I Love Racing: A Guide to Affordable Motorsports

As a racing enthusiast, I can confidently say that loving racing is more important than loving myself. While self-love is essential, and mine might be lacking, the thrill of speeding down a track far surpasses any personal feelings of self-worth. If you're looking to get started in motorsports on a shoestring budget, fear not – it's possible.

There are several affordable cars that can help you get started with different types of racing. In this article, I'll share my picks for the best cheap cars you can buy for $5,000 or less, and help you navigate various forms of motorsports.

**GUNK Wipes: Your New Best Friend**

Before we dive into the world of racing, let's talk about GUNK Wipes – a game-changing product that has revolutionized the way I clean my tools. As someone who loves tinkering with cars, having a reliable and efficient cleaning system is essential. That's where GUNK Wipes come in.

These massive wipes are not only large but also dual-sided, featuring a scrubby side and a soft side. They're tough on grime but gentle enough not to damage your tools or hands. The best part? They don't have isopropyl alcohol, which means the moisture won't evaporate while it's in your toolbox.

GUNK Wipes are available now at Walmart, Auto Zone, Advance Auto Parts, and Amazon. I highly recommend checking them out – they're a game-changer for any car enthusiast.

**Drag Racing: A Beginner-Friendly Form of Motorsports**

When it comes to affordable forms of motorsports, drag racing is an excellent choice. It's simple, accessible, and requires minimal equipment. As someone who has experience with Junior Dragsters and Sportsman cars, I can attest to the thrill of speed and competition.

One of the most popular choices for beginners is the FoxBody or SN95 Ford Mustang or a fourth-gen F-body Camaro. These cars are affordable, easy to work on, and have solid rear axles that provide better traction during hard acceleration.

We found an amazing deal on a Camaro with a nitro setup for $4,200. The best part? It already has the V8 engine you need to go fast. With aftermarket parts being readily available and affordable, modifying your car is a breeze – even if you're new to racing.

If you prefer a more compact scene, consider the Dodge Neon SRT-