Looking for input on car type to get for starter

[bodinefan]

Hi, I'm looking to get entry level car to race at Pocono, Lime Rock, Thompson, Watkins Glen, New Hampshire and some local autocross events. I've raced pavement and dirt oval buy looking for something new and fun. I've been looking at fv and f500 cars here. Would these be good to focus on to run the tracks listed above?

[Purple Frog]

Trust me, by far this is the best choice by far, and close to you.

https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...ard-CFC-84-160

'84 Reynards are the easiest car to learn how to drive fast. Very well balanced. And this one is ready to go, will save you a ton.

And... it's priced less than I paid for a lesser car in 1998.

[Bardahl77]

Question about the CFC recommendation - should he get a starter car where you have to worry about aero adjustments?

[R. Pare]

You can go to a winged car without too much trouble - the owner of the advertised car can advise you on what wing settings to just leave them at for most tracks.

[Garey Guzman]

When I wanted to start racing, I was fortunate to be sitting next to Carroll Smith. He said that if I wanted to learn to drive, I should get an FF. I tried to talk him into being happy about the DB3 FC I found cheaper than any FF I had found but he just repeated the same words: "If you want to learn to drive, get an FF". I finally found a roller DB1, then found a motor, and haven't looked back!

[veeten]

For the tracks listed look up Challenge Cup FV Series and NE FV Assoc both race at those tracks and
have the largest average size of any open Wheel group..
The cars are cheap to race and have spec tires which last.
also have their own run group so no dodging much faster cars.

[Daryl DeArman]

Coming from dirt and pavement oval (I did some myself way back when), get a car with the largest class participation at the tracks you want to race at.

You may choose to get something sexy, or something a bit faster, but after the sexiness and the speed newness wears off you will be bored out of your friggen mind with 5-10 seconds between corners and only one car in sight. Many of these races are won by several seconds. The vast majority of people's fast lap times aren't even within .5 second of the leader.

IF the higher participation classes happen to be fast and sexy then even better.

[Matt Clark]

Like VeeTen said, FV would be a killer choice, given your location. You could run either of the 2 largest formula car groups in the country (Challenge Cup or NEFV) with rather basic travel.

It depends on what you want out of your racing.... do you want to just be on track? Or do you want to actually race hard, wheel to wheel?
If you just want to be on a track around here, then Frogs link to the CFC would not be bad, albeit a more advanced car for a newbie. If you want to actually race tooth & nail, then FV is what you have to do. Daryl is correct with his input as well... road racing can get boring if you are just lapping alone.

[R. Pare]

The best thing about FVs is that you will often be racing against class masters who are wringing the neck of the car every foot of the way, so you will have a solid data point to compare your performance to. FV is all about keeping up the momentum, since there is so little power that can be used to mask your mistakes. Yes, the cars are slow compared to all other open wheel classes, but mastering the driving skills needed will keep your attention, never mind that you will have plenty of cars to do battle with.

And the class comradery is damned hard to beat.

[Dan Lipperini Jr]

How about this one? https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...ormula-Banshee

I literally just posted this for sale in the last 1/2 hour over on GRM.

Based on the info that I’ve found on this and other forums, it will best be used for Auto-X or hillclimb duty. It won’t likely compete at the “pointy end” in either venue, but will be a great and inexpensive way to dip your toe into an open-wheel race car.

PM me for details or with questions,

Dan

[S Lathrop]

Given your experience on oval tracks, I think that you will find FV a really good choice as a starting class.

Each class has a skill set that a driver needs to master to be successful in that class. From my experience FV teaches a driver to maintain maximum possible speed through a corner better than any other small bore formula car class. The skills you acquire racing a FV will carry over very well to faster cars and actually give you an advantage in those faster classes.

I started in FV and climbed up the formula car classes over 15 years. I also drove a lot of ovals when we first took our cars to oval tracks. My first trip to Trenton, NJ as a teen, the track was a 1 mile dirt oval. My job was cleaning the car. The last time I was there it was paved and I spent last half of the race in a wheel to wheel battle with Gary Bentenhausen. That car was an air cooled Super Vee that I designed and built.

[EYERACE]

The set up and gearing for autocrossing most any open wheel race car is different than for a wheel to wheel track race day. After a while the thought of spending an hour to tear down and regear the tranny of my FF so I could spend maybe four or five or six roughly one plus minute runs in an autocross made me forego it. If the short runs would be just for the fun of going and the participation at an event so as to get you up off a couch, then leave the gears set for the track and go make the autocross runs.

With apologies to those who may bristle at reading what comes next........I'm very glad I decided against F500

[holmberg]

In addition to purchase costs, there's operational costs. Check out this spreadsheet to understand the cost of tires, engines, fuel, brake pads, and gearboxes for each class.

In addition, it's important how many other cars will show up. Find the SCCA region's website for each of those tracks and look at their participation numbers for each class. Popularity of classes varies considerably from region to region.


Greg

[B Farnham]

In addition to purchase costs, there's operational costs. Check out this spreadsheet to understand the cost of tires, engines, fuel, brake pads, and gearboxes for each class.

In addition, it's important how many other cars will show up. Find the SCCA region's website for each of those tracks and look at their participation numbers for each class. Popularity of classes varies considerably from region to region.


Greg

The spreadsheet is out of date. It doesn't factor in the new FV spec tire or the Challenge cup tire.

Thanks,
Brian

[holmberg]

The spreadsheet is out of date. It doesn't factor in the new FV spec tire or the Challenge cup tire.

You provide the data, I'll put it in the spreadsheet.

Greg

[Roux]

Its also gorgeous to look at

a steal

Trust me, by far this is the best choice by far, and close to you.

https://www.apexspeed.com/forums/sho...ard-CFC-84-160

'84 Reynards are the easiest car to learn how to drive fast. Very well balanced. And this one is ready to go, will save you a ton.

And... it's priced less than I paid for a lesser car in 1998.

[Roland V. Johnson]

I still believe a Club Ford is the best bang for your buck. You have to learn how to keep momentum, the cars are fun to drive, there is usually a lot of competition, there are lots of things you can tinker with on the cars, etc. You have to learn how to drive with only mechanical grip. There is a reason that so many Indycar and F-1 drivers drove them. Whatever you buy, get the nicest one you can find.............it will be much less expensive than trying to make a cheap one nice.

[Josh R.]

I'm not sure which car that fits what you're looking to do exactly. You threw autox in the mix so Formula Ford or Formula 500 might be the droid. I've tried to autox the FM a few times and it's mostly terrible and not worth dragging it out for.

You're in a good location to do hillclimbs as well with a bunch of the PA Hillclimb Assoc. (PHA) hills being 2-3 hours away...Reading, Weatherly and Laurel Run, PA. Their events get a pretty high % of open wheel and sports racer entries compared to every other event I've been to.