Choosing a rental racecar

The plan for me this next season is to get my SCCA Club Racing license (I'm a SCCA member). I'm planning on renting a racecar to do so. Your sage advice on this car rental is requested. I'm in Seattle.

Thanks!,

Miata. Durable. Forgiving to drive. Lots of competition.

Are you asking about what to rent to take the test and get your license? Or what car to rent and race for next season?

A lot depends on what's available in your area. I went with a Spec Racer Ford, it's a good car to learn in.

In reply to DaveEstey:

Sorry for the incomplete thought. What car to rent is the real question. I've edited the original post.

Whatever it is, make it slow. Learning to race in a momentum car helps on down the road. Vote #2 for Miata. Lots are available to rent.

Well if you have a car and use it for some track day events, you will have some experience on the track with that car.

The up side of a rental, it might include crew and might be more reliable. Rental race cars can be expensive... I considered using a rental, but ended up putting those resources into my car.

Ed Higginbotham wrote: Whatever it is, make it slow. Learning to race in a momentum car helps on down the road. Vote #2 for Miata. Lots are available to rent.

Good advice. For the last 8 years all my crapcan races have been in relatively slow cars. Turbo'd Miata, Merkur XR4Ti, Peugeot 505t and a MK2 RX7. Having autocrossed for 10 years before that was a bit of a curse at first. I couldn't seem to leave any margin of safety to deal with the unknow. I don't get in corner battles anymore during an endurance race. Sprints look like they might be a different sort of animal.

Unfortunately, my trackday car is also my daily driver. Maybe I can complete the Exocet/Miata project I'm working on for the company I work for before the season starts. At the pace I'm moving on it that's unlikely. I keep fixing the unbroken things. Silly me.

You should be able to use your crapcan racer...

TED_fiestaHP wrote: Well if you have a car and use it for some track day events, you will have some experience on the track with that car. The up side of a rental, it might include crew and might be more reliable. Rental race cars can be expensive... I considered using a rental, but ended up putting those resources into my car.

Thanks! Looks like I could rent a race prepped RX7 for about $650 inclusive. Maybe less if I get it for a partial season. I think I'd rather rent a Miata if it were a similar price.

Someone mentioned Spec Racer Ford rentals. Let me tell you, that is a giggly racecar to drive, just a blast, especially the new model with the DI 2 liter.

wvumtnbkr wrote: You should be able to use your crapcan racer...

Should, yes. However, The Merkur is not getting its head gasket (which it currently needs) replaced by me. Nope, never again. It's getting a V8 even though that feels a bit like giving up. I think I'll get over it. ;-)

stuart in mn wrote: A lot depends on what's available in your area. I went with a Spec Racer Ford, it's a good car to learn in.

Yep, Spec Racer Ford is available near me. That's a little too fancy for me right now. Probably a good, competitive class to race in, though.

Leadfoot wrote: Thanks! Looks like I could rent a race prepped RX7 for about $650 inclusive. Maybe less if I get it for a partial season. I think I'd rather rent a Miata if it were a similar price.

You definitely want a Miata over a first-generation RX-7. The RX-7 is likely to handicap your learning whereas the Miata is the perfect textbook race car: it responds exactly the way it ought. A Spec Miata is also faster than our local Spec RX-7s.

In reply to DWNSHFT:

I was curious. What aspects of an RX-7 would handicap learning?

Hungary Bill wrote: In reply to DWNSHFT: I was curious. What aspects of an RX-7 would handicap learning?

I have seat time in several Spec RX-7 cars here in the Arizona region, where we have a competitive series for those cars. The cars have an inherent toe-out problem in the rear suspension which makes them slightly spin-happy. It's not that they oversteer (which is a setup question). As the rear slip angle increases, rotation increases. It's a spooky feeling and while you can drive around it, you are programming your brain with goofy data. And you're driving around the problem.

Also, the cars I drove suffered from rear axle hop under braking. That is, >violent< axle hop. I spent a lot of time trying to drive around that problem.

I'll add this: a friend of mine was (I think) runner-up in the Spec RX-7 championship. He bought a Spec Miata and planned to compete in both series. Right up until he drove the Spec Miata for the first time. He promptly sold the RX-7.

