Spec Boxster Build

[Greg Holmberg]

I put the cost of tires, engine, fuel, brake pads, and gearbox at $351 per hour for Spec Boxster, and $263 per hour for SRF3. So about 25% less to run SRF3.

Operational costs of racing classes

And of course, if you have an incident, you'll spend a LOT more to fix the Boxster (as you know!).

Lap times are about 4 seconds per lap faster in SRF3 for laps around 2:00.

On the other hand, you can't drive the SRF3 to the track!

Greg

[thstone]

Originally Posted by Greg Holmberg

I put the cost of tires, engine, fuel, brake pads, and gearbox at $351 per hour for Spec Boxster, and $263 per hour for SRF3. So about 25% less to run SRF3.

Operational costs of racing classes

And of course, if you have an incident, you'll spend a LOT more to fix the Boxster (as you know!).

Lap times are about 4 seconds per lap faster in SRF3 for laps around 2:00.

On the other hand, you can't drive the SRF3 to the track!

Greg

Great info Greg! Thanks for posting!

Looking through your data set, I'd love to drive a NASA NP-01...

[Greg Holmberg]

Originally Posted by thstone

Great info Greg! Thanks for posting!

Looking through your data set, I'd love to drive a NASA NP-01...

Yep, those look like great race cars!

https://nasaprototype.com

Built in the US by Elan, which builds professional-level formula and prototype cars.

Advantages:

• Top-notch design and construction.
• Toyo RR tires, which you're familiar with.
• Some downforce.
• A very safe, enclosed car.
• Operational costs are very low at $194 per hour: long-lasting reliable engine, uses pump gas, 20 HC tires.
• They have their own class with NASA.

Disadvantages:

• Purchase cost: $73,000 used.
• About the same speed as Formula F.
• Heavy for a purpose-built car (1725 lbs with driver).
• Not competitive in any other organization.
• Relatively few built, so the fields aren't very big.

I think the reason more haven't been bought is that the crowd that has the money for an $86,000 car (new), expect to go a lot faster. For that kind of money, you can buy an SCCA P1 car and go REALLY fast. Too fast for me personally (I've watched their videos, and it's scary!)--I'd be happy with FF or NP01 speed. I just don't have the $86,000!

I'd be curious what an NP01 costs to rent, given that the operational costs are so low.


Greg

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Greg Holmberg

I put the cost of tires, engine, fuel, brake pads, and gearbox at $351 per hour for Spec Boxster, and $263 per hour for SRF3. So about 25% less to run SRF3.

Operational costs of racing classes

And of course, if you have an incident, you'll spend a LOT more to fix the Boxster (as you know!).

Lap times are about 4 seconds per lap faster in SRF3 for laps around 2:00.

On the other hand, you can't drive the SRF3 to the track!

Greg

Great info, thanks Greg.

I have been eyeing Formula First or Formula 600 as a nice track playtoy. I not planning on heavy SCCA or ??? Running, just something for fun 6 or 7 times a year with PCA

[Greg Holmberg]

Originally Posted by JayG

I have been eyeing Formula First or Formula 600 as a nice track playtoy. I not planning on heavy SCCA or ??? Running, just something for fun 6 or 7 times a year with PCA

I've seen quite a few different makes of cars run in PCA "Driving Education" events, but I've never seen a purpose-built car (formula or sports racer/prototype). Check with them, but I don't think they would allow such a low, light-weight car on track with the 3000# street cars for safety reasons. Also very different performance: the street cars would hold you up in the corners, then blow by you on the straights.

Maybe you could run an FST or F600 with NASA. Although even their unlimited class for purpose-built cars is all covered-wheel, as far as I've seen.

A place that's a little lower-stress place to race a formula car would be with the vintage organizations. There's been quite a resurgence in vintage Formula Ford lately.

There are lots of fun purpose-built track toys around with covered wheels that you could probably run with PCA, NASA, etc. Radical, Ariel Atom, Diaso, Exocet, etc. You might look on racingjunk.com, race-cars.com, or bringatrailer.com


Greg

[JayG]

Originally Posted by Greg Holmberg

I've seen quite a few different makes of cars run in PCA "Driving Education" events, but I've never seen a purpose-built car (formula or sports racer/prototype). Check with them, but I don't think they would allow such a low, light-weight car on track with the 3000# street cars for safety reasons. Also very different performance: the street cars would hold you up in the corners, then blow by you on the straights.

Maybe you could run an FST or F600 with NASA. Although even their unlimited class for purpose-built cars is all covered-wheel, as far as I've seen.

A place that's a little lower-stress place to race a formula car would be with the vintage organizations. There's been quite a resurgence in vintage Formula Ford lately.

