How Fast Do You Want To Spend?

"Justin Hughes" (justinhughes54) 04/22/2015 at 08:18 • Filed to: track day bro

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Playing with cars isn’t cheap. You have to pay to play. Some motorsports, like autocross and rallycross, are fairly affordable to get into. Others, like track days and time trials, cost a bit more to do, but provide more seat time. So what’s the best bang for your buck?

I decided to tackle a crude cost/benefit analysis. I looked up current prices for various events in my area, filled in how much seat time you get based on either the event info or my personal experience, mashed it all together, and came up with a price per minute of seat time. These numbers are educated estimates, not absolutes, but I think they’re a good general guideline.

Autocross

This is where many people begin, including me. I stumbled into one by accident while passing through, and the next thing I knew I was taking fun runs in my 1995 Mercury Tracer. I was slow, I was sliding all over the place, I was off course, I was absolutely terrible – and I loved every second of it. The low cost of entry plus no vehicle requirements except passing a simple tech inspection meant that I could jump right in, right now.

The current entry fee to a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! autocross is $40 for SCCA members. These run at the old Devens airfield. The number of runs and length of the course varies from one event to another, but based on my experience running at Devens with various clubs, I figure six runs is a reasonable average. The longer courses are around a minute and a half long, so let’s give them the benefit of the doubt.

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6 runs X 1.5 minutes per run = 9 minutes of seat time.

$40 / 9 minutes = $4.44 per minute .

Prices are similar for most other clubs I’m familiar with.

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NER SCCA Rallycross events cost slightly more than autocross at $50 for SCCA members. The amount of seat time is much more variable due to different event sites, different course designs, changes to the course during the event… This makes it very difficult to come up with consistent figures. So for the purpose of this comparison, I’ll lump it into the same general category as autocross – a low entry fee for a similar amount of seat time. Just remember that for a few dollars more, you get play Colin McRae and slide all over someone else’s dirt field. To me, that’s worth something.

Boston Chapter BMW CCA Driving Schools

After autocrossing with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! for a couple of years, I got my first track experience at one of their driving schools. I’ve since done similar track events with other organizations, but found BMW CCA’s program to provide the most hand holding. They have excellent instructors, both in the classroom and on the track. They also insist on keeping an instructor in your car for several events until they’re quite sure you can handle venturing out on your own. Some may see this as a negative, but I think it’s a great approach for someone getting on the track for the first time. It keeps everyone safe until you know what you’re doing. These are NOT races, but an opportunity for you to drive on a track and improve your driving skills while you’re at it. It’s also worth mentioning that you do NOT have to own a BMW to join and participate in the club.

Most of their driving schools these days tend to be two day events. Their End of Summer HPDE event costs $475, way more than any autocross. But that’s a two day event, and each day gives you four 20 minute long track sessions.

8 sessions X 20 minutes = 160 minutes of seat time.

$475 / 160 minutes = $2.97 per minute .

That’s right. Despite costing more than 10 times as much as an SCCA autocross, you not only get much more seat time, but that seat time comes at a cheaper price per minute. It’s a bit of a financial leap to go from a $40 autocross to a $475 track weekend, but it’s a much more cost effective way to get seat time.

I should point out that this savings is tempered a tad by a little extra car preparation you should do – namely, replacing your stock brake fluid with racing fluid that can handle the higher temperatures of track use. I also highly recommend upgrading your brake pads for the same reason. While your brakes may be perfectly fine for street driving, they’re not designed to handle repeated hard braking from speeds that would send you directly to jail on the street. Still, brake fluid isn’t that expensive, and a decent set of pads can last for several events. You can even get pads that you can also use on the street, and enjoy improved braking all the time.

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The SCCA has started to run low key track events for the sake of getting out on a real race track, learning how to drive on one, and having a good time. These are also not competitive events – just driving on a track for fun and education. !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is a newcomer to this game, but it has a lot of potential. I’ll tell you more about it after I attend the first one in New England on May 6.

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( Full Disclosure : I am a Track Night Champion. That means the SCCA is encouraging me with swag to spread the good word about their new Track Night events. But numbers don’t lie, and I’m presenting them objectively for all of the events I’m discussing here. Feel free to check my work.)

Track Night is a shorter event, starting in the afternoon and running into the evening. You only get three 20 minute track sessions instead of four. But for an entry fee of $150, I’m not complaining. But from a cost per minute of seat time perspective, how does Track Night compare to a BMW CCA driving school?

3 sessions X 20 minutes = 60 minutes of track time.

$150 / 60 minutes = $2.50 per minute .

It isn’t just less expensive than the BMW CCA events – it’s an even better deal. You don’t get as much seat time, but that means you don’t wear out tires and brakes as fast. (I still recommend racing brake fluid and pads for any track event.) You also don’t need to devote a full day to it, which makes Track Night unique among the usual options that take a full day.

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( Update: The pricing I used when I first wrote this, though it is was the pricing listed on Motorsportreg.com at the time I wrote it, is no longer accurate. I have recalculated using their current pricing as of 5/13/2015.)

