Lotus challenge series

[Patricko]

Originally Posted by fishguy

for the cost of making the Elise when i had it race prepped with all the safety gear(~$10K) i could just buy an already built SCCA Spec miata and have a strong class to go racing in, with a car that is cheap to fix and basically disposable.
Hence I chose to sell the Lotus and buy the Spec Miata. I also had enough $ left over to race the race, and buy a formula ford also.
seems like an easy choice to me.

Yes, we know that is an option but this thread is about a Lotus Challenge Series.

[Patricko]

BTW Personally I don't want to race with people in "basically disposable" cars. That scares me

Fish, if you want to talk about Miatas or FF (I may want to race FF at some point) please start a new thread

[pchop]

Originally Posted by perryeyges

Racing is great to watch but unless your car is disposable you might want to think again. Track days are fine with me..

Originally Posted by Patricko

BTW Personally I don't want to race with people in "basically disposable" cars. That scares me

I'm getting the biggest sponsor sticker that says "Tony's Automotive Collison and Bodyshop" on my car...

[jplotus]

Originally Posted by pchop

I'm getting the biggest sponsor sticker that says "Tony's Automotive Collison and Bodyshop" on my car...

I like it. Maybe we get him to be premier sponsor.

[jplotus]

Originally Posted by fishguy

for the cost of making the Elise when i had it race prepped with all the safety gear(~$10K) i could just buy an already built SCCA Spec miata and have a strong class to go racing in, with a car that is cheap to fix and basically disposable.
Hence I chose to sell the Lotus and buy the Spec Miata. I also had enough $ left over to race the race, and buy a formula ford also.
seems like an easy choice to me.

Maybe I should buy a miata also. I have been on the track with them and they do just fine. I want to take advantage of my cars setup so for now the lotus. Also i have been talking to an insurance company who could insure our cars for either de/tt/ or race. I'll let you know.

[apexdc]

FYI to all on this thread.

I know of three new Cup cars at SoCal dealers that should be available at pretty attractive prices (not firesales, but just fair). PM me or email me off line and I will get you more info and contact names.

[robb373]

Originally Posted by jplotus

Also i have been talking to an insurance company who could insure our cars for either de/tt/ or race. I'll let you know.

Jim,
who is the insurance co? I was going to look into that tomorrow with ProSafe I believe?
I don't want to run anymore without insurance.

see you this weekend

Robb

[RacyTracy]

Originally Posted by jplotus

The culmanation with a final event to be held somewhere in the midwest Great america possibly.

I hope you meant Road America!

[Bleu Omdurman]

Very interested. Getting a racing license might be hard for me. The Proformance course is only offered when I have class. Do you need one to do this event? I'd think maybe not, if you are not on the track wheel to wheel.

[jplotus]

Originally Posted by RacyTracy

I hope you meant Road America!

I call it great america but yes its road america!

[Rich H]

Concerns about the cost and difficulty of car preparation are important because turnout is crucial. The rules should allow car configurations that actually exist in large numbers today, and not require most entrants to make costly/extensive modifications.

I suggest automatic qualification of all of the cars sold by LCUSA as track cars, those with factory-installed rollover structure, electric cutoff, fire system, and six-point harness. This safety spec may require a special agreement with a race operating organization like NASA, and may require that this series run by itself on the track, but the series will not begin successfully without it.

[Patricko]

Originally Posted by Rich H

Concerns about the cost and difficulty of car preparation are important because turnout is crucial. The rules should allow car configurations that actually exist in large numbers today, and not require most entrants to make costly/extensive modifications.

I suggest automatic qualification of all of the cars sold by LCUSA as track cars, those with factory-installed rollover structure, electric cutoff, fire system, and six-point harness. This safety spec may require a special agreement with a race operating organization like NASA, and may require that this series run by itself on the track, but the series will not begin successfully without it.

The Lotus only racing in Asia and the UK does not require additional roll cages, the factory roll bar is all they require.

