k-stock or track racing in general

[var1ant]

How do i get into it? I really want to race my e30 on a circuit.Is there anyone here that does k-stock or any of those other classes?

[rwh11385]

j-stock is e30 m3 class. k-stock is where a 325is would go.

you need experience and track time before you just jump into racing. that's the place to start, and worry about everything else later. like buying a SM or used CCA car already built (cheaper to buy a racecar than make one).

a local guy down the road from my home races j-stock very well, and there's a few club racers about here and there. for some reason I have Patton's number, lol. And he's Hella235's gf's dad....haha.


Anyway. Get your car tech inspected, do the work you need and hit the track. You will just hear the same old stuff from people and it won't make sense until you do a HPDE yourself for it to *click*. Then on, just follow the path and increase experience, then eventually you'll be able to buy a racecar and do it yourself.

[brodee]

What Robert said. Do some DE's, even try out some auto-x's if you haven't already. I stared with DE's in my M3 and have since gone back to auto-x, get out there more often and it's a lot cheaper.

[rwh11385]

I started with DE's in my M3 and have since gone back to auto-x, get out there more often, and it's a lot cheaper

yup. driving more at limit, and more freedom to drive harder, wait 6 hours for 3 minutes of driving time, and also easier on the car.

[var1ant]

k-stock? oops tell me more about this, I don't really know how to get into this stuff.

[brodee]

I started with DE's in my M3 and have since gone back to auto-x, driving more at limit, and more freedom to drive harder, get out there more often, wait 6 hours for 3 minutes of driving time, and it's a lot cheaper and also easier on the car.

yup.

Robert if you want to add your opinion do it, but don't change my quote. I don't always have a whole weekend to blow with a DE not to mention there aren't that many in a year.

My best suggestion for var1ant is to try both. The auto-x is usually less than $30, if you don't like it then you aren't out much. Also if you have a good go-kart track around you, get as much seat time there as possible, you'd be amazed at how much it can help.

[Bavarian3]

If you seriously want to get into racing, I would focus more on track events than AutoX due to the fact that it is two different ways of driving...

You can get your SCCA novice permit without doing one track event... but I would not recommend it...

The best way (like the others said) is to do driving events and work your way up... learn your car... I would drive it stock on track.. then upgrade brakes, then suspension, then tires... ofcourse depending on where your located, SpecE30 is fairly big and a budget series with some competition...

[rwh11385]

sorry, I just thought people would be able the tell, fixed.

YES, try BOTH. I didn't know I was going to be into Auto-X until I tried. The waiting does suck and I wish the actual driving lasted longer, but do it with you local friends and organizations and it's not that bad. You definitely are free to be on limit the entire course and push your car more than you feel comfortable at on a road course, since a coned up parking lot is a lot less threatening than a road course where you can roll and ball up your car.


If you want to roadrace, HPDEs and driving schools are what you ought to focus on, and you can fill in the empty weekends with Auto-Xs. Some people come very well prepared for the track after getting used to their car in Auto-Xs. Just don't bring twitchy habits onto the track. I did track first to avoid this, because you need to be smooth....not darty like you can be around cones.

Start out stock, then upgrade suspension, brakes, etc one component at a time so you can tell the difference and appreciate it. Build everything to the class you want to run spec requirements and don't do things "just for fun". You might want to do this or that, but you need to know wiser to just don't do it. http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/SpecE30.pdf


Oh yeah. It is COSTLY. Just HPDE events add up. About $500 a weekend is average for me when you put everything together: fees ~$300, hotel, travel expenses, gas you burn up on track, food, water/gatorade, pictures or a photo cd, brake fluid, pads maybe, giving up a weekend if you work part time on saturday, etc etc

Then racing is $$$$. The car is just the start.....wear items would be better in a spec class with tires, brakes, etc since prepared and greater speed = even more $$, but still.

[rwh11385]

From SpecE30 forums:
Building a Spec E30 - Here's what it costs - 2005/02/25 01:51 AS I made the shift from P-Cars over to the Spec E30 series I was astonished at how inexpensive it was going to be to build a race car from sratch. I kept track of every expenditure. For anyone who's interested in getting involved ususally one of the first questions they ask is how much is this going to cost. To help answer that, here's my build sheet with all the prices associated not including labor for parts install and taxes.

1989 BMW 325i Race Car build budget:

Car $2200.00
Roll bar install $1750.00
Window Net $75.00
Battery Kill switch $25.00
Limited Slip Diff $300.00
AMB Xponder $300.00
Rotors (Zimmerman X drilled) $207.00
Hawk racing pads $170.00
Sacks Clutch Kit $213.00
Sparco Corsa Seat in blue $463
Sparco Steel Seat Side Mount $45
Sparco 6pt Racing Belts $227
Sparco “Pro” Steering wheel $142
Sparco hub adaptor for BMW $52
Brey Krause Seat Brace $250
Roll bar padding $25

Suspension Components
H&R Springs (per rules) part # 50404-88F/R $400
Bilstein Shocks and Struts part # P36-0335 or P30-0334
Front, part # B36-2027 Rear $400
Fixed Camber Plates $125
Sparco Strut tower brace $230
Rear Shock Mounts $90
Delrin bushing font control arm $90
rear sub frame bushing $120
Adjustable trailer arm bushing $200

22 mm front (non adjustable) 19 mm rear sway bar (adjustable) Suspension Techniques Sway bar Kit $320

Custom Exhaust (remove Cat) $300
Wheels $460.00
Toyo RA-1 Tires $480.00

Paint $1000.00

Total $10760.00

Obiously there are places that you could reduce costs if needbe.....I spared no expense when building the car so this should be the upper end of what someone might spend.

Hope this helps any perspective races interested in getting started.

[Skafrog]

fuck spec e30.
10,700 to do a 1.50:00 at Road Atlanta?
Let alone the fact that all it will take is one person who tries hard to ruin the whole class (send it down the spec miata way). Your money is better spent on a club car in either KS or KP.
Also, if you decide for whatever reason to build a spec e30 car, you better make sure they are done fucking up the rule book. Two people already cant run spec e30 because of the renig on 318 disc conversions. No update/backdate bumpers? No chip, yet a 300$ FPR?

You can build a KP car for about the same costs.

[rwh11385]

hahaha.

not like there was any action over there anyways

[nando]

for you guys taking your only/main car out on the track, you guys have nuts. :shock: I wouldn't do it with my only car, it gets beat up enough in autox. :)

I think I'm going to end up buying a 318is eventually, and use the ix mostly for fun (and in the snow, of course!) and as a backup/weekend car. then I can track/daily the 318is and not worry about losing a bunch of money if something happened (and shit does happen!).

[rwh11385]

half the "fun" of a HPDE is the gut-wretching nervousness of tracking your daily driver and fearing that even if you don't ball it up, you break it and can't get to work Monday and will have to bum a ride.


that got annoying, so I'm doing more Auto-X next year, and my POS eta is in fact beautiful. and takes speed bumps like a champ.

[Skafrog]

so wait. You bought an eta for a DD so you could have a "track rat", and then you are afraid of putting it in the wall?
Robert, sometimes you dont make a whole lot of sense. :D

[brodee]

DE's are where to go. I'm going to get back into them on the off weekends. Was going to do one in November but it's the same weekend as the auto-x and I need the points. Plus now that I'm tightening up the car I feel a little better about getting it out on the track. You don't want to skimp on anything when you're going that fast around the track, make sure your car is up to it.