:nonono:
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Building a Cobra R AI race car
- Thread starter Cobra-R
- Start date
oke:
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This the car that was totaled during Sat race. 3 wide going from the exit of 10b to the tunnel at 11. Car was spun under acceleration into the concrete wall foundation of the tunnel on drivers side. There were no barriers where the car hit just smooth concrete wall.
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there are bunch more at the Mustang Challenge web site. Just go to the forums area and follow the links...............Yep they are sweat looking. All I need is 7 good lotto numbers and I'm there.
Looks WAY cooler from the front!
Bruce it looks like a beer can now.
Easy now:lol1: I don't really know all that much, I'm the new guy of the group. I am learning as fast as I can though. I would like to hear what was said but by the sounds of things maybe you should do that through a PM:shrug: I would appreciate it since as I said I am learning and like to hear from as many people as possible since nobody has all the answers.
I figured that's what you were basing it on. I haven't seen any official numbers either. I just wonder if they actually produce some downforce or if its just enough to get rid of lift at high speeds. Yeah I know reducing lift is in effect the same as creating downforce. I also am not saying they don't help some, from what I hear it just doesn't sound like it's "a lot".
Thanks for that, I was watching live timing and it just said the race was ended. I made the assumption of who it was but you know how assumptions go. I was wondering just how bad it was since they didn't restart the race. Glad to hear he is doing ok!
Depends on how much you bend up the car:-D I will see if I can get an answer to this over the weekend. I also have asked how long an engine is supposed to last. The answer, "We'll find out when the first one blows up" :rollseyes Apparently I wasn't asking the right person so I'll have to be a bit more inquisitive.
Glad to hear you had a good time and enjoyed yourself. Good luck at Watkins:thumbsup::beer:
Really glad to hear Mark German in car #19 is doing ok. I saw the wreck at the bridge. It was not his fault. He got caught up in the antics of D.Rick Edwards who went off the track and came back on and caused the wreck. Edwards went off several times during the race and then ended up on the tire barrier at the start of the front straight.
The #19 in my mind was the prettiest car in the race.
I sure was impressed with the driving of Andrew Cadell. My but he was smooth and fast.
The #19 in my mind was the prettiest car in the race.
I sure was impressed with the driving of Andrew Cadell. My but he was smooth and fast.
I've done some research on running those cars and the Ford people and Miller people think the engines are good for a season or more assuming they are treated with a modicum of care.
The races themselves can not be THAT much more expensive to run than a typical SCCA/NASA club racing weekend. Its a couple of practice sessions and qualifying and a 45 minute race. A tank and a half of fuel and one set of new tires.
After that its really about the travel costs and where you are based and how much practice and testing you want to do and how much money you want to throw at it.
Cadell's car was straight off the delivery truck. Stock and not broken in. So, two test weekends weren't required for him.
You could run that series with a pickup truck and an open trailer, if you wanted to. You don't need a crew for pitstops and the car is not run enough to need more than minor maintenance. The entry fee is $1300 and 10th place pays $1000.
If you want to win races and the championship, its going to cost a lot more because of the testing time and travel.
Personally, I would like to try it with a pickup and an open trailer and one friend/crew chief with 10th place as the goal.
The races themselves can not be THAT much more expensive to run than a typical SCCA/NASA club racing weekend. Its a couple of practice sessions and qualifying and a 45 minute race. A tank and a half of fuel and one set of new tires.
After that its really about the travel costs and where you are based and how much practice and testing you want to do and how much money you want to throw at it.
Cadell's car was straight off the delivery truck. Stock and not broken in. So, two test weekends weren't required for him.
You could run that series with a pickup truck and an open trailer, if you wanted to. You don't need a crew for pitstops and the car is not run enough to need more than minor maintenance. The entry fee is $1300 and 10th place pays $1000.
If you want to win races and the championship, its going to cost a lot more because of the testing time and travel.
Personally, I would like to try it with a pickup and an open trailer and one friend/crew chief with 10th place as the goal.
The beauty of this discussion is that it will be easly resolved on the track at the Nationals. You are going to the Nationals, aren't you?
Nope, not a chance. I am in the process of expanding my dealerships again and being gone for the better part of a week during our busy time is not realisitic. We will live vicariously through you.
All I wanted to do was a "what if" when it came to building a R into a AI race car.
Brian
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Rob,
Many of you know that I am anal when it comes to accounting. The traveling can kill your wallet. I recently posted just my truck expenses on C-C. I don't need a truck except for towing (so if I didn't race, I could just borrow one when needed). I've kept every receipt and added in depreciation (no financing expense) to calculate a per mile cost of $0.75. Fuel is higher now than my numbers (since Fall, 2003), and I will need new truck tires this summer.
Once you add in trailer expenses, entry fees, hotels, food on the road (I assume you pay even a volunteer crew for their food), spare parts, race tires, race fuel, testing, and other expenses (including the body shop expenses), it adds up quickly.
The Miller Cup is a national series. I know its a four day tow to Utah. The next race is in Canada.
Minimum budget:
- $75,000 for the car.
- $25,000 for the season's spare parts.
- $12,000 for tow vehicle expenses (back of the envelope based on Atlanta shop).
- $2000 for trailer expenses.
- $9,100 for entry fees.