If you enjoy the competitive aspect of autocross, want to compete at higher speeds on a track, but aren’t ready to go wheel-to-wheel racing, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! is the answer in New England. They run several two day events each year. The first day is a school for novices, and a test-and-tune for experienced drivers. If your instructor judges your driving skills to be good enough, they’ll sign you off to solo, and you can compete in the second day’s time trial event. You’re on the track with other cars in your class, but it’s only your lap time that matters, not finishing position. But still, it is competition on a race track.

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A two day event with COM costs $465 for events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and $495 for events at other tracks. You get four 20-30 minute sessions on the first day, two 20-30 minute sessions on the second day, then competition time trial sessions, followed by at least an hour of open track to polish off your fuel and tires.

Let’s say you’re running at NHMS, average the sessions out to 25 minutes, and add an hour for both competition runs and open track, with the understanding that more track time is available, increasing the cost effectiveness if your car isn’t all used up by then.

6 sessions X 25 minutes = 150 minutes, + 60 minutes open track = 210 minutes of seat time.

$465 / 210 minutes = $2.21 per minute.

That’s even less expensive than Track Night or BMW CCA, plus there’s a competition aspect as well. Running both days is much more cost effective than only running the first day, which costs $245.

4 sessions x 25 minutes = 100 minutes of seat time.

$245 / 100 minutes = $2.45 per minute .

COM also offers a $100 first timer discount off your first event. This applies to one day or two day registrations. Repeat drivers can get small discounts as well.

24 Hours of LeMons

(Photo: Stef Schrader)

This is seriously cheap racing, right? Just get a $500 car and keep it limping around the track all day. Unfortunately it’s not quite that easy. But first, let’s do the math.

Entry fees for a LeMons race are $600 for the car, plus $150 for each driver. Teams consist of 4-6 drivers. To keep the math simple, let’s assume your team has 6 drivers, and all contribute an equal share toward the car’s entry fee, for a total of $250 per driver.

LeMons races are endurance events, with usually around 14.5 hours of track time, according to their web site.

14.5 hours = 870 minutes / 6 drivers = 145 minutes of seat time per driver.

$250 / 145 minutes = $1.72 per minute .

By Grabthar’s Hammer, what a savings!

Well, yes, but it isn’t quite that simple. I didn’t count the cost of a helmet in any of these, since one is required for all of them. But it’s worth noting that LeMons requires a great deal more personal safety equipment – suit, gloves, shoes, socks, and underwear. They can hook you up with what you need for $415-$680, without the helmet. But that motorcycle helmet you’ve been using elsewhere won’t work either – you need a Snell SA certified helmet. Again, LeMons can hook you up for a few dollars more.

You also need a specially prepared race car that you have to tow to the track. Plus, it’s a $500 beater – it WILL break, or at least need a bit of maintenance along the way. Extra parts means extra money.

I’m not trying to discourage you from trying LeMons. It’s just a whole next level beyond your average track day or time trial event. As it was intended, LeMons, as well as ChumpCar, are the cheapest, easiest ways to get wheel to wheel racing.

Or are they?

Indoor Go-Karting

Over the past several years, indoor kart tracks have sprung up all over the place. I’m not talking about amusement park karts, where you’re foot to the floor to reach walking pace and you fall asleep of boredom between turns, sometimes in the turns, too. I’m talking about faster karts, a few horsepower, that will reach 25-35mph. That may not seem very fast, but when your butt is an inch off the ground and you’re reaching these speeds INSIDE , it’s a whole different story. And, like autocross, the course is so tight and twisty that you’re doing all you can just to achieve these relatively low speeds.

I’ve been to a few indoor kart tracks around New England. Rates vary, but last weekend my girlfriend and I went to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , so I’ll use their rates. At most go-kart tracks, races last around eight minutes. At this particular track, non-members run for $15 per race.

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$15 / 8 minutes = $1.88 per minute .

That’s almost as low as LeMons, BUT , you need absolutely nothing to be able to do it. No safety gear, not even your own helmet since they have loaners. You don’t even need a car – you can ride your bicycle to the track and race. Plus there is absolutely no risk of damaging your car, since you don’t use it. We became members, got two free races, and now pay just $10 per race, and even less if we buy in bulk. This is on the low end of pricing of the tracks I’ve been to, but even the more expensive tracks I’ve been to are even better than the real thing when it comes to the cost of seat time.

This isn’t some watered down experience. I get the same thrill in a kart as I do in a real car in a real track. In some ways it’s better, because I am wheel-to-wheel racing, and though bumping is discouraged, I don’t have to worry about writing off my car if I can’t make that divebomb pass stick.

Drag Racing

Jarod Rose pointed out on a comment that I didn’t include drag racing, which is another popular form of low buck motorsport. Indeed, the reason why Mighty Car Mods raced their MX5 and S2000 on a drag strip, instead of someplace with turns where these cars belong, was simply because the drag strip is cheaper, and these guys aren’t made of money. So let’s throw the drags into the fray.

I’m going to make some basic assumptions. First, we’re not talking about cross dressers trying to run down the 1/4 mile without tripping in high heels. Second, that we’re talking about someone bringing their daily driver or project car to an open street night type of event, not some monster beast with drag slicks the size of tractor tires and parachutes. As with the others mentioned here, we’re talking low cost of entry and minimal car prep.

It’s not listed on their web site, but I found a forum post saying that the cost of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ’s popular Wednesday Open Street Night is $35. That’s for as many runs as you can get through the line to make. This depends on how early you get there, how busy it is that night, how many people dump oil all over the track and shut it down while they clean up, and many other factors. Let’s be generous and call it 10 runs down the 1320.

Let’s also say you have a car that can do a 15 second quarter mile. Many common cars are this fast off the showroom floor - my BRZ, for instance. Slower, cheaper cars can also go this fast with modifications - I’ve done a 15 second 1/4 mile in a modified Saturn. It also makes the math easy, which doesn’t hurt.

10 runs X 15 seconds = 150 seconds = 2.5 minutes of seat time.

$35 / 2.5 minutes = $14 per minute .

Calculated this way, it’s by far the least cost effective seat time investment on this list. And that doesn’t even account for having no turns.

What if you have Dominic Toretto’s 10 second car? Or, failing that, a Fox body Mustang GT with some power mods plus nitrous? We’re not talking a ton of money to get serious speed here, if you know what you’re doing.

The thing is, all that power doesn’t make waiting in line for your run go any faster. So we’ll leave it at 10 runs.

10 runs X 10 seconds = 100 seconds = 1.67 minutes.

$35 / 1.67 minutes = $20.96 per minute .

Drag racing isn’t looking so good from this point of view. But, nothing short of a track event will let you reach the top speeds even a slow car can hit on a drag strip. Even my “underpowered” BRZ will touch 90mph as it crosses the finish line. For the cost of entry, there’s no better way to get top speed thrills, because street racing is wrong.

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If you want to play with your own car but don’t have much to spend, try autocross. It’s the highest price for the limited seat time you get, but it has the lowest cost of entry, and no car modifications are required.

If you want the best price for the seat time you get in your own car, or you don’t want to spend a whole day at an event, check out Track Nights In America.

If you want to compete without the expense of a dedicated track car, check out COM if you’re in New England, or seek out a similar club where you live.

If you want to go wheel-to-wheel racing on real tracks in real cars as cheaply as possible, check out LeMons/ChumpCar.

If you want to go racing as cheaply as possible, don’t want to spend a whole day at an event, and don’t care if you drive a real car on a real track, indoor kart racing is for you.

If you’re interested in top speed thrills and seeing how fast your car can go, there’s no better place than the drag strip, despite the poor cost to seat time ratio.

Nerd-Vol > Justin Hughes 04/21/2015 at 22:40

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Thank you very much for writing this!

dogisbadob > Justin Hughes 04/21/2015 at 22:48

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Good writeup

Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed > Justin Hughes 04/21/2015 at 22:52

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Nice breakdown.

And if your dead broke, maybe just stick with Forza.

Justin Hughes > Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed 04/21/2015 at 22:55

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Thanks for reminding me! I need to resub to iRacing, download Thompson Speedway, and practice for my upcoming Track Night.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Justin Hughes 04/22/2015 at 07:17

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Lemons and chump also have lots of arrive and drive opportunities. $400 to the team (varies), $100 driver fee, and $500 of safety equipment for the one I went to. I got a few hours of track time and even got to drive two different cars

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Justin Hughes 04/22/2015 at 07:52

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Good writeup, but the chances of actually getting a car ready to track at LeMons for under $500 is pretty much nil, especially considering that safety equipment such as the roll cage is not included in that budget. Speaking of which, I’m doing everything I can to get Charlie ready for the Black River stages, but it’s still kind of up in the air at the moment and probably depends on how much free/cheap assistance I can get with things like towing the car should it not survive and getting kit to/from the event.

Justin Hughes > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 04/22/2015 at 08:17

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Exactly my point about LeMons. Still fairly affordable as fas as wheel to wheel racing goes.

Turns out BRS and my other commitment don't conflict this year as they have in the past, so I can make it after all!

505Turbeaux > Justin Hughes 04/22/2015 at 08:30

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http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/sharing-can-be… just a quick note on the top posting since this was originally posted yesterday

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Justin Hughes 04/22/2015 at 08:38

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Sweet! Still interested in co-driving, or are you going to be working the course again?

kanadanmajava1 > Justin Hughes 04/22/2015 at 08:41

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On Sunday I went to autoslalom (it’s like autocross but our track as a lot tighter) practice session. My car was terrible. I didn’t expect much but it was still a lot worse. And to make things even worse my carburetor decided that he had had enough and got blocked by something that got loose in the carburetor after 20 years of relaxed driving.

It lost the idling and seemed to have mixture problems in high load. I was able to limp back home but the carburetor needs to be opened and cleaned.

Even though my car was terrible it was still fun. The rear wheels got plenty of air time. Here’s my friend driving.

JR1 > Justin Hughes 04/22/2015 at 08:55

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You should have added in drag strips that would have been interesting to calculate. But overall very informative!

