A little background: roadracing motorcycles is quite the rush, but I've always had an itch to try cars also. Has to be true roadracing competition, as the autocross or whatever it's called stuff just doesn't appeal to me, or the street car track day stuff. I am not denigrating anyone or their choices, different people enjoy different things. I need to race.
So I signed up with the SCCA a bit ago to get my 4-wheeled Novice license. They have a list of requirements to drop the "Novice" tag, you have to attend (and pass!) 2 schools, and then enter and finish 2 regional races (with no incidents) until you can upgrade your license. I don't own a racecar, nor do I really plan on buying one at the moment, as there are so many choices and I don't really know for sure what I want that I can also afford. If I even had a place to keep one, which I don't.

So I rent. You can rent a variety of machinery, from Production to Improved Touring to GT cars, or the purpose built stuff like Spec Racer Fords, or the open wheels.

Which takes me back around to the start of this blog.
Everyone's a goddamn expert on what these simulated cars are supposed to feel like, and how close they are to real life. So how close does a rF F3 car, or rTrainer, or iDT Formula BMW or Toyota Atlantics approximate the real life version?
I wanted to find out.
So I did.

An SCCA Formula Atlantic car. In fact, it's the fastest guy in Florida's car (many time race winner and regional class champ).
And it's mine at Sebring for 2 days.

I know there are probably several guys here that know, like FMMS boss Robo who is a longtime successful SCCA racer, but I'll assume a lot of folks here don't.
You show up for School in a whole slew of machinery, like Spec Miata's (currently the most popular SCCA class), some older Mazda rotary's, VW Rabbit's, small Toyata coupe's, Mustang's, Camaro's, etc. You get the Vintage guys in Sprite's, Triumph's, MG's, old muscle cars, repro Shelby's, original Mini's, etc. All completely race prepped of course, these are in no way, shape, or form street legal, with roll bars, no interiors, fire extinguishant, all the things necessary by the rule book.
And you get the alternate choices like Spec Racer Fords (which are pretty popular), Formula Ford's (which are waning) and Formula Vee's (which are dying), Sports Racers, FSCCA, and the like.

You don't get people showing up for Driver's School in GTA cars (the ALMS or Grand-Am GT or FIA GT type cars), and you just don't get people showing up for school in the fastest SCCA open wheel cars available, Atlantics. Yes either does happen I'm told, when guys need to re-up their license that lapsed when they didn't race for a couple years. But for n00bs, no, either of those 2 choices are rather discouraged.

Well hell, go for the big brass ring I say. I wanna see what it's like. I gotta know.

Looks like your car owner managed to stuff an FA into an FC body there TC ... Not alotta rubber to hold all that power eh m8? I bet it was a rush. (read: I'm jealous as a mofo)

Hey tommy I want to hear more.....Tommy G.

Low-powered open wheelers SUCK :P It needs to either have 1000 HP like an F1 car or Champ, or it has to be Historic :)

Those are for REAL men ;)

Sounds like Joco's jealous.

I know I am.

I do not approve, my nemesis

Man, I always wanted to say THAT!

Joco, don't be a hater. :P

That car *WILL* make you pucker unless you are a part of the (less than) 1% of people who can afford something that can go faster than an Atlantic, AND race it enough to make the Atlantic boring.

LoL I KNOW! :P

I admit it all, I won't deny.

But since I like literally EVERYTHING that moves fast, let's just say I'll be a smartass and 'decide' what cars I wanna drive in S6 :P

Lol guys, I know Joco's having some fun :)
Ok onward. Work sucks, I actually had to do, like, work. :p

.

And away we go.

One of Don's pieces of advice: "These cars don't really slide, they snap. You don't get much warning."
Right. Gotcha.