Overview:I wanted to bring all the online discussions from all the local forums together into on single place. This way I don't have to make several of the same posts and answer the same questions several. This should also help gage the number of serious competitors. We don't have much time, I was shooting for April 17th for the first race, so we need to get organized. So, please let us know your thoughts and introduce yourself so we know you are interested.
• We will need 10~15 dedicated and motivated entries to make this work. If you commit to this and then back out you might leave 9 other competitors with $2,000 investments and no place to race. Please be serious and truthful about your plans. •
Series Rules:1. All cars* and driver must meet Technical and Safety equipment requirements. Cars and driver equipment must conform to the safety specifications of the National Auto Sport Association also known as NASA. The rules governing everything from cage construction and safety equipment to racing conduct can be found in the NASA CCR. The use of a neck restraint system is encouraged but not mandatory. All information needed to prepare for the Budget Series can me found in the CCR. Download the NASA CCR here:
http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf2. All cars* must be safe, fun and worth $2,000 or less. This is all inclusive, engine, seat, cage, wheels, tires, fuel, etc. are all included within that $2,000 limit. In an effort to keep racing cost as low as possible the $2,000 limit has been placed on every car in the series.
To enforce the $2,000 limit we have created the "Buy Rule". This allows any competitor to "BUY" any other competitor's car for $2,000 cash. The racer who's car is being purchased has the option to either (A. Take the $2,000 in trade for his car.), or (B. Take the car of the racer buying his car in trade.)
At the end of each official race, Budget Series race cars will be eligible for purchase under the "Buy Rule" but only if that car completed one(1) official race lap under the green flag. Any racer completing at least half of the laps completed by the first place finisher will be eligible to invoke the "Buy Rule". Finishing order will determine who gets priority when buying a competitor's car. The first place finisher is first in line, with the last place finisher having the final opportunity to buy a car.
Once a car has been bought using the "Buy Rule" it CANNOT be bought back for a minimum of three races. At the conclusion of the third race, then and only then can an eligible racer invoke the "Buy Rule" on a previously owned car.
We insist on good sportsmanship, competitors should only invoke the "Buy Rule" if they feel another competitor's car is blatantly worth well over $2,000. Steps will be taken to prevent unsportsmanlike use of the "Buy Rule". Any racer refusing to honor the "Buy Rule" will be disqualified from all previous Budget Series races, all finished will be removed from the official records and that racer will be BANNED from any further Budget Series races.
3. All cars* must comply with the Budget Series wheel and tire requirements. Only steel wheels with a maximum size of 15X6.5 are permitted. Any steel wheel with measurements(diameter and width) equal to or smaller than 15X6.5 are legal(a 14X6 would be legal, a 13X7 would NOT). Only DOT tires with a tread wear of 220 or higher and a maximum size of 195/60R15 are permitted. Tires with measurements(diameter and width) equal to or smaller than 195/60R15 are legal(a 185/60R14 would be legal, a 205/55R15 would NOT).
There are no other rules, restrictions or requirements. As long as the car is safe, fun and worth less than $2,000 it is legal. There is no restriction on engine type, drivetrain configuration, power or weight. Any car considered unsafe or not conforming to the sprit of the Budget Series will not be allowed to compete.
* A car is any mass produced 4 wheel vehicle that at the time of production weight under 4,000 pounds and was capable of carrying at least 2 average adults in normal side by side seating arrangement.
Race Licensing:All entrants in the Budget Series will need to have a race license of some kind. I am working on a way to get an entry level licensing program that would work for the series that should cost under $200. This license would not be legal for normal racing, just the Budget Series. But it would be a good place to start for anyone interested in road racing to learn their way around a race track. I've taken steps to reduce the overall speed of the series in hopes of reducing the licensing requirements and possibly the safety requirements too. If all goes well there would be a one day class the day before the first race that would allow everyone the chance to compete in the budget Series the very next day. The first school is tentatively scheduled for April 16th with the first Budget Series race on April 17th.
Tentative Race Schedule:April 17, 2011 • Round 1 • East Track
May 15, 2011 • Round 2 • West Track
June 5, 2011 • Round 3 • West Track
July 17, 2011 • Round 4 • East Track
August 21, 2011 • Round 5 • West Track
September 18, 2011 • Round 6 • East Track
October 9, 2011 • Round 7 • Full Track
Tentative Race School Schedule:April 16
June 4
August 20
Entry Fees and Event Summary:As you probably already know, I do everything possible to help the local motorsports community grow. In an effort to do this and get people out racing in the budget series I'm offering
$100 entry fees for the 7 schedules races during the 2011 season.
More then likely we will only be racing on Sundays to keep cost down. Each event would consist of a 20 minute warm-up practice session, a 20 minute qualifying session, a 20 minute heat race with starting positions based on qualifying times and then the main race with starting positions based on the finishing order of the heat race. This format allows the most seat time during racers and makes the whole day more exciting.
Series Concept:For those that are reading about the Budget Class for the first time I'll explain why I started this, what you will need to do to compete and how you "could" go about becoming a race car owner for under $2000!
First, why did I come up with this idea. Utah's road race community needs to grow and I have taken it upon myself to do whatever I can to help. Unfortunately road racing is an expensive hobby, and for most people racing cars is something a bit out of reach. So, during the winter months, I had come up with an extremely inexpensive way to get more people out road racing.
Another reason was people contacted me wanting to participate in a local 24 Hour of Lemons or Chumpcar type of budgeted road race event. I looked at the good things about these series(a very low budget) and the bad things(proving you built your car on a very low budget). I then came up with the idea to put the budget at $2,000 which included the car with all the safety equipment and put the actual competitors in charge of enforcing the budget rule by allowing them to buy anyone else's car for $2,000. You don't have to prove how much your car is worth, it could have cost you $1,500 to build or $5,000. Once you enter a race it is worth $2,000. Pretty simple and effective.
I understand that building a race car might seem difficult for a novice mechanic. But you are in luck, someone with basic mechanic skills can do most of the work in their own garage with simple had tools and a power drill. Here is a list of mostly bolt in parts that will transform most $500 lunkers into a legal $2,000 Budget Racer. Just an FYI, anyone wanting to go the bolt in route should take a look at the
Autopower Application List before they buy a project car.
$1,329.95 race car in a box kit.
1 - Autopower Bolt-In Race Roll Cage Kit
1 - OMP TRS FIA Homologated Race Seat
1 - FIA Homologated 6 Point Race Harness set from Gforce comes with pull down lap belts.
4 - FIA Certified Padding
$14.99 G-Force Window Net.
$38.95 Autopower Window Net Mounting Kit.
$49.99 Amerex 2.5 Lb. Dry Chemical Fire Extinguisher.
Total: $1433.88
Please feel free to ask question!
