NASA prototype

You don't know the half of it. Years ago I had a F/A March. Had built an engine that met all of the SCCA rules for F/A. Rolled out on to the track at Lime Rock and proceed to destroy the track record for the class by a full two seconds. Got black flagged into impound. Was told the engine was not legal. After the BS, I was informed I was not allowed to race it again. Car was 100% legal, but I upset a lot of high rollers so they all grouped together to not let it run. After that I said so long to SCCA.

 

The more I read the more I realize NASA and narra are the way to go. Much better series.

 

these I suspect are subsidized early adopter cars. I would be shocked if they sell 50 cars.

 

50 cars?!? yeah I'd be shocked at that too. 25-30 is doable though. and that's enough to build a great series around.

 

I bet they can get 50 cars. At the price they want, it may take a few years but once you get a used car market, then you get the 15 to 30k buyers. As another stated....1500 to 3k weekend....you have a market.

 

as a reference, here's the SCCA Majors (national championship) participation report.

very few classes have more than 20 entrants. sure, there are probably 50+ chassis in existence for some of those classes, but I think 25-30 cars is pretty damn solid for a class like this.

http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/assets/2014%20Majors%20Class%20Participation%20Info.pdf

 

I would agree.I just feel that when you can offer a series such as the NASA prototype, you can offer something that SCCA can't......the ability to sell sponsorship in a "pro" series. Sure will help the weekend warrior to be able to sell a low cost sponsorship to local and regional business. A 5k sponsorship will look like a bargain in a well attend event and certainly will be a far easier sale when it is on a race by race basis. You can go to each event town prior and pitch the business you feel best suited to your teams needs without the pressure of trying for a whole season. Add to it the business gets its feet wet without going over the deep end. Sell sponsors of 2-3 at $1500 each and the weekend is paid. Who as a SCCA type would not look at this and say.....Might be worth it to join a series like this?

 

I think the odds of anyone selling arms length sponsorship (i.e. not self, friends or family funded) for these cars are effectively zero.

hell, IMSA and IndyCar teams can barely sell sponsorship in series with TV packages, millions of live spectators, etc.

 

They're also not asking for $1500 from a local business. It's definitely a stretch but it can be tried. Who wants to sponsor me

 

Turbopanzer does

 

Why not!!!! Got a marketing package?

The point is........you can sell a 1500 package a heck of a lot easier than a 5 million dollar package. I ran on local NAPA dollars and small company dollars when I could get it. I didn't have to work that hard to get it either. Most local business (around some tracks) love their name on a race car when the locals go to watch racing. It certainly helps when you give them a picture and a few mementos from the weekend racing to hang in the store and a picture with them and both car and driver. Sell it anyway you can!!!

 

I'll email you the PowerPoint slides

seriously though, if you've sold sponsorship for club racing, congrats; but that's extremely rare...especially if it was a cash deal (i.e. not sponsorship for goods and services). it's pretty common in local short track oval racing, but not in road racing.

 

Its how I kept a Formula Atlantic running. You are right, few and far between but with this new series.....its a start.

 

1.5 to 3k a weekend is never going to happen. Especially up front. This is just fantasy.

 

I agree. hell, track days in a road car can be that much, depending on variables...

 

Respectfully disagree. Depends on several things. One.......tires. How much depends on how soft you go. Wanna spend 10k??? Go buy those extra soft special hot tires Goodyear has and yes, 10k in a day. Mandate a set of tires that gets an entire weekend out of them and you can keep costs down. Two....engines........they already fixed that didn't they? Three.....fuel........A good quality high grade pump gas with an octane enhancer is far cheaper than that $10.00 a gallon stuff from Sunoco. (Your not making 800hp and running twin turbo's) Four....Wheels.......how many sets do you really need??? Fix the tire issue an you don't need 20 sets of wheels do you? Five.......how many spares do you really need?? (this isn't IMSA and your not the Whittingtons or John Paul) Try a decent complement of spares and borrow what you need when you do get punted into the wall at Watkins Glen. Living withn a budget means exactly that. Don't be so h*ll bent to pass in the boot at the Glen when you know the whole seasons budget just went with you as you head off course for the 3rd time today. Instead try driving as a sane person until the last lap....then you can pass in the boot on the final lap!!!

Simply put..use some common sense when running a team and not plan on Penske style budgets in a series that actually makes some kinda sense in its efforts to be cost effective. You might find you can do it for less than you think.

 

Spec Miata budgets for midpack guys just messing around are $2-3k a weekend (this includes entry fees/travel/lodging/food, etc), assuming no damage...I've only met one person who broke even on Spec Miata, and that was largely through tire and other contingency programs, and he was consistently top 3 in every race....he also ended up winning a Mazda scholarship for MX5 Cup...so there's no way a $60k purpose built prototype budget in 2015 is going to be $1500 a weekend. maybe if you skimp like hell and just go out there to run around at the back of the field, you could do it for $3k/weekend...

 

Do you work on your race cars??

 

I do, and that is NOT free. In fact, in my case, it's becoming so costly in time working on and developing my racecar that 3 months between race weekends is my new personal minimum so I don't neglect my work life and home life and God forbid mixing in another non-car related hobby.

Forgive me if I misunderstand your point. But suggesting that working on your car somehow saves you money is not considering the opportunity cost of your own time.

 

numbers I gave assumed self or volunteer crewing. if you want a race shop to prep the car, double that number; if you want track support/arrive and drive, triple it.

and Farmer Dave is right...the "cost" on your time for working on your own cars might be worth more than paying someone else to do it...

 

I think that while you may work on your car, it does not mean that you make the parts. You may replace, clean ,install and prepare the car. My point i that many people over pay for parts and services simply because it is a race car. Case in point....several weeks ago a friend & his son were racing their snowmobile. A minor track incident causes damage to the right front suspension of the sled. After visiting their dealer for the parts, they were told the parts would cost $1500. I was asked to review the situation. In short I made the replacement parts for about $375. A few hours later the sled was up and running and the parts looked exactly the same. Point is that we spend money on over priced parts that only augments the costs even higher. I value my time as much as you do, but I am cost conscience when it comes to racing. I buy what I need and build as much as I can. My perspective may be different simple because I look at the cost of the raw materials and the time it will take for me to make the equipment. Buying what you need is expensive whatever pursuit you may have. Golf is a good example.

 

+1 to every word GuyIncognito has written.

Turbopanzer, you may be unusually good at running your own car, that's very cool, I wish I had been when I was racing.

But the "common sense" you recommend never lasts. Racers will make almost any series, karts included, expensive. You sound like you've been around racing enough to know that, like it or not, if this series takes off it will attract deep pockets who will bring absurd levels of sophistication to bear.

Two words: Scott Tucker.

The really terrible and also cool thing about racing - the thing that takes a long time for some people to learn - is that money doesn't make you a fast guy, even if it makes you go fast. If that makes any sense.

 

No question. That is why every major series most of us loved got destroyed. Deep pockets wins ever time and in the long run it kills it. I was around when the Whittington's showed up in IMSA. 3 Kremer 935 Porsche's and enough spares to rebuild the entire factory teams. We all know how that turned out don't we?

 

I guess the lesson here is, find a new series when the loan sharks and drug runners arrive

 

Well if you can't beat em, join em!.....


in prison...