Justin Hughes > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie 04/22/2015 at 09:22

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I’d have to beg, borrow, or steal all the safety gear, and learn how the rest of the co-driving job works, but that offer is very very tempting. Feel free to friend me on FB or let me know how to keep in touch besides Kinja comments.

Justin Hughes > JR1 04/22/2015 at 09:25

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Thanks! You make an excellent point. I didn’t consider drag racing because it’s quite different - no turns - but your local street night lets you bring any old thing and take some runs for as much or less than an autocross. Mighty Car Mods dragged their MX5 and S2000 because it was cheaper than tracking them.

I'll crunch some numbers and update the article. Thanks for the suggestion!

Justin Hughes > kanadanmajava1 04/22/2015 at 09:31

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It’s good cheap fun, and you get to find your limits - and the limits of your car. My E21 320i would fuel starve around tight left turns unless I kept the gas tank above half.

Don’t worry about being terrible at it. That's how you learn. Watch what the fast people do differently than you, then try it yourself. But most of all, have fun - you have that covered!

kanadanmajava1 > Justin Hughes 04/22/2015 at 09:59

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Autoslalom is really fun but the amount of available practice time is really low. And in the races we have only practice runs while driving in a queue. The race itself consists of two rounds and the total times counts. Some clubs arrange their own sessions

We have 4-6 of national level races. At one year I counted that the whole race season had around 16 minutes of racing. And only one of the races is held within 200 km from my home.

Here’s me competing 3 years ago with my friend’s Peugeot 309.

JR1 > Justin Hughes 04/22/2015 at 10:14

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No problem. I enjoyed reading it!

JS154 > Justin Hughes 04/23/2015 at 10:00

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OK, that covers the entry fee vs seat time cost, but what about the real world cost? Lemons isn;t much cheaper than club racing. Karting is the lowest total cost vs seat time champ when you factor in car prep, travel, wear and tear. You can borrow a helmet for AX, Karts and HPDE.

Justin Hughes > JS154 04/23/2015 at 10:39

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All true. I didn’t factor in helmet cost because that’s a given, or you can borrow one like you said, except for LeMons (and other wheel-to-wheel racing) because you need a Snell SA rated helmet and other gear. Though in theory you could borrow all that, too. I’ve seen new rally co-drivers wearing poorly fitting borrowed race suits, looking very silly and loving every minute of it.

In the real world, karting is cheapest, followed by autocross. HPDE is a bit more expensive, but you get much more seat time for your money, and only minimal car prep is needed. But because of the higher cost of entry, I stuck to autocross for many years.

Justin Hughes > JR1 04/23/2015 at 12:01

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Updated with drag info! Thanks for suggesting it.

JR1 > Justin Hughes 04/23/2015 at 14:45

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Ouch it is an expensive alternative. However the anticipation to go all out through the quarter is probably pretty fun as well.

Justin Hughes > JR1 04/23/2015 at 14:51

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By the cost vs. seat time measure, yes, it’s expensive. But it costs no more than an autocross, and is super accessible. You don't even need a helmet unless you're under 14 seconds. Plus even slow cars can hit higher speeds than autocross allows, being typically limited to 65mph tops.

BigEgyptian1 > Justin Hughes 04/27/2015 at 10:39

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Cool, didn't know they opened the new track.

Was there last summer for one of the infamous $100 Ferrari rides, it was awesome! I was grinning for a week :)

Now I Need to get to those Track Nights

Justin Hughes > BigEgyptian1 04/27/2015 at 12:00

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Yes, definitely! I'll be writing all about it.

BigEgyptian1 > Justin Hughes 04/27/2015 at 14:00

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Please do, I'll look forward to reading the post.

Sissyfoot > Justin Hughes 05/12/2015 at 18:27

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I did my first track day last week, one of SCCA’s Track Night events. It was an extraordinary amount of seat time for the money.

I did about ten years of autocross and felt that I ‘outgrew’ it. Autocross is a perfect entry-level driving and competition experience, and I wouldn’t trade the time I spent doing it for anything. It’s where I expect my kids to get their start, if they want to.

I think it’s worth underlining your note about consumables. If you’re a decent driver and can push your car at all, you’re going to wear some stuff out rather quickly. Added to the cost of the registration and fuel for the Track Night event, I finished off a set of brake pads. A set can last an autocrosser multiple seasons. I used a full tank of gas in an hour, too. In the dry I would have used much more.

Dake > Justin Hughes 05/12/2015 at 18:33

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This really is a great write up. As much as I want to get out on a real track it is expensive; one real track day equals a year’s worth of AutoX budgetarily speaking. On top of that, that’s two days of track time once a year vs a day of AutoX once a month (which really scratches the “do something I probably shouldn’t on an empty entrance/exit ramp/highway itch”) even if it is only six minutes of seat time.

That being said, I’m still saving up for one. My main hindrance is the track days around here fill up so quickly and my work schedule makes it tough to plan two months ahead of time.

citizennick > Justin Hughes 05/12/2015 at 18:37

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Very nice write-up! It costs more in the Nebraska Region SCCA since they're always behind schedule and can only seem to let you get 4 runs in.

citizennick > Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed 05/12/2015 at 18:38

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God, I just got Project CARS and am now looking at a seat/wheel rig because I want to love that game so much.

