Ariel Atom Spec Racing Series for Ontario | FerrariChat

Ariel Atom Spec Racing Series for Ontario

Discussion in 'Canada' started by Hockeyfan, Jan 11, 2016.

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  1. Hockeyfan

    Hockeyfan Karting
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    #1 Hockeyfan, Jan 11, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Is there any interest in a Spec Racing Series for the Ariel Atom in Canada?

    I posted earlier today, but it seems the mods have taken the previous post down. I'm sorry if I offended anyone or broke any rules. If I did, mods please pm me and let me know.
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  2. Nuvolari

    Nuvolari F1 Veteran
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    #2 Nuvolari, Jan 11, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Establishing a spec racing series especially in Canada can be very challenging. Without a big corporate sponsor (ie. Nissan Micra Cup) it is difficult to get big grids and it takes a lot of time to grow a field up to a competitive and attractive level. Normally it takes a core group of car owners generally led by a vehicle importer to band together to create a spec championship.

    In Canada this has recently been achieved by Radical Sportscars in which their importer has organized a one make championship that now gets fields approaching 20 cars and is a very healthy and growing. In 2015 I won the Canadian Radical Canada Cup running a modest effort so success is possible without spending a ton of money.

    I do not mean to deviate too much from the original question but it is necessary to offer a cost/benefit advantage if a series is to be successful. In the case of Radical they offer a car that is a fraction the cost of a Porsche Cup car, costs 1/10th as much to run, and does very similar lap times. Dollar for dollar it is hard to go quicker (1:21's at Mosport)

    I do not know a lot about the Ariel Atom so please feel free to share its value as a platform for a one make championship.
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  3. drbruno

    drbruno Formula Junior
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    I'd be interested in the Ariel. Out of interest Nuovolari, how does the Radical spec racing work? Purchase a car, arrive and drive?
     
  4. Hockeyfan

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    #4 Hockeyfan, Jan 11, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Thank you for your input Nuvolari and congratulations of your success in the Radical Series. I think the Atom Series would be a platform for someone to get started in racing and then maybe work their way up to the more serious Radical platform. The idea is to create a Spec series - so the cars are all the same with everyone on a level playing field.

    The intention is to launch a racing series for Ontario, modeled after the one currently running at Virginia International Raceway.

    Some details about the car:
    • All SRA cars are identical in every respect of their manufacture, assembly & equipment specifications.
    • 2.4L Honda K24 VTEC powertrain (Civic Si type)
    • 6-speed + reverse (Civic Si type) 'H-pattern' full synchro gearbox, with LSD
    • Custom fabricated steel exhaust header & pipe with race muffler
    • Full MIG-welded tubular steel chassis (Ariel Atom design)
    • DOM/ERW mild steel tubing
    • Precision CNC bent and/or formed chassis tubes
    • Precision laser cut and/or end-mill coped tubing joints
    • MIG-welded tubular steel rollbar structure with forward, rearward & cross bracing, to prevailing racing standards per SRA weight class
    • Fabricated reinforcing safety structure added under pedal area (inside tub)
    • Race Technology ('Dash 2') digital race dash & custom switch panel
    • Wilwood pedal set + master cylinders
    • Wilwood Dynalite brake package (Frt. & Rr.)
    • SRA spec. brake pads
    • 4 X adjustable SRA spec. dampers
    • 400# Front and 300# rear spring rates
    • Deadpedal
    • Custom steering rack
    • Removable steering wheel
    • Kirkey Intermediate Aluminum Road Race Seat (Driver side only – Passenger seat available at additional cost)
    • SFI/FIA-approved 6-pt. HANS-approved race harness (driver)
    • Custom 'SRA' 5-spoke race wheels (1 set)
    • Spec. Hoosier R6 Tires
    • On-board fire bottle
    • Emergency electrical cut-off switch
    • Frt. & Rr. tow points
    • Rr. brake light + rain light
    • Steel fuel tank

    The idea is to keep costs down and still have a very competitive racing series. The car will do 0-60 in around 3 seconds and pull 1.8gs. The car itself weighs around 1350lbs, and therefore is very easy on consumables (brakes & tires). The upfront cost of the car would be around $54,000 US.

    Thoughts?
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  5. marktmv

    marktmv Rookie

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    I think it's a non-starter. There is already F1200 for people who are just starting in the sport. If you have more $$ and want to go faster, there is F1600 and F2000. And then if you want to go really fast, there are the Radical and GT3 cups. And a gently used Radical can be had for much less than $54K USD.. I mean, it's not a bad idea and Atom is a neat little car, but the reality of living in Canada is that we do not have enough rich guys to support another series.
     
  6. Hockeyfan

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    Hi Marktmv, thank you for your input. From my research it seems a 2015 Radical SR3RSX is around $100k US. Granted it seems there are lots of classes and powertrains.

    One of the big selling features of the Atom is that it would be a spec series, so no modifications and a level playing field. The idea was to create a kind of gentlemen's (pardon the term, ladies welcome :)) series; guys/gals that want to race without being too serious and at a reasonable price.

    The Radical is a more serious race car for sure, and it probably caters to a more serious class of racer with a bigger budget.

    The series seems to work at VIR, and besides it's pretty cool track day car even if someone decides not to come out and race.
     
  7. Nuvolari

    Nuvolari F1 Veteran
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    #7 Nuvolari, Jan 12, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I think there is some good dialogue here with some valid points being raised. It is true that a brand new Radical can cost $100K US but the reality is that the car has been fundamentally unchanged since 2002 so you can still be competitive in an older car that can be had for 1/3 that price. In fact my car was a 2003 and we raced a VERY trim and focused program so it can be done effectively on the cheap.

    drbruno to quickly answer your question Radical racing has lots of options from buying and running your own car to full arrive and drive. This can be discussed in a separate thread or offline just rest assured that there is pretty much an option for every scenario.

    Returning to the Ariel Atom I think one of the things that needs to be looked at is why the series at VIR has legs in the first place and then see if the same or similar conditions can exist in Ontario to replicate the success. Again many times it is an importer or sales agent that makes all of the difference. In addition if the Ariel offers something FUNDAMENTAL that a competitor does not then you will be in with a shot. For instance if the racecar is street legal then that is a huge plus for the owners who do not want a trailer, tow vehicle, and all of the problems that go with it. In the early years of the Players GM Camaro Championship the cars had to be street legal and driven to the track (if you lost points when driving the race cars you were banned from racing) so this was a huge plus to some racers.

    From my perspective the open'ish' wheel nature of the car together with the open cockpit (some people are terrified of that) just will scare a lot of people away from the Ariel. Its not quite a single seater but not quite a closed race car but without any real outlying advantage that I can see.

    In the case of the Radical, in addition to the amazing performance, they have two huge pluses. One is that the closed wheel configuration makes them welcome at just about any track day so they are not purely a race car. Second is that, unlike most race cars, it has a passenger seat which is great for instruction, passenger thrill rides, and (in my case) doing sponsor events to increase the value to my partners. Rides in the Radical are very popular as their performance obliterates the best supercars and they are very much just pylons in the way during a track session.

    On the subject of passenger rides I was recently in the UAE and was enlisted to drive a Radical at the Yas Marina GP track in Abu Dhabi where I took people for thrill rides all day. I can assure you that no one left unhappy and I even managed to get my wife strapped in for a few laps :D
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  8. Hockeyfan

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    There is lots of interesting dialogue for sure.

    As an aside, the Atom can also be equipped with a passenger seat.

    The key factor I think is that it would be a spec racing series; in other words the cars are equal and no modifications would be allowed.

    I believe the big draw for the guys running the series at VIR is that the cost of keeping the cars on track is very low; kind of more of a hobby level for sure. Consumables are cheap and the Spec race nature of the series keeps the playing field level.
     
  9. Nuvolari

    Nuvolari F1 Veteran
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    I do not think that the reasons you cite for the Ariel Atom series being viable are in any way innovative. Please do not take this as criticism I just want to be realistic as I have dedicated most of my life to racing and have seen it from just about every angle you can imagine. Allow me to illustrate.

    If the reasons for Ariel are low cost and spec 'equality' (I use quotations because spec series never end up that way and that is a whole other discussion) you need to look no further than Spec Miata that is huge in the US and has been for the better part of 20 years. A spec Miata can be had for as little as $5K and you will hard pressed to find a cheaper car to run anywhere on the planet. Not only that they made millions of them so getting parts again is as cheap as it comes. While the cars are not blisteringly fast they do corner extremely well and the races are incredibly tight. It is not uncommon to have 10+ cars literally touching fighting for the lead on the last lap changing positions several times per lap.

    Despite a super cheap car, incredibly close racing, the lowest running costs of anything, a huge abundance of cars and knowledge, and a well-established racing history in the US, Spec Miata is absolutely nowhere to be found either in Ontario or Quebec. To me this boggles the mind because on paper spec Miata has it all for the budget conscious racer that wants to RACE hard door to door without breaking the bank. Why this is the case I do not know but it should be a something that should be quantified before embarking on a series that would have the same concept with much more expensive cars.

    Think about it and do the research. I'm not saying its impossible but I'm struggling to see how it can be done.
     
  10. Fave

    Fave F1 Rookie

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    Ive been thinking of getting a track day car, looking into a Caterham or an Ariel
     
  11. Fave

    Fave F1 Rookie

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    Thanks for the Pm I'll get back soon
     
  12. spyderman

    spyderman Formula 3

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    Very cool pic's...love the Radical!!
     
  13. GerryD

    GerryD Formula 3

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    I would love to take one of these out sometime. Saw a youtube video and they are simply awesome.
     
  14. isaydingdong

    isaydingdong Formula Junior

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    They also make a version with a v8! It must be one hell of a ride.
     
  15. Hockeyfan

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    #15 Hockeyfan, Apr 27, 2016
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  16. jqpd99

    jqpd99 Formula 3
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    Cool... I visited the "dealership" in Montreal in 2014 which had a lot of the 300hp supercharged Atoms that the owners used at the local tracks... didn't see any SRAs in his shop though...

    DF
     
  17. Hockeyfan

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    #17 Hockeyfan, Apr 28, 2016
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