"Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg)
07/08/2015 at 10:51 • Filed to: None
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"Snuze: Needs another Swede" (markg)
07/08/2015 at 10:51 • Filed to: None | 0
| 11 |
This story over on the front page got me thinking... what would it take to return to racing that the average, or maybe slightly above average, Joe with a garage and some tools could compete in and have a shot at success?
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There are obviously some series out there like LeMons and Chump Car, but that’s not quite what I’m looking for. There’s also B-spec and various Rally series, but I’m looking beyond production based. I suppose there’s the LMP Challenge, but it’s too spec. I want to see a resurgence of the rock ‘n roll days of F1, where you race hard and party hard in sexy, powerful, open wheel cars.
I guess the first question is, would people watch it? The draw to F1 these days seems to be the money. Teams spend millions upon millions to compete, and money follows money, so while many people of all socio-economic classes follow F1, I think part of the draw, especially at places like Monaco, is the grandiose spectacle of a Grand Prix weekend itself, not just the on-track action.
The other issue is money. How do you control spending so that everyone has a shot? And I’m not opposed to factory backing - the root of most all racing is works cars that allow companies to show off their capabilities on track. I don’t think that should disappear, I just want to see a level playing field. Basically it shouldn’t be a series where a constructor can just swoop in and “buy” a trophy.
Safety. Going back to the first question, I think part of the appeal of “old F1” and to an extent all racing is the danger aspect. It was just man and machine, and the machine was basically the most powerful engine you could devise and 4 tires. So how does one capture the thrill while minimizing risk?
Progress is another question that has to be carefully considered. How do you encourage different solutions to the problem of racing while keeping the field balanced. Another huge appeal of vintage F1 was the cars themselves, each a different solution to a common problem of winning races. How do you capture that spirit while keeping the playing field level and preventing it from devolving into what amounts to a spec series?
LongbowMkII
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
07/08/2015 at 11:02 |
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I don’t think you can. Keeping the squishy part of the car safe at speeds worth watching is very expensive. Testing that chassis is too expensive for anyone short of the very rich.
Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
07/08/2015 at 11:09 |
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I would love to engineer a car from scratch in my garage, but it’s something that would take a team and all your time. You have to pay people so they can live. You can’t build a whole car with harbor freight tools, the tolerances on everything are so tight. You also have to build a few to have them homologated (crashed). The closest recent one I can think of would actually be EBR racing superbikes
tromoly
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
07/08/2015 at 11:53 |
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Once you get above SCCA-level racing, running out of a garage is really difficult.
If you want to run out of a garage, build a D-Sports Racer or a Formula 1000, they’re mighty quick an reasonably priced for the amount of speed you get.
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Snuze: Needs another Swede
> tromoly
07/08/2015 at 12:14 |
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I’m somewhat familiar with DSR cars, and those things are amazeballs! I’d love to have one.
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Snuze: Needs another Swede
> LongbowMkII
07/08/2015 at 12:15 |
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I think you’re absolutely right, which makes me sad. I just wish there was a good, fast, fun series worth watching that lacked all the pretentious BS of modern F1.
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Snuze: Needs another Swede
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
07/08/2015 at 12:17 |
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Tell that to the FSAE kids. We did it for years and used a manual mill (used ones are relatively affordable), welder, and hand tools. The only fancy stuff we did was get an optics bench from the physics department to mockup on since it was 4’x8’, self leveling, and had a 1”x1” grid of 1/4-20 holes all over it, and we had a machine shop CNC a few custom brackets for us from time to time.
I think it’s very do-able, but as Longbow says, to make anything fast enough to be real fun (FSAE cars top out at like 60 mph since they are meant for AutoX), and safe, you need lots more money.
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Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
07/08/2015 at 12:56 |
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Is FSAE a spec engine? That’s mostly what I was thinking of, getting like 600hp out of a 1.6 for F1
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Snuze: Needs another Swede
> Santiago of Escuderia Boricua
07/08/2015 at 13:09 |
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FSAE is not spec engine, but it’s a 600cc cap, limited by a 20mm restrictor. They also make you run the restrictor before the turbo inlet (if you have one), not after, so you can’t just raise boost and blow through the restrictor. It caps horsepower to a theoretical max of about 80HP, though even the best teams barely get over 70.
2BWise
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
07/08/2015 at 14:11 |
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P1/P2 can get really spendy. P2 a bit less as the restrictions are tighter since the rules rewrite two years ago.
F1000 and F600 being somewhat new are still run by a lot of smaller outfits and with the rules being fairly open allow for a lot of development. Bike engines that are becoming reliable and lots still coming out of junkyards, but with each new bike model the HP has been creeping up. So there is a bit of the “hot engine of the year” chase.
Another option is F1600 and F2000. F1600 racing right now is AMAZING. Several different chassis manufacturers, reliable engine packages, and spec tires keep the competition really really close and enough room to develop the platforms. Those two series have gotten a fair expensive anyways though. Most competitors are running out of prep shops or renting seats, but there are still a handful that can compete with small “garagista” type outfits.
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2BWise
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
07/08/2015 at 14:14 |
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Trying to do that all after schoo,l without the budget, and without the resources will take you years longer to build a car. It will either take a team of people or a financial backer assuming you’re not independently wealthy. The best bet would be to jump into once of the already established classes and start with an already built car.
BaconSandwich is tasty.
> Snuze: Needs another Swede
07/08/2015 at 15:08 |
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I too, have dreamed (and dream) about making some sort of race car. Maybe a home made electric version of the BAC Mono. Like others have mentioned, it’s amazing how quickly the costs can creep up, and things like safety are always a concern. That being said, it’s certainly possible. Look at a guy like Christian Von Koneigsegg. Mind you, it’s taken him half a lifetime to get there.
I think that’s my big thing right now: time. I’m a young dad working full time. Even if I did have money to spend on the tools, I don’t have the time.