I have always wanted to do some sort of track racing and I picked up a copy of the book "go ahead take the wheel" and just finished reading it. I learned alot but now Im lost on which way to go as far as what car to start with. I drive a 4 door integra with shocks,struts, and a full turbo kit pushing 400whp at 20 psi. Iv been looking into the racing classes for both nasa and scca and it seems that with my level of enging mods I would have to start in a class with basically full blown race cars. I am thinking it might be wise to start with something stock or near stock so i can race in the honda challenge class that nasa offers and iv been looking into an s2000 so i can race something stock that isnt terribly slow. The problem is the car would have to be street and track cuz I would be driving it to the track cuz i dont have a truck or trailer. I was thinking i could just throw in a roll cage, racing seats, kill switch and fire extinguisher and have a spare set of rims and tires to swap for track or street. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
thank you
Nick

 

IMHO go to an open track day, get in the car with the boost turned way down, and go learn from your instructor. Don't bother with class racing at first, just get a few track days under your belt then think about something. You might find you love the top end pull of your teg on the straights and don't want to give it up just to fit into a class.

 

I agree, you have to walk before you run. You should sign up for the HPDE group at the NASA Texas event at MSR-H in a few weeks. http://www.nasatx.com/main.asp
For the price to build up a competitive S2000 you could buy a nice H2-H4 car and a truck/trailer. We have one very nice S2000 in Texas Honda Challenge and we would love to have another but unless you have a pretty big budget, the S2000 might not be the best car for you.

 

Yea my budget is definately limited but i figured the s2000 could be fun to race near stock condition so i could still have a nice street car for the weekends. Like i said, the thing that keeps me from racing with my integra is that because of the turbo and upgraded internals I was unable to find a class I qualify for that I would want to compete in, but I would love to race it with the power it has it would really be alot of fun. Thanks for the feedback and please keep it coming

 

Great post. Are there any good places in NY to road race besides Watkins Glen?

 

im just getting into racing myself. and the one thing that everyone says is seat time. the more of that you you get the better you will be. I started going to a few auto-x's with my buddy who has an evo viii. after that i can definatly say that you're better off learning how to drive in a slow car, the learing curve is much faster. I was all over the place in the evo, i could barly keep it between the cones it was so fast. The next year i went out with my p.o.s. 97 impreza L auto and I was only 3 seconds off his times in the evo. Not bad considering that his car was WAY faster. I would love to get a rwd car, but if i did i wouldn't have money for mods. this year i'm running a 96 gsr stock motor and i upgraded brakes and suspension, so it should be on rails. I wouldn't bother with a race class either, i just don't think you would get anything out of it. Go to a few auto-x's and track days. after you have a better idea of what you are doing then go to the class. You'll probably be surprised how bad you are the first time you go out, i know i was. If you're good at auto-x you'll be good on the track, but it won't necessairly be true the other way around. Good luck man.

 

blast check out http://www.scca.com and find your local region. I know there was an auto-x event in binghamton today and i'm pretty sure there is one next weekend. But i'm going to one out in ct next weekend and maybe going to that get together in danby.

 

I actually have a couple of years autocrossing with my old civic hatch and i did quite well at that. I know I am ready to get out on a bigger track but Im just unsure about what to race with.

 

I personally drive my race car to the track to avoid buying a truck and trailer. It can work for some people. I would recommend you start with a less expensive car than an S2000. An Integra or Civic Si (or Miata or BMW 3-series if you don't need to stick with Hondas) is plenty of fun at the track and you can eaisly carry a few wheels and your racing gear in the car. I can carry 8 wheels in my Civic along with my other race stuff. You can't do that with an S2000 unless you have a trailer behind the car.

 

Also remember one of the best things to do is to buy instead of build to save $$$


Sooo, on that note, buy my car:
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1993026

 

So am I right in thinking that I would have to start in a very competitive class with full blown race cars to use my teg?
Heres a list of mods:
94 Integra gsr
-b18c5 swap with gsr tranny
-wiseco pistons 9:7 with .020 over bore
-eagle rods
-skunk cam gears
-rev hard turbo manifold
-garret gt30r turbo
-3" downpipe dumped
-precision 1000cc injectors
-hondata s300
-ground control coilovers
-koni shocks

and a few other odds and ends but thats most of it

heres a pic

 

People are trying to tell you to just go do some track days first. You're still talking about classes. In a couple years, if you're ready to race, your situation might be a little different.

If you don't register for this June 23/24 event at MSR Houston, you should at least go and check it out, if you're available, just to see what's going on. As close as it is, there's not a good reason to miss it if you're interested. Of course, I have to go to some wedding that weekend, but I might make it out there on Sunday.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nick91civicsi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So am I right in thinking that I would have to start in a very competitive class with full blown race cars to use my teg?
</TD></TR></TABLE>

Exactly right. It's just not going to be practical, sorry man. You will soon find that the CAR you race is less important to the fun of actual racing itself and that is directly proportional to the competition you have. In other words, you will have more fun running neck and neck with 4-5 other cars in a field of 15 then you ever will driving a much much faster car where you're on track by yourself basically just lapping. Start with SCCA ITA / Honda Challenge H4 or Spec Miata or something like that with good sized fields and relatively less expensive racing. I say relatively because it's all retarded expensive.

And listen to ThoseDarnKids and go out to the MSR event and check it out, meet people, and ask lots of questions

 

I get what everyone is saying, and the reason I am so intent on the car issue is cuz i have a really good offer on the table to sell me car and I cant decide if i should do it or not. But I will take everyones advice and make it out to some events to get a better idea of what i want to do. thanks again for all the feedback

 

Nick,
Do you still have the civic? That would be the ideal car to use if you still have it. This way if something happens to it, you won't be kicking yourself. Your teg will be a lot to handle on the track especially for someone new to racing.

Like others have said, your focus right now should just be on getting out on the track. Attend races (NASA & SCCA) to learn as much as you can. While there, take a look at which classes appeal to you the most and fit into your budget. I too think H4 / ITA is a great class. ITB is another good one. Once you've gained experience, then make the next move.

Best of luck!

 

You are best off buying an already built car. Sell the GSR and buy a hatch of some generation 3g-5g will work for H5-H4 or ITA/ITB. If you are planning on driving to events a hatch is the only way to go. I sold mine last year and got a CRX and I can not fit much in it compared to the Hatch. 6 wheels/tires, tool box, tent, box o'crap, gear bag, overnight bag, drain pan, oil, chair, bicycle, trophy, small cooler, gas can, I think there is other stuff that I threw in. I would drive to the events on my rain tires, full tread RA1's.

If you buy a already built racecar make sure you get a title with it so you can register it.

 

unfortunately I sold the civic a while ago cuz it would have been perfect but It seems like the best thing might be to sell my teg and buy a less expensive daily driver so i can have some money to buy a racecar I just hate to part with my teg cuz iv been building it over the past year and i finally got it done but this is something I have always wanted to do and I know I will have to make sacrifices. thanks alot everyone and Keep it comin

 

I may be doing the NASA Texas World event (www.nasatx.com) in August. If you want to talk about racing then, stop on by. I will be driving the #2 yellow hype r.

 

Here is a hot deal for a race car for $6500
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1993026
You gotta be getting more than that for your Teg.

 

Nick, what's your storage situation like? Meaning, would you have room for two cars? Also, what is your budget for this whole racing thing?

From what I can tell, you haven't been out on the track yet. Is that accurate? Are there any track days in the very near future you can attend with you existing car? It would be nice for you to just get out there, really take it easy and see if this whole racing thing is for you. I'm sure you will love it, but it would suck for you to sell the teg, buy a track car and learn this isn't for you.

Take your time when looking for a racecar. There are tons out there for great deals, but it will take some digging to find them (many times they are only sold via word of mouth).

What's racing sanction is big in the tracks down your way? It sure is nice to have a car that is NASA AND SCCA legal. Having options is always a nice thing.

 

Storage shouldnt be a problem i would just have to clean out my parents two car garage full of junk but it would be worth the trouble. My budget is definately limited but i do have a decent job with a steady income enough to have some money to play with (most of the time). I have not been out on a track except for a couple of years autocrossing but I was told by instructors that i seemed to have a good feel for racing even at my first events. I have always loved cars and racing and I really have no doubt in my mind that I would be instantly addicted as I was with autocrossing cuz its been my dream for as long as i can remember.

As far as I know I have really only heard of nasa and scca but then again I have not been out to the tracks. I am def planning on making it out to the next local track day and start getting a better idea of what its all about, and then I will start looking for a reputable race car probably like the one Davidnyc listed above. Im sure I will be more confident about making a final decision once I see some race cars in action.
thanks again
Nick

Btw great book

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 20strong &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Here is a hot deal for a race car for $6500
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1993026</TD></TR></TABLE>

this is an amazing deal.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Tyson &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

this is an amazing deal. </TD></TR></TABLE>

so amazing no one has bought it in 8 months of advertising

 

Well I am interested but it might be a couple of months before im ready to make a purchase. Btw whats the reason you are selling it?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by nick91civicsi &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Well I am interested but it might be a couple of months before im ready to make a purchase. Btw whats the reason you are selling it?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Honestly because it's the most ridiculously expensive hobby... You sure you want to get into racing? I've probably spent $45-50K racing in ITA/H4 in just 4 years.