I am a rookie to the honda challenge scene. I am wanting to begin racing next season, and I thought I would try to get some schooling in this season. I am in North Carolina, and I saw that there was a super comp school at VIR July 30-31-1.
How much school does it take before you can run with the 'big boys'. WHat does the school consist of, do I need full safety equipment, new brakes on my car, how much does it cost, ......any help would be great!
--frank

 

You need a fully prepared race car, and all the required personal safety gear.

I think you also need a certain amount of HPDEs at the Advanced level, but I'm not sure about that.

 

this is an advanced school? where are the rookie schools? what is considered a fully prepped race car? cage, brakes, suspension, race harness, the whole 9 yards?

 

Check the NASA schedules. Both NASA-VA (ECHC) and NASA-SE (SEHC) have comp schools throughout the year. Check with NASA for car and driver prep requirements.

 

http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by junkyard racer &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">this is an advanced school? where are the rookie schools?</TD></TR></TABLE>

That is the rookie school. For people that are ready to race..... if you have no seat time on track, I'd say you're not ready.

http://www.nasaproracing.com/hpde/index.html

Most people do several driving schools in street cars before they move onto the competition school.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> what is considered a fully prepped race car? cage, brakes, suspension, race harness, the whole 9 yards?</TD></TR></TABLE>

http://www.nasaproracing.com/r...c.pdf

There are some links in the Forum FAQ that address the cost of building a racecar.

 

The first place to look for info would be at the NASA website. Lots explained there at: http://www.nasaproracing.com

1) How many schools it takes depends on how quickly you pick up on the skills to drive at speed proficiently. Some get the hang of it pretty quickly, some others never learn and many others in between.

2) What the school consists of is explained at the NASA website.

3) Safety equipment requirements explained at the NASA website.

4) Doing HPDE is pretty affordable. Racing costs a bunch. Can you afford to wad your car up and walk away?

My advice is always to find out when there is a race weekend at a track near you and visit or volunteer to be a crew member. You will find out more in a weekend at the track than hours spent here on a discussion board.

 

DAM, thanks for all the info. I am going to try to get into the classes before next season. I'm in the military (Marine Corps) so planning ahead in the way the world is, is really hard. --even 2-3 months in advance. I have been to VIR a few times and I am in love with the sport. I have been in Hondas for quite some time now, Ive done alot of work on various honda vehicles, ranging from a basic tune up to a full engine swap, to lots of suspension work. Now its time to put my goals at keeping a race car on the track. Thanks again for all the help, and I will look more into the NASA site, and get in contact with them and go from there. Anyone going to be at VIR the last weekend of July? Anyone wanna help me out a bit? I will be the guy to come bug the hell out of you!

 

If you want to get into racing buy a car already built and sorted out

 

Those are my plans. Find a H4 car to start with.

I know it isnt about power but is a B16 in a 92 hatch considered an H1 car or a H4 car? Its a hybrid, but it still remains 1600cc. I guess I just need to go to a track and bug people there.

 

That'd be an H1 car

Brian

 

Hybrid = H1, no matter what it is or where hte motor came from

 

I would recommend taking the SCCA school over the nasa one. This is just my 2 cents.


http://www.scca.org/Club/Drive...0|020&~=

 

Thats what I thought....

I am gonna try to find an H4 car for around 4G with an awsome brake/suspenion set-up and an awsome safety set-up and go from there with it. I have been told thats where to begin. Then take the car to a class and learn with that. Those are my plans.

 

You need stock brakes for H4

 

dam I guess I really need to do alot of reading. I will go and read alot more and bug you guys then. I dont want to be the guy with all the stupid questions....

 

Stay Stock dude.

 

No stupid questions. You're just a newbie and have a lot to learn about this road racing thing. Going to the track and being a PITA with a lot of questions is a definite step in the right direction

Really, the best thing to do after a bunch of reading to is to volunteer to help a team out. This was the one single biggest thing that taught me about rules, helped decide on a class/car to begin with and learn to deal with how the sanctioning bodies work on a given race weekend.

Next was a couple of track days to find out if the hook would be set or not. It was and have spent stupid money since...

Good luck!

 

The SCCA may be a quicker way to a license, but not much of a training program. Two schools and novice permit. Nasa has a training program, i.e. HPDE 1,2,3,4 and then comp school leading to a novice license......IMO NASA might have a better program. You progress with the same people observing you time and time again through the entire program.


Think about it ...get as much seat time as possible...

Good Luck

 

If you can, come down to Road Atlanta this weekend. We will have about a 20 car SEHC field. Check out the cars, ask questions, etc.

http://www.nasa-southeast.com/

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Maxx44 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The SCCA may be a quicker way to a license, but not much of a training program. Two schools and novice permit. Nasa has a training program, i.e. HPDE 1,2,3,4 and then comp school leading to a novice license......IMO NASA might have a better program. You progress with the same people observing you time and time again through the entire program.


Think about it ...get as much seat time as possible...

Good Luck </TD></TR></TABLE>


Correct, the nasa really rape's the wallet. Nasa is a "For Profit" corporation and the SCCA is a NON-PROFIT organization.

 

SCCA doesn't do HPDE.

 

I think they both profit rather nicely ....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Littleton &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Correct, the nasa really rape's the wallet. Nasa is a "For Profit" corporation and the SCCA is a NON-PROFIT organization. </TD></TR></TABLE>

They're two different groups with two different goals.

Bondurant/Skip Barber/Panoz are also "for profit" and are "raping your wallet" alot more than NASA or SCCA.

 

I wish I could come down to ATL, but I cant. anyone gonna be at VIR any time soon??? Or even anyone at there garage. I was thinkin of takin a trip down to R and D motorsports....

so do i need a lisnese before I can race?