Trying SCCA club racing . . .

So I'll be trying SCCA Spec Miata this coming 2012 season. Just a handful of races and I will be renting a friend's car so I can tiptoe into it and see if I really love it.

I assume that it will be the equivalent of a needle in the arm (not that I know anything about that) and that I will be hoplessly addicted. If so, I will have my local speed shop (shameless plug: AR Auto Service in Lake Oswego, OR) convert my current Miata track car into a full-blown SM car the following 2013 season.

For those of you who have done some form of pro or amateur racing, are the days of driving your car to and from the track truly over? I really would like to avoid having to buy another tow vehicle (our family AWD vehicle is used too often for kid transport and other family-related obligaitons to be used as a tow vehicle) and an enclosed trailer.

The only other question I have is what tips would you have for a racing newbie or what things did you wish you knew before you started your first season?

Thanks for your feedback and I cannot wait for the season to begin.

/Rich

I have driven my race car to the track and then raced it and then driven it home. What sucked was swaping the tires from street to race and back to street. The other thing was if you have a problem either mechanical or due to contact with another car or object and the car can't be driven home, that sucks even more! That was over 20 years ago and that's why I have a trailer and tow vehicle now. I do know a few guys who still do this though.

The bottom line is if you just want to race your Miata then SM is the best place to try to do this other then Showroom Stock class.

Many years ago back in the 80's AMC/Renault sponsored a Pro race series for the Alliance car that AMC sold. I remember one racer who happened to live in the Hammond, IN area and he would drive the car as his DD between races, numbers and all. Not sure if he drove it to the track and raced it?

The best of luck to you rcl. You're about to embarq on something I always wanted to do but never quite got there. My last attempt sure got close though. I hope this all turns into a very positive experience for you. If the car holds together and some hot shot doesn't run into you I'm sure it will.

I know a couple of guys that DD their Spec Miatas. It's fine until you bang the car up at the track and can't drive home, but otherwise it's a bit of a nuisance. You can tow a small Harbor Freight trailer and pull it with the racecar.
Are you going to take a racing school beforehand? I had done a lot of track days, but I wasn't prepared for real racing until I took a school. We spent most of a day doing 2 lap races fromvarious starting positions on the grid. It was intended to get us used to the starts, as that's when most of the crap will happen.

I know that it is expensive but buy a weekend at a professional driving school before you do the SCCA school. It will put you way ahead of the crowd and well worth the expense.
Dont worry about buying stuff yet. Go to races and see what works for you. Getting an enclosed trailer really ups the ante for a tow vehicle and there are going to be other expenses that will be competing for the same funds. A flat bed trailer will work very well for your first season or two and even if you move up to an enclosed trailer, you will want to keep the flatbed for local trips.

I have had several club racing cars over the years, and can offer a few tips.

1. It is generally much cheaper to buy an existing race car then building one. You mentioned that you already have a track car. Depending on its level of prep it might be a wash. Keep in mind if you are building a spec Miata you have to run certain specific components. If your car has a different suspension set up for example you will need to buy the appropriate stuff to make it legal etc, and sell yours. Examine your car and its current setup and determine if it would be cheaper to sell your car in its current sate and buy a car that is already a spec Miata. I offer this advise but I have failed to follow it on my previous three cars :) (There are a lot of excellent deals on race cars out there at the moment.)

2. A tow vehicle is almost a must. It offers more then simply towing to and from the race. Once you get there and get your tires switched you can drive the tow vehicle to get parts, lunch etc... Also I don't know about the other racers out there but I bring tons of extra stuff with me to every race. Once you load up two sets of wheels and tires, an easy up, tools, gas cans, driving equipment, extra parts, lights, you get the idea. Also if you are a cheap skate like me you can sleep in it / bring camping equipment to certain tracks. Thats alot to pack in a Miata.

There is also the obvious advantage of being able to return your damaged / broken race car to its home.

I have done several track days where I drove the car to the track with its track tires in the back, but given the option I would rather tow for the above mentioned reasons.

It is nice after a race weekend to relax in a nice comfy tow vehicle for the drive home.

You are embarking on this adventure with the right mind set. Renting is a great idea to see if you will like it (you will :) ). Good luck

Rich,

Did you see that Josh is selling his half-completed Blue Spec Miata locally for super cheap? He can't afford to finish or race it and just had the cage done. Might want to look into that (versus un-doing all of your car's mods and then building it as an SM).

As for the tow/go/etc, if you are only racing at PIR I'd suggest looking into the new garage rentals there. Then you don't need any tow equipment.

rcl4668 wrote: The only other question I have is what tips would you have for a racing newbie or what things did you wish you knew before you started your first season?

Since last season was my 1st full season of w2w racing I am fresh from the "pile of mistakes that cost me money". You actually know all of these... but I'll re-hash them because you will ignore me anyway and I'll get to say I told you so

1) Do not, under any circumstances, adjust/alter or otherwise change the car from a known good configuration before a race without a test session on a different day. How ever confident you are that closing off the brake ducts is a good idea because it is a little cooler today - you are wrong and you will pay for that unless you have data or a problem.
2) Buy an extra set of rims and new tires before you think you will need them. Mount them and bring them with you always. Buy wets if you can afford it. 3) Cover the windshield when you tow. You can drive 700 miles one way to find you broke the glass on the way down and cannot pass tech.
4) Do not put your name on the car until after you learn some race craft. Make them have to look your number up and come and find you. It buys you time to make up an excuse other than "I didn't see you".
5) Make a list. Make a couple lists. Add to them all weekend your first outing. Keep them for next time. It is surprising how many little items you forget when you have stars in your eyes.
6) Use a camera. Not because it is helpful for learning but because you might need some footage to show the stewards. Not always to defend yourself but you will be behind some shenanigans at some point and a buddy might need a reliable eye-witness.
7) HAVE SOMEONE THERE TO HELP YOU STRAP IN AND CHECK THINGS ON THE GRID. Even if you were super thorough - stage fright and re-running checklists over and over will make you wonder at some point if you remembered the hood pins. If you go out with that in tha back of your head it will ruin your E36 M3. Just having someone there to run the checklist and say "Yup" and help rig the HANS or feed you water from a straw is calming.
8) Make sure there is gas in the car. That 16lbs you are saving is going to DNF you on the last lap. Bank on it.
9) Try very, very hard not to work on your car. Obviously, if it breaks you have no choice - but when you are new and have no real racecraft... adjusting the wing or fiddling under the hood isn't helping and it might lead to you forgetting something... like hood pins or lug nuts.
10) Buy a GPS lap timer with predictive timing and use it every lap.
11) Practice getting out of the car fast. You can get tangled up in there in a panic. Best to have some muscle memory for it.
12) Have a blast. You really can't avoid it but you can let things get too big to remember that you aren't there to win yet. Soak it in. The best Heroin high is the first one (they say...) and so it is with racing. That first start in heavy traffic is unbelievable.

Funny, the last thing I was reading before coming over to GRM tonight was the BMWCCA Club Racing rules, trying to figure out if I'm doing anything to the weekend/HPDE car I'm building up that will screw with classing for an eventual entry into club racing. OK, I was really figuring out if I should just suck it up and register for the club racing school at Mid-Ohio for the end of March, but same idea.

I drove my HPDE car to the track for a few years before towing. It was a turbo Miata I had built. I towed a harbor freight trailer behind it with tools, tires, etc.

One event I cut a lower rad hose. I didn't have a spare or the means to go get one as I was there solo. I duct taped it together and prayed during the 3.5 hour drive home. That sucked.

After that I rented a trailer from Uhaul and borrowed my Dad's truck to tow to HPDE's. I don't go frequently so it made no sense to buy a tow vehicle. This has served it's purpose. Now I race Chump Car and meet my team at the event. If I do HPDE's this year I'll tow with a rented trailer and trade Dad my DD for his pickup for the weekend.

It works and I'm not out much cash in the process.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker: What GPS says times a billion: this belongs in Say What...in the mag!

pigeon wrote: Funny, the last thing I was reading before coming over to GRM tonight was the BMWCCA Club Racing rules, trying to figure out if I'm doing anything to the weekend/HPDE car I'm building up that will screw with classing for an eventual entry into club racing. OK, I was really figuring out if I should just suck it up and register for the club racing school at Mid-Ohio for the end of March, but same idea.

