BANG FOR THE BUCK For grassroots endurance racers and sanctions, the big payoff is getting as much track time as possible for the amount of money spent. – BY ERIC COLBY

82 PERFORMANCE RACING INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2020 irk Hall is a 55-year-old self-employed looking at an opportunity to keep racing and spend time with his construction contractor in Vancouver, family. “I got to see how many people were involved in the actual Washington, who’s been racing cars for more racing part of it,” said Kirk. “You can’t do it yourself.” K than 20 years. He’s traveled the country and Kirk sold all his Legends gear and had a proposal for his two won championships, but the type of competition he’s currently sons, KC and Kenny. “I said, ‘I want to go road racing with you involved in has brought him the greatest satisfaction. guys,’” Kirk said. “I’ll buy everything for us to go racing as a He’s teamed up with his 33-year-old son Kenny in grassroots family, and your investment is your personal driving equipment.” endurance racing with the Lucky Dog Racing League. “As a KC initially agreed, but later decided against it. Kenny, father, to throw him out on the track with 80 other cars at the however, was all in. “I bought all my stuff, and we went out and same time and see how quickly he’s progressed has been the did a track day and I was hooked,” he said. Kirk and Kenny coolest thing,” said Kirk. also work together in the family construction business, Acc-U- When Kenny was young, he grew up watching Kirk race Set Construction. close to home on the oval track at Portland Speedway in Kirk bought a 1996 BMW 3 series car that had been set up Portland, Oregon. When that track shut down, Kirk started for racing, and the team name is Hall Pass Racing. In a bit of a racing in the Legends class and began traveling more with his surprise, the third team member is Alec Carlson, Kenny’s father- second wife, Tammy. in-law, who is also a mechanic. Kenny and Kailey now have Then, Kenny and his wife Kailey had their first daughter. And two daughters, and the whole family camps out together in that’s when a friend mentioned grassroots endurance racing to motorhomes at the races. “My kids really enjoy having both sets him. He rented a seat in his buddy’s car, and realized he was of grandparents there for the weekends,” said Kenny.

Photo courtesy of American Endurance Racing

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Grassroots endurance racing events appeal to both veteran and rookie racers alike since they offer the fast factor along with a focus on fun as well. Not only can these competitors race at the same iconic tracks as the pro teams, but some of these tracks have come into their own right as a destination, such as Thunderhill Raceway Park, which hosts events for NASA and Lucky Dog Racing League (seen here). Photo courtesy of Hall Pass Racing.

That family atmosphere is just one of the LET THE DOGS PLAY just continues to grow and grow.” elements attracting competitors to grassroots Lucky Dog Racing League CEO and Lucky Dog has no license requirements, endurance racing around the country. There’s “Top Dog” Cathy McCause Fuss is based and McCause Fuss said the organization has also the affordability, the camaraderie and the in Martinez, , and she has been a little bit older demographic. “This group competition. Groups like 24 Hours of Lemons, in grassroots motorsports for 12 years. She is 40, 50, 60,” she said. “They’ve paid off Lucky Dog Racing League and World Racing started dirt-track racing in an old Camaro. ex-wives. They finally have some disposable League keep things casual but competitive, That led to a job at the now closed Altamont income.” The sanctioning body provides while American Endurance Racing (AER), Raceway Park. At one point, a group called dinner and social events at the track during National Auto Sport Association (NASA) and ChampCar Endurance Series are more serious. When Kenny started, he was nervous about “The concept of getting a cheap car and trying to make it last being on the same team with his father, who is appealing to any gearhead.” had all that prior experience. “I thought for sure he’d wreck the car and be way slower – than he was,” said Kirk, laughing. “He’s put the the 24 Hours of Lemons came to the venue to a weekend, and promotes a social culture car in situations that I would have never done, work out the kinks of its racing model. among the members. About 15 percent of the and the one thing I keep enforcing on him is The CEO of Altamont Racing Park asked membership is women. it’s our responsibility as one of the fastest cars Fuss to start a series with more relaxed rules. She estimates that Lucky Dog has 3,200 out there to be as safe as possible.” She became the executive VP of ChumpCar members representing 456 teams. She To improve his ability, Kenny bought a 1995 World Series (now ChampCar) for six years. charges per driver/team member because Honda Civic to race in C class. The team races In 2015, she went out on her own, starting she wants to make it easy for participants to the BMW in Lucky Dog’s A class, which is the Lucky Dog Racing. The name came from the bring friends. She also keeps the rules to a fastest. “I wanted to learn to drive better so rule in NASCAR where the first car that’s a minimum. All the organizations have the same I bought a slower car to improve my corner lap down gets back on the lead lap. In 2020, basic safety-equipment requirements: The car speed,” he said. He races the car with Carlson, Lucky Dog will be starting its sixth season. It must have started life as a mass-produced and the team is called the Inlaw-Outlaws. has averaged about 12 endurance events per passenger vehicle, have a roll cage, fire The Halls spend about $1,300 per race year, primarily on the West Coast. This year, suppression and window nets, and the drivers on routinely replaced items such as tires and Lucky Dog Canada was formed. must have a fire suit, helmet, head-and-neck brakes; and of course, there’s fuel. Lucky Talking about the continued growth of restraint, gloves and shoes. In Lucky Dog, Dog charges $300 per participant per event, grassroots endurance, she said, “I would have tires must be 180 treadwear street rubber. while most other organizations charge a fee expected after 12 years of this stuff going on One rule that the Halls like is that Lucky for the team. that it would evolve into something else, and it Dog discourages on-track contact. There is a

