How to start a racing career with very little money?

**alwayz_yummy** · January 8th, 2008 03:52 PM

suspension and braking upgrades po...

tsaka na ang b18c

**niky** · January 8th, 2008 04:31 PM

There are two upgrades that you must do before taking up this hobby.

The first is tires. A good set of tires will not necessarily be the stickiest available, but the ones that are the most predictable and consistent on track. Regular tires will get slippery as they get hot... track-only tires (R-compounds) are tricky to drive when they're cold, and may overheat quickly. A good, predictable road tire, like the Goodyear Eagle GSD3s, Advan Neovas or the Falken Azenis RT615s, with lots of grip will be great for the beginner or intermediate driver.

The second is brakes. It's not necessary to have huge brakes, but upgrading to stronger, fade-resistant brake pads and better brake fluid is a good start. Slotted rotors will help keep brakes from overheating, even if they're the same size as stock brakes. Cross-drilled? If you're thinking of having your stock rotors drilled, forget about it... the extreme heat cycling of brakes in street use (hot-cold-hot... unlike on track, where they're always hot...) can crack drilled rotors.

Suspension mods are a good idea, but be sure to get a matched set of springs and shock absorbers... lowering springs will tighten up your handling, but if you use them with stock shocks, they might make the car too bouncy over bumps and cambers, making it unpredictable in some instances. Some cars will handle pretty good as stock, and if you have one of these, you should concentrate on brakes, first.

And that's it. Of course, more power is always nice, but power that allows you to overtake people on the straights won't mean much if they keep running into your slow butt in the corners.

Karting is good practice, for learning control at and over the limit of adhesion... as is racing with a good simulator, like Gran Turismo 4, Live for Speed or one of those SimBin games. Racing on Gran Turismo 4 using "Normal" or "Comfort" tires prepares you for the huge amount of understeer you'll find when you first go to the track, and will help you learn how to pick out an apex and drive a clean (not a ragged "drift") line through a corner.

But there's no substitute for the real thing... and it's best if you drive with a more experienced co-driver, so you can watch what he does and learn his lines on the track. ;)

**Memphis Raines** · January 8th, 2008 04:32 PM

dtaker - I admire your mindset on racing and so far it seems that you have given this a lot of thought. I myself have always wanted to become a Loeb or Solberg in the WRC, carrying our flag on the podium

but I've never really thought of what it takes to "get in the race" that's why I'm also learning a lot from this thread.

About the cost, Gaby stated it frankly at PBB that "to become a racer, it's either you are filthy rich or you rob a bank....I guess I'll be robbing a bank soon". That's just her being humble I guess but then don't let the cost let you down on your dream. There is always a way, it's just easier for some.

This passion will come at a price but it's not only money. It's also having that fire in your belly, as they say, that will give you the drive to learn the skills patiently, understand the science behind it and evaluate your mistakes to improve further.

**llc** · January 9th, 2008 09:47 AM

ano po b magandang set ng brakes and shocks?

**niky** · January 9th, 2008 02:41 PM

The best upgrade for your brakes is to get EBC brake pads (but even Bendix Metal Kings will do for infrequent track-work). Run-stop rotors are slotted, which makes them resist brake fade better, and are sized in stock sizes, which makes them easier to install and cheaper than full-on brake upgrades (which can cost 20-40k pesos)... last I remember, a good set of fronts from run-stop cost about 6k.

For the Civic, you can also upgrade to a Type-R brake set, but this'll cost a lot, even as surplus.

Suspension, that'll depend on your car. Teins are easy to find, and give a good amount of adjustability. Me? I'm still looking for a simpler solution... since I don't track all that often, I'm looking to merely upgrade my shocks for firmer damping... I don't need a fully adjustable set of coil-overs.

**llc** · January 10th, 2008 11:57 AM

san kaya maganda kumuha ng piyesa dito sa south? para sa ek4? and mga magkano po?

**niky** · January 10th, 2008 02:44 PM

Dami... Staging Lanes at Creative Speed (Alabang-Zapote road), yung mga shops sa Alabang Town Center sa likod ng Church, yung mga shops sa Westgate... etcetera...

**eddiebauer** · January 12th, 2008 07:20 PM

1. join the circus or perya. swelduhan ka nila

kidding aside, parang wala ka naman mapapala sa pag-racing. kasi pointless eh. ok you prove you can drive fast so what next? makakatulong ba ito sa society

a lot of the young generation today spend money on propping up old cars, make 'em look like racers.

the best way to succeed in life is to prove yourself useful to other people. when you become this other people, then ikaw naman mag-use.

again, racing pointless.

**karlbo** · January 13th, 2008 01:00 PM

its all about the money... if you have those it would be easy...

**niky** · January 14th, 2008 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by eddiebauer

1. join the circus or perya. swelduhan ka nila

kidding aside, parang wala ka naman mapapala sa pag-racing. kasi pointless eh. ok you prove you can drive fast so what next? makakatulong ba ito sa society

a lot of the young generation today spend money on propping up old cars, make 'em look like racers.

the best way to succeed in life is to prove yourself useful to other people. when you become this other people, then ikaw naman mag-use.

again, racing pointless.

So says the person with the record for "most irrelevant posts" ever online... a lot of human activity has no pragmatic use, but is not useless... racers, too, have their place... by providing entertainmen, an example of excellence in achievement and inspiration to others to follow their own dreams.