Road Racing Dilemmas - #2

[99cobra]

2) Should I race the Z06 or something else?
A) Modding
i) Need to mod somewhat particularly roll bar / cage, been through this before in terms of selling a modded car, had to "un-mod" my 99 Mustang Cobra before sale, never was comfortable with the "a few DEs" story on sale
B) Maintenance / Cost
i) Tires - Proxes RA1 last, Hoosiers, don't but they are faster
ii) Pads, etc. - $$ versus something else like a Spec Miata
C) Crashing
i) Inevitable, and more costly in Z06
D) Alternatives
i) Spec Miata - cheap, but I really like the Z06, horsepower, etc.!!
ii) GT1 - dedicated race car, cool, fast, but the time / maintenance!
iii) C or DSR - how about those Stohrs? Or a Viking Formula Atlantic to CSR conversion - won it all at the runoffs this year!!
iv) Buy someone elses race Vette (Forbis posted his)

What to do? Thoughts?

[David Pintaric]

Racing a T1 Corvette is a great deal of fun!

GT1 cars are fast (some not much faster than a T1 Vette), but lots of work, and expensive as heck.

Sports Racers; once a dying breab, but DSR making a comeback. Motorcycel engines saved this class.

Miatas: good alternative. All momentum racings, lots of competition, cheap (relative) to run.

I budget $3,000 per race, although that number sometimes is more, sometimes less.

$1,000 for tires.
$250 entry (+/-)
$250 brakes
$250 pre race prep (about 3 1/2 hours of labor)
$150 fuel ($5.25 per gallon!)
$100 food (usually more)
$750 crew (1 test day, 1 practice/qualifying/ 1 race)
$250 hotels (usualy lower)

After I add it up, it probably is more. But sometimes I do not use a new set up tires, so that greatly affects things.

Some people run for alot less; my approach is to not run on a shoestring. I want to enjoy this, and if a $100 part is stretched too thin and causes me to not do well or break, then that is defeating the whole purpose of what I am trying to accomplish.

[Subdriver]

Aaron,
I posted another thread with my 2004 expenses.
Cost of my 2004 SCCA T1 Season

Posted most of my thoughts on your other thread about why I chose SCCA T1 over Spec Miata, or another class or series, but in answer to a few of your questions I didn't answer...

An SCCA T1 vette probably isn't going to get "unmodded" as the roll cage is welded in. But, there is a large market for used T1 cars from people just like you. A friend of mine in Memphis had his 02 Z06 prepped for SCCA T1 (also by Phoenix), ran a season, then got into financial trouble and had to sell his car. He sold it for $45k within a month of listing it, which given the current cost of an 02 Z06 (about 30k) wasn't much depreciation on the SCCA T1 prep.

The decision to mod or buy a used T1 car is a tough one. I modded mine, David sold his and bought a used one. In my opinion, both are equally competitive with a new motor (which they both have). I strongly recommend you call Joe Aquilante at Phoenix Performance to discuss this with him. He has several SCCA T1 cars available right now.

RACE CARS FOR SALE--C6, C5 & F Body