Custom built race cars aren't cheap, IIRC just the engines can run upwards of $100K, I can't believe they would just scrap them?
BTW, got that gear in y'day, G...:thumbsup:
Now to put it back together.
i wonder if one of those race engines would fit in the 107? hmm...

 

The cheap part of an open wheel car is buying it. With the mortality rate of the components used on these cars I would guess a minimum of $2000 a club event in maintenance costs if you are doing all the trackside support yourself. It goes up from there. Imagine how expensive it would be if you pranged the chassis or just lost the suspension on one corner of the car. A wing on these cars is not going to be a $1000 item for example.

 

The cheap part of an open wheel car is buying it.

You got that right. When I raced Formula Mazda in SCCA in the 90's, it was $4000 per double race weekend for full trackside support. IF you didn't crash it. Once you got it off the track, you were really spending money fast.

Just the tires and gas in a Champ Car would eat you alive. If you afford it though, how cool would that be!

 

Yeah, I know.
I was thinking of making my brother an offer on his Lotus Europa track car. Then figured out how much it would be to race it and decided against it.

 

It's weird how A1GP is gone but all the other open wheel series in Europe are doing good. It's probably a managerial fault!

 

Sort of reminds me of the situation in AMA road racing the last couple of years. With the economy the way it is, the factory teams have all but disappeared and been replaced with factory "sponsored" teams. A lot of the older riders that were used to a factory ride (read: $$$) have gone over to the european motoGP circuit...

 

I was a Crew Chief and team manager for an Atlantic Team for the last year of the 014 and the first and second year of the 016A. I remember getting the 016 in a box van full of parts and having to assemble the entire car in a few days for a preseason test. The 008's and 014's as well as the 016's are all great cars for club racing. Considering the ECU's are all in the teams possession now the only thing keeping the 016 from being a great club racer car is the $54,000 price tag on the engines and the hefty rebuild costs. The engines mileage out at 2000 miles.

As for the DP01 Champ Car I was there in Road America when the car had its debut, it is incredibly impressive car with the exception of the on board starter which never worked properly. They have already fitted an LS-7 in those as the Cosworth XFE's were all bought up through some weasel tactics by Kalkoven and Forcythe and are now sitting. Ben Johnston wanted to buy them but got shanghi'd. Johnston already has a handfull of DP01 chassis. As soon as the engine kits are easy to get those will also be raced and track day'd by rich and independant owners.

A nose and mainplane for an Atlantic is nearly $10,000 so imagine what a champ car would run?! We used to rent the Atlantic for $5000 a day and that was for 200 miles and a full crew. It does take deep pockets.

 

I was also there when Moreno drove the new DP01 at Road America. I remember thinking what a great car to base a series on. One friggin' season. What a shame.

I really liked the Atlantic cars as well...and the series. Vickie O'Connor worked her tail off making that a great series. Too bad it got caught in the crossfire.

I laughed when I found out Ben Johnson wanted to use the DP01 for a "Green Prix" series. As it turns out, he was probably ahead of his time.