So what would it take to run in the lowest level amateur class at Le Man's? What level of FIA license would I need and how can I get one? How much dough are we talking for one driver in a 3 driver team to run?
berkeley retirement, I'll eat ramen and live in a box if I get to run Le Mans.
be prepared to drop 250k on the week...
...just for tires
Yep it's clean into the 6 digits per event. If you want to do endurance racing, try ChumpCar/LeMons. More than half the fun, less than a hundredth the price. LeMons seats go for 3 digits all day long.
GameboyRMH wrote: LeMons seats go for 3 digits all day long.
Maybe for a 2 hour stint. If you wanted 8 hours (a three driver team at a 24 hour race), I think you're usually looking at a price tag well over $1000. That's my experience with ChumpCar anyway.
Still a great deal, by comparison. I think, realistically, you'd have more fun in crapcan during the actual race anyway. Is the overall experience going to be the best thing you've done in your life, like Le Mans would be? No. But, even if you had the dough and license to make it to Le Mans, you'd spend the whole time driving in your mirrors and freaking out about the LMP cars blowing past you with a 100 mph speed difference.
Well, First you have to get an invite. That is extremely hard. I'll use Ben Keating as an example since I know him and have followed his growth.
He will have multi-millions in his run for LeMans. The biggest thing is you need an invite and they just don't hand those out. For Ben to get his invite, he won Daytona and other races and get to I believe it's the gold level licensing. The other problem is he has 2 completely different cars that he has had to use. His GTD car from Tudor is not legal for LeMans and required enough changes that he sourced another 2 cars just to run at LeMans. I'm sure you can rent a seet for less but even then, you are probably near $1M to get licensed and going.
Not trying to thread-jack, but what are the odds that Patrick Dempsey's (McDreamy) racing habit cost him his job and his marriage? Don't get me wrong, I admire his determination and applaud his effort. But I'm pretty sure it was his profile as a celebrity that got him the chance to follow his dreams of a racing career. Anyway, I don't I blame him, I would definitely prefer being a racing driver to a movie star, in my dreams anyway.
The barrier to entry at Daytona is a lot lower than Le Mans (since Le Mans has a limited entry list and teams have to be "invited"). To race in the 24 Hours of Daytona in a GTD car I think you could bring as little as $75k. All you need is a SCCA National Competition license. Of course, it would help to be a decent driver.
The FIA is supposed to recognize an SCCA National Competition license for the purposes of racing at Le Mans, but in practicality they would probably like to have seen you race a car of similar speed in at least a handful of other endurance races prior to entering at LeMans before they will let you on track. If you are with an established team and have significant testing they may let you get by with less, but of course an established team and testing costs money too.
All-in, to go from average joe SCCA or NASA door to door racer to LeLemans would take $750k-$1M. Depending on the team, you may also have to put down a crash deposit. Another way in is to actually buy into one of the teams. Teams are ALWAYS looking for money. You could take your time getting into the car on occasions (and wouldn't have to pay a markup or a deposit to get behind the wheel) and work up to Le Mans over time. You'd still be looking at a seven figure investment, but at least you'd own something at the end.
06HHR wrote: Not trying to thread-jack, but what are the odds that Patrick Dempsey's (McDreamy) racing habit cost him his job and his marriage?
You imply that going from married famously-hot actor to single famously-hot race car driver is negative in some way 
In reply to GameboyRMH:
Depends upon the type of racing driver as to whether you attract trailer trash or high maintence whores with class.....
An other famous actor/racer didn't have those problems.
In reply to 06HHR:
I'll just say this, if it did then he's better off for it as she was a leach sucking onto him for all the wrong reasons.
In reply to captdownshift:
I agree, was really a douche move by her to serve papers on the guy when he's out of town (driving at the Rolex). Looks like he's doing well at LeMans, qualified 4th in class if i'm reading the grid correctly LeMans Provisional starting grid
Don't forget that if you break the car you pay for it. That bankrupted a local guy with NASCAR dreams.
iceracer wrote: An other famous actor/racer didn't have those problems.
Interviews with his also famous wife indicated she wasn't all that keen on him racing. But she let him be.
spitfirebill wrote:iceracer wrote: An other famous actor/racer didn't have those problems.Interviews with his also famous wife indicated she wasn't all that keen on him racing. But she let him be.
If you are talking about PLN, that was a different era.
Richard Petty once said about his wife, "I told her God was first, racing was second, and if she worked hard, she could be third." That wouldn't fly these days, at least not with the women I know.
drdisque wrote: The barrier to entry at Daytona is a lot lower than Le Mans (since Le Mans has a limited entry list and teams have to be "invited"). To race in the 24 Hours of Daytona in a GTD car I think you could bring as little as $75k. All you need is a SCCA National Competition license. Of course, it would help to be a decent driver. The FIA is supposed to recognize an SCCA National Competition license for the purposes of racing at Le Mans, but in practicality they would probably like to have seen you race a car of similar speed in at least a handful of other endurance races prior to entering at LeMans before they will let you on track. If you are with an established team and have significant testing they may let you get by with less, but of course an established team and testing costs money too. All-in, to go from average joe SCCA or NASA door to door racer to LeLemans would take $750k-$1M. Depending on the team, you may also have to put down a crash deposit. Another way in is to actually buy into one of the teams. Teams are ALWAYS looking for money. You could take your time getting into the car on occasions (and wouldn't have to pay a markup or a deposit to get behind the wheel) and work up to Le Mans over time. You'd still be looking at a seven figure investment, but at least you'd own something at the end.
This is probably pretty close. LeMans is one of the tougher tickets for the gentleman driver these days. You;d probably have an easier time these days buying your way into Indy.
As mentioned, it's not necessarily the price of the ride that's going to get you. As race time approaches and teams are desperate for cash and talent, there's probably some bargains available—maybe even sub 6-figure bargains. The problem is acquiring the pedigree to get qualified.
There was a time in the not too distant past where some autocross experience, big balls, and a fat wallet could have EASILY gotten you behind the wheel for Daytona, but those days are gone as well (probably for the better).
The Gold/Silver, etc licensing system is a bit convoluted, but it has provided some modicum of a minimum talent barrier to pro sports car racing. Even the filthy rich will have to do some time in something like Ferrari Challenge before they come into the big show.
But for the most part, for the "average" racer, the pro ranks are just a bug check away. If the typical club racing guy won the lotto, they could easily be in World Challenge, or IMSA competition in a matter of weeks.
LeMans, and the Nurburgring 24hr, are much tricker as they have more of a set path to eligibility. The N24 may even be tougher than LeMans because you have to complete a certain number of Nurburgring enduros—and place within a certain portion of the top of the field in a car in a class at least as fast as you intend to run in the big show—prior to the 24 hour race itself. And you can't spread it out over years, either. there's a time limit.
But, yeah, $750k to $1m and maybe two years of highly successful competition will get you into LeMans. It's kind of like trying to get someone pregnant, though: Even if it does't happen it real fun to try.
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