BLKSTAGE3

I'm not stretching the truth, buying two cars for a kid in high school is insane. I'm trying to do this so it will still be ok with my parents and able to tracked what would make the car illegal?

lunyou

What makes the car illegal is all the things that make it competitive on the track. Take off the cats for higher flow and it is illegal. Take out the airbags for lighter weight and it is illegal.

If you dad will simply let you take out the Shelby on the lot if your Roush breaks, your dad can afford to buy you a second Mustang to race as an accident involving the Shelby would likely cost him double the cost as the second gt.

Someone has little business sense, real world knowledge, or likes to exaggerate a little.

OhEightGT

It's not all about illegal. Like everyone has said (no one picking at you, just trying to help!!!) Your car is sort of in between right now. It's too much for one class, and not even NEARLY enough for the next. You'd have been better (probably, since you're starting out) with just a GT. A lot more flexible. Mods necessary to compete in higher classes of racing are not necessarily illegal, and legality varies from state to state, but they can make the car an absolute nightmare to drive daily. And yes, virtually every modification you would need to be competitive, is indeed illegal on the street in most if not all places. Anyway, a car for example, built to corner with European sports cars and the like, is going to be extremely frustrating for some people on the street. Speed bumps, dips in the road, even just vibrations, potholes, etc. Another example, is that cars tuned and built for the track are made for one purpose. Turning out high RPM's and screaming down straights and braking around corners. You'd have an engine suited even more for higher RPM than you do now, which would ENTIRELY change it's behavior and driveability on the road. Get fast enough and you'll need something more than factory brakes. They behave entirely different on the road/track. Some don't even start to grab at all unless you're at immense speeds. Not good for the street.

Those are just very vague examples, but that's what everyone is getting at. It's not necessarily that you're going to break laws, it's just virtually impossible to have a car that is good at both. At least for the purpose you're wanting, higher class/serious racing. Everyone will tell you the same, and you will learn it naturally if you move forward, race cars break ALL the time. You can get wrecked. You can have any one of a million problems, and it happens A LOT on the track. Like someone else said, race cars break, that is what they do and what they are for. Daily drivers see mostly calm driving with the occasional beating. Race cars get thrashed under extreme conditions with no rest and are always on the edge. I don't care if you spend 5 million dollars on it, it will break, that is what happens to mechanical things when they are used in that way and environment. They are just not conducive to daily use on the street alongside track usage. They are built to tear the track up for a hour or two and then be completely worked to get it again the next time. You said that's not a problem for you, but I guarantee you after a few times you'll get tired of your DD in the shop 5 days or more a week just to keep up with what it needs for the next race.

It's much more realistic, and going to be much less of a headache for you, if you start with less serious levels and stick to them. It would be a little easier for you if you started with a GT, as you could start at a lower level and get a feel, then move up. Lots of good suggestions here. You can do as Ricardo said, go drive a real Mustang race car, already built and set up, and see what you think. Race cars are fun, but not on the street, honestly. Some seat time in one would give you a pretty good idea.

You're going to do what you're going to do, everyone is just trying to help you out It just seems for what you want, also wanting it to be a DD is going to be a bottleneck of sorts. It's like high powered assault rifles. They are fun at the range, but you just don't take it hunting. Race cars and daily drivers are apples and oranges. Even factory built "race cars" are not good for the streets. It's just not practical and not what they were designed to do.

Flat out

I think you need to do a lot more research, if you're planning to compete in the SCCA you need to get a copy of the GCR (general competition rules) I have been racing in thr SCCA for over 30yrs. all in open wheel cars, now in an F2000 Van Deimen so I'm not real up to date on tin top rules, but as far as the SCCA is concerned your car would probably be unsuitable, unless you were just going to track days. Keep in mind that you will need a competition licence, which will require either a pricey driving school like Bondurant or an SCCA run school. If you really want to go racing you need to do a lot more research, the more you learn now the easier and less expensive it's going to be, and it's going to be EXPENSIVE. A set of tires that last me a weekend cost about $900.00, and I don't have a rich daddy so it comes right out of my pocket. I can tell you one thing for sure, there isn't a drug on earth that will get you as high as a fast good handling race car. And by the way, the best place for you to get a taste of racing is in karts, you'll learn more in a kart for less money and you'll find out pretty fast if you really want to be on a race track, almost everybody wants to race but just wanting to isn't enough, it takes real dedication and it takes a real passion that not everybody has. In the time I've been racing I've seen a lot of people come into racing and after they realize how much prep and expence is involved their gone.

Ricardo

No offense meant at all, but having a high school kid driving a track ready racecar on public streets is what is truly insane.

That's why you should use your resources and get a second car so you won't have anything to worry about.
I'm sure your Roush is a beautiful ride; don't break something so collectable just to say you beat a BMW around a curve. I really hope you are able to race though, something like that would be a good experience.

Argonaut

This is an interesting statement. You understand you need seat time - thats great. You are going to attend Skip Barber (The mazda race school I assume) - thats also wise. But next you state you have been racing for most of you life - ur..ok. What have you been racing? I would think, if you have been racing cars or bikes, you wouldn't be on this forum asking very basic questions and you'd also understand that the way classes work in nearly all clubs and sanctioning bodies means your car will not be eligible without major changes including a roll cage.

Look, here is the deal: you can not use a race car as a daily driver. Sure, there have been folks that have built up a car that is psuedo street legal (very questionable) but I seriously doubt they daily drive them. In order to race W2W you have to have a roll cage. You have to have a certified seat and harnesses. These things you do not want on the street. There are serious questions of safety here. You are not going to wear a helmet on the street and without one on your noggin is too close to the cage. Hitting your head on a steel tube (even padded) in an accident is likely to do the kind of damage that makes you talk funny and need a bed pan for lifes little necessities. Using a harness on the street also has safety implications - with the shoulder straps off you are compromising safety, with them on you are compromising visibility. The bottom line is - a car that can pass SCCA or equivalent tech is not a daily driver. Dont do it.

So what should you do as far as the car goes?: You are looking at either 2 cars or you will need to rent a race car. There are groups who do this, rent cars. Its costly but also simple, you basically just show up at the track and the car is there waiting for you. As far as buying - the most common and simplest thing to do by those wanting to get into W2W racing is to buy a built spec miata and go have at it. Or, if you have to have a Mustang, there are plenty of CMC (Camaro Mustang Challenge) cars out there for sale, thats a good entry level class. AI is a good class and you can find cars built for it, but its a much more expensive class to be competitive in. I don't recall which NASA class the FR500 (the cars that were used in the original Mustang Challenge series) fits into but thats a factory built race car that can be had in the 30-40K range nowadays.

At any rate, we can talk here on a forum all you want. You might take the advice or you might not. But the fact is if you go try to race (wheel to wheel, not talking TT or AX here) your current car you will find out that all the above is true. You will end up with a) two cars, b) renting a ride or c) a seriously bad DD that is very expensive, safety compromised and probably not legal.

You state you are serious and want to compete at the highest levels - great goals and dreams, hold on to them. Not sure what you mean by the "highest" level or making it "big" but to me, in this country, that would mean being a professional sports car driver, one who is paid to drive. I've met Mike Skeen (he did some hot laps at NJMP in my car, with me riding shotgun, that was fun!), I've met Tommy Milner (Corvette Racing). They are nice guys, very normal, very approachable. They started out the same way, with a dream and they made it to the top. If you want to follow in their footstep then you need to stop thinking about what you can do to your car and go make friends with folks who are doing it (racing) and if possible find a mentor/coach. Your first priority should be YOU, not the car. Which car you race doesn't matter one iota. Its all about your development as a driver. Go work on that and along the way all your questions related to the car will be answered. Good luck!

LostBoyz

buy a miata, start there. Extremely cheap, still rwd, and there are 1000s of other similar cars to race against. Nobody starts racing with a 500hp car, it's something you work up towards.