Today, we talk about my F5 aka Formula 500, the cheapest way to go fast in wheel to wheel SCCA road racing and autocross. I also cover how I acquired my competition racing license. #becauseracecar #formula #scca
For anyone who wants to race affordably but wants to go fast and have all the technical aspects of setting up a chassis and tinkering with the setup while having lots of competition, lots of races and far less travel with speeds that are quicker acceleration, better handling, and near the same top speeds 125 or 175cc shifter kart racing is the better choice. They are more challenging to drive, a lot more physical, much easier to maintain, no shortage of racers at almost any event and can race locally, regionally, nationally or internationally. It is also better for anyone with aspirations of becoming a pro driver simply because of the international factor, if you are talented and can race against the world's best. In England and Europe, the 250 super kart class race on all the major tracks and achieve speeds over 140mph. This class is probably fun for those who want to just be a weekend occasional racer and work your way up into F1000, Atlantic etc.
Great recap F5,Dino and thanks for mentioning Dave Rose. We raced at Summit Point 40 years ago (when NJMP was still a rumor). He was a great guy who wrung everything out of his Opel Manta and would offer you any help needed. South Jersey Region people were always friendly and encouraging. Enjoy F5 as the sweet spot of speed and low costs and a means to gain valuable seat time. Best of luck!
We raced F440's some many years ago as Mini Indy's . Great fun. The suspension on the F500's is quite a bit more sophisticated then that of the old F440's which were basically Go-Karts with frame jacking to load corners for 'round de round' tracks where we also used different tire sizes at the same time. Regarding tires. We used a chemical application to soften tires before a race. I can't remember if anyone ever bought new tires except for one new guy who thought it would give him an advantage, it didn't or it didn't help his driving. One of the group bought a F-Ford. Great car, but expensive upfront and down the track. After a couple of seasons it hit the road. I would be interested in the F-600 or F-1000, but at my advance age, I just better stick with clipping the apexes with my Miata on track days. By the way...nice car. Thanks for the post. Brought back some fun memories.
The Formula 500 is a great way for a racer if he doesn't have a support group. Some guys are lucky and have 5 or 6 people crewing, but others are often have themselves or maybe one friend. With these. you can set everything up, and be pretty good for the weekend. They fit like a glove, or should, and become an extension of your body. They will respond like a part of your body. Want to go left, you've already gone. Stop? Keep your mouth closed so you don't lose your teeth. I ran a Dolphin my last season of racing, and at Sebring on the club course, I was running about mid pack of the S2000 cars. At the time, the Sidewinder was about the only thing faster in F500, and that was because their brakes were almost as big in diameter as their tires. Even then, if the Sidewinder driver made any mistake, he lost. They are essentially a big go kart with a lot more power. They can also beat you up like a go kart on a rough track. Like most things, go for all that you can afford. Don't cheap out just because one price is much lower. While Zink had great success with their F440 years ago, they are slow compared to the 500 Rotax. The 600 may be worth it, but if you are on a tight course, you might find shifting to be distracting, especially if you autocross it. It depends on your course. Go visit the tracks you plan to run, watch and see what runs well, and then talk to some of the racers to get their opinions. Like all race cars, you have the extra stuff you need to race. this includes a way to get it and you to the track plus all your supplies. However, you are dealing with an 800 lb. car, so a simply open single axle trailer will handle it and with a couple of baskets or a plastic tool box, you can put your other stuff on the trailer. Considering the size, you might fit one in the bed of a long bed pickup, so you could pass on the trailer. But a trailer this small could be towed by almost any kind of car, so you don't need the 10 mpg duallie like with a big enclosed trailer and larger race car. Tow it with your Mustang or Corvette.
