9 replies to this topic

[Thudpucker]

Any of you guys know about dirt track, 1/4mile oval, racing in the Ford Escort class?

Who on this forum does this?
Tell me about your engine mods?

 

I may do this!!!!! My 14 yr old neighbor is about to wet his pants about it too.

[Davidov]

I don't know much about the sport, but it sure would be a blast in my Civic at least.

I've done a few freelance rally races (not in competition or anything, yet), but thats about all.

I am running a '86 Civic Sedan
Metallic Light Blue
5 speed
SOHC EW1 1.5 liter 3bbl carb

I listed my performance mods in the General Section not too long ago, along with some others...
What do you have, a Civic I presume

[solo2crx]

Dirt track no... Short track oval yes. I have seen a number of folks running Hondas at 1/4 mile asphalt tracks. Mods would depend on the track you are running at. The rules are very different in different locations. For instance the local short track here has a class called rim runners, 4cyl front drive non turbo small cars only. They are allowed no engine modifications or suspension modifications everything must be stock, any adjustment you can get out of it without changing anything is ok. The car must be gutted, no glass anywhere, weld the doors shut, full cage, window net, racing seat, and harness. Those are the basics, there are a few more detailed rules. they run a Street tire and 13" or 14" steel wheels. The 2nd gen CRX 88 - 91 dominates the track up here but there is a ~86 Accord giving them a run for the money.

Later,
Jason F.

[skelly_snake]

AWSOME!!! There are times living in the sticks really bums me out. I raced dirt short track for years, first with a stinking huge T-bird, then with a still massive early 80's Camero. Absolutely love the bump and grind. Racing SCCA is tough after that. It's so tempting to give buddy the blocker just the slightest nudge.... But the road race guys will black-flag ya so fast.

True the cost of short track gets high.  We'd re-skin the camero twice a season. And tyres and rims... shesh, some times two per race night. They weren't worn as much as chewed up from rubbing. But if you get to know the guys with big budgets who race the mods and late models you can get used tyres that are plenty good enough for the smash and bash of streets stock class.

Cars for that "rim runners" circuit would be similarly prepped to the ice race classes. That means cheap and fast to build. It's damn disappointing that I live up here. The cost saving running the same type of cars would be tremendous...

[solo2crx]

Well I live almost in the sticks and the track I was speaking of is even further out in the country. That rim runner class started out as a cheap way to go racing, sort of a $500 junkyard class. It got a lot of the kids and the spouses of the racers involved in racing not just watching. It has grown beyond that and now there are some folks spending more $$$ to get a car prepped and setup. You can still get in the class cheap if you want to though.

The biggest problem with racing at the short tracks is the time involved. I crew for a friend that runs a Pro Sport Truck at the same track. If you want to run and be competative you have to spend all day every Saturday every weekend from April through October at the track and at least one or two nights if not more during the week on the car. Banging panels out, changing fluids, tires, fixing the broke stuff, setup changes. Also you end up spending most of the winter off season tearing the truck down and rebuilding it for a fresh start to the new season.

My bud is a top five finisher most weekends and he still keeps it pretty conservative. Two tow rigs, race truck, backup truck, spare parts out the wazzoo, tires, fuel, entry fees, pit charges for crew, and did I mention tires. I don't even ask what he spends on it all but it is not cheap.  That is just a drop in the bucket compared to what the Late Model guys spend though.

If I have any more problems with my 1991 CRX Si I am thinking it might end up in that rim runner class. I am about ready to let it catch fire and burn to the ground right now.

Later,
Jason F.

[skelly_snake]

Yep.. It's the time investment that killed my stock car interest. It was OK when i was still married. Back then it was some thing to get me outta the house. These day's spending three hours a week on the Honda is tough.

You think you live in the sticks? Hah! If i look north there ain't a soul untill ya sart running into Russians! Go west for two days befor you get to a city bigger than us, same if ya go east.. and south, well there are more millionairs per capita in Fargo ND than in Manhattan.( and that's US$) Racing them is pointless.
Yea I know, whine whine whine... doesn't stop me.

Next project lined up is a hydrogen fuel. KABOOM!  

[solo2crx]

You think you live in the sticks? Hah! If i look north there ain't a soul untill ya sart running into Russians!

I said almost in the sticks.

Ok so maybe I can sorta see the sticks from where I am at... The directions to my house don't include turn off the paved road so I guess I am still a "city boy"

Later,
Jason

[Thudpucker]

I was talking about the small car Dirt track because I saw them at "Thunder Valley" Louisiana a couple weeks ago.

It looks like they just stripped down a car and took it out on the track.

A guy with a Third Gen. Honda just couldn't go racing with all that plumbing on his engine. Could he?????

Dont they let you make Headers, and put a Homemade Intake Manifold on the engine for two Webbers or Carters?
Two Evinrude Carb's would work as well. Big Jets.
That's the kinda stuff I'm talking about.

I empithise with the "Time problems" it was that way for me in MotorCycle Racing. I'm cured. I just want to watch now!

[solo2crx]

Well like I said it will really depend on the track itself. There are very few if any National sanctioning bodies that cover short track racing so rules are governed by the tracks themselves. Some tracks may let you build a tube frame beast of a car with a brutal little race motor. But the one I have details on does not allow those types of mods. Because of this cars that are light and have very little restrictions on the output of the engine have an advantage. Hence the 2nd gen CRX's dominate rather than say a lighter 1st gen CRX that is chocked up on stock emmisions crap and down on power. By the time you strip all the interior, glass and comfort type items out of a 1st and 2nd gen car the weight difference between the two becomes smaller and the 2nd gens extra power floats to the top.

Later,
Jason F.

[skelly_snake]

It gets to be a power vs weight thing really quick in the limited classes. If your lucky and the limitations are as simple as max wheel base and no Hi-Po parts, ergo... stock stock stock.. then a world of games can be played. If they do put a weight limit then it is all down to HP.

Although we have no roundy roundy front wheel drive class, we do have our ice raceing. In that game the early civic's and crx's dominate. Belive it or not it's a damn three cylinder swifts that has turnd the best times.

The Honda HP catches him in the strts but he's so light he doesn't break for corners.. full throttle sideways...