Jake Stumph Racing > Justin Hughes 05/12/2015 at 18:48

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I did the same cost: seat time analysis for autoX and road racing locally. Always blows people’s minds how cheaply you can get on the race track. Its the consumables and the time suck that tends to be more brutal than the cost of entry. $500 in brake pads every year or so, about $1000 in tires annually, fluids, probably $300/year, etc. However, throwing down hot laps is addictive.

Apex Fibers > Justin Hughes 05/12/2015 at 19:07

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For those of you in Southern California Area, there is currently a groupon for a $75 track day with a group called Extreme Speed Track Events.

Justin Hughes > Sissyfoot 05/12/2015 at 21:13

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Where did you go to Track Night? I did my first one at Thompson last Wednesday.

Stock brake pads won’t hold up to the track. Several people I talked to at Track Night said their brakes weren’t as good as when they pulled in. Choosing a good set of pads can turn that around. You don’t even need to replace rotors if you bed in the pads properly. I suffered no fade, and have plenty of wear left, enough for several more track events. Racing pads may not be cheap, but amortize them over several events, as opposed to worse performance and replacing stock pads each time, and it makes sense from a monetary perspective, as well as safety.

Justin Hughes > Dake 05/12/2015 at 21:17

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Thanks! There are trade-offs either way, and I certainly don’t intend to put down autocross here. There’s something to be said for tickling the itch regularly enough to get it out of your system somewhere besides the street. I might resemble that myself.

Justin Hughes > citizennick 05/12/2015 at 21:20

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Thanks! New England Region SCCA autocrosses used to be like that, but they’ve improved a lot over the years. The configuration at the old Fort Devens runways, which all the local clubs use, now allows a circuit rather than an out-and-back setup. That means you can have several cars out on course at the same time safely, rather than having to wait for one car to completely clear a runway section before sending the next. More overlap means more runs.

Justin Hughes > Jake Stumph Racing 05/12/2015 at 21:24

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The consumables cost is a factor, for certain. My costs are a bit lower, but that depends on the car, or whether you want the best that money can buy or the best value of performance for the money. I don’t cheap out, but I don’t run top of the line, either. Aside from brake pads, which I consider a safety item, all of my other improvements - tires, for instance, since I run street tires - also help me on the street, where 99% of my driving is anyway. But I didn’t spend a dime on car prep for my first couple years of autocross.

Justin Hughes > Apex Fibers 05/12/2015 at 21:26

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That’s a bit cheaper than Track Night and barely more expensive than autocross. Good deal!

georgiahomeboy > Justin Hughes 05/12/2015 at 22:49

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Great article! I’ve been autocrossing for 3 years and this year I’m going to step it up to some track events. AutoX is fun, but the seat time just isn’t there. And the promise of actual race speed is just too tempting to resist.

Prepped a beater Miata this winter and will be doing the SCCA track nights at NJMP and PDX at Summit Point starting next month after finals. I’m beyond pumped!

Justin Hughes > georgiahomeboy 05/12/2015 at 23:44

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Nice! I also autocrossed a Miata, then took it to the track. That one had a roll bar and harnesses, as required by BMW CCA, who I was running with at the time. Just make sure the sanctioning bodies of the events you go to will allow a convertible however you have it set up, and go have fun. Drive well enough and you can hang with “faster” cars in the corners all day long!

Ark > Justin Hughes 05/12/2015 at 23:45

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Price of admission means nothing. You have to trailer the car there and back for many events, spend thousands of dollars race-prepping a car, buy at least one set of tires per autocross season, deal with stuff breaking all the time...incorporate EVERYTHING that goes into it, and even autocross starts to make high-dollar call girls look like a better price-per-minute deal.

Or, you could just take all that money you’re spending and use it to drive out to the country where there aren’t any cops around and have all the fun you want. Track driving is a merciless, bottomless money pit.

Justin Hughes > Ark 05/12/2015 at 23:53

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I just don’t see it that way. I put good tires on that see most of their use on the street, but can handle the stress of autocross and the track, plus some brake fluid and pads, and that’s it - I’m done prepping the car. I drive the car to the track and back - no tow vehicle, since it’s my daily driver - and I haven’t managed to break anything yet. Doesn’t mean it’ll never happen, but worst case, I have roadside assistance take me and my car home or to my local shop and deal with it then.

Biodegradable Wiring Harness > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 01:16

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I would add hill climbs to the list. Probably more expensive per minute than anything except drag racing, but you get to drive rally-style, as fast as you dare on public roads. And it’s not as hard on the brakes as a race track, nor as excruciating to navigate/memorize as autocross. (OK, some autocross courses are not so bad. I had a bad “sea of cones” experience once.)

reidlos > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 08:51

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Should have got T-tops on mine, not sure if i’ll fit with a helmet on...

James > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 08:56

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I understand autocross to give cheap competition, but bang for the buck for me? Track days all the way. Fact is, autocross would have been great back in highschool or even college, when I had a lot more time on my hands, but as I get further into adulthood, I have fewer full Saturdays to blow standing around picking up cones and not driving.

I’ll pay the roughly $100-$200 premium (track days are between $150 and $250 around here) to get hours of driving instead of minutes. I have 3 or 4 saturdays a year to do this stuff, autocross simply ain’t the way I’m going to spend them.

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > reidlos 05/13/2015 at 09:24

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It will. It’s harder to fit a cage in it, though.

bigdog2014 > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 09:25

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Cool article, was also going to add to the cost of racing: however much tires and brakes are for your car, because your going to need them frequently.

nerd_racing > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 09:29

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Tracer LTS with the DOHC 1.8L?

mrbwa1 > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 09:34

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All of these are still loads better than street racing... The simple costs of tickets, court costs and jail time start getting steep (and that’s if you don’t injure or kill someone).

Also, to the point of drag racing, when I was in High Scool they had $15 Friday Night Drags and encouraged high schoolers and other younger guys to come out. Maybe not the most efficient costs, but for this group, earning bragging rights was pretty priceless. In addition, bracket racing means you often don’t have to spend anything on you car and you can still race your Geo Metro against your buddy’s pre-Fast&Furious NOS-eqquipped fox body ‘Stang (may or may not be a true story... I didn't have a Metro).

bidwell07 > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 09:35

2

I just want to know where you autocross that you get 1.5 minute courses. Sign me up! Here in the Pittsburgh area, we’re lucky to get 40 second courses.

Also, the SCCA has been offering online promo codes for $25 off TNiA, further increasing the value. Also, the have the work/run option for SCCA members. Work for 2 hours (I’ve been flagging corners) and get one 20 min session for $35. I’ve been doing the work/run thing AND using the promo code so I’ve been getting a 20 minute session for $10!

KartRacer > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 09:39

3

Indoor karting is a blast, but if you enjoy that, you need to get out and try a real kart race. Instead of the “fast” 6-9 HP indoor motor, you’ve got a 25-30 HP TaG motor. Instead of rock hard tires, you can have fresh new slicks. Instead of that wobbly steering, you can have a laser aligned setup. Instead of sticking foam padding in the back of the seat, you get a contoured, wrap-around seat sized specifically for you.

Yeah, you need to fix things when they break. Yeah, you need to invest a couple of grand to get started. But compared to cars, it’s a virtual bargain. A typical race day includes a couple of 15 minute practice sessions, two 10 minute heat races, and a 15 minute feature race. For a $50 entry fee, that’s a decent ratio.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 09:41

0

How about rally or rallysprint? I think they’ll come out pretty well

Justin Hughes > Biodegradable Wiring Harness 05/13/2015 at 09:47

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That’s a good thought. I admit hill climbs have been a bit off my radar, but it's still possible to take your daily driver to one and play.

Dream Theater of the Absurd > citizennick 05/13/2015 at 09:47

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I haven’t done a Solo event in quite a while, but your experience sounds pretty similar to the last few San Francisco Region events I ran about four years ago.

Justin Hughes > reidlos 05/13/2015 at 09:49

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I owned this T-top (surprise, they leaked) and autocrossed a friend’s with a sunroof for a year. The sunroof is basically the entire roof, so from a headroom perspective it's the same as a t-top.

citizennick > Dream Theater of the Absurd 05/13/2015 at 09:51

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Even though I pre-registered online and paid already I still had to stand in line for an hour to register...

One of the ST owners in my club is a regular, he said its been pretty ridiculous for awhile now.

Justin Hughes > James 05/13/2015 at 09:51

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That's how I'm doing it lately myself, after years of autocross. It costs more to play, but I think it's worth it if you can afford to, which I'm fortunate to be able to at this point in my life.

ShibbyUTman > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 09:52

1

I’m a firm believer that everybody remotely interested in racing or driving should at some point attempt to get a lemons team together. The whole race weekend, and the weekends leading up to the race actually building/working on the car are some of the funnest times i’ve had in my wrenching/driving career. Money well spent.

Justin Hughes > bigdog2014 05/13/2015 at 09:53

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True, depending on the type of racing. You need nothing for drags, though tires can help. Autocross needs tires, but stock brakes work fine. The track needs tires and brakes.

blacksapphire08 > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 09:54

1

I’ve always wanted to do some autocross but despite living within a few hours of well known race tracks (Indy and Mid-Ohio) there are no events on the calendar for SW Ohio through SSCA. We have a few local drag strips which was fun when if you just want to go in a straight line. Anybody know where else to look for events?

Justin Hughes > nerd_racing 05/13/2015 at 09:55

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I wish it was an LTS, but no, just the basic Ford 1.9 with an amazing 88hp.

Quade > Sissyfoot 05/13/2015 at 09:56

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The track I run is hard on brakes. On my STI clone, I was getting 3 track days on a set of DTC-60 pads (Brembo’s). In my Civic or M3, it’s about 8-10 track days per set of fronts. STI fuel economy was in the low single digits. The STI cost more in consumables than the actual track days cost. It’s one reason I stopped tracking it. Different cars have different consumable rates. The Civic and M3 cost about the same to track. A miata would have been cheaper but slower.

