I have been drag racing for years and now want to try Road Racing. I am in Raleigh,NC and believe the closest tract is VIR.

What does it take to go racing without having to stick your arm out the window to let people pass you. I mean, real racing.

I have been around Pocono a few times with a S/C'd Z06 , but really want to start with a MINI. I was the first one in the 12's Drag Racing my Mini a few years back. I love these cars. I found a few Mini's already set up for raod racing.

Any suggestions,help ???

 

Lots of money....but judging by the stable of cars in your sig that isn't a problem

Just to clarify....Are speaking of competitive racing....with sponsors and winnings or just banging fenders as an expensive hobby?

 

Well the easiest way to get into road racing would be our North American MINI Cooper Championship series. The number of people isn't huge but a great way to get your feet wet and have alot of fun. Plus the rules are pretty easy to follow.

 

Go to www.nasaproracing.com/ to get info and whats reguired for the classes you like. Also give the local NASA region in your area a call. Directors name is at their site. Also go to the local BMWCCA org in your area or the national website for rules on BMWCCA Club Racing in your area. Also don't forget SCCA racing in your area. $$$$$$$$ is going to be a big issue to get a car ready for the track.

 

Thanks for the help guys.

Where do the guys with stock cars go racing ? I would think all you need is a roll bar ?

I don't want sponsors and all that stuff. Just want to race...

 

where would I find info on this ?

 

The SCCA is your friend. You can run showroom stock in a MINI, and compete in lots of events across the country.

You will need an SCCA license, and a properly prepped car. I would go to www.scca.org and find your regional contact person, get on the phone with them, and find a local prep shop (not hard to do in North Carolina with all of the Nascar shops around) and get the car setup. You can typically get your competition license and do your first race in one weekend.

VIR is close to you, and you have Carolina Motorsports park in Kershaw, SC not all that far away.

you can also check out NASA and the MINI challenge series, but I'm not as familiar with them.

I too, really want to go road racing, but I can't come close to affording to ball up a new car!

 

Thanks

 

I would go with SCCA, We have a good class with SSB (showroom stock B) to race a Cooper S. The class requires a bolt in cage, compitition seat, 6 point belts. You also need a SA rated helmet, driving suit, gloves, shoes, etc. The cars are very stock, the only performance mods you can do is a cat back exhaust. Brakes pads are open, as well as fluids. Must run pump gas. We had 4 minis, 2 miatas and a soltice at the sebring national this passed weekend. All the minis were within a 1.5 second window on times. the cheating miata was 2 seconds quicker. The rules are available online here:
http://scca.com/Club/Index.asp?IdS=02E3E5-76393E0&x=030|057&~=
There was a race mini for sale here a while back, it may still be available.
here is a video link for a race at sebring
http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...11114556009555
I will have another link posted next week for this weekends race. It was a blast, although I spun my car for the first time.

 

even though you don't want to stick your arm out the window i have to say it's the best way to go. I'm at VIR at least 12 days a year doing it. The BMW club is the best way to learn your own car on a track. They also have a BMW club racing school every year down in Savanah but you can't get in unless you've been through the school. BMW is one of the few HPDE that make you go to class between track sessions. They will not sign you off on the first of two days. There are lots of clubs out there that offer great track time but what good is track time if your doing the wrong thing. paying to perpetuate bad habits isn't any fun. Also, being an instructor at a BMW school is even harder to do. There is a whole other system to get into that. The first BMW school sign up is the 20th of this month for the March school. better hurry if you want in. This school ALWAYS fills up on the first day. If your not a member of the tarheel chapter you don't have a chance of getting in. Hope this doesn't sound to snobbish but this is a hard school to get in and it has the best classroom and in car instruction.

 

Best answer so far!
Please, for the sake of all you end up racing with, do HPDEs first, often, and take your time getting in wheel to wheel racing.

 

SCCA, the only way to go. Drivers schools, licensing that's good just about anywhere, you can run all your cars.

 

I'll agree, the SCCA is a good way to go. I suggest renting a car for your drivers schools. Your local region more than likely can help you find a rent a ride. The reason I say rent is that some people go to drivers school only to discover racing isn't for them. No car to get rid of if that's the case. Once you know road racing is what you want to do buy an IT car & get as much seat time as you can. Once you know what you are doing & what class you'd like to race in build thee a race car.
Good luck, you'll have fun.

 

You can go to www.minidriving.com and click on the race series tab.

 

I'll second that.

While Phil's NAMCC "Train in the the morning, race in the afternoon" sounds like the quickest route, it is somewhat deceiving. He will only pass someone if he feels they are ready. And that usually means numerous advanced track days in the bag. However, if you are previously experianced in another sanction body, but new to the Phil Wicks orginization, you can quickly and easily start racing with approval from Phil. This is were I see the NAMCC being superior.

Maybe aiming for the 2008 season might be a good target. Run as many HPDEs as you can this year(NASA, BMWCCA, SCCA, or Phil Wicks), get comfortable with how the car handles and what not, then go racing(in the NAMCC since it rocks ).

Try making it out to watch one of the NAMCC races this year. There are over 15 races spanning the country this season, so it should be easy to make at least one. You can even knock out a weekend of track time if you like, as most of the races are paired with an HPDE. Check www.MINIdriving.com for dates and locations.

-Brian