You won't be disappointed. The school was great too. I would have been a lot less confident about things if I hadn't done it. Plus... cool jacket from Bimmerworld and a big single order discount almost eliminate the price.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

pigeon wrote: Funny, the last thing I was reading before coming over to GRM tonight was the BMWCCA Club Racing rules, trying to figure out if I'm doing anything to the weekend/HPDE car I'm building up that will screw with classing for an eventual entry into club racing. OK, I was really figuring out if I should just suck it up and register for the club racing school at Mid-Ohio for the end of March, but same idea.

You won't be disappointed. The school was great too. I would have been a lot less confident about things if I hadn't done it. Plus... cool jacket from Bimmerworld and a big single order discount almost eliminate the price.

The car is basically a stock E46M3. I have coilovers ready to install along with fixed seats and a set of ugly track wheels but I need to order and install a rollbar, harnesses, R comps, etc etc - not going to happen.

Then again, what's this discount from Bimmerworld?

rcl4668 wrote: For those of you who have done some form of pro or amateur racing, are the days of driving your car to and from the track truly over? I really would like to avoid having to buy another tow vehicle (our family AWD vehicle is used too often for kid transport and other family-related obligaitons to be used as a tow vehicle) and an enclosed trailer.

Sure... but you do realize Spec Miata has a number of... 'nick' names... "Smash Miata".... "Spec Pinata"... and so forth... your race could very well end at the first corner through absolutely no fault of your own.

Beyond that... I understand the SM springs are incredibly stiff.

pigeon wrote: The car is basically a stock E46M3. I have coilovers ready to install along with fixed seats and a set of ugly track wheels but I need to order and install a rollbar, harnesses, R comps, etc etc - not going to happen. Then again, what's this discount from Bimmerworld?

When I signed up I brought a log-booked CM race car because I thought I had to... but when I got there I was one of only four people in a real race car. There was a guy in a Panoz, and 2 E36 M3s in JP and CM trim then a pile of street cars with no protection above seat belts.

We went toe to toe anyway and the last heat is an all-rookie race (I won!).

There were guys who were stoked and guys who realized they weren't ready for it yet... but nobody was disappointed and everyone went home safe and license eligible.

If you can run in the front of a BMWCCA advanced solo group you are ready enough to try the school to see if you want to move forward.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

pigeon wrote: The car is basically a stock E46M3. I have coilovers ready to install along with fixed seats and a set of ugly track wheels but I need to order and install a rollbar, harnesses, R comps, etc etc - not going to happen. Then again, what's this discount from Bimmerworld?

When I signed up I brought a log-booked CM race car because I thought I had to... but when I got there I was one of only four people in a real race car. There was a guy in a Panoz, and 2 E36 M3s in JP and CM trim then a pile of street cars with no protection above seat belts. We went toe to toe anyway and the last heat is an all-rookie race (I won!). There were guys who were stoked and guys who realized they weren't ready for it yet... but nobody was disappointed and everyone went home safe and license eligible. If you can run in the front of a BMWCCA advanced solo group you are ready enough to try the school to see if you want to move forward.

Thanks - I've only run 3 HPDE weekends so we'll see how it goes this year before I take the next step. I'm already signed up for 2 HPDEs in April at the Glen (GVC BMWCCA and PCA). Will I see you there?

rcl4668 wrote: So I'll be trying SCCA Spec Miata this coming 2012 season. Just a handful of races and I will be renting a friend's car so I can tiptoe into it and see if I really love it. I assume that it will be the equivalent of a needle in the arm (not that I know anything about that) and that I will be hoplessly addicted. If so, I will have my local speed shop (shameless plug: AR Auto Service in Lake Oswego, OR) convert my current Miata track car into a full-blown SM car the following 2013 season. For those of you who have done some form of pro or amateur racing, are the days of driving your car to and from the track truly over? I really would like to avoid having to buy another tow vehicle (our family AWD vehicle is used too often for kid transport and other family-related obligaitons to be used as a tow vehicle) and an enclosed trailer. The only other question I have is what tips would you have for a racing newbie or what things did you wish you knew before you started your first season? Thanks for your feedback and I cannot wait for the season to begin. /Rich

2011 was my rookie year racing Spec Miata. Check my blog for some experiences. MiataRacer.com Yeah, Ineed to update it....

