Whos races BMWCCA and specE30?

[needle332rur]

Im building a track car for next season. It's a 87 325is, I belive im going to run spec e30 suspension/RA1's and just run a bunch of track days next year to get prepared for racing the car in two years. What do you guys think is the likelyhood of spece30 making a series in New England. Also what classes and how does a spece30 car run in BMWCCA racing.

Also I invite any good links and advice from the people who have already built a spece30 or any other e30 race car.

Cheers

Nate

[mattdk318i]

im interested too. Just found a Bronzit 325is beat all to hell, but would make an excellent track rat.

[Rigmaster]

https://www.spece30.com

It's up to you to get SpecE30 up and running in New England. All you need are 2 SpecE30-legal cars and it's on from there!

Seriously, it's not magic, it's not like there's a huge organization out there pulling strings to decide where SpecE30 will and will not run.

In this area (Southeast), SpecE30 is pretty big, and getting bigger. There have been ~10-18 SpecE30 cars running together in some local races I've seen. The organizers of the series are VERY specific about what is legal and what is not, and they are doing alot to control "rules-creep" that happens all too often in other series and has ruined way too many other race series. There are lots of things that have been kept stock that might seem foolish (stock ECU chip for example), but that's part of what makes the SpecE30 class so attractive to those building cars, and part of what makes the racing so much fun. I've seen a couple of SpecE30 races where you could literally throw a blanket over the top 3 or 4 cars for most of the race.

As far as BMW Club racing, a SpecE30 car falls somewhere in between K Stock and K Prepared. It would not really be competitive in KP, and may not be allowed in KS. AFAIK, the only major sanctioning body that recognizes SpecE30 is NASA- it's not run in SCCA or BMWCR.


So, find out if there are any NASA-sanctioned races going on in your area, and see what they say about SpecE30. It sounds to me like you are approaching this in a sensible manner. Building a car always takes longer than expected, and costs more $$ than budgeted. You are smart to plan on running it in DE's for a while first, then move in to wheel-to-wheel racing as you gain experience.

Check out the SpecE30 board, those guys will be more than happy to answer any questions and help out in any way. The organizers of the series are regular contributors to that board too.

Bret.

[StereoInstaller1]

Man, that SpecE30 looks like fun.

We have such a good concentration of E30 guys here, plus a good racetrack.

Of course, a few of us can't keep our DD running, much less a racecar.

Sure looks like a great class though.

Luke

[Charlie]

Im building a track car for next season. It's a 87 325is, I belive im going to run spec e30 suspension/RA1's and just run a bunch of track days next year to get prepared for racing the car in two years. What do you guys think is the likelyhood of spece30 making a series in New England. Also what classes and how does a spece30 car run in BMWCCA racing.

Also I invite any good links and advice from the people who have already built a spece30 or any other e30 race car.

Cheers

Nate

How active is the NASA chapter up in the Northeast? Hang out on the nasa forums as well as the spec e30 board to guage what the interest is for the series. Right now, the hotbed is in the midatlantic region, but it's starting to pop up in the midwest.

-Charlie

[ddavidv]

I'm building an '87 325i right now. Spec E30 is growing in leaps and bounds. I think if a couple guys in your region commit to building cars, many more will follow. At some point, I'd like to run at Lime Rock, since it's a track I've never been on, so you'll get some of us that wander outside our normal region.

The cars are easy to build, with very few expensive parts. Really, once you buy the suspension and safety equipment, you're nearly done! I was hoping to have mine track ready for about $5000 but it may creep up another grand. The Spec E30 crowd has been very helpful and isn't afraid to share little tips for car construction.

As for BMWCCA, they have finally seen the light and are recognizing Spec E30 cars as their own 'class' but run within one of the other groups. I'm not really clear on what that means as far as scoring but at least you're not directly competing against cars substantially further modified. Apparently, they thought the idea was so good they created Spec E36 for themselves. :o

[Jean]

Interesting, why ? (SU = 318i, 325, 325e, 325es)

Note: Effective 1 January 2007 the SU class will no longer exist and vehicles designated in that class will be removed from this list.

[ddavidv]

Simple answer, really: nobody was racing them! It was simpler to just make it all SO cars.

[Charlie]

Simple answer, really: nobody was racing them! It was simpler to just make it all SO cars.

It's funny how stuff comes full circle.

If you go back to the list archives from like 2002 when the series was first starting up, I made a huge stink about even bothering with the SU cars to begin with. A lot of people seemed convinced that the SU cars would be the main class, and that SO would have low turnout. I remember the ridiculous back and forth nonsense with trying to make the M10 cars run equally with the 325e's.

Going just SO is so much easier.

-Charlie

[Rigmaster]

It's funny how stuff comes full circle.

If you go back to the list archives from like 2002 when the series was first starting up, I made a huge stink about even bothering with the SU cars to begin with. A lot of people seemed convinced that the SU cars would be the main class, and that SO would have low turnout. I remember the ridiculous back and forth nonsense with trying to make the M10 cars run equally with the 325e's.

Going just SO is so much easier.

-Charlie

Yeah, but a couple of guys actually built and raced SU 325e cars- including the SpecE30 administrator. They all eventually converted to SO though.........


Bret/

[Stu]

It's funny how stuff comes full circle.

If you go back to the list archives from like 2002 when the series was first starting up, I made a huge stink about even bothering with the SU cars to begin with. A lot of people seemed convinced that the SU cars would be the main class, and that SO would have low turnout. I remember the ridiculous back and forth nonsense with trying to make the M10 cars run equally with the 325e's.

Going just SO is so much easier.

-Charlie

Agreed.

About SO, how is a 318is supposed to compete with 325i's when the weight advantage is only 150 pounds? :confused

[Rigmaster]

Agreed.

About SO, how is a 318is supposed to compete with 325i's when the weight advantage is only 150 pounds? :confused

Well, I think they took the power to weight ratio, plus the 318is' 410 diff vs. 325is' 373 and figured they were pretty close- NOT equal, but fairly close. I don't think an M42 318is could beat a 325i/is with the same driver at the wheel though.

No one has built an M42 powered SpecE30 car to find out for sure- but I believe Rob at Bimmerworld was working on one..........



Bret.