Hi all- I've spoken to a few of you off the list, and wish I could have spoken to more of you last week at the Nationals (wasn't there for the 1st part of the week), but I'll take this opportunity to introduce myself to the rest of the list. Currently I race a Lotus Elise in autox, and while I don't want to quit autoxing, I'd like to get started in club racing as well.
Originally I'd found F500 by looking for classes that it would be possible to race in both autox and club, but the consensus seems to be that the setups are too different for that to be a viable option in just about any class. (Although if anyone here does that, go ahead and speak up.) Now that it looks like the Exige S won't be allowed into SS next year, I probably have another year of useful life on the Elise, so that's not as pressing of an issue, but F500 still looks like an attractive class to go to the track in. Anyway, my first question is about the SCCA driver's school. I've been advised that it can make a lot of sense to rent a fendered car to do this on the grounds that contact isn't such a big deal. Also, renting I gather gives you support at the track. Sound advice? Is it better to have your first open wheel experience in a school or a race? Also, how hard are the F500s to maintain at the track? Can I run races alone, or do I need to recruit family as pit crew? Secondly, how hard is it to set up an F500? It seems that w/o shocks, one aspect of tuning is eliminated, but the CVT/clutch variables get added in. How much does the chassis matter? Is it important to get the latest and greatest, or is any GCR-legal chassis going to be just as good? Same question for bodywork, if downforce has increased. Although I realize I'll be on a steep learning curve to start, I'd like to be in a class where driver skill is the predominant factor in winning races. Finally, I've read through the FAQ on F500.org, as well as the last quarter in the archives of this list, but are there any books or other resources I should check out? Thanks! -Chris ________________________________ FormulaCar Magazine - A Proud Supporter of Formula 500 The Official Publication of Junior Formula Car Racing Subscribe Today! www.formulacarmag.com or 519-624-2003 _________________________________ _______________________________________________ F500 mailing list - [email protected] To unsubscribe or change options please visit: http://f500.org/mailman/listinfo/f500 *** Please, DO NOT send unsubscribe requests to the mailing list! ***