There are lots of fun purpose-built track toys around with covered wheels that you could probably run with PCA, NASA, etc. Radical, Ariel Atom, Diaso, Exocet, etc. You might look on racingjunk.com, race-cars.com, or bringatrailer.com


Greg

No, our TT/DE is fine with just about any car as long as it is safe and meets our safety rules. For FST or F600, it would need roll cage, harnesses and fire system. We have had lots of different cars at our track events from bone stock Miata's to Super 7's, GT-4 clubsports, cup cars, frankenporsche's and everything in between. The run groups are split up based on lap times mainly and driver skill/experience

[seningen]

Originally Posted by Greg Holmberg

I've seen quite a few different makes of cars run in PCA "Driving Education" events, but I've never seen a purpose-built car (formula or sports racer/prototype). Check with them, but I don't think they would allow such a low, light-weight car on track with the 3000# street cars for safety reasons. Also very different performance: the street cars would hold you up in the corners, then blow by you on the straights.

Maybe you could run an FST or F600 with NASA. Although even their unlimited class for purpose-built cars is all covered-wheel, as far as I've seen.

A place that's a little lower-stress place to race a formula car would be with the vintage organizations. There's been quite a resurgence in vintage Formula Ford lately.

There are lots of fun purpose-built track toys around with covered wheels that you could probably run with PCA, NASA, etc. Radical, Ariel Atom, Diaso, Exocet, etc. You might look on racingjunk.com, race-cars.com, or bringatrailer.com


Greg

SRF's and Radical's run at COTA in Schnelfest regularly. I think it just has to NOT be open wheel.

[Greg Holmberg]

Originally Posted by seningen

SRF's and Radical's run at COTA in Schnelfest regularly. I think it just has to NOT be open wheel.

Yes. JayG was asking about open-wheel formula cars, Formula First (FST) and Formula 600 (F6). None of the examples people have cited here are open-wheel cars. I can't imagine running a 700 lb open-wheel car (F6) with the street cars.

Greg

[husker boxster]

Originally Posted by seningen

SRF's and Radical's run at COTA in Schnelfest regularly. I think it just has to NOT be open wheel.

I ran in the Advanced DE / Club Race at COTA a few yrs ago and there were some of these in my run group. There was also one at Indy a few yrs ago. They make a lot of noise but are easy to miss in your mirrors.

We actually had one sign up for a DE we hosted at RPM in 2018. I'm registrar for our region and I contacted our safety chair to see what he thought. I said it should be OK as long as the driver didn't tuck directly behind someone. Very easy to hide that way. But visibility is good if they sit half way to one side and "present themselves". Our safety chair had a discussion with the guy about safety and being seen and after talking to the driver was fine with letting him attend (the guy was from CHI). We also had a discussion in the driver's mtg, as our members weren't used to having to watch for someone like this. It all worked out and everyone had fun. Good experience for our group.

[PaulE]

The NNJR VIR HPDE earlier this month had an LMP racer in the Black or Red run group. There was also a NASCAR Monte Carlo running too. Both were very loud. The owner of the LMP car said he had only recently bought it and wanted to get some seat time before racing it. I hope these pictures don't come through upside down, Apple hasn't been playing nice for me on a PC with Google Chrome.



At a NER Watkins Glen HPDE I saw this car which looks similar to what Tom Stone drove.

Originally Posted by Greg Holmberg

I've seen quite a few different makes of cars run in PCA "Driving Education" events, but I've never seen a purpose-built car (formula or sports racer/prototype). Check with them, but I don't think they would allow such a low, light-weight car on track with the 3000# street cars for safety reasons. Also very different performance: the street cars would hold you up in the corners, then blow by you on the straights.

Maybe you could run an FST or F600 with NASA. Although even their unlimited class for purpose-built cars is all covered-wheel, as far as I've seen.

A place that's a little lower-stress place to race a formula car would be with the vintage organizations. There's been quite a resurgence in vintage Formula Ford lately.

There are lots of fun purpose-built track toys around with covered wheels that you could probably run with PCA, NASA, etc. Radical, Ariel Atom, Diaso, Exocet, etc. You might look on racingjunk.com, race-cars.com, or bringatrailer.com


Greg

[Burg Boxster]

Driver of this LMP is in the absolute WRONG vehicle if, as appears as such in photo, the Cayman is keeping up with or caught him.

Got enough $ to buy a LMP? Great, then you have enough $ to do private test and tune days w like caliber vehicles. The performance delta between LMP and Cup cars not to mention street cars (which many are in HPDEs) makes this very dangerous...

Originally Posted by PaulE

[PaulE]

Originally Posted by Burg Boxster

Driver of this LMP is in the absolute WRONG vehicle if, as appears as such in photo, the Cayman is keeping up with or caught him.

Got enough $ to buy a LMP? Great, then you have enough $ to do private test and tune days w like caliber vehicles. The performance delta between LMP and Cup cars not to mention street cars (which many are in HPDEs) makes this very dangerous...

You're probably right about test days and where to bring that car, but trust me the Cayman wasn't keeping up with him. He just passed it on the short straight that leads into turn 3 known as NASCAR bend and he was pulling away even in the corner, that's just the shot I happened to catch of the car. Red drivers said they were being given the blue passing flag when they had nothing in sight in their rear view mirrors and then the LMP came out of nowhere. Our red group usually has everything from 914s, 944s and Boxsters up to GT3 Cup Cars, this was the only time I've ever seen an LMP.