U-Turn

 

Since my last post the project has been on hold. I was heading in the direction of building a fun, "budget" drag car. One that I'd take to test and tunes and to parking lot car shows. I have always wanted a race car ever since I was a kid building model cars in the garage. This project would have been me building a 1:1 scale model car in my garage once again.

The plan was to use a set of rules to keep my budget in check. I found a class in the National Mustang Racing Association, or NMRA. The class was Modular Muscle, or MM. 

It's a bracket racing class where you "Run What You Brung". Your low budget drag car can run against high dollar cars because it's a handicap race. You state a time your car will run and they do the same. The slowest car leaves first and then the fastest car leaves after the difference of each of your dial-in times. The racer that runs closest to his dial-in without going faster than that time is the winner. More information on bracket racing in the link below:

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/bracket-racing-basics

Now the problem. The Atlanta Dragway has been sold. The NHRA has sold the property to some developers that will put condos on it. The money from the sale will be taken out of state to fund other facilities. So, no test and tune night, no NMRA events and no more Southern Nationals. Atlanta's premier dragstip will be no more.

The closest dragstrip is Paradise Dragstrip. It's 80 miles from me and it's only an 1/8th mile track. The next closest dragstrip is Silver Dollar Raceway and it's 105 miles from me. Both are off I-75 and the traffic on both parts of that highway on Friday nights is terrible. 

The plan now is to build an SCCA American Sedan class car.

Looking through the SCCA rules for American Sedan (AS) I have found that this class has enough restrictions to keep my costs down. I have most of the parts I need to get started.

In the SCCA Solo rules it states: "Cars listed as eligible in and prepared to the current Club Racing American Sedan (AS) rules are permitted to compete in Street Prepared class B (BSP)".

The Solo events are held at the Atlanta Motor Speedway only 38 miles from me. They are held during the day on Saturday or Sunday so it won't suck as much towing a race car in traffic.

At first I'll run in Solo events to get some seat time. I'm also interested in the SCCA "Track Night in America" event that is held at Road Atlanta. That event will get you on a real racetrack for 3 - 20 minute runs. The cost is super reasonable at $155. Another great way to get some seat time on a real racetrack.

With the parts I have right now it probably won't be a competitive car, but I'll upgrade as I learn how to drive. I will post more often now that I have a direction to head toward. The upcoming posts will mostly be the teardown, the cheapest part of building a race car!   ;-)

The main goal to to get the car moving again. I'm tried of seeing my project car sitting gathering dust in the garage.

Stay Tuned!