To answer your questions from my experience: - I built my car so I had the title and registered and insured the car so I could drive it while building. I drove to a few of the closer race tracks this year. A friend of mine drive's his car to all of the races. It's a tight fit getting all the stuff in the car - tools, race wheels, jack, maintenance stuff.

• I did buy a tow vehicle (Ford F250) since renting a Uhaul truck is expensive since you need to pay by the mile.

• I did not buy a trailer. I rent from my local UHaul corp office (not a liquor store with a couple of under maintained stuff). The trailers are good enough and at $55 a day are an excellent way to get the car to the track. This is working out so well that I'm not going to bother to buy one until I own a house with enough room to store this.

The trailer and truck were very useful. I had a bad spin and bent the front end up pretty bad and the truck and trailer got me home. Its also nice to have a place to carry all of the race gear - and that of a friend who sometimes can't always fit stuff in his car.

Go to the track and meet some people to get the inside scoop on what to do and where to go for parts and setup.

Don't skimp on safety gear. The cage and seat are critical items.

Seems like most everythings been said...

+100 on schools. Can't get too much. Some tracks have open practice the day before a race, take advantage if you can.

You can also build your Miata to ITA spec. Depending upon what parts are on the car you may be closer to this, however it is generally a "faster" class.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

rcl4668 wrote: The only other question I have is what tips would you have for a racing newbie or what things did you wish you knew before you started your first season?

Since last season was my 1st full season of w2w racing I am fresh from the "pile of mistakes that cost me money". You actually know all of these... but I'll re-hash them because you will ignore me anyway and I'll get to say I told you so 1) Do not, under any circumstances, adjust/alter or otherwise change the car from a known good configuration before a race without a test session on a different day. How ever confident you are that closing off the brake ducts is a good idea because it is a little cooler today - you are wrong and you will pay for that unless you have data or a problem. 2) Buy an extra set of rims and new tires before you think you will need them. Mount them and bring them with you always. Buy wets if you can afford it. 3) Cover the windshield when you tow. You can drive 700 miles one way to find you broke the glass on the way down and cannot pass tech. 4) Do not put your name on the car until after you learn some race craft. Make them have to look your number up and come and find you. It buys you time to make up an excuse other than "I didn't see you". 5) Make a list. Make a couple lists. Add to them all weekend your first outing. Keep them for next time. It is surprising how many little items you forget when you have stars in your eyes. 6) Use a camera. Not because it is helpful for learning but because you might need some footage to show the stewards. Not always to defend yourself but you will be behind some shenanigans at some point and a buddy might need a reliable eye-witness. 7) HAVE SOMEONE THERE TO HELP YOU STRAP IN AND CHECK THINGS ON THE GRID. Even if you were super thorough - stage fright and re-running checklists over and over will make you wonder at some point if you remembered the hood pins. If you go out with that in tha back of your head it will ruin your E36 M3. Just having someone there to run the checklist and say "Yup" and help rig the HANS or feed you water from a straw is calming. 8) Make sure there is gas in the car. That 16lbs you are saving is going to DNF you on the last lap. Bank on it. 9) Try very, very hard not to work on your car. Obviously, if it breaks you have no choice - but when you are new and have no real racecraft... adjusting the wing or fiddling under the hood isn't helping and it might lead to you forgetting something... like hood pins or lug nuts. 10) Buy a GPS lap timer with predictive timing and use it every lap. 11) Practice getting out of the car fast. You can get tangled up in there in a panic. Best to have some muscle memory for it. 12) Have a blast. You really can't avoid it but you can let things get too big to remember that you aren't there to win yet. Soak it in. The best Heroin high is the first one (they say...) and so it is with racing. That first start in heavy traffic is unbelievable.

^^^This and #2 from pimpm3.

I am still just a DE student but have broke stuff on my car at the track. It is just such a good piece of mind having a tow rig even doing just DEs. My tow vehicle is a 97 F350 with 360K and ugly. I could care less though, it is my hotel when at the track. It has a camper and I put a cot up in the bed. It hauls my sets of wheels, tools, canopy, and the such. I can go out in town to get lunch or parts. I just have a tow dolly right now since my track toy is FWD. If I could go back in time I would have gotten a E150/250/350 and just built my own camper/gear hauler.

