Racing for newbs...

I have yet to build my GT40, but I am very interested in racing. I grew up with a 5 acre field and a small 5HP Go-Kart. This kept me very occupied for all of maybe 4 or 5 summers.

So the question is, how might I start to get involved in local road circuit racing. I've found that the drag strip is a little boring and not quite the rush I'm looking for.

I currently own a 2007 Scion tC with a 2.4L straight 4 with 5 on the floor. I'm actually not sure if I would be able to put it on the track or race for someone else with a different car.

I'm about 140 miles south of Indianapolis Motor Speedway with no racing experience. However, my budget does permit a few upgrades if it were needed to put the tC on the track. If any one has any suggestions or ideas, or even someone who is in the area that can point me in the right direction would be very helpful.

Cheers!:chug:

Can do a bit later today or tomorrow. A few of us on the forum race and can get you pointed in the right direction and might know some folks in your area SCCA or NASA racing. I was in your shoes some seven years ago, trying to figure out how to race. You can do it!

Wow....been there, know how it feels not to have any idea how to start....basically where I was in 2001. Did a few years of track days and have raced SCCA Improved Touring Class since 2004. Ron will jump in, he races same class.

Where you are, the two major amateur racing sanctioning organizations are SCCA and NASA. Get their rule boosk FIRST and get a basic understanding of their classes.

Then, got ot the races. Volunteer to flag and watch. SCCA runs at IRP in Indy, you can go there for a weekend and check it out.

SCCA has a number of popular classes.

Spec Miata (a decent one can be had built for $8k).
SRF. These are Spec Racer Fords which are a purpose built race car with a fiberglass body and a spec ford 2.0 motor (I think).
Showroom Stock. Street cars like your TC with mostly safety mods.
Improved Touring. Basically street cars wtih lots of suspension mods, roll cages, and a few allowed engine mods.
Production. Heavily modificed street cars with alternate body panels, "grenade motors," etc.
GT. Tube frame race cars.

Your Scion TC is not presently classed in Improved Touring, which is what I am most familiar with. I suspect it is in Showroom Stock.

IT Cars have to be at least five years old, so the TC will not be eligible for IT until 2012. In the interim, you can cage it and run it in Showroom Stock although at least here in the SEDiv, SS fields are very small.

My e-mail is [email protected]. Shoot me a note and we can talk more. Is the TC your daily driver?

You are close enough to a great kart track around there. What is your budget? You should consider starting in kart racing and going from there, much cheaper and bending a kart means you can still get to work on Monday, not so much with the TC.

Car racing is very expensive, even those that race on a shoe string budget. Karts on the other hand are down right cheap by comparison (that does not mean cheap overall) and you will still get the wheel to wheel buzz.

I will look up the name of the track, but to get you started, find Rapid Racing in Indy; guy by the name of Greg should be able to set you up in a kart.

Regarding your comment about racing for someone else, maybe, but usually they want to see you drive in your car before they hand over the keys.

Try karting, way fun

Yes, it is my daily driver and I do run it pretty hard. I really appreciate this bit of info and I'll be sure to look into it now that I know what I'm looking for. And any more info is also very much appreciated. :thumbsup:

Yes mate start with the karts, cheapest way to learn and most F1 drivers started there.

Go here: SCCA Sports Car Club of America. Go to "Cars and rules" and download the General Competition Rules or GCR. Read.

Thanks a lot! I'll definitely check out the Karting since I'm already pretty familiar with it. The trick is, getting the Kart to the track. tC's big and all..but not that big.

Thanks Again!

As others have said - karting is the best way to start......

Buy a very small trailer and use that to haul it - you can stand the trailer on end when not in use.

I would recommend one of the clutch type karts to start - not a shifter.

I wouldn't use my daily driver as a race car!