Dino, Thank you so much for this video and am looking forward to future videos. As an old geezer who has been messing with these cars since 1982 and, as a thank you as well, I hope that I can help you - fit: move the pedals forward (remember to bend your knees), the steering wheel can be moved up and rearward (elbows bent), maybe go to a smaller wheel; to go faster - change to chain drive (cog belt's tightness drags the bearings). Let me know if I can help. Jim
My Dad and I raced 440's in the 80's/early 90's up and down the E coast. My Dad then moved to racing MGB's at Sebring. He is 83 now and I am 57. I do sim racing now, which is surprisingly realistic.
My dad always said these were glorified go karts they don’t have suspension I mean it’s still racing. It’s still fun and I’m sure having no suspension makes it cheaper, but they are just glorified go karts my father was right.
wish it had more entries, in our region formula vee is a lot more popular, but similar concept. my spec racer ford used to be this way but the cost has gone up dramatically in the few years with the new sequential and softer compound for the hoosiers
Check to see if that foam insulation in your walls emits any hazardous gases. That insulation is typically encapsulated in drywall, tape and compound, primer and paint. Oh and, good luck with your racing.
Never heard of that before, but it looks like it's not likely a concern once it dries: www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/article/does-spray-foam-insulation-off-gas-poisonous-fumes
@@speedcircuit You also have to be concerned with the flammability of the material you used. A small fire in your garage could turn into a firebomb in a few seconds. Possibly before you could reach the exit and it would be unstoppable. Again, the specific foam you used is what you have to look into. I'm not saying yes or no. 40 years in all types of construction and a third-generation firefighter!
Look at the frontrunners and copy what they are doing on their cars which means that you need to race with them - this is how I learned back in the 1980's - another item - hollow splined axle when it comes time to replace the old axle.
Yeah, I see the fastest guys in the Majors Tour have better setups. The sport car nose, rear diffusers, etc. I wasn't aware that hollow splined axles were available. There are a host of improvements I can make to this car, but since I mostly run regionally, I figured I'd just maintain what I have for now. That being said, if something needs replacing, I'll upgrade it going forward. It's a shame I replaced the large rear cog when I first got the car since the teeth were worn and tapered, which would walk the belt off partially. Most importantly though, I hope this video raises awareness about how fast, fun, and cheap these cars are to get into. The numbers have been dwindling in this class for years, and I'd love to see more F5 cars running wheel to wheel in the SCCA.
Small advice for the camera-man: There is no need to switch from the car or engine to the face of the owner permanently. People are interested in the details of the car!
Only from watching videos, but the Legends spec (5/8 scale 1934 ford body with motorcycle engine) is pretty inexpensive, but most important the cars are so overpowered and all must run the same 'street' tires, so the racing is exciting with lead changes all the time as cars loose traction trying to go too fast. The real cheap racing is the endurance series like Champ or LuckyDog, but its not spec so more money or 'cheating' can make you faster, not just driver skill.
The first boat had a diesel boiler for the radiators?! Surely a water source heat pump would be the way to go 🤔 also we didn't get to see the batteries.
Just came across this video and it helps me a ton! I've been planning on doing racing school to get my comp license but had no clue about scholarships! I looked online but couldn't find anything, does anyone know of where to apply? I live in SoCal if that helps
Dino, Thank You for the video. How tall are you? My son and I are looking at rehabbing an F% but we're struggling to find a chassis that will fit him at 6'4" 220.
I'm about 6' 185. You won't fit in a qre / kbs car without modification, however there are bigger chassis that he can probably fit into. Check out this Facebook group to see what's available: facebook.com/groups/360619197459057/?ref=share
Entry fees are about $500, $100 fuel, and beyond that it's just wear and tear. The more competitive guys will buy new rubber each weekend @$1000, but I don't bother.
@@zTheBigFishz Ah, ok - I thought it was a suggestion for me. Karts are great fun, but eventually most people want to step up to a car. Also, karts become more dangerous than cars at a certain speed.
I remember watching F500 at Road America 30 years ago I forgot all about it. BTW, a 2 stroke snowmobile engine is a monster. My Arctic Cat 800 makes 145 HP
