For many people a big deterrent to jumping into Motorsports the issue of cost. A lot of people have the misconception that you need to have a fully prepped race car to get out on the track. This is 100% untrue. Luckily organizations such as HookedOnDriving (HOD) allow street driven cars onto the track for people to get that initial taste of what it is like. If an individual has the desire to be on the track in a more competitive way, there are organizations such as: EMRA, NASA and SCCA that offer alternatives like: Time Trials, Club Racing, etc, to feed that hunger.
Celebrating nearly 5 years with GTM, this season I finally physically made it onto the track! I took what I consider the quickest, cost effective route for myself. I am definitely known as an individual that loves looking for a “good deal” and I have used that as well as the help from some phenomenal club members to get out on the track this year. Without a doubt, it is addictive and an absolute blast to be on the track behind the wheel or even in the paddocks just hanging out.
I was fortunate to meet Eric M through work in 2012 and during a side conversation we stumbled onto the subject of cars and the snowball began rolling down a very large hill. As an initial attempt to get me on the track, Eric was able to assist me by obtaining a ’98 Dodge Neon Sport. Nice try – but unfortunately I could not convince myself to track a Neon, no matter how much lipstick you put on it, it was still a Neon. So instead, I put it on the road as a temporary daily driver while I repaired my ’04 VW Jetta TDI (below) – Which, interestingly enough, was Eric’s track TDI back in 2011.
My philosophy – keep it cheap – find a vehicle for the track that would have an abundance of available parts – especially if I were to break at the track. Having a long interest in VWs I began looking around for a MK4 at a budget price. One of the major reasons I selected this particular VW platform was their abundance, working on them is rather easy and the amount members running the same chassis is impressive. We even have a separate chat line for all the MK4 owners. #mk4mafia.
My first acquisition was a FREE ’03 MK4 GTI! Unfortunately before getting it home, the previous owner had decided to damage it to an extent (using a baseball bat) that I chose to use it as a parts donor instead #thedonorprovides. Since I knew I had a good, low mileage engine (90k) from the GTI, my hunt for another MK4 with a blown motor began. I eventually found an ’02 MK4 Jetta that had a blown head gasket that I managed to pick up for $900. If this one didn’t pan out as a track car, the engine is easy enough to repair or swap and would pass a MD state inspection with no issues. Unfortunately, with my busy schedule the ’02 got put on the back-burner for 2 seasons in a row. (sigh).
After getting out to the clubs anniversary party (Summer Bash ’18) this past August, I made 2 decisions: First- I was making it a higher priority to get onto the track. Second- I was *not* going to run the Jetta I had because it had a sunroof. From a safety perspective, I would rather have a “slick top” non-sunroof car for track use. That took the ’02 out of the running for good.
Later that week I went on the hunt and managed to find a non-sunroof ’03 Jetta 1.8 turbo with a 5-speed manual at a used car dealership in Washington, DC. Doing a thorough inspection of the car I could only see 2 worn tires and front brake pads as concerns. #noworries. After a quick test drive on a rainy Friday evening and $1000 later – it was on the trailer. #trackready. The car came back off the trailer at NJMP’s Thunderbolt Circuit that Sunday! and Jettadiah was born!
Thanks to the previously mentioned abundance of easily accessible parts… the local parts store had brake pads in stock. The spare wheels/tires I took to run on the track changed as GTM’er Brad N was not able to make the event but his wheels/tires did, they wound up on Jettadiah for its track debut. #nankangs #isthatadiesel?
Surprisingly, with 170k miles on the odometer, the car held up and performed well for the entire day! Thanks to my instructor and GTM member John R for all the guidance on track. And as a note: Had I rented the transponder I would have taken 2nd place in my class (ST7) with EMRA that day! After this first event, I made it my goal to meet all of the criteria to be classed in EMRA’s White (intermediate) Group by the end of the season. Each driver has different goals and expectations; make sure to set yours.
Going from 0-60 in less than a couple weeks, I can honestly say it *IS* possible to get onto the track and have fun on a budget. Having not invested a ton of money on the car right away, my opinion is that if it broke or got wrecked I wouldn’t be out a ton of money over the long run… Especially if you chance running in heavy rains and hydroplane into a wall. #vikingline
Despite the off at Lightning (NJMP) during the storm, the repairs were simple and mostly cosmetic. GTM instructor Michael B was super helpful, and took the incident well. Jettadiah made it back out on the track with its temporary vinyl at the EMRA Fall Finale at Summit Point a couple weeks later.
The best part of being in this club is being able to reach out to fellow members, we have a lot of seasoned wrench-turners, lots of specialty tools, and you can ask for guidance or assistance whenever you need it.
To summarize – And, I don’t think I can say it enough: when you’re starting out in this sport you don’t have to spend a ton of money to get out there and have fun. If you’re reading this as a non-member and are interested in becoming a member, we have a great network willing to guide anyone who needs help setting up a car or even acquiring a car to get out there and join the action.
I hope to see you out there sometime soon. Good hunting.
