We are not quite ready to “pull the trigger” on introducing this new formula, even though we have ten cars very nearly completed.

We have done considerable testing with the prototype car on all three of the types of tracks the car is designed to run on. We anticipated so many initial problems that we weren’t prepared to make videos and record lap times, etc. As it turned out, we didn’t have many problems, so we spent the time experimenting and fine tuning.

The second car, which we are getting ready to test, has the larger ZX14 engine (pre 2012 engines are 1352 cc, and the later engines are 1441 cc) and has bigger brakes, and wider rear wing.

We are also adding some data acquisition.

As soon as we have finished testing this latest car, we will add info and videos to this page.

What will it cost to get into this new racing class?

We are going to offer a rent-to-purchase plan whereby a buyer can rent a car initially and apply the rental fees toward the ultimate purchase. The rental cars will be fully assembled, of course. We are going to sell the first 10 cars at about half of what they ultimately will cost. We haven’t established a price for a turnkey car, which is what the rental cars will be, but it will have to be close to $100,000. (Racecars are rarely sold that way because the finish assembly adds so much to the cost, and even with a spec class there are many things an owner can personalize.)

The rental fee/purchase price will be individually negotiated because it involves a lot of issues: How much racing experience does the driver have? Who transports the car to the track? How are the tire costs handled? Who does the maintenance and race prep (and what kind of experience do they have)? But the cost of the first 10 cars will be in the range of $50,000, with the per race rental in the vicinity of $2,500. There will be a crash damage deposit required, but whatever is not used to cover crash damage can be applied to the purchase cost.

The rent-to-own program will amount to a big capital investment by us, but a super-bargain deal for the first 10 buyers, because we will be selling cars way below their actual value.

Prior to our first race we plan to have three practice sessions, one on a road course, one on a paved oval, and one on a dirt track. We will rent the tracks and bring two or three cars. People seriously interested can get some track time without putting a lot of money at risk. (We will require some security deposit to cover potential crash damage, but not a huge amount, only enough to discourage recklessness.) And we are lining up some experienced drivers to be at the track to coach drivers who have no experience on the particular type of racetrack. (Not many drivers are experienced on all three of the different venues this class is designed to run on.)