What will we be racing 20 years from now?

This issue’s column started with a simple prompt from Editor David S. Wallens: What do you think we’ll be racing in 20 years?

Cool idea, right? It was one of those concepts on the column idea list we all keep around for moments when actual inspiration isn’t hitting us and the deadline clock is ticking. Or maybe he just wanted …

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At some point, we may look back at the TCR cars available from several manufacturers in disbelief that you could write a check and walk out with something so cabable.  

Civics, Hyundais, GTIs, Miata, BRZ/86s, retired police cruisers. 

In reply to ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ :

"Return my treasures to me, and I myself will carry you through the gates of Valhalla. You shall ride eternal. Shiny, and chrome!"

In reply to pinchvalve (Forum Supporter) :

Easy to forget how many great options are out there.

the answer is always miata

My friggin Datsun............I've been driving it for 38 years and racing it for 33 years; not sure that is going to change.

In reply to SV reX :

I will be 80 then but we have several guys on track in their early 80s.............hoping to be one of them.

miata

I have been thinking there will be a rise in purpose-built cars because of this. A clean slate is becoming a more feasible point than re-engineering a passenger car. 

Think about it this way, almost every serious circle track class/car for dirt or asphault is far from production based and they are still kicking. What percentage of professional circle track racing is remotely production based?

We have roadracing cars/classes that use similar parts - trans-am and classes where old stock cars go play. 

We have classes that fit the mold, SCCA Spec Racer Ford is a good example. Drivetrains can evolve around purpose built chassis and keep classes like that going, how many revisions is the SRF on now over the last several decades?  I see it becoming a more attractive and cost effective option vs modifying a showroom stock car.

We also have sports-racer and Formula classes that contain a spectrum of spec vs innovation. If you read a rulebook, many of these classes still alow a lot of innovation for builders and engineers if that is wanted. There are even classes where scratch building your own car wouldnt be unfathomable (F600). 

This also ignores how much traction vintage racing is getting. The rise in expense and complexity is driving people to old iron. Vintage will be taking up a standard, but many SCCA classes are almost becoming vintage in their own right. FV, FF, and a number of classes where 20+ year old production cars can still run strong.  

In reply to Apexcarver :

Good point on vintage; the fields in vintage Formula Ford are really strong in comparison to SCCA at the local level.

I'm hoping that I'm still racing in 20 years and if I'm really lucky I'll still be racing my Formula Ford in vintage.  If not I might be racing my vintage Miata.

At my age I love vintage racing. I love all FF's prior to the Swift generation. Prefer a good FF race to F1. As an ex SCCA  guy I always loved the diversity of amateur racing over pro racing. To Tom1200 I love your Datsun. 

Apexcarver said:

I have been thinking there will be a rise in purpose-built cars because of this. A clean slate is becoming a more feasible point than re-engineering a passenger car. 

 

Think about it this way, almost every serious circle track class/car for dirt or asphault is far from production based and they are still kicking. What percentage of professional circle track racing is remotely production based?

 

We have roadracing cars/classes that use similar parts - trans-am and classes where old stock cars go play. 

 

We have classes that fit the mold, SCCA Spec Racer Ford is a good example. Drivetrains can evolve around purpose built chassis and keep classes like that going, how many revisions is the SRF on now over the last several decades?  I see it becoming a more attractive and cost effective option vs modifying a showroom stock car.

 

We also have sports-racer and Formula classes that contain a spectrum of spec vs innovation. If you read a rulebook, many of these classes still alow a lot of innovation for builders and engineers if that is wanted. There are even classes where scratch building your own car wouldnt be unfathomable (F600). 

 

This also ignores how much traction vintage racing is getting. The rise in expense and complexity is driving people to old iron. Vintage will be taking up a standard, but many SCCA classes are almost becoming vintage in their own right. FV, FF, and a number of classes where 20+ year old production cars can still run strong.  

At the short track level just entry level 4 cylinder classes,and your typical v8 hobby or street stock classes. There are some tracks running v6 fwd classes but otherwise most classes uses purpose built chassis. Plus especially in dirt racing mist high end classes are using methonal for fuel instead of gas.

For 99.9% of us, we'll be racing cars on a computer screen. The other .1% will do what they want.

In reply to Apexcarver :

Related to your statement about clean-slate race cars, at the recent HSR event here at Daytona, we saw more than a few GT3 and GT4 cars from just a few years ago. We even saw a TCR car out there. 

In reply to Apexcarver :

And some related material over at Classic Motorsports:

Are today's GT3 competition machines tomorrow's vintage racers?

In reply to JimS :

Thanks; never thought I'd be driving it nearly 4 decades. They are great little cars and so fun to drive.

racerfink said:

For 99.9% of us, we'll be racing cars on a computer screen. The other .1% will do what they want.

Beat me to it. I was gonna say, "General answer, simulators. My personal answer, there's always the SCCA Mod classes..."

Another possibility in 20 years is racing electrics. Assuming that the components become standardized and generally available (no reason they wouldn't) then I could see a lot of electric Miata conversions and things like that.

Making an electric daily driver is complex, taking a roller, throwing a cage in it, pulling out the ICE and turning it into an electric track / race only vehicle could eventually be quite a bit simpler. I understand the charging infrastructure doesn't exist yet but it might by then or standard sized swappable battery packs might be cheap enough (think RC car racing) that you charge at home and bring 3 or 4 with you.

Since I've been racing Vintage  for 50 years I suspect I'll continue until dirt nap time. 

QuikMcshifterson said:

I understand the charging infrastructure doesn't exist yet

It does, check your house for one of these: