to do. As you said, it does require installation of lights, horn, etc to make them street legal. (again, in Florida the equipment list is pretty lax) For someone mechanically inclined it isn't that hard. Just don't try it in California or New York! :) 

VegasNick said:

In reply to Adrian_Thompson :

I didn't say it was a waste of time and money. I just said that it can be done cheaper than $125K. May not be as fast, but damn sure it is as fun. 

He was pointing out a very common theme on this forum to the equivalent of:

"What? Why would I spend $85k on a new Corvette with a C8 package when I can build a clapped out, turbo Miata with Hoosiers that will turn faster lap times."

z31maniac said:

VegasNick said:

In reply to Adrian_Thompson :

I didn't say it was a waste of time and money. I just said that it can be done cheaper than $125K. May not be as fast, but damn sure it is as fun. 

He was pointing out a very common theme on this forum to the equivalent of:

"What? Why would I spend $85k on a new Corvette with a C8 package when I can build a clapped out, turbo Miata with Hoosiers that will turn faster lap times."

Gotcha. I certainly didn't mean in insult by it. If I had half a millon to blow.. I'd still probably own that old Dodge...and a nice new race car, 

I appreciate the insight into the "opposite" end of the spectrum. Very GRM. 

z31maniac said:

VegasNick said:

In reply to Adrian_Thompson :

I didn't say it was a waste of time and money. I just said that it can be done cheaper than $125K. May not be as fast, but damn sure it is as fun. 

He was pointing out a very common theme on this forum to the equivalent of:

"What? Why would I spend $85k on a new Corvette with a C8 package when I can build a clapped out, turbo Miata with Hoosiers that will turn faster lap times."

Well, maybe.  I'd be curious as to what the care and feeding expenses are for both cars, with respect to fluids, tires, brakes, wheel bearings, anything else that becomes a scheduled maintenance item, averaged out per hour on track. Cheap buy-in does not always mean cheaper long-term.  

stuart in mn said:

VegasNick said:

You can buy used cup car all day long for under $10K minus the engine. I have seen some up in NC for as low as $3,000. Easy in most states to get the tagged as long as you do all the street legal upgrades. (most states support them as a kit car)

As for getting tags on a Cup car, I don't think it will be that easy since they have zero street legal necessities - you'd have to add lights, turn signals, wipers, horn, safety glass windshields, parking brakes, defrosters, and on and on.  Even then getting a title may not be simple, it will depend on the state.  Some may be pretty lax on the requirements but most are not.

 

I've seen several registered here in NY so it's not impossible.

Just found out that Richard Childress Racing is offering a very similar program. 

Knurled. said:

z31maniac said:

VegasNick said:

In reply to Adrian_Thompson :

I didn't say it was a waste of time and money. I just said that it can be done cheaper than $125K. May not be as fast, but damn sure it is as fun. 

He was pointing out a very common theme on this forum to the equivalent of:

"What? Why would I spend $85k on a new Corvette with a C8 package when I can build a clapped out, turbo Miata with Hoosiers that will turn faster lap times."

Well, maybe.  I'd be curious as to what the care and feeding expenses are for both cars, with respect to fluids, tires, brakes, wheel bearings, anything else that becomes a scheduled maintenance item, averaged out per hour on track. Cheap buy-in does not always mean cheaper long-term.  

You have to figure that a NASCAR is designed to last for at least 500 miles of full-on track use before service :) Tires don't count.

Keith Tanner said:

Knurled. said:

z31maniac said:

VegasNick said:

In reply to Adrian_Thompson :

I didn't say it was a waste of time and money. I just said that it can be done cheaper than $125K. May not be as fast, but damn sure it is as fun. 

He was pointing out a very common theme on this forum to the equivalent of:

"What? Why would I spend $85k on a new Corvette with a C8 package when I can build a clapped out, turbo Miata with Hoosiers that will turn faster lap times."

Well, maybe.  I'd be curious as to what the care and feeding expenses are for both cars, with respect to fluids, tires, brakes, wheel bearings, anything else that becomes a scheduled maintenance item, averaged out per hour on track. Cheap buy-in does not always mean cheaper long-term.  

You have to figure that a NASCAR is designed to last for at least 500 miles of full-on track use before service :) Tires don't count.

Yeah, I was thinking for the average HPDE guy. Quick, competent driver, that sets good laps, etc, it would probably take a LONG time to put any real wear and tear on one of those cars compared to what they are built to do.

All that stuff is designed to drive 200 mph for hours non-stop. You'll never load of the chassis/bearings/etc on a road course the way they do with downforce @190mph and a banked track.

In reply to z31maniac :

That's a lot of the appeal of vintage circle track racing.  The cars are super tough, fairly cheap to maintain, and they're probably the safest thing you'd ever want to hit a wall with should you run out of talent.