About a dozen years ago (on my third go-round with SCCA racing), I decided it would be cool to do it old school and drive the race car to the track. In my case, a Spridget, so real dedication. I would drive to Pocono (90 minutes) or Lime Rock (2.5 hours) in my car with race tires already fitted.
Tape over the headlights when I got there and Bob's Your Uncle! (see old photo of my "street trim" racer below)

The main thing was I had to drive super cautious because I didn't want to walk home.....and that still didn't guarantee that another driver wouldn't hit you. It sort of spoiled the racing for me and became an enormous pain in the neck so I started pulling it to events.

Once my car was a "pure racer" I could drive ~Like This~

I race Spec E30. My car is street legal and I could drive it to the track, but I don't. I was lucky enough to get an open trailer for $1100 not long before I took my licensing school. There's no way I would drive to the track with a race car. Towing doesn't have to be expensive; this setup can be duplicated with judicious shopping for around 5 grand: Having a set of rain tires is essential. With those, plus my box of spares, toolbox, ramps, fuel jugs (forgot about those, didn't you?), jack, jack stands, cooler, EZ-Up, etc etc I fill the bed of that thing up to the tonneau (and still carry some junk in the car). Some of it may not be considered essential, but I'll tell you, a weekend with a few comfort items makes your race go so much better. You certainly don't need an enclosed trailer; while they are nice, they are miserable to tow and require a much more serious tow vehicle. I've known several guys who have sold enclosed and gone back to open. Finally, if you race with SCCA, it's not a matter of IF your SM will get run into, but WHEN.

Everyone, thank you for the amazing feedback.

Just some follow up comments:

I also agree that a quality driving school, while admittedly expensive, is still money well spent. If anyone else is thinking of taking the plunge into SCCA club racing, however, you may want to avoid my mistake: I took the Skip Barber 3-day racing school three years ago. Course completion allows you to apply for a regional SCCA license within one year from the date of the course. Long story short, I kept doing the HPDE thing for a few years and missed the window. I was going to take our regional SCCA "super school" to qulaify for my license but I had a scheduling conflict with that and some of our other regional schools (Thunderhill etc.). So now I am going back to Skippy to take their advanced 2-day school in a few weeks. I know this fits under the category of "nice problem to have" but it was still an expensive error on my part.

It looks like I will have to step on to that slippery slope to hell and research the tow vehicle/trailer. A family member has a fairly new Suburban that is used intermittently and that might do the trick. The question is, should I just pull the trigger on an enclosed trailer now or go with the open trailer for now and upgrade later?

Javelin -- Thank you for the feedback. I did see the blue Miata for sale and thought about it but I know AR does amazing work and would rather have the peace of mind knowing everything about the car was done to the highest standard, including the cage and safety gear.

/Rich

pigeon wrote: Thanks - I've only run 3 HPDE weekends so we'll see how it goes this year before I take the next step. I'm already signed up for 2 HPDEs in April at the Glen (GVC BMWCCA and PCA). Will I see you there?

You might - I haven't shored up the schedule yet for the season but if that GVC event is the 3 day club race weekend it will be a priority on my list because it has an open track day Friday before it to shake down the car.

As far as a trailer goes, my advice is to start with an open trailer then move up to an enclosed if you decide you would like one later. Trailers hold their values extremely well, so if you get a good buy on a used open trailer, you can use it for quite a while and sell it for what you paid or close to it. Open trailers can be towed by pretty much any truck/SUV, but an enclosed is going to require something larger.

dinger wrote: As far as a trailer goes, my advice is to start with an open trailer then move up to an enclosed if you decide you would like one later. Trailers hold their values *extremely* well, so if you get a good buy on a used open trailer, you can use it for quite a while and sell it for what you paid or close to it. Open trailers can be towed by pretty much any truck/SUV, but an enclosed is going to require something larger.

Yeah, go with an open trailer and work your way up. I started out with an F150 and a tow dolly, now I have the F350 and the tow dolly. This season I will be buying an open trailer(probably with my tax return). It will probably be years before I think about getting an enclosed trailer. I like the idea of having everything I use at the track packed in the trailer all the time, but I just don't have anywhere to keep a 20' trailer right now.

If you do get an open trailer, get one with electric brakes on both axles, not surge brakes. There are plenty on craigslist here around Atlanta for $1500ish.