[jplotus]

Originally Posted by robb373

Jim,
who is the insurance co? I was going to look into that tomorrow with ProSafe I believe?
I don't want to run anymore without insurance.

see you this weekend

Robb

Robb,
I just received the race insurance policy. It covers all on track incidents for race, tt or open track days. It covers 30 one day events. There number is 5196761136 ask for Peter.

[MitchT]

In Asia they do not require even a diagonal bar? Most of the lotus I have seen ie 190 sports etc that race have reinforced uprated bar and a diag. bar that extends to the footwell. and or the factory safte devices cage. I do not think any organization in American will let and elise and or an exige run in a race without a full cage and or at a min. a diagonal bar and possible extension of the roll bar strength and or height. I know PCA will allow club racing without a full cage but a 4 pt roll bar is still required, which we have. But that is in a hardtop not a targa conf. as the elise and exige is.

[Patricko]

Originally Posted by MitchT

In Asia they do not require even a diagonal bar? Most of the lotus I have seen ie 190 sports etc that race have reinforced uprated bar and a diag. bar that extends to the footwell. and or the factory safte devices cage. I do not think any organization in American will let and elise and or an exige run in a race without a full cage and or at a min. a diagonal bar and possible extension of the roll bar strength and or height. I know PCA will allow club racing without a full cage but a 4 pt roll bar is still required, which we have. But that is in a hardtop not a targa conf. as the elise and exige is.

Here are the rules for the LC Asia.

http://www.lotuschallengeasia.com/rules.html

[jplotus]

Originally Posted by Patricko

Here are the rules for the LC Asia.

http://www.lotuschallengeasia.com/rules.html

Good information, keep it coming!

[Patricko]

Originally Posted by jplotus

Good information, keep it coming!

Here are the rules for the UK series.

http://www.elisetrophy.com/Regulations_%26_Entry

[kverges]

As a racer for 7 years, the problems I see are as follows: (1) entry cost for a competitive car - it seems you really need an $80K+ 2-11 or some other modified lotus that is expensive; (2) Repair cost - like it or not, you should not get in a race car unless you can afford to wad it up and walk away, and it seems frighteningly easy to destroy a chassis in a shunt, as there are no shear plates or other devices to prevent suspension shock loads being borne by the chassis - I also suspect body parts may be expensive; (3) competition and field size (a bit chicken and egg) - I do not want to race in a field of 3 cars - but 10-20 or more, then that is interesting.

All that said, I am building a lotus "special" from a salvage elise and will put in a SCCA and NASA legal cage just in case I want to go to a race, but there will be no other loti to race with I bet and the car will not be T2 legal, as it is gutted.

[Rich H]

Originally Posted by jplotus

Good information, keep it coming!

The most relevant existing rules are those followed by Ed Swart at HSR West because he has staged races specifically for the LCUSA track cars.

But I think that for a new series the best approach is to write a short set of car acceptance rules - one page or, hopefully, less - designed to immediately attract as many existing cars as possible, and then negotiate with a race operator for track time/space under those rules. If the series takes off, the rules wiil evolve anyway based upon experience.

Driver licensing is the other entry issue. A NASA or SCCA license should be acceptable, but my guess is that few potential participants hold those now. So the question is what, if any, alternative is acceptable, and how do people get there from here.

As mentioned earlier, the NASA HPDE 1-4 program is the best club-based licensing program, and perhaps there's a way to move a group of Lotus drivers through that together - maybe even stage HPDE Lotus run groups. Another possibility might be to get one or more pro schools, like Russell Racing, to offer training and issue a Lotus Challenge license.

[jplotus]

I have had a recent communication with Aaron Bitterman from speedventures and I have asked for 6 dates for 2008. The goal is to get all types of lotus cars involved and work up from there. The idea is to start with a time trial series and build up. Once we can agree on a structure to run wheel to wheel races then graduate to that. After many converastions with different skill level drivers the last thing we want is a group of drivers not qualified to race.
On that note, a licensing body will have to be formed. My opinion is to participate in the NASA series and get there race license. Now i need to know how many of you are willing to participate. If we get 10-15 cars to start that would be ok but anything less would not work, the cost to block a run group is prohibitive.