Money in pro-racing is stupid insane - checking out the Indy rigs blew my mind - and F1 is heaps higher in level than Indy.

One thing I noticed about some of the drivers in Grand Am - they don't know ---- about the car they drive mechanically speaking - they just hop in and drive the ---- out of it and says fix it if it handles like a turd - says some of the guys from Freedom.

 

That is what seperates the drivers of the best teams from everyone else. Being able to effectively communicate with the engineers about how the car behaves is invaluable.

 

I talked to Lou Gigliotti about this a few weeks ago. The amount of money spent for a standard ALMS weekend is sickening, the endurance race numbers are unbelievable.

$25k for a weekend will get you an arrive-n-drive weekend in a Mini with Conti-Cup. The cost isn't so much the car, it's the 18-wheeler, salaries, lunch for the team, tires, tires, tires. The Conti-Cup guys will go through no less than 5 sets of tires in a weekend...There's your first $5000 before labor, mounting, and balancing. Don't forget the $3-10k racecar insurance policy per race too.

 

I've heard the front third of the field is paid to drive there, the rest are out there because they have too much money for club racing, which is low brow and dirty.

We have a few guys in NASATX who are on TV as checkbook racers that practice in TT and I don't get it; even with all that training they still can't get the ---- out of the way.

It's pretty slick when you think about how club racing compares to pro-racing. On any given weekend of TV racing, there are 3-5 cars up front, then the tards in the back wrecking cars like crazy. In club racing, the racing is typically exponentially closer, the cars stay straighter, and typically the entire field drives manly. The damn AI races here are great, every time. I still think that AI race at Hallett 2010 in June was the best race I've seen in my life.

 

One of my buddies was in there with you. His description of the ST/GS race was something along the lines of a 60 lap full course yellow with short stints of Spec Miata Bumpercars mixed in every few laps.

 

D: I seems I have the wrong hobby

 

Probably true. I remember seeing a fairly innocuous race-prepped BMW M3 parked next to the Flying Lizard rigs at a Laguna ALMS event several years ago - it was the team owner's car, and he was running it for fun in one of the support classes while also co-driving one of the Porsches.

 

BTW - Hustler, sorry for snagging all the 'good' take-offs from RSR - bought all they had (but sure more will be available soon)! 3 more sets line my walls... ALL still have the center groove visible, snap shot still showing the **** on each side Another great reason for going to the races - $100/set gets maybe 1.5-2 weekends?

 

How many days are you getting out of them and when they go off, are they drivable for practice?

 

It can be done on the cheap.

 

I didn't realize so many of you guys were at the race. I was working for the #93 ST car. We lead the ST race for about 2 corners...

But yea, Grand AM racing is stupid expensive. Venzuelan oil money pays for the white mustangs...one of which is pictured in the original post. Writing off an $80k race car is nothing when you have oil money...

 

I know exactly what you are talking about, I have helped out freedom once at a race here at vir. It was astonishing to say the least.

 

Trey - I usually get 'maybe' 3 days in before they start getting too greasy for me all the time. Depends on club - nasa's 5 short 15/20min sessions/day - or Chin 5 30 min sessions with an hour long session at end of day. Practice? Hell, I've to get 3 pulls in for TTS info yet, so it's practice all the time I guess. Continental guys say they don't grip as well as an A or R6, but don't fall off as soon too - which is good for 1hr enduro events, maybe not so for TT. But with such short life, tire changes are adding up - so why I'm going in with a buddy for a changer and balancer.

Luke - you moron! You should have said something!!! We would have had a 5-6 strong MT contingent! Drinks were on me Fri night - Dopple sipped on pink daiquiris...

 

Yea, I effed up. A few guys from the team went out in Birmingham Friday night since we had such a long break in the schedule. Mad at myself now, oh well, next year!