84 PERFORMANCE RACING INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2020 “dog house” at each track that a car will have Speaking of events, the dogs race at The group held 13 races in 2019, including to sit in if it’s ruled it initiated contact. To keep WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca twice a in Wisconsin, Alabama’s Barber teams from trying to rush the fueling process, year, and the national championship event is at Motorsports Park, as well as Sebring and the driver is not allowed to be in the car during Thunderhill Raceway Park in Willows, California. Daytona in Florida. Tracks Unlimited handles fueling, and the team must take a minimum of Average races are seven hours on Saturday WRL’s events in the Southeast. WRL’s flagship five minutes to gas up. and seven hours on Sunday. Lucky Dog has event is the US Endurance Championship at McCause Fuss encourages new teams to one 36-hour race in Spokane, Washington. Circuit of The Americas in Austin, . buy a car that’s already been built because McCause Fuss and the Halls all said the Looking at the popularity of grassroots there are so many available. Many Lucky one issue she needs to deal with is speed endurance racing, Mayberry said that it’s all Dog teams run BMW E30s and E36s, and creep, which means that cars are gradually about bang for the buck. “For four guys to more spec Mazda Miatas and Ford Mustangs getting faster. “The speed creep is a huge get in it and split the cost, it’s something they are showing up. Lucky Dog has A, B and C issue, and that’s important because we have can do two or three times a year and they’re classes, with A being the fastest. As a point of to manage speed differential,” she said. not going to lose the house,” he said. “On an reference, a team can get into a C class car average weekend, our clients are out $4,000 for about $3,000. The classes are determined TAKING ON THE WORLD to $10,000.” at each race after the cars run 40-minute Another group touting ease of participation Registration fees for a WRL race are about qualifying sessions. is the World Racing League (WRL), which is $1,350, and it offers five classes, GP1 (General Additionally, Lucky Dog has a program based in College Station, Texas. The group is Production), GP2, GP3, GP4, and the fastest that funds three teams for military veterans to in its fifth season under founder Joey Todd. class, GTO (Grand Touring, Open). To fit in the participate in. They bring 18 new veterans to WRL’s rulebook is less than 20 pages, and GP classes, a car must have a power-to-weight each race and the teams are numbered 220 the group also frowns upon contact. “We ratio of 9:1 or higher. If it’s lower, the car races and 022 to represent the 22 veterans’ suicides are a no-contact series,” said Ian Mayberry in the GTO class. WRL annual membership is that take place each day. “They’re back out of WRL. “When there’s contact between two $25 to cover the required paperwork. with a group working on cars and they feel a cars, we’re going to pull in both and get to the Mayberry said that any driver who sense of community again,” she said. bottom of the incident.” completes a High-Performance Driving Event

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MAKING LEMONADE The 24 Hours of Lemons, which regularly runs seven- and eight-hour segments No sanctioning body seeks to combine in one weekend, requires each car to be racing and the social aspect more than 24 inspected to determine if it fits into the Hours of Lemons in Emeryville, California. $500 bracket. Originally, the group had an event called the Double 500. It was so-named initially because a driver bought a car for $500 and drove it for 500 miles. “If you found a wrecked Toyota and drove (HPDE), which is basically a day at a race it 500 miles that wasn’t much of a challenge,” track hosted by a group like the BMW Car said Nick Ponn of 24 Hours of Lemons. “We Club of America, for example, is eligible to just wanted to create a form of wheel-to-wheel race with WRL. racing that took itself less seriously.” When it comes to drawing new participants, One of 24 Hours of Lemons’ trademarks is Mayberry said, “The biggest thing that’s costumes for the teams and the cars. Cars happening to our sport is Gridlife.” Gridlife get dressed as boats, the Starship Enterprise combines racing and music festivals in the and more. One vehicle that races with the hope that they will attract young people to organization is a Volkswagen Vanagon grassroots motorsports. “You come out to race powered by a Subaru engine, and Ponn said and then see a concert that night.” it wins. Lemons rules pretty much follow those Like Lucky Dog, WRL has a social element. of Lucky Dog and WRL. On Friday of a given weekend, the schedule Classes are A, B and C, with the fastest in A is practice, then the drivers’ meeting, followed and it goes down from there. “First, it’s safety by the drivers’ social. tech, like any form of road racing,” said Ponn.

