Here's a snip from a Q&A with Rally America National Series B-Spec class champion James Robinson. Full interview here.
Wow, that's pretty damned good, for the top team--impressive, the series met it's reasonable cost goals admirably. I love the all the B-spec series, but my biggest issue with the B spec series in general (rally is probably the extreme in this regard) still remains though--these are not novice, entry level guys racing, but experienced guys going at it. That makes for a good series with great racing, but it defeats the original purpose of making racing affordable for us mere mortals as an entry level type of thing. Maybe there'll be a spinoff if it grows large enough into a less competitive class, but that seems unlikely. Either way, I'll still be interested in the series, but what I'd like to do is be involved in it someday (at least on the road side), and I doubt that'll ever happen after following it this year.
Rallying is as cheap as you want to make it and cheaper still if you use the rally car for work, shopping etc. My sooper cooper performed very well on its first outing for a miniumum expense.
No but FIA Group N which looks for be about the same but much cheaper. Stockish engine, geatbox internals free, suspension free. I just documented my Cooper as a JCW model to make use of the extra stuff available from JCW.
Always thought it would be cool to do a couple of the 24 Hour of Lemons races. Find a cheap car and go racing. Then I think it was GRM who did an article of all the other cost costs involved, entry, driving suits for a couple of guys, helmets, radios, gas cans, fuel cell, etc. It added up to more then a few thousand dollars not counting the car and some spare parts.. The One Lap of America is on a lot of peoples bucket list. Even if you already have a good dependable car, the fuel, hotels and food cost alone will be pretty high, but would be a heck of a way to spend a weeks vacation!!!
Yeah, but the Lemons cost are split 4 ways, and if you plan on doing more than one event, ie more Lemons, or Chumps series, it's not so bad. One thing I might do soon, its not serious racing, but its supposed to be a blast.
There's a guy at work who is going to do the lemons racing in something strange. They did think of a clssic Mini but might go with a US car. I'll let you know in the off topic racing. Regarding my Mini I think I put around $9000 on top of the purchase price to get it rally ready. I did the work myself and got the cage made for the cost of the tubing.