• Registered: 2010-01-30
  • Posts: 9

Topic: dirt track and circle track cars

As a newcomer and looking for cars it seems the cheapest way to go is a car already built.  I've been using a bunch of different search terms here but can't find much on the subject of dirt or circle track cars.

In dirt track racing the Hornet, Mini-stock and pro4 classes use 4 banger cars like the Chevette, Pinto, and various japanese cars and don't gut them for tube frames like dirt cars in other classes.  Time, money and effort bonus is they lready have cages installed, are already stripped of weight, have fuel cells, safety equipment, etc.  Lots of them come with significant spares too.  I've seen plenty of them in the $500 to $1000 range.  For the most part would they be legal?  Do the common dirt modifications disqualify them somehow?  Have many people been harvesting from this resource for Lemon useage already? 

If so is anyone having success this way?  Not winning necesarily  but putting a car on the track, for cheap, that works pretty well and finishes.

  • From: north of dallas
  • Registered: 2009-11-29
  • Posts: 264

Re: dirt track and circle track cars

you should make absolutely sure the cage is Lemons legal. not all circle track cages meet the standads.
besides, what's the fun in buying a ready-made racecar? you would be missing the fun of busted knuckles, a sore back, and all those wonderful weld burns......

3 Reply by cueball1 (edited by cueball1 2010-03-24 09:13 PM)

  • Registered: 2010-01-30
  • Posts: 9

Re: dirt track and circle track cars

It's a matter of time, expense and practicallity.  I'd love to build a car from scratch but as a small business slave, hours are hard to come by.  Also as a small business owner it's a tough time to come up with the extra scratch.  I've got my eye on a currently competing Isuzu Impulse that includes a complete and running parts car for $500 total!   That's full of Lemony goodness don't you think?  Plus it gives a team extra time and effort that could go into decoration and fun with something like that.  There certainly is plenty of opportunity to shed blood, curse bolts and do some creative modifications while improving and optimizing the car for road course duty after a rough and tumble life on a dirt oval.

The other car I'm looking at is a Chevette with a bunch of spares including a motor, again for $500.

  These type of cars, if the cage is proper and legal for Lemons, seem to me to fit the spirit of the series at bargain prices for teams with limited time and doh ray me.

Please, I'm totally new to this and if I'm off base on this let me know.  Have others noticed the same?  Others been running these sort of cars in the series?   What are the major rule considerations when looking at a 4 banger dirt car cage?

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  • Registered: 2009-04-30
  • Posts: 1,845

Re: dirt track and circle track cars

A lot of the Formula fours or Hornets every track calls them something different.

The cage is usually spliced tubing or galvinized  I've seen it all .

Just look over cage really good check all the rules in the  Lemons rulebook about cages.

If the Isuzu your looking at is an old Lemons car that thing is fast.

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  • From: Gilbertsville, PA
  • Registered: 2009-12-22
  • Posts: 3,251

Re: dirt track and circle track cars

I haven't seen a Lemons legal cage in one of those cars yet.  It's not like I've looked at a thousand of them, but in all likelyhood you'll have to replace it.

Something else to look out for is that they're set up for left turn racing, so suspension gets offset.

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  • From: SF Bay Area
  • Registered: 2009-05-01
  • Posts: 146

Re: dirt track and circle track cars

We got our car this way.  We thought it was a great deal to get a stripped out car with a cage for $400.  We were wrong.  The cage was a death trap with very funky angles, chewing gum welds, sched 40 pipe.  We had to rip it out and replace it, and we had nothing on the car to sell to try to make any money off scavenging.  If you *really* like the car you're looking at in this condition, great, buy it, but if it's just a run-of-the-mill car (like ours) don't bother.

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  • Registered: 2009-08-28
  • Posts: 606

Re: dirt track and circle track cars

Our first Lemons car was an ex-circle track car (Ford Escort).  The cage was actually way overkill for what Lemons wanted so we were all good.  Like others have said, make sure the cage is up to spec,  if it isnt your going to have to spend lots of time cutting the old bars out before you spend more money for new ones.  Not all cage rules are the same,  it might be a good idea to check the local rules and see how they line up with Lemons.  You might be able to rule out any car built to a certain spec, right off the bat.

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  • Registered: 2010-01-30
  • Posts: 9

Re: dirt track and circle track cars

Thanks for the input everyone!  Seems like the rule when looking at dirt cars is Cage, Cage, Cage.  I'll have to start studying up on that.

The Isuzu is here in the NW and hasn't seen a Lemons event.  Strictly circle track.  Oregon and Washington have been neglected so far by Lemons.  Closest events are at T-hill.  The, ah hem,  OTHER series, cough cough,  is running in Spokane and Portland this year.