Who here races cup cars?

[Phokaioglaukos]

Great job, Josh. Tell us more details--source of the car, cost if you're willing, lap times it raced at tracks we know, class it would fit for club racing, how it feels, etc. Inquiring minds want to know!

[emayer]

Congrats Josh and Jenn that's awesome!

Can't wait to see it in action.....

[LouZ]

Josh & Jen

Congrats!

 

Are you getting the hood, roof and trunk "golf ball dimpled" for that go-fast aero package?

[AMoore]

Josh,

Awsome car, and great idea.  Give us some specs please!

[George3]

 

I think Josh will be lapping all of us now.   

[Darren]

What NASA class would that car be?

[APXD 30]

Thanks everyone and E we'll look for your friend @ NJMP.   Jenn will have the bunny and I'll have the Mazda.   

[ninjabones]

Chris:

I've already given you my $0.02 on this issue.  It took you a lot longer than me to lose the enchantment with miata racing.   I too like to drive fast, but as the saying goes, you want reliable, cheap and fast... pick any two.  If I could stomach the running costs, I'd have a cup car no question.  In fact, I could probably get one for less than I've put into my now PCA G-class 993.  If you want to race under the Porsche marquee, and you want large fields with spec rules to keep the competition close, and you want some versatility to run in other race organizations, I believe you have three options with directly proportional cost-to-speed ratios:

1.  944 cup (great close racing with large fields, extremely cheap cars to buy, but perhaps pricey and annoying to repair, versatile and can be run in PCA, NASA, and SCCA). 

2.  Spec boxster (emerging fields, popular on the west coast and california and likely to take off here in the next year or two, more modern engineering and lots of available parts, can run in NASA GTS2). downside to the "build it and they will come" theory is that you could end up racing a slow car by yourself.

3.  996 cup car (large PCA fields with relatively strict spec-type rules, fast and fun, but insane running costs)  

 
Now, if you want that same car to be enjoyable in the upper run groups of DE weekends, have the ability to race in PCA and NASA, but perhaps have somewhat smaller fields and perhaps less-than-spec type racing rules,  then you could choose one of the following:

1.  996 (build to H or I class in PCA). H and I classes seam to have pretty large PCA fields, and I believe that the 996 (with appropriate ballast) would make a killer GTS3 car in NASA. 996s are also dirt cheap right now, with a lot of Koni challenge cars on the market now for less than it would cost you to build a spec boxster.


2.  993 or 964 (built to PCA G or prepared modifications for H).  I for one have found the 993 to be the right balance for me with regard to speed, running costs, reliability and ability to run with different racing organizations.  Bulletproof aircooled engines, reliable and relatively simple to work on.  Only downside I see is the smaller fields in PCA and NASA in comparision with the other classes already mentioned and perhaps the fact that parts are getting harder to find on my 15 year old somewhat limited production car.


 

[catchacab]

ninjabones wrote:

1. 944 cup (great close racing with large fields, extremely cheap cars to buy, but perhaps pricey and annoying to repair, versatile and can be run in PCA, NASA, and SCCA).

Cheap to buy, but they must be maintained meticulosly. New rod bearings yearly are a must. Much less than buying and swapping out engines. But if I did that, I wouldn't have my 993.

[catchacab]

ninjabones wrote:

1. 944 cup (great close racing with large fields, extremely cheap cars to buy, but perhaps pricey and annoying to repair, versatile and can be run in PCA, NASA, and SCCA).

Cheap to buy, but they must be maintained meticulosly. New rod bearings yearly are a must. Much less than buying and swapping out engines. But if I did that, I wouldn't have my 993.