I have been offered a seat in next April's "Devil in the Dark" 12hr at NJMP (In a prepped Mini Cooper), and will need an SCCA license by then. I want to know what my best option is to get a license in the 7 months I have, and how else to prepare.
Background: I live in the NYC area, I have a 1985 Mazda RX-7 stripped and intended for eventual race car duty.
Short question: How can I get a license both cheaply and in time for next April?
Long question:
First problem: Looking at the SCCA's "I want to road race" page, and their list of driver's schools, the only two nearby options appear to be Bertii Roos in PA and DeMonte Motorsports on Long Island, the former lists their last school session of the season as September 14,15,... and the latter not having an accessible schedule. Skip Barber (not listed on SCCA site) has events at Lime Rock this weekend, and Thompson (CT) 9/29-10/1.
Second problem: All three of these programs seem to supply cars, and cost $3-4,000 to go from complete novice to full license. I recall someone mentioning a program (through VRG IIRC?) that cost something like $750, with the student supplying a car. What are the schools that allow the student to bring a car? And do they clearly describe what the car needs in order to pass tech inspection? Do I just need a safe running car as in autocross and HPDEs? Do I need a roll bar? Cage? Fire suppression system?
Third problem: I need a couple or three months to either scrape together $4,000 or prepare my RX-7 to the (unknown to me) required specifications.
Thank you for reading!
I'd also recommend contacting Meathead racing about renting a SM car for use at the Summit Point for the WDCR SCCA spring school that takes place in March.
I think you'd be better off contacting your local SCCA chapter. I know in the SouthEast there is an opportunity to earn your Time Trial license in a weekend at Little Talledega in Alabama. I'm sure similar programs exist in your area. Good luck.
You could always come visit yours truly at a Skip Barber 3 day! :) If you graduate from a Skip Barber 3 day, we can sign you off for a novice permit with SCCA.
The cheaper option you do supply your car and all gear. The car has to be a legal race car. So full logbook ready to race with all your driver gear. This is common for an SCCA school. The good thing about this is you use your own car, you have gear, and it can be treated like a small test getting comfortable with what you will be driving, or if it's a rental that's cool too. The downside to these is you have to worry about maintaining the car (rent a good car and start paying close to a Skippy or similar school) and you won't get as much coaching as you would at a real race school.
So you have three options really:
A. Fork out the money for a certified school, use their stuff, get good coaching, get license.
B. Either buy or build your own race car, prep it, take it to school, and run it yourself.
C. Do same SCCA school as B but pay for a rental. Costs will be higher but you don't worry about maintenance, just drive.
I hope this helps a little, ask more questions if you come up with any!
I have to warn you though, buying a race ready car is ALWAYS cheaper than building your own. So much less of a headache too.
Have you any crapcan racing experience? SCCA has a new bracket enduro series which, if you participate in and have prior LeChump experience, can earn you a bona fide competition license in as little as one weekend.
https://www.scca.com/pages/bracket-enduro
Path to an SCCA Competition License
Currently, because there is no driver tracking, drivers have no way to transition from LeMons, ChumpCar, etc. racing. In many cases, drivers have expressed wishes to race elsewhere, but no one will acknowledge their experience. Bracket Enduro can make that happen and open doors for drivers to move on to sprint races, time trials, hill climbs and other SCCA sanctioned sports. In addition, the Bracket Enduro can act as a fulfillment for the Alternate Drivers School requirement leaving only 3 races for a full Competition License (assuming you get drivers in car for at least 3 hours). At the
Thompson Bracket Enduro, we had more than 14 drivers signed off as having fulfilled their ADS requirement. That's a lot of new SCCA racers!
Scca is slowly climbing off their high horse as they realize that the great unwashed have found ways to roadrace without them!
In reply to captdownshift:
There's many choices for rentals for the spring comp school. Meathead, RP Performance, Windsor Customs all do showroom spec Miatas, Hagerman does Spec Racer Fords. An upside of the DC Region spring school is it's early enough for graduates to have a whole season of racing. The downside is that it's that it's rained/sleeted/snowed the past couple years.
What experience do you currently have? Have you done any track day events? Or at least some autocross type stuff?
In reply to motomoron:
Once you learn how to race in sleet with slicks, everything else is easy. Seriously the best preparation I've ever had was having a deer run out in front of me as I entered the chute in a driving sleet.
I second the motion that you contact your local scca. They may be able to offer better Regional advice for you to quickly get your license. You're about to discover the slippery slope. Don't forget that you will ultimately need your own helmet, suit gloves, Hans device, shoes, socks, etcetera. You're looking at $1,300 minimum on the cheap side.
I know of several Regional writers that would rent spec Miata or showroom stock cars pretty cheap for someone want to do a school. It's best to start out in a reliable closer to stock car than a temperamental fully blown race car. When I was racing improved touring I always gave away one free weekend in my car to any course worker that wanted to try Higha drivers School. Was my way of paying back the guys that stood out there all day long while I was playing
If you decide to complete your car keep in mind it does not have to be fully prepared legal for a specific class. In other words if it's meeting the safety requirements even though it is not eligible for a specific class you can use it for your school.
I too was going chime in on the car as well; the bare minimum will be cage, race seat, harness belts, master kill switch and window net. The car itself can be bone stock with 5000 tread wear tires. On improved touring cars I don't remember if they require a fire system now or if a simple fire bottle will do.
Do the math before you start on a car; a bare bones Autopower cage is probably $750, cage builders commonly charge $1500, you,could probably find a used race seat for $250, belts are as little as $75, window nets $50-75 and kill switch is all of $20. So just getting an otherwise stock car will be at least $1200. I bet you can find a cheap rental on old tires for the same or less.
On the gear the biggie is the head and neck restraint; if you buy nothing but close outs you may be able to get it down to $800. See if one of the guys can loan you a HANS for school. Maybe they'll rent it to you.
Would the guys who offered up the Mini be willing to make it available for SCCA drivers school?
