Budget open wheel racing? Isn’t that an oxymoron? Most people think of Indy cars or Formula One racing when you talk about open wheel racing. But there are some very competitive and cost conscious ways to go racing “without fenders”. There is go-cart racing, but that’s not really a car; no suspension and no seatbelts (really!). I’m talking about real race cars; suspensions, rollcage, seatbelts, etc. Formula 500 race cars are pretty much the smallest of the open wheel racers, using sub-500cc two stroke engines. Yet they are still capable of speeds up to 130 mph. There is also Formula Vee, which uses older Volkswagen Beatle engines, but you’ve never seen an old Bug go this fast! Then you have Formula Ford , which is a definite step up in expense, speed, and competition, but still quite affordable as far as top-level amateur roadracing goes. Vintage Formula Ford is also a very popular series for pre-1972 FF racecars, the era before wings and inboard suspensions. While these series are known to be starting points for many of today’s current champions, they also have a very strong grassroots presence and provide great competition at budget prices. If open wheel is your thing, be sure to check out one of these series.
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Don’t overlook ebay as a place to check for used formula cars. Also a good idea is to just attend some events at a nearby track; find a type of car you like and start talking to the owner, chances are he has a good idea where to finds cars like that (heck, he had to find one didn’t he?)
Club websites usually have cars for sale, like VARA or SCCA. Then there is apexspeed.com and race-cars.com.
where do you buy an open wheel race car? Specifically in the US.
I wish I knew about this before 2009, I would have had so many years or experience. I will for sure do this racing.