Taking my Lexus to the track this weekend. Going to see how she does (I built it to be a track car).

Justin Hughes > mrbwa1 05/13/2015 at 09:57

0

Great point - any of these are better and safer than street racing. I really like the idea of the “Beat the Heat” drag nights I've heard about, where the police will race you on the drag strip for fun, and to get people to do it in the right place.

Dream Theater of the Absurd > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 09:58

1

Quick summary: In cost per minute, track days and LeMons are cheaper than autocross or drag racing. Unfortunately, that’s not how you write the check. :)

I did several years of Solo, though none recently, and have done one double-event weekend of club racing with SCCA on an arrive-and-drive basis. My Solo events were pretty much all in my own car. Using your metric of entry fee vs. seat time, my road race weekend at Thunderhill comes out to $3.38/minute; event format was one 30-minute practice session, two 20-minute qualifying sessons, and two 25-minute races. Add in the cost of the car I rented (and I should add that I got a really sweet deal on that), and my cost per minute jumps to $10.04/minute.

On the other hand, by the time I stopped running SCCA-SFR autocross events, we typically got three runs of around 40-45 seconds for our $40 entry fee, or $17.78/minute. Of course it’s a lot easier to come up with $40 for a weekend of Solo than it is to come up with around $1200 to do a road race weekend (and as others have mentioned, this doesn’t include travel expenses or personal safety gear).

Quade > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:00

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I just don’t see it that way.

Yeah I’m with you. I track a bunch. 1 set of tires a year, one bottle of Castrol SRF a year. A set of front pads every 8-10 track days. My cars don’t break. I drive to and from the track. I do tend to trailer if the track is far away but only on the off chance I break something or hit something. Early on I bent valves and had to limp a car 5 hours home.

Pick the right car to be your track car and you won’t have broken parts issues.

F1NY > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:00

1

L I M E R O C K ~ !!!

Justin Hughes > bidwell07 05/13/2015 at 10:01

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The runways at the old Fort Devens in Ayer, MA allow a sort of circuit configuration, rather than out and back like many runway setups. Courses usually go down a couple of runways and back up taxiways, with the actual start and finish close to each other and allowing almost a complete lap. I know this is unusually good for autocross, but I also knew it was going to get the shaft in the cost vs. seat time calculation, so I took a best case scenario.

Grover > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:02

1

My teammates and I (four of us in total) have been doing LeMons races for about three years. The car we bought had done one LeMons race previously so it already had a cage installed and was roughly prepped. We also each have invested in all the necessary safety gear over the years (helmet, suit, shoes, etc...) as well as things like radios. Each of the above I’d consider investments as they’ll get used over and over, so it’s hard to give a per race cost for them.

If I look back at all the races we’ve done, and ignore the above invested items, we average $1,000 per race, per person. That covers entry fees, food, beer, all prep of the car and consumables (tires, brakes, misc replacement parts), renting a truck and trailer, hotel rooms, race gas, track day prior to the race for testing, the whole enchilada. In total, assuming we finish, we get about 4-5 hours of track time each (including the testing day prior.) That’s a lot of track time. For our team, the other part of the investment is spending three solid days with your buddies talking about nothing but cars, racing, or whatever the hell we want. In my eyes, it’s about the best investment you can make.

Justin Hughes > KartRacer 05/13/2015 at 10:03

1

It's far cheaper than building and racing an actual car, plus karts are easier to fix when they break because they're simple. You also feel like you're going much faster than you really are.

Justin Hughes > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua 05/13/2015 at 10:08

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I kept this comparison mostly to motorsports where you don’t need a dedicated car, except for crapcan racing which is the cheapest way in. Now that RallySprint is a thing, you could see about borrowing or renting a car and all the safety equipment. Runs are limited to 3 miles, and the Team O’Neil event last weekend had 7 runs. I think it would be more expensive than autocross, due to higher entry fees plus all the equipment and special car.

I also think it looks so fun I might want to find a way to try it anyway!

Andrew Kowalski > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:08

1

I used to autocross my first car. A ‘95 Saturn SL2 which i bought at 17 years old for $300. Automatic. I actually took a class win in it once!

Justin Hughes > ShibbyUTman 05/13/2015 at 10:09

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From what I've seen, you speak the truth!

Justin Hughes > Dream Theater of the Absurd 05/13/2015 at 10:12

1

You're right, I didn't include all factors to keep it simple. You know what they say about lies, damn lies, and statistics!

SpecterRacing > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:13

4

So I am currently in the middle of this internal debate and have been for some time. I’ve though a lot about it and this is what I’ve concluded:

Track Days: So much fun. But events are very expensive, proper prep is expensive, and personally I’m not a fan of taking my DD to the track (if I wreck it, how am I getting to work?). A properly prepped dedicated track car is the right way to do it. Doesn’t have to be some trailer queen balls out racecar but it should be prepped with brakes, tires and safety equipment at a minimum.

Even after all this, you’re still only running laps, you’re not racing wheel to wheel. There is no competition. Sure, you can get into time trials eventually but that takes some time.

Autocross: Fun, but as this article mentions, seat time is a problem. There is competition against other drivers, but not wheel to wheel. Being truly competitive at a regional or national level requires 1. you have the right (often impossible to find, or brand new) car and 2. often a higher level of prep than a track car.

Also, working the course sucks.

Indoor Karting: No brainer. Go do it. Your local track probably has a weekly league that tracks points. Great fun, great racing, pretty cheap. The biggest problem here is that over time a disparity develops between the karts because they’re not treated very well. This can be great if you get a rocket, but you also run the risk of getting a garbage kart that just isn’t fast. Which brings us to...

Outdoor Karting: Yes, the initial buy in can be expensive. You need a trailer, but a kart is light-I’ve seen Miatas haul karts with no issue. Classes can be confusing, but I personally think Rotax 125 TaG can’t be beat as far as value. 40-50 hours between full rebuilds works out to about $40/hr in motor maintenance. The other option I was looking at was Yamaha 100cc, but you’re looking at top end rebuilds every 4-6 hours @ ~$350 per, and full rebuilds every 8-10 hours @~$700 (these are for professional rebuilds. You can try doing it yourself, but the thing spins at 10k+ RPM. Something I’d personally leave to the pros). This works out to about $100/hr in motor maintenance.

Tires are cheap. Fuel is cheap. You can store it in your garage and pretend you’re running your own little race team. During the off season, you can keep the motor indoors but leave the kart hanging on a wall out of the way.

Yes, there are people who spend as much on a season of karting as a season of club racing, but you don’t have to be one of those people. You’ll always find someone with a similar budget to you to race.

Most importantly, though, is the experience. These things are downright fast, the sense of speed you get is so much greater than anything this side of a Formula Atlantic. And it’s wheel to wheel, so you can pretend to be Alonso, dive bombing and crossing over your buddies all day.

TylerLinner > Short-throw Granny Shifter is 2 #blessed 2b stressed 05/13/2015 at 10:15

1

Also, mountain biking, assuming your bike is in good repair and you have a helmet (because trees are hard). I have some single track seven miles from home, so I ride up, hit the trails, and ride back. Zero cost, and big thrills! The more you do it, the more fun you have. And, honestly, it’s as fun as autocross if you do it right.

Justin Hughes > Quade 05/13/2015 at 10:15

1

Like a Miata. They’ve been the most reliable AND hardest driven cars I’ve ever owned. Plus half the field drives them, so parts for unexpected repairs at the track are easily found.

Justin Hughes > F1NY 05/13/2015 at 10:16

0

Good eye!

Scootin159 > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:16

1

There are some other jem events out there if you can find them. Later this month for instance I’m doing a glorified autocross event where there will be 36hrs of active track time (split over 3 days), with 140% track utilization (1.4 cars on course average), split evenly by 25 entrants, for $150. That works out to $1.24/minute seat time, or ~120 60-second autocross runs.

In years past this event somehow hasn’t sold out, with the worst case I’ve seen being 2013 where there were only 15 entrants. That year worked out to $0.75/minute for track time, with an available 200 60-second autocross runs available to everyone. I ran out of tires, gas and energy well short of that number though.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:17

0

Ah gotcha. Rally cars are required to be street legal for transit stages though, so you could theoretically use your rally car as a daily driver if you don’t mind climbing over a cage and wearing a helmet everywhere.

nerd_racing > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:18

1

the SPI engines were pretty bullet proof and lasted a long time. My mom had an escort wagon with one.

Justin Hughes > Grover 05/13/2015 at 10:18

0

Having fun with a bunch of your buddies is something you can't put a price on. And it's good that you include beer in your budget - that's important.

nerd_racing > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:18

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AW11 FTW!

nerd_racing > reidlos 05/13/2015 at 10:19

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My sunroof is pretty big I imagine your helmet could fit, if you are really tall you might have to lean your head towards the center.

Justin Hughes > Andrew Kowalski 05/13/2015 at 10:20

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Saturns are underrated! I was part of the first team to enter one, a ‘94 SL2, in the Grassroots Motorsports $20xx Challenge ($2004 that year). With just bolt-on and bolt-off (weight reduction) mods, we finished in the top half overall, which was frankly amazing!

TylerLinner > kanadanmajava1 05/13/2015 at 10:21

0

Who would swap a carb onto a Mk2 in the mid 1990’s?

Edit: I see it’s not in the US. Where are you, and did the car actually come with a carb?

Justin Hughes > SpecterRacing 05/13/2015 at 10:23

2

Great points. One thing I’ll add is that track insurance is often available, which WILL actually cover you in case you bang up your car on the track. This is how I justify taking my daily driver out to play.

BC1BC2BC3 > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at 10:24

1

Noob track dude here with a recently purchased E90 M3. What brake pads do you recommend that are suitable for both street/track? Should I replace all the way around or just the fronts? Forgive me if the second question is horribly stupid. I blame poor parenting (sorry Mom and Dad).

KevFlan > Justin Hughes 05/13/2015 at