Forum: Minnesota Dirt Track Racing Forum (go)
Moderators: StanM

With so many kinds of modifieds and street stocks etc. I know we are overwhelmed with classes. However, NO current class meets the following needs: uses junk yard stuff, isn't spec, still looks and drives like a real race car, affordable (duh). Even minisprints are too expensive for most and they shouldn't be. When I saw a 500cc winged outlaw kart for $7,000, I figured it wouldn't be long before even that class was priced out of the market. Now, just hear me out. lol I started thinking a production engine v-6 midget. A strong minivan v-6 is 180hp, the same as a USAC focus midget. Except you can get a mini van motor for $1000 and not $8700. However, it still costs as much for the car and you can't build any of it yourself. The chassis is easy enough and cheap enough to build. You can get a bare chassis for $1800, but the real cost of a midget is the specialty components. Steering, rearend, fuel delivery, etc.

Street stocks are getting out of hand because you can't buy cars. Face it, they are about used up. But, what if we used parts from production cars that are currently on the market? Have you looked at craigslist lately? Using the readily available production components on the midget frame would be a pain because of the mounting etc.

So, why not build a new car? Midget style frame (wheelbase etc), coilover s-10 or ford ranger rearend, Production fuel injected v-6 (limited to production motors with under 200 hp) with no modifications allowed, 8" wide tires max on steel wheels, $150 fuel cell instead of tail tank, production spindles on production A-frames with coilovers instead of struts. Even if someone bends and welds a chassis for $1000, you still should have a 1200 lb 180hp car for about $2000 if you use all the steering components from the donor car. Square tail, some basic sheetmetal bodywork, like a current modified without a roof. Call them a mini supermodified, or someting. No sanctioning fees, nothing, just build it yourself and go racing.

I'm feeling pretty smug, thinking I reinvented the wheel and racing in general. People are going to send me money and tell me how very smart I am. Except, I won't really tell anyone about this because it is a stupid idea.

UNTIL.... I'm messing around on the internet and low and behold, Ray Evernham ann Tobias have both done the SAME THING. Reinvented a class that basically a new type of openwheel racecar. Only difference is, instead of wanting you to build it, they want to build it and sell it to you, which totally defeats the purpose of creating a new class in the first place. Got to admit, the Evernham version looks better.

Wow, the Tobias version using production stuff could be build for about $2000 or a little more depending on how much you do yourself. I'm as stupid as Ray Evernham. Who'da thought?

http://www.billyvracing.net/racingforareason.htm

except without the goofy wing

http://www.onedirt.com/news/evernhams-us-legend-car-unveils-the-dirt-legend-car-specs/

I hate spec racing, so I not talking about bringing these north. But it would be fun to get some guys together to build something like this. As stupid as it sounds.

I like Ray but 20K spec racer is not the answer. Keep these things as far away from Minnesota as possible.

I agree, the spec car is not what we need. We need a class where guys can do their own work and build their own stuff. Maybe there just aren't any people who do their own stuff anymore.

I think you hit on it. People don't want to or don't know how to make their own pieces anymore. They want to go out and buy stuff and call an 800 number for setups.

Stan Meissner

Don't comment on these fourms often however have to disagree about microsprints (minisprint) being expensive. Can tell everone that a micro sprint that was bought for under $3000.00 finished top 5 at Elko dirt nats. in July. running ahead of many more expensive and alot more experienced teams from Indiana and Missouri. These cars are very plentyful and inexpensive in southern parts of

midwest ie.Il.IN.MO. Fuel cost per race is about $8 to $10 per nite with piles of crashed motocycles for doners around the US. Don't get me wrong you can spend alot of money on these cars but they are out there very resable if you look around alittle bit.

The UMSS sprint car series is committed to microsprint for 2 more years to make this class go and booking dates for next summer in close proximty

to twin cities and the miniakota group races about ever other weekend in Worthington Mn. and has many other dates inbetween and car counts approaching 15 weekly. Check out miniakotamicrosprints.com and watch for umss to launch new web site for micro sprints soon.

Sorry for the ramble but if I can help any one interested in micros please feel free to give me a call. John 763 923 1031 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 763 923 1031 end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Glad to hear about the micros. If you can get one cheap, I guess that would be the way to go. I've just seen the ads for $15,000, so I didn't pay that much attention to them.

Theres one on hoseheads classified from a builder in OK. $25,000 must be made of gold. Thanks for reply sure would like to get more people in them they are a blast.

The micros were fun to watch at Elko, I hope they become more popular here in MN. I was only refering to the cars that Ray is trying to sell when I hoped it wouldn't happen here. How much are the Micro motors? We were standing close to the track in turn 4 at Elko when one blew up. Looked and sounded expensive!!!

Micro motors range in price by many differant factors, year, make,mileage, stock or modified. Most stock motors more then 3 years old with say 7-8k miles will start at 5-600 hundred dollor range and go up from there to $1000.00. Newer motors with low miles under 2k will go for 1300.00 to 1700.00. These are motors with little or no case damage and are complete motor kits, most come from crashed motorcycles. Stock motors will last along time if mantained, I hade a motor with 70 plus nites and it still worked fine until it had a oil pan fail.

Modified motors are a differant story, most start out at 3500.00 and go up from there and have heard of some upwards of 8000.00 and need to freshened after 15 or so shows, not sure if its worth a small gain in hp.

Rules in this area are going in the stock production unmodified direction. Badger midgets in Wi. are adding micro sprints to there program and we are most likely to have very similer rules package.

I interviewed John Morris early in the season. You can listen to the interview and find out more details about the Micros. http://midwestracingtalk.com/?p=episode&name=2010-05-04_050510_insidetheumss002.mp3

Stan Meissner

Okay, to answer all the emails, no I have not built one. It was just an idea. The closest I've come is measuring my wife's van and spending hours on the internet researching which v-6 motors have less than 200hp.lol I guess I hadn't really thought about building one seriously. Get enough guys together though and... lol