- $10,500 for car fuel and tires.
- $5,000 for hotels.
- $5,000 misc.
- Anyone that has a job will miss seven weeks of work.
- A nice race shop (buy or rent).
You'll be competing against teams that have new 18-wheel haulers/ Renegades, and full paid crews. They had corner weighing machines, data acquisition computers, and an engineer (just to name a few things). [This is where I got the $250K + car.]
:shrug: I am certainly no expert, but it seems to me that one would need a very generous sponsor or a few million in the bank? I think one can race SCCA/NASA on a local level for $10,000 (add a bit more for the Nationals).
I race with one guy that has a nice shop. He flys his airplane to events (the crew hauls the stuff) and races for a $3 trophy:
BTW Rob, I saw Britt on Thursday. He teaches at Lanier Tech one day a week and brought his students to the track (a field trip :-D ).
Doc:
I don't see beer or wine expenses!?!?! That's gotta be $2k at least!! ;-)oke:
I don't see beer or wine expenses!?!?! That's gotta be $2k at least!! ;-)
oke:
do strippers fall under "spare parts" or "misc"?
Doc,
I race both on a Britt scale(older tractor trailer rig, tools, and three man crew) and on a solo scale. I have never raced on a Rehegan scale. I understand the difference.
I understand that many of these race teams charge $15k per race weekend plus parts and damage. I understand that those serious about winning races and winning the championship are traveling to the race track as much as twice for every one actual race weekend at about the same expense. I realize they are using sticker tires for practice and sticker tires to qualify(race on the same) as well. That they have 4 or 5 guys working on the car and use all the latest and greatest bells and whistles.
Were I to do this it would be on a different scale.
1. Used car rather than new. That should save $20k to $35k off the new price.
2. Already paid for F250 and ATC open trailer.
3. Cheap hotel room and brought from home food supplies.
4. Pepsi sponsorship=no beverage costs(every penny saved...you know)
5. One friend to help and a prearranged association with another team in case big things are needed.
6. Two sets of tires to last three races.
7. Since my goal is to compete, but not win or race for points, I need not race when its too expensive. Thus saving myself from Utah and Canada. Next season there will be at least 5 races that are 8 hours or less from where I live. Road Atlanta, Barber, Mid Ohio, VIR, and NJ.
Its two different sets of goals between the championship chasers with the $200k budget and full blown race teams and testing schedules and my independant goal of a top ten finish.
In my case, I would likely be happy to race at the three home tracks, VIR, RA and Barber, plus run in the back at Mid Ohio and get some laps for the NASA Nationals.
Based on being on the track with these cars and drivers, I feel like its realistic for me to run 10th to 15th at a track I know. That would be fun and a great experience. Since there is a purse, it would also kick $500(15th) to $1000(10th) back into the budget.
I guess it all depends on your goals. Call me Dave Marcis.
I race both on a Britt scale(older tractor trailer rig, tools, and three man crew) and on a solo scale. I have never raced on a Rehegan scale. I understand the difference.
I understand that many of these race teams charge $15k per race weekend plus parts and damage. I understand that those serious about winning races and winning the championship are traveling to the race track as much as twice for every one actual race weekend at about the same expense. I realize they are using sticker tires for practice and sticker tires to qualify(race on the same) as well. That they have 4 or 5 guys working on the car and use all the latest and greatest bells and whistles.
Were I to do this it would be on a different scale.
1. Used car rather than new. That should save $20k to $35k off the new price.
2. Already paid for F250 and ATC open trailer.
3. Cheap hotel room and brought from home food supplies.
4. Pepsi sponsorship=no beverage costs(every penny saved...you know)
5. One friend to help and a prearranged association with another team in case big things are needed.
6. Two sets of tires to last three races.
7. Since my goal is to compete, but not win or race for points, I need not race when its too expensive. Thus saving myself from Utah and Canada. Next season there will be at least 5 races that are 8 hours or less from where I live. Road Atlanta, Barber, Mid Ohio, VIR, and NJ.
Its two different sets of goals between the championship chasers with the $200k budget and full blown race teams and testing schedules and my independant goal of a top ten finish.
In my case, I would likely be happy to race at the three home tracks, VIR, RA and Barber, plus run in the back at Mid Ohio and get some laps for the NASA Nationals.
Based on being on the track with these cars and drivers, I feel like its realistic for me to run 10th to 15th at a track I know. That would be fun and a great experience. Since there is a purse, it would also kick $500(15th) to $1000(10th) back into the budget.
I guess it all depends on your goals. Call me Dave Marcis.
I don't see beer or wine expenses!?!?! That's gotta be $2k at least!! ;-)
That is in my "general expense" budget. I am going to have a few beers whether I am on the track or in my garage. So, it's beer and wine, the electric bill, the water bill, and the onerous State/Federal/local tax bill category. Except when I am at the track with you when I just drink your beer.
I just watch the strippers that swarm around Bruce's pit. The beer and sights are free. The last time I saw Bruce; it was like Girls Gone Wild! It's just that the 00R guys have better opportunities than the lowly other R guys. :shrug:
When you think about it, however, it's not too bad as you get 4 track days . . . with 3 races. Plus Mid O is an epic track. And we can race together. How can you put a price on that? :burnout:
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