I was thinking about open tracking my WRX, but was concerned with the costs to make it worthwhile. I don't think the stock brakes, tires and maybe suspension are worth using, especially if I get to the track often and/or some higher speed tracks (like Road America here in the Midwest).

Here's the costs, as I see it:

Big brakes $2000
Tires/wheels $2000
Suspension $500-$1000

I'm rounding up and do realize pads/tires will be an ongoing expense.

So this means that it's going to cost me toughly $5000 to track my Suby? Yikes. Sounds like a lot. I'm starting to think a second, dedicated track car would be the better route.

Any feedback? Thanks!

Oh boy! I've gone a l-o-n-g way down this road. What you propose is acceptable because you will just end up with a dual use road/track car. Your improvements will do exactly that, improve the WRX.

If you choose to go any further, buy a track car - end of argument. I've spent $3000 on brakes, $4000 on suspension, $3000 on wheels and tires and $2000 on ancilliaries. Probably more than that, I just don't have the info at hand. I go through the wringer each time I have to spend more cash because of a track event. I'm probably looking at 2 sets of brakes pads and a second set of r-compounds within the next 8 weeks and all new synthetic fluids (AGAIN). Of course fluids, pads etc are all upkeep and would be incurred regardless of vehicle, but it is still money into the pot. Plus, if you decide to go a little more aggressive with your setup, you begin to drop the comfort level of your daily driver. My car has a harsh ride and no rear seat. I'm considering removing the passenger seat for certain events. Taking the seat out and putting it back in will soon become tiresome, so I'll probably finish up leaving it in, but the weight thing will get to me, so I'll end up taking it out etc.

You can buy a really well set up track car for $10K - REALLY well set up.

If I had all to do again, I would buy a track car. It is almost always cheaper to buy somebody elses project than do your own.

For 5 Grand you can buy a used race car that would smoke your Suby after you did all the mod on your wish list. I know because I asked myself the same questions a year ago. I picked up an old SCCA GT3 car for under 4 Grand and that included a complete sorted and legal race car with all the safety equipment, a spare motor, 3 sets of tires and rims, suspension spares and body molds. The only drawback is you also have to have a support vehicle and trailer.

How much would you have to spend on a trailer and vehicle to haul the racecar? It's interesting pro's and con's for dedicated racing.

I bought a used 16ft double axle flat bed trailer for $600 and I already own a fullsize pickup. I also have a large garage to store
my car in, so that will be one other thing to consider. I don't race my car, I only run open track events. But it is a comfort to know that no matter how hard I thrash it at the track, my Suby will be ready to take me to work on Monday!

Originally posted by T-Bolt
The only drawback is you also have to have a support vehicle and trailer.
Ding ding ding!!! That's the big one for me. I'm a single guy who already owns two cars, I can't justify buying a track car, a tow vehicle, and a trailer. Hell, I don't have anywhere to put all that! :) It certainly would be nice to have, though.

As for the original poster's questions and proposed mods, it really depends on what experience level you're at and what you want to get out of your trips to the track. I've done a few track events on street tires (two of those events being in my sister's WRX wagon) and I can tell you without a doubt in my mind that I had just as much fun on street tires as I did on my normal Kumho V700s. If anything the one event in the WRX on RE92s was even more fun - those babies were howling around every corner. :lol: So, with that said, a dedicated set of wheels and tires is most definitely not required for open tracking - your street wheels with some good ultra high or max performance tires will do just fine. If you decide that you will be getting to events more frequently then maybe it would be worthwhile to have an extra set of wheels/tires around. Even then, though, there's no reason to break the piggy bank - get a set of used '98-01 RS wheels (the 16x7" ones) and some Azenises (Azeni?) or V700s and you're good to go for under $1000.

Of course, the issue of brakes might require some bigger 17" wheels, but even then I think you could get the job done for, say, $1500.

Brakes is a tough one. I had problems at both track events in my sister's WRX, one using my street Mintex 1155 pads, one using more aggressive (but still dual use) Carbotech Panther Plus pads. I think with true track duty pads (Porterfield R4, for instance), stainless lines, and good fluid I would be OK. That's what my buddy rkkwan uses on his car and he doesn't have any problems.

Last but not least, suspension. I think your estimate there is pretty good. With some swaybars and slightly stiffer/lower springs the WRX can be very, very competent on track, and still completely street-able. Obviously a full coil-over setup would be faster, but it's not a requirement to have fun.

Pat Olsen
'97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan

What does "track car" mean? My first blueprint for a starter track car built from a WRX was $18K; final costs ended up looking more like twice that ( beyond MSRP, of course ). I have 15K in a street driven WRX that I dont consider a "track car". By the way, if you want to buy a fuel safe pro cell fuel tank ( needs new foam ) with center surge collector, a couple 10/100mic filters an A1000 pump, Y splitter, fuel pump speed controller and a bypass regulator, shoot me a PM; this is the basic fuel system I put together for track use ( rails, fittings, lines and injectors withstanding ). If track car means I wanna get to some track days and have a really great time with some friends/club members, then you sound like you're good ta' go with pads ( lot 'a conspiracy around pads, but it is true that some of the harder "race" compounds will trash your stock disks faster ) a little suspension work ( suby performance @~1500 would do nicely for a set an' forget tune ) and sticky tires.


edit (SP) Its "you're", not "your"


SLR-

Originally posted by Patrick Olsen

Ding ding ding!!! That's the big one for me. I'm a single guy who already owns two cars, I can't justify buying a track car, a tow vehicle, and a trailer. Hell, I don't have anywhere to put all that! :) It certainly would be nice to have, though.


I'm with Mr. Olsen here - I don't want to buy a truck and trailer too. Not only the cost, but I have no place to store everything too!

I think I'm with you guys about buying a second car for the track. Probably easier, plus I'd be less concerned if I end up wiping out, crashing, flipping, etc.

Yeah, I can never go the dedicated track car route because I would need somewhere to store the extra car + trailer and a place to store the truck. I hope to never have to own a truck in my life. ;) So basically I would first need a new house with enough space to store 4 vehicles. So instead I just drive a really stiff street car.

I think this bumper sticker found at a track event pretty much covers racer/track guy priorities:

"You can live in your car, but you can't race your house"


Also, try this site (the classified section) as a good and current source for "track cars" (trailers and tow vehicles too): www.improvedtouring.com

Well, it seems that everybody has a valid opinion depending on his or her circumstances. I've already spoken to my significant other (and then I asked my wife later that day), about our next vehicle purchase being a used full size pick up with a view to it hauling a trailer etc.

I intend to time trial and possibly race my WRX for the rest of 2003 and probably 2004 and just incur regular maintenance and track costs - pads, rotors, tyres, lubricants etc but with no improvements to my vehicle. Then, if all goes according to plan, I'll purchase a truck+trailer+track car end 04, early 05.

Originally posted by NotFast
I was thinking about open tracking my WRX, but was concerned with the costs to make it worthwhile. I don't think the stock brakes, tires and maybe suspension are worth using, especially if I get to the track often and/or some higher speed tracks (like Road America here in the Midwest).

Here's the costs, as I see it:

Big brakes $2000
Tires/wheels $2000
Suspension $500-$1000

I'm rounding up and do realize pads/tires will be an ongoing expense.

So this means that it's going to cost me toughly $5000 to track my Suby? Yikes. Sounds like a lot. I'm starting to think a second, dedicated track car would be the better route.

Any feedback? Thanks!

My setup for open tracking at Road Atlanta:

Axxis Ultimates (F/R), SS lines, Motul 600 fluid: 250
20 % used Victoracers on take-off stock 16's: 500
Prodrive springs and Whiteline 24mm RSB+HD links: 480

Of course tires and pads are consumables...but currently I'm under 1250 dollars and did six track days last year.

My setup might not be best for you, just thought I'd throw it out there. I also know several people who have tracked their bone stock WRX's at Road Atlanta and did very well. I can run 1:54's in the dry and should be down to 1:52 by this summer, pending the driver upgrade. :lol:

Good luck,

Scott

I am running into this very same thing. I want to track my WRX, but I don't want to get to the extent of have a uncomfortable daily driver. Before I bought my WRX, I bought a 92 SE-R as a "winter beater". Thats at least what I told my dad. This car has alot of potential as either a "track" car, or a full blown race car. When I was serious pondering the full blown race car, a friend of mine that is building a E Production Midget brought a couple of points to my attention. 1. Fully expect to drop at least $10k into the car alone. 2. About $1000 per weekend (now this is entry fee's, tires, fluids, TAPE, about everything you would need at the race track.) That $1000 is being a little on the light side too. He also brought up the best point that just cause you have a race car, doesn't mean you HAVE to have a truck and trailer. U-haul and Ryder both rent them out. He looked into it, and unless you are going EVERY weekend, but your going a more reallistic once every month or 2, then renting a truck and trailer would be almost cheaper. Now thats just one guys opinion, and I liked it, and it made me see things a little clearer, and I am not in a financial position to that, you guys might be. You don't need to do anything to you car to go out onto a track and learn and have fun. Start with the factory car and learn how to drive and then make improvements that you feel are needed. There is no series that the WRX or for that matter pretty much any Subaru are legal to compete, in at least the SCCA, other than the World Challenge. But unless you are willing to drop a couple of hundred thousand, I'm sure you won't be doing that. Just go out and have fun, thats what I am going to do, and if I feel a race track is too much strain on my car, I will start playing with the beater. By the way, I must be bored to have typed this long.

At least one more item/possibility to add to the mix... a Tow Dolly.

If you're close to deciding to go to a dedicated track car (VW's are great and there's lots of them set up for SCCA IT racing), consider a FWD one and a tow dolly. It's a reasonable compromise before going to a full trailer. It has the advantages of being relatively cheap (compared to even a used, open trailer), small enough to push around by hand, stores in a fairly small area, and is lighter, and therefore easier to tow with less than a Ford Super Duty.

Disadvantages are that you're still having to tow something and its rear wheels are on the ground. Also if you've gone this route it's probably only a matter of time until you'll bit the bullet and get a full rig... but in the meantime, it's a viable option.

This is a subject that I ponder just about every year. So far, I have come back to driving a street car on the track. For the Subie, you can very easily buy RS wheels for $400, get a set of either Azenis for $400 or track tires for about $600. Remember that you'll be able to sell the wheels when you decide you don't need them anymore. I actually have "another" car....a Cobra replica that I'm prepping for the track for this coming season, but I still plan to drive there and back with it. There are lots and lots of guys who run showroom stock class, which does not allow rotor or caliper up-sizing and they manage....I did for about 15 years before going for 4 pots last year. You can learn just as much, or more with a stock car than with a modified car. I've seen some very seasoned instructors not wanting to bring their race car to a school for some reason and do quite well keeping up with a rented Neon (don't tell Avis). Yes the WRX can have marginal brakes when it's 95 degrees out and you're on a track with lots and lots of turns, but if allowed, you can duct for more air into the rotors and hey....get a speedy bleed (pressurized brake bleeder) and keep plenty of new brake fluid around. During my showroom stock time, I was able to bleed out fluid without jacking up the car or removing any wheels. It became sort of necessary when boiling it at the end of every session. Also take a look in the New England regional forum and search on "Brake Fluid Thread". I did some brake fluid research and was quite surprised to see the temps of common "high performance" fluid. A hint....Super Blue was near the bottom of the list.

jack

Who "wins" track events?
Other than having fun driving around, what is the purpose and why must someone spend $5,000 to have fun in a car that is already safe?
There is some sort of disconnect here. Drive what you have, drive it to it's potential. If you drive over, it's a trip down the turn 5 escape road and a lesson learned. Cost? $0.
A few years back, I drove my street car around the country and raced in Pro (money-paying) events towing a trailer behind with tools and tires and you guys are talking about a truck and trailer and you aren't even RACING anyone.
Bottom line is:
If you want to enough, you will.

I think the point of this thread was lost a while ago. It's not about racing or winning, its about whether to drop major coin into your daily driver or a dedicated track car (not race car!) I chose a complete but used race car for three reasons. 1. I have built race cars from the ground up before for people with lots of money, something I don't have and know if I had to do to go that route for a track car i would bee spending the next five or six years building it when I could save enough to buy the parts. Good, outdated but sound race cars are plentyful and cheap if you know where to look. 2. A REAL race car with the required equipment will be MUCH safer than a prepped street car. Does your daily ride have a FULL cage, proper seat and belts, window net, fuel cell or fire suppression system? As safe as open track events are you can never say never when it comes to a possible situation that could claim your pride, your car or your life. If its my butt in the seat than I intend to do every thing in my power to make sure that i'm around for a long time. 3. I love my WRX and for the price I paid for it I need to drive it for the next 15 to 20 years. I know how hard track driving is on cars and I feel that tracking my WRX will shorten it's life if I were to run it as much as I run my track car.
Don't take my comments the wrong way. If all you can afford is to run your grandma's Yugo, that's still may be better than not running at all.

What's wrong w/driving the Yugo to work and having what you want?

At the risk of beating this horse to death.

If you are serious enough to put a roll bar in your car, as I have done, then you lose much of the cargo capacity of a WRX. If you are serious enough to run track rubber, then you quickly discover that a WRX sedan cannot carry 4 wheels in its trunk and you have to come to terms with the fact that you either run street rubber at the track or drive to the track on race rubber or buy a roof rack. Eventually though, you will need to buy a truck/trailer combo or have someone drive up with you in a "support car". You simply cannot get all the necessary gear into a sedan.

I'm tracking mine with a spare set of wheels and tires, SS brake lines, high temp fluid, and Hawk pads. I don't race yet which keeps cost and damage potential down considerably.

I do plan on some mods this spring but so far, it's been a blast. I've done a couple of RallyXs as well.

The wheels and tires will fit across the back seat, leaving plenty of room in the trunk for tools, helmet, etc.

HoRo1,
Get an AutoX trailer and hitch for the race rubber and tools. It's great, you just throw on the trailer and drive to the event. I use to do this until I lowered the car so far that I can't get out or in the driveway with the trailer (I have a brutal driveway). I can't manually move the trailer up or down the driveway either so I'm kind of screwed. I also can't back up with the trailer because it's too short. But if you have a reasonable driveway, you should be fine.

HoRo1 lives in CA where (as I was told after passing everybody in the 3rd lane at 85) trailers have to stay right and never go faster than 55! If there is one reason not to live there, that's the one that'd do it for me. It took FOREVER to get to RIM going that slow (and he kept following me too).
rz

dude, that sucks. In Alabama we have no emissions testing. Most people don't even have license plates for their trailers. Yes, the state sucks in general, but it does have SOME good parts. :)