Hey guys, looking to get started in T1 racing. What are the beginning/basic mods to be legal and make a good track car? Starting with a bone stock 2003 C5Z? Thanks for the help!

 

There are far too many out there for sale. Ranging from 18 to 35 absolutely no reason to build one.

 

I agree with Clubracer, lots out there... and the SCCA class is now T2... A good cage usually starts at around 5K...

 

T1 makes no sense for 2013. I do not know a single person running T1. Everyone is either converting to T2 where your C5 will be slower than stock!!! due to addition of a restrictor and 3300lbs min weight on a chassis that can be easy 100-200lbs less with no major effort or moving to ST2. If you want to go faster than stock NASA makes sense in NASA ST2 or ST1. Pick your class then build your car

 

Excellent advice... Go NASA ST-2 and save the cost of a $20-25,000 on an engine in ST-1. Enjoy!

 

If you are close to SoCal, ST2 will be a great class in 2013. We are combining all the SCCA T1 drivers and NASA ST2 drivers into the new NASA ST2 which has a very appealing new rules, 8;1 power to weight. It will be a fast class running relatively stock engines.

 

Building a racecar makes NO sense, when there are already lots of used and properly prepared race cars of your class already out there FOR SALE. Please see the for sale racecars on this Forum, or from one of the vendors like Phoenix racing. Be sure to get the "setup" book for the car for tracks you intend to race at. Because the economy is bad, racecars are cheap

 

I don't believe that at all. One of the most important reasons to build one is because so many rollcages out there are lame. NASAA/SCCA Legal but lame. I see lack of cage triangulation, poor welds, questionable cage footings, unsupported NASCAR bars, and other very disturbing things. Then there is car history or wrecks and repairs. How many cars hit were properly repaired not only in strength but straightness? Then there is maintenance? Was it done right? Anyone who regularly races ever notice a few cars that are always getting wrenched on in the pitts while some guys seem to always be sleeping in the motorhome? When a class is far from stock it is even worse. The OEMS design with engineers and test and test before what we get comes to market. How do we pick a cam? Well joe blow at the speed shop your trust or most of the guys at CF are running XYZ brakes. How much testing was really done on that? I'm not saying you are better off building your own but there are many reason to build your own and get exactly what you are paying for. Yes a built one is cheaper but the BBK is used, the oil coolers are used, the engine is used etc. Yup it better be cheaper.

This cage failed on a local track at maybe 100mph before the car scrubbed off speed and rolled. Which means the roll was maybe at 80? Certainly the roll is less than 120mph and that is not very fast for our corvettes. This was a pretty good cage. Much better than what I see most of the time. Still We learned that there are several things which could have maybe prevented this failure. You don't want this to happen with your cages.

 

from one of the vendors like Phoenix racing.

 

Thanks everyone for some much input. I can see why people say buy used and others say build. The real reason I'm asking is so that I can build a car (because then I know its history) and I can have a car that will teach me to drive. I'm not saying that I will race in T1, that is just the only class I know of that is reasonably entry level and lets me modify the car. I was basically asking, and should have just said it, "what are the best beginning mods to get a C5Z to be a good learning track car? A cage is obvious because of safety, but what else are you guys thinking?

Now you have my intrest though, What is ST1 and ST2 as far as mods and the basics of each class?

 

Only difference between ST1 and ST2 is the power to weight RWHP. ST-2 now allows 9 to 1 RWHP. Which allows you to run a solid LS6 with so mods to around 400 RWHP depending on your vehicle weight with you in it. ST-1 is 5.5 to 1 power to weight, which means you need to invest is good race motor to get you in that power range. A good LS7 or LS3 will get you there. The C5 Z06 is competitive and can win in both.

D. J. Covert #96
2008 TTS NASA-Az Champion

 

Actually the new ST2 number is 8.0 to 1 (previously 8.7) - I'm sure it was just a typo

ST3 is 9.0 to 1 without aero and 9.5 with aero (ST3 is the only class that has an aero mod factor.)

Rules and more info can be found here - http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=95511

 

Ok, where are the NASA races run at typically? Also is there another sanctioning body I can run an ST-2 car in on the west coast?

 

I had a relatively stock C5Z that I had first intended on turning it into a T1 car. This was about 4 years ago. To get the car anywhere near the front of a T1 field, I was looking at $25k more plus the cost of the car. Could've been more. I decided to sell it and buy a used T1 car. Best decision I ever made.

Not only did I get what I thought was a good deal on my current car, I was able to progress through the HPDE ranks with the same car I would be racing with. So I was able to gain alot of confidence in the car and myself before I even ran my first race. Plus, since it already had a cage and all the safety gear, I didn't have to do anything other than maintenance on it (which was pretty minimal).

I decided not to run T1 and go ST2 instead and had a blast. I currently have mine for sale and it can be run in ST2 or ST3... so if you change your mind and want to buy a used car, mine is ready to be sold.

 

PushTheLimit - What "HPDE" ranks are you referencing here? Are they drivers courses or...? What is the link to your add? Or you can just email me pics mods history etc. andrewaustinsanders@gmail.com

 

Are these cars street legal? Seething that I can just drive to an open track day and drive home? Or not? Be fun to hammer a mountain road in one

 

In what city do you live?

 

Yep, typo sorry! Thanks for the correction!

 

A street Corvette in ST2 would not be competitive now. Last one here was 2008 (me- breaking my arm patting my back). But a street Corvette might be good in ST3.