• From: Tustin, CA
  • Registered: 2010-12-30
  • Posts: 3,275

Re: How to race as cheaply as possible?

FWIW, the angle grinder comment caught my eye.  Welds that have been ground are an insta-fail in tech.

1990 RX7 "Mazdarita"  1964 Sunbeam Imp (IOE 2013 Sears Pointless) 2002 Jaguar x-type (Winner C-Class 2021 Sears Pointless)
Gone bye-bye
1994 Jaguar XJ12 (Winner C-Class 2013 Sears Pointless)  1980 Rover SD1 (I Got Screwed 2014 Return of Lemonites)
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: How to race as cheaply as possible?

So Spank has done the ultimate guide to getting a car to the track cheaply but he has skills and experience beyond almost all new teams.  So break it down into what you have to do to get on track...

At least one teammate, preferably 6...that way you have a chance in Hades of getting to the track with two teammates.  Cars are "easy" by comparison to people.  Make sure everyone understands the overall cost...just tell them it is $1500 each to get to the first race as it is decent round number.

Car $300-1500.  Amazingly, some cars can recoup their purchase price in selling non racing related items in a part out.  It is a time verses money thing.

Cage $750-3500.  This is a super important item that has to be done right both for your safety and to pass tech...without which you do not race.

Seat, fire system, kill switch, etc $900-one gazillion.  Low end is finding a used seat, minimum price fire system, $25 kill switch, etc.  More realistic is $1500-2000.

Fuel, tires, brakes $200-$6000.  Small 4-cylinders burn 4-5 gallons an hour while a Viper V10 close to 10 gallons per hour.  Tires can be the mismatched 7 year old all seasons that came on the car or $175/tire on a $300 wheel x 8.  Brakes can be servicing what you have, getting nice street pads/shoes (including spares you can return) or a full Wilwood setup...best option for a new team is excellent front race pads on new rotors with racing DOT 4 brake fluid.

Others mentioned renting racing gear but most of my teammates have taken the other tack...buy your gear with the understanding that if you hate racing you can get $0.50 on the dollar selling it after one race which, with the exception of the HNR, is break even with a single weekend of racing.

Do not forget how you will get it to and from the track, gas cans, shade, food, fluids, therapy bills, divorce, etc.

  • From: Elverson, PA
  • Registered: 2017-08-15
  • Posts: 1,124

Re: How to race as cheaply as possible?

cheseroo wrote:

FWIW, the angle grinder comment caught my eye.  Welds that have been ground are an insta-fail in tech.

I interpreted it as 'he knows how to cut and notch tubing with the angle grinder, and apparently works in a shop doing this professionally' - since the other shop items he mentioned were the welder and tubing bender.

But warning about common failure points is helpful.

29 Reply by bobnowoc (edited by bobnowoc 2021-02-05 08:27 PM)

  • From: Raleigh, NC
  • Registered: 2020-01-25
  • Posts: 325

Re: How to race as cheaply as possible?

1.  Renting a uniform at racesuitrental.com is about $200 when you add a refundable $500 deposit
2. Your buddies must pay their own way, or they dont race.  You cant pay for all this by yourself.
3. Visit the page "teams looking for drivers" and respond to anybody near you, hoping for an arrive and drive seat.  We sold seats for around $700 a man on a 4 man team.
4. Post on "Drivers looking for teams"
Do not mention your cheap friends.

5.  If you do get a team to accept you, ask some questions before you pay a stranger for a seat.
A. Do i pay you or the Lemons website?
B. How many guys in the car? (Try to stay near 4)
C. Does the car run right now?  (Dont send $ if it is not working)
D. Has it raced before? (Yes is a good answer)
E. How many times does it break down? (0 is really good)


There is no cheap in Lemons.   Your budget is way short.  The cage alone is over $2000.


The cheapest way to own a race car is to buy a used one.
There are 2 forums on this site (the first two categories)that posts used cars.



Edit:  i just read every comment.  They are all correct

Former Captain
1996 Crown Vic. #55
Team Racing Cosmo
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 4,167

Re: How to race as cheaply as possible?

danielp3344 wrote:

I hear you guys but TBH I'm looking forward to picking out a car and making it race ready more than anything else. Also, I'm getting a nagging feeling I'm missing something about this roll cage thing. Are most people here just not big on welding? It seems like if you have a welder/angle grinder/tubing bender you should only have to pay for materials themselves right?

We weld in all our own cages...even have done a couple of other team's cages.

As far as the cost of the materials, for us (after the first cage) it became more economical overall to order a pre-bent cage from Roll Cage Components.  Depending on when you buy (have you seen steel prices right now!) it is between $75 and $125 more than bare DOM and plate at the price we pay for it.  This is delivered to the freight terminal near you but if you live near his base in Virgina to pick it up yourself, betting it is cheaper than your price for materials. Rich (owner of RCC) literally orders it by the truck load and stocks up when steel prices are best.  He has a huge database of cage designs but if you buy a weird car, you just fill out his (slightly less now) confusing measurements sheet.  Based on horror stories we have heard and seen...do not order a "Lemons Legal" cage from anywhere but RCC or John Pagel (Evil Genius Racing) himself unless you want to do lots of modifications.

FYI, there are three common methods (one which Pagel hates) to getting to the top welds that are tight against the roof/pillars:

Plint boxes
Cut hole(s) in the roof and weld the sheetmetal back after
Holesaw holes in the floor, slip the tubes down, weld those top welds, raise it back up and slip your spreader plates under.  This is the method Pagel hates...not saying you will fail with it but I highly suggest you go with plinth boxes instead.

Keep asking questions...the few of us that are still on the official forums tend to have been arounf a while and done more than one build and MANY races.