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Avoidable Contact #28: Lincoln and Cadillac, MKT and CTS-V, one last time, to the death.
What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
Enjoy The Cars, Girls Of Boost Mobile Nightshift Without The Crabs
SSL Pits The R8 Against The Viper On The Track

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beercheck
09/21/09

In reply to Avoidable Contact #28: Lincoln and Cadillac, MKT and CTS-V, one last time, to the death.
Why'd he go for the -V flavor?
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MushyHeirloom
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
There's a few real differences, mind.

You can drive your amateur race car at 11/10ths and not lose your license.

You can fix said race car. Try fixing a GT-R. No, don't bother.

You'll be chased by mobs with pitchforks and torches if you weld a steel cutout of fornicating barnyard animals to the roof of your GT-R. (Which is actually a pro, in my book, but I doubt most people will agree.)

You get the idea.
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damnelantra™
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
from the minimal experience with it i have. and from observations i have made. the real cost of amateur racing seems to be your very soul. it consumes you, everyday you long to drive to far off places to hear the sounds of engine at full-clap.

only to get there and have to fix all the problems and damage that may arise, as quickly as possible to get back out in the next set.

oh to long for the future...
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Unevolved has three moving parts.
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
Seems erroneous, or incomplete. I autocross a Civic at least once a month, and I guarantee you I couldn't afford to pay on a lease for a GT-R or Cayman.
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Leeeeena the Jalopchick
03/30/09

@Unevolved- Recommended by 4 out of 5 dentists.: Autocrossing is completely different from track time. Any time you are allowed out on a high speed course with other cars in close proximity, you will need a lot more safety equipment, and the hosts of the event have much higher liability than any autocross, hence the higher costs.
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lilwillie
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
Anyone want to buy a semi? Or a CRX bare chassis with cage, or a S2000 that is wrecked? Or a 95 Civic Si that is wrecked?

I've got a semi with broken cars behind the shop that is for sale. Well, if the semi could go one car could get finished.

But all that cost doesn't compare to winning at Road America

[www.redheadracing.net]
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JackMaz drags wagon
03/30/09

@lilwillie: Forget the wrecked vehicles. How much for the shop? Strolling Player and I need a place to build our LeMons car.
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NilesStonne
03/30/09

@JackMaz got wagon fever: You guys located in Madison?

Doing The Lamest Day?

Our team is located in Milwaukee... It'd be nice to know other teams at the race and/or travel there as a group...

What car do you guys have?
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MushyHeirloom
03/30/09

@NilesStonne: I know the promenading performer is in Nawlins, so I assume Jack is too.
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Chris P. Bacon
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
A good helmet + 5point harness is all you need to really eliminate those costly hospital payments. I'm interested in starting a Hyundai Accent rally-race. Where everyone just goes and buys an over stock '08 accent for $7,500, go find a big track, unleash the fun.
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MyDinnerWithAndreDawson
03/30/09

@Chris P. Bacon: I'm curious if LeMons racers tend to use HANS or Hutchins devices or the like? They are pricy, but I'm not sure if I would want to be in an event with a lot of contact without one.
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theeastbaykid
03/30/09

@MyDinnerWithAndreDawson: We're seeing more and more of them, I think partly as a result of the realization that LeMons is pretty close to "real" racing in terms of risk, and partly as a result of an increased number of more experienced racers participating in LeMons. From the organizer's side, we certainly encourage folks to spend as much on safety gear as they'd like, but we do have to be careful about what we require in order to respect those on tighter budgets.
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Bullitt417
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
at least until you launch it with the VDC off and shatter the transmission lol, although you might be able to get a replacement transmission cheap since there have been a lot of totaled GTR's lately showing up.
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Mobius
03/30/09

@Bullitt417: "replacement transmission cheap since there have been a lot of totaled GTR's lately showing up. "

That's assuming their previous owners weren't too liberal with the LC...
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aSoundofSleep-less nights
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
I don't know what the real cost is. Hopefully within the next year my buddies and me are going to find out. They are currently trying to talk me into a $200 Yugo.
I've heard $3,000 being thrown around a lot as a roundabout cost for a nicely equipped LeMons car. Of course that doesn't include your racing suits, helmet, and racing fees.
Does that sound about right?
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mechimike
03/30/09

@aSoundofF*cking: Don't forget the entry fees, which usually end up being 200-300 per driver. For the first year, if you start with nothing like we did, you'll be into it for 600-800 dollars per person assuming a 5 or 6 person team. More if you aren't into fabricating your own roll cage and scrounging eBay/craig for deals on....everything.

Things get a bit cheaper once you have a car and all the safety gear, but you'll still be buying at least 4 new tires for every race (assuming your old ones have some life in them) and you'll replace a wheel or two every race, too. And that's assuming the car holds together enough to make a second race.
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LTDScott
03/30/09

@mechimike: We ran the same set of tires for 2 races.
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MushyHeirloom
03/30/09

@LTDScott's work is getting in the way of Jaloptime: You ran a race and a half's worth of laps in two races, though. ;)
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engineerd
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
Well, if there wasn't a global conspiracy to keep tire prices overly inflated then it would be cheaper.
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vwminispeedster, pronounded Si-trow-in
03/30/09

@f*cking engineerd: "tires", "overly inflated", maybe i'm the only one who is finding this choice of words funnier than they really are. Wait, yep I am .
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SirNotAppearing
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
Good luck on getting the local laundromat to sponsor your personal GT-R though...
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PetroSapien
03/30/09

@SirNotAppearing Appearing at LeMons South Spring: Yeah, I thought only Toyotas and Hondas qualified to be sponsored by those "use of appliance rental places"...
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MushyHeirloom
03/30/09

@PetroSapien: Well, my uncle's an appliance repairman and he...

...well, okay, it's a first-gen Kia Sedona.
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BRDHNTR: Extraordinaire
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
Yeah, well it would be a lot cheaper if you didn't care about living. The safety gear costs 10x more than the actual car.
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Paul Y. don't drive too fast.
03/30/09

@BRDHNTR: Extraordinaire: Exactly. Even LeMons gets really expensive. The "$500" car ends up costing ten times that, by the time you make it "safe," transport it, stay somewhere, pay for the race, the fuel, tires, etc. It really stacks up. I've actually sat down and ballpark-priced it. I could never afford LeMons, sadly.
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Marquis de Saab
03/30/09

In reply to What's The Real Cost Of Amateur Racing?
You forgot to add the alimony payments.
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Jo Schmo
03/30/09

@assaab 9993/E666: Ha ha I was thinking add up everything you own and divide by two.
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