8 replies to this topic

[plane]

I am pretty new to SM and really enjoying it. I have a Street Legal car that I bought really cheap, as it was ridden hard and put away wet. As I learn more about what it takes to compete, I wonder why I thought that Street Legal was a good thing. My local track is only 15 min. away, but now, I can't imagine actually driving to the track with this much negative camber, worrying about heat cycles and wear and shaved tires.

Is there any reason I should keep registering the car other then to impress the noob (like me) that I sell it too in the future?

[Jim Boemler]

At 15 minutes away, I'd definitely drive it to the track. Then again, I drive mine 200 miles to the track.

Don't worry about camber and heat cycles at all. Street wear is literally nothing in terms of wear or heat, compared to track time. Don't count street driving as a cycle, and wear isn't an issue unless you plan to drive cross-country. The big thing about driving to the track is saving on towing cost -- and in my case, the impossibility of storing a truck and trailer. If you've already GOT a truck and trailer, then by all means use them; but if you don't, driving to the track is a perfectly good way to go.

[Cnj]

When I hear of someone driving a race car (with full roll cage) on the street, I always wonder about the real risks of head injury of any (even low speed) accident due to the roll bars. Unless of course you wear your helmet driving to the track...

Cnj

[Jim Boemler]

No, I don't wear a helmet on the street. But I drive pretty sedately, usually pulling a trailer. More importantly, I drive attentively, just like on the track. I won't say nothing could possibly happen, but the fact that I do worry about it makes it so I don't worry about it, if you get what I mean.

[Cnj]

Yes, I leverage a similar cogent argument to persuade my mother that racing is really quite safe. Totally sells her.

Cnj

[Jim Boemler]

Yes, I leverage a similar cogent argument to persuade my mother that racing is really quite safe. Totally sells her.

Exactly. If you're gonna race, you have to be comfortable with some level of risk, which you manage with your driving. It's not for everyone.

[FTodaro]

I do not know what state you live in but if you have a cage and harnesses, but not the OEM 3 point, a disabled air bag ect. you are not street legal anyway. Seat belt laws may be written to exlcude your car.

From a safety standpoint using a 5 or 6 pt harness without a helmet and a hans is inviting a neck injury and unlike the street 3 point system and air bag combo that is designed to decelerat your upper body slowly, the harnes system pins the upper torso to the seat and all the energey is transfered to your neck in frontal, Not worth it to me, i feel safer driving on the track than the street.

[LarryKing]

I keep my SM registered simply to be able to bed brakes and do shakedown runs. However I live in a rural area. As far as noise, the SD exhaust is really only loud when you are accelerating briskly. If you short-shift (and get off the gas when you see a cop) the sound level is not too bad. The biggest drawback with driving to the track is getting home if you kill the car.

[DES4]

I do not know what state you live in but if you have a cage and harnesses, but not the OEM 3 point, a disabled air bag ect. you are not street legal anyway. Seat belt laws may be written to exlcude your car.

From a safety standpoint using a 5 or 6 pt harness without a helmet and a hans is inviting a neck injury and unlike the street 3 point system and air bag combo that is designed to decelerat your upper body slowly, the harnes system pins the upper torso to the seat and all the energey is transfered to your neck in frontal, Not worth it to me, i feel safer driving on the track than the street.

Still, it's probably at least as safe as the old muscle cars I used to drive on the the street; 30+ year old lap belts, with an interior of hard metal surfaces and big, rigid steering wheels (some without a collapsible columns). I see a lot less risk in driving one of these on the street than the majority of collector cars out there...