I'm in my thirties and haven't been in any races but I've taken karting lessons a while ago, and I'm an avid Sim racer. I've been wanting to do track driving or autocross for a long time. I have owned a 2007 red ap2 S2000 for 5 years as daily driver and now I'm considering turning it into my first track car. However I'm worried that because of how high you have to rev it, and something about how it grips the road more intensely versus other cars, I'm worried that once it breaks traction that I won't be able to save it from spinning or something. Maybe I should get something with more torque and/or maybe even something slower?

Since you S2000 owners all really love driving and a lot of you are into racing, I thought I would ask this here. What are your thoughts? Thanks.

• and also do you think that the S2000 is too expensive to use as a first race car, like worrying about replacing parts if it crashes?
  

 

The S2000 is an excellent track car. You can start with autocross if you're nervous about its handling quirks at the limit, then move on to open track days. I wouldn't worry about the motor at all. I've done about 100 track days on my original, unmodified AP1 motor (with the last 20 with a supercharger on it), has 90,000 miles on it, and it still runs perfectly. Just do your regular maintenance and use good lubricants. Most horror stories you hear are when people start changing the internals. Consumables and maintenance cost is pretty minimal compared to other cars. You already have the S, don't think twice and jump in! The S can be a bit frustrating to learn in the beginning as it has a steeper learning curve, but once you get comfortable with driving the car at the limit, you will be able to hop in just about any other car and approach its limits with ease. Good luck, have fun!

 

I recommend starting to autocross and HPDE what you have. In the longer run, you'll need to define what it is that you'd like to do, being realistic about the budget. I think you need to get started to explore what you might like to do. Do you want to do wheel to wheel racing? Do you prioritize # of competitors or what you're driving? Do you want to do time trials? Do you want to do autocross and/or HPDE? Do you really want to learn to drive fast or are you just out to have fun?

In certain classes, the s2k is a great race car. In others, it is no good. For some people, the s2000 is too expensive to use as a first track car. It is all relative. I suggest autocrossing your S a few times and maybe do a track day geared towards novices. See how you like it and if you prioritize competition or just screwing around. I wanted to learn to drive and started autocrossing my S about 5 years ago. I intended to use autocrossing to learn car control for a year and then transition to track. I've enjoyed autocrossing a lot more than expected, was humbled by my experience, learned a lot about driving fast, enjoyed the competitive aspect, and have a desire to continue competing in it. I've done a track day, which I really enjoyed, but did make me appreciate autocrossing for what it is. In the long run, I'd really like to compete in wheel-to-wheel racing. However, my budget dictates that I can't afford to do it in a miata, let alone an s2000. People report that a race weekend in a spec miata (wheel-to-wheel race series) costs 1k+ for a single weekend. Aside from karting, that is one of the most cost effective ways to get into competitive wheel-to-wheel racing.

I think the S2000 is a great car to learn car control in and get started doing some form of performance driving. I'm personally at a crossroads of having run mine in a stock (street) class for autocross but wanting to move to the next step of learning and competition. I'd like to do bolt-ons (suspension, tune, etc.) but that would put me in a class where the car is not the most competitive. It would cost 8k+ to mod and still not be competitive. However, the S is not depreciating, is fun, and certainly reliable. My decision comes down to, do I want to spend money on the S, which I love driving but won't ultimately be competitive. By doing it, I can still have tons of fun, learn suspension tuning, and have a great car. However, I won't be competitive at the national level, if that's what I want to do. I haven't answered that question for myself yet, but it is important to consider in moving to the next step. I'd also like to do more track days which would involve a roll bar.

I definitely encourage others to get started doing competitive driving in some aspect or another. Spend money on seat time, not mods. Explore the hobby/sport and figure out from there what you'd like to spend your time/money on. Also, FWIW, revving the s2k engine out should not be a concern. Overall, it seems to be a very stout car to drive hard, stock. It is designed to rev out and seems to stand up to track driving pretty well under those conditions. It will decrease life of the engine, and surely there is always higher risk in running it hard. As compared to other platforms, the engine of the S has survived the abuse very well.

 

race car is a bit of a misnomer here.

Are you talking track car, time attack car, or actual wheel to wheel race car?

If the first two - track car / time attack car - s2k is a great platform to start off with (especially if you already have one). VitaRenovatio has covered all of those key points.

If you want an actual race car to do wheel to wheel racing - read through the rule books of the sanctioning bodies that you want to run with. The S2k doesn't slot in very well into most racing series to be competitive without some significant money being poured into it. Other chassis are more competitive to start and require less investment to run at the front.

 

Spec Miata seems a better choice.

-- Chuck

 

S2000 is a great track day car. Only the reduced safety of a convertible is an issue. As a race car it doesn't class well and is expensive to repair. Amateur race cars are all about accessibility for the most part but rich people are everywhere building more exotic and high power cars. The first thing you need is a budget.

 

issue solved!!

 

If you really want to race then buying a used Spec Miata race car is the easy way to do it. No car is cheaper and easier to race. If you are talking about track days then time trials then maybe racing then start with your S2000 but keep the Miata in mind as you progress.

 

100%. You have to think about the field of cars too. I quit racing my Honda when it was the same 5-7 cars for 2 years. Miata field is deep and you can’t beat the excitement of the wheel to wheel action

 

Good answer here. I think you are probably a ways from "racing" either way. When you mention racing, that means wheel to wheel racing to most and you dont just jump right to that most times.

For the S2k, start with autox. There is no cheaper, more accessible, safer way to learn how to really handle your car. And you get a TON of car control knowledge in autox that you will not learn nearly as quickly doing HPDE. So to get yourself in tune with the car, go autocross it some. Then go out and find some HPDE at a big track or even watch for the SCCA Track Night in America to come near you. That is a great, low pressure track night event that is typically much cheaper than full track day events. I autocrossed for years before doing any track day/track night stuff and found that the car control I learned made me much faster out of the gate on track than those I know who just jumped right to HPDE. At a big track espeically, it can be a bit nerve wracking to push your limits at high speed with walls around and of course in a car that is not as easy to replace On an autox course, the penalty is hitting some cones or spinning out.. so not much risk there and you will be more likely to push yourself further and learn your limits and the cars limits. Then when you go on track you will feel more comfortable and likely be much safer.

For "Racing" I totally agree with the spec miata comments. Hard to find a true wheel to wheel racing setup that matches that in price. Still expensive as racing is expensive, but less than some and the cars are cheap relatively. You could also try to join up with someone doing a chumpcar or lemons car thing to try out some wheel to wheel.