I've now run a SKUSA regional race (Great Lakes - South Bend Raceway
Park: www.sbrp.com for pic of site) and an autocross OVR at Columbus OH
(Ohio State lot).
Comparative costs: $500-600 for SKUSA weekend. $150 for Solo2.
Seat time: 40+ miles for SKUSA, 10 minutes (3 miles?) for solo2.
One overnight + meals in each case. Comparable 3-hour travel
time/distance. 2 full days of SKUSA activity, 1 day for solo2.
No working the event at SKUSA: either on track or under the canopy! <G>
At the solo, the tires never got hot enough to even begin to work. They
ran us with the FJrs, all runs back-to-back, so in 10 minutes, I was
done. No time for adjustments. Didn't even get to switch drivers (each
of us took all our runs consecutively).
Since heat cycles tend to kill kart tires rather than wear, I don't see
a big cost savings for tires (solo2 compared to w2w). I didn't wear out
the set in 42 miles, but they have lost some grip. I don't know how
many events I'd get before they became undersirable for solo.
One advantage of solo is that it is the only way that you can "2-drive"
at an event. Alan has my admiration for figuring out how to do it by
himself, but I find a shifter to be a 2-man operation. Lots of things
just work better with 2 people (lifting, starting, etc.).
The bottom line is that there is an affordable alternative to Solo2 for
a shifter (several, actually). There really isn't a safe alternative
for a streetable car, other than possibly mid-week drag racing, since
you have to install a roll bar and make other mods. With STS, you have
a group of folks who already have cars and are looking for some way to
show them off. You don't tend to buy a shifter and not have an idea of
what you're going to do with it. I think that many STS cars got stuff
done to them before they ever thought about autocrossing.
Bob Monday
--- Dave Whitworth <dave@wcsllc.net> wrote:
> Just thoughts here...not wanting to start an argument or
> anything...:)
>
> I wonder if the F125 is taking off more slowly becuase unlike ST and
> SM,
> there isn't an installed base of cars ready to run? <snip>
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