An RX-7 isn't completely terrible, but a Miata is better. A Miata is smaller inside, though. An RX-7 for a driver's school might be OK if it was sufficiently cheaper. Renting an RX-7 for half a season, well, I'd hold out for a Spec Miata if I could swing it.

Hang on, $650 for an entire season? That seems like an absolute steal.

wvumtnbkr wrote: You should be able to use your crapcan racer...

Crapcan racer works too. I finished the season first in points in NASA Mid Atlantic GTS1 two years ago driving the sorry 944 on the left (it was our LeMons car the previous year). Lots of great races with Dave in the pretty car on the right.

mrjre42 wrote: Hang on, $650 for an entire season? That seems like an absolute steal.

$650 is for one race. Includes; car delivered and picked up, fuel, tires, crew, data and video system use. Multi-race rental contract would result in a lower per event price.

DWNSHFT wrote:

Hungary Bill wrote: In reply to DWNSHFT: I was curious. What aspects of an RX-7 would handicap learning?

I have seat time in several Spec RX-7 cars here in the Arizona region, where we have a competitive series for those cars. The cars have an inherent toe-out problem in the rear suspension which makes them slightly spin-happy. It's not that they oversteer (which is a setup question). As the rear slip angle increases, rotation increases. It's a spooky feeling and while you can drive around it, you are programming your brain with goofy data. And you're driving around the problem. Also, the cars I drove suffered from rear axle hop under braking. That is, >violent< axle hop. I spent a lot of time trying to drive around that problem. I'll add this: a friend of mine was (I think) runner-up in the Spec RX-7 championship. He bought a Spec Miata and planned to compete in both series. Right up until he drove the Spec Miata for the first time. He promptly sold the RX-7. An RX-7 isn't completely terrible, but a Miata is better. A Miata is smaller inside, though. An RX-7 for a driver's school might be OK if it was sufficiently cheaper. Renting an RX-7 for half a season, well, I'd hold out for a Spec Miata if I could swing it.

I think you might be confused...

1st gens have a solid rear axle. No toe out problems there.

The 2nd gens have a Dynamic Toe Steering System (passive rear steer) which is very similar to what you describe. This is easily eliminated by replacing 2 bushings.

I have raced both a 1st and a 2nd gen. The 1st gen rotates way better. The 2nd gen feels more planted and has more HP (but is heavier).

I think either is a great place to learn how to drive.

wvumtnbkr wrote:

DWNSHFT wrote:

Hungary Bill wrote: In reply to DWNSHFT: I was curious. What aspects of an RX-7 would handicap learning?

I have seat time in several Spec RX-7 cars here in the Arizona region, where we have a competitive series for those cars. The cars have an inherent toe-out problem in the rear suspension which makes them slightly spin-happy. It's not that they oversteer (which is a setup question). As the rear slip angle increases, rotation increases. It's a spooky feeling and while you can drive around it, you are programming your brain with goofy data. And you're driving around the problem. Also, the cars I drove suffered from rear axle hop under braking. That is, >violent< axle hop. I spent a lot of time trying to drive around that problem. I'll add this: a friend of mine was (I think) runner-up in the Spec RX-7 championship. He bought a Spec Miata and planned to compete in both series. Right up until he drove the Spec Miata for the first time. He promptly sold the RX-7. An RX-7 isn't completely terrible, but a Miata is better. A Miata is smaller inside, though. An RX-7 for a driver's school might be OK if it was sufficiently cheaper. Renting an RX-7 for half a season, well, I'd hold out for a Spec Miata if I could swing it.

I think you might be confused... 1st gens have a solid rear axle. No toe out problems there. The 2nd gens have a Dynamic Toe Steering System (passive rear steer) which is very similar to what you describe. This is easily eliminated by replacing 2 bushings. I have raced both a 1st and a 2nd gen. The 1st gen rotates way better. The 2nd gen feels more planted and has more HP (but is heavier). I think either is a great place to learn how to drive.

Good point on the live rear axle; I don't know the cause. But these were all first-generation RX-7s and the toe-out was a known issue. My memory tells me it is correctable but was not allowed under the ruleset.