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86 PERFORMANCE RACING INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2020 American Endurance Racing has a 1,000- lap club and a driver’s championship, so to easily track laps and miles driven, each car and helmet has a sticker on it similar to an EZ pass toll transponder.

“Then you go through inspection to determine if your car fits into the definition of a $500 car.” Ponn said keeping the cars around the $500 price is part of the challenge. “The concept of getting a cheap car and trying to make it last is appealing to any gearhead,” he said. “Anybody who has had a car they’ve had to Splodin’ Soiree” at MSR Houston in Angleton, GETTING SERIOUS duct-tape together and keep it together.” Texas. There is no license required, but there Drivers who take their endurance racing a Lemons races are run in seven-hour is a $75 per year membership fee. Ponn said bit more seriously run with AER in Royersford, segments on Saturday with eight hours the group has many female participants, too. Pennsylvania, NASA in Napa Valley, California, on Sunday, or vice versa. The group held Entry fees for each event are determined or ChampCar in Angier, North Carolina. 22 events around the country in 2019, by how many drivers are participating. Most John Kolesa reported that AER is with names like “Pacific Northworst GP” events are run on road courses, as well as a positioned in between grassroots and just at The Ridge Motorsports Park in Shelton, few R-oval tracks that combine an oval with a below pro. The cars range from BWM E Washington, and “Yokohama Stuntin’ & road course. series up to Porsches, Ferraris and some

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inspection on Friday and racing up to nine hours each day on Saturday and Sunday. Entry fees for each event are $1,775 per team. The average age of the competitors is mid- 30s, and they are all licensed to race. “We would like drivers to have passed a competition school from one of the big organizations,” said Kolesa. “We don’t take people with no racing experience.” For a car like a BMW E36, competitors spend between $12,000 and $20,000. Most teams carry spare parts, and they’ll go through a few sets of tires. AER specifies DOT street tires to keep costs and speeds down. Summit Racing is the title sponsor, and AER ran seven events in 2019. In the future, the organization will start live With its first full season set for this year, National Auto Sport Association’s new Team Racing Endurance Challenge (TREC) offers track time to drivers without having to complete broadcasting from its events. And for better competition school. And after eight races, drivers earn a regular NASA competition license. monitoring of competitors and equipment, each car and racing helmet has a sticker on it similar to an EZ pass toll transponder. The other exotics. All started life as passenger AER is more East Coast-based, so its most stickers let AER officials know who’s driving vehicles and have the equipment required to popular tracks are Watkins Glen, the car at a given time. The group has a make them race cars. and others that Kolesa calls “bucket list pro 1,000-lap club and a driver’s championship, The groups race at the big-name road tracks.” Races are three-day events, with so it needs to be able to track things such as courses and R-ovals around the country. the teams arriving and going through tech laps and miles driven.

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88 PERFORMANCE RACING INDUSTRY | JANUARY 2020 On its website, ChampCar has live TREC races earns a NASA competition full TREC season will kick off this year with streaming, and recap videos of events are license. TREC has five classes broken events around the country. available as well. down as 1, 2, 3, 4 and Unlimited. Annual “The more people we can get on track, the NASA membership is $45, which covers bug bites really hard,” he said. “You’ve never THE NEW GUYS the competition license and medical forms. lived more fully than you have behind the While NASA isn’t new, 2019 marked the TREC entry fees are still being determined. wheel of a race car.” introduction of its Team Racing Endurance Typical entry cost at a NASA sprint event is For Kenny and Kirk Hall, getting to live that Challenge (TREC). Unlike NASA’s other divisions $350–$400. life together makes things that much sweeter. that require experience in either a certification NASA had a prototype TREC event Kirk knows that one eventuality is coming, the from a High-Performance Driving Event (HPDE) at Sonoma, California, and one in the day that his son is faster than he is. “I can’t or completion in a competition school, TREC Southeast region. Becker has promoted wait,” said Kirk. “I told him, ‘You couldn’t make participants can race without one. the new series through press releases, as me prouder than to go out there and beata my “The idea behind TREC was that NASA well as NASA’s social media channels. A lap times.’” had been putting a lot of people on the track through the years with HPDEs,” said Brett Becker of NASA. SOURCES NASA keeps speeds down in TREC by – requiring 200 treadwear street tires instead of 24 Hours of Lemons Lucky Dog Racing League racing slicks. “That’s how we can put people 24hoursoflemons.com racelucky.com on a track who haven’t been to a competition school and have as much fun as someone American Endurance Racing National Auto Sport Association who has,” said Becker. americanenduranceracing.com nasaseries.com NASA has 15 regions throughout the ChampCar Endurance Series World Racing League country with 14,000 members. Once a champcar.org worldracingleague.org competitor completes four races, he or she earns a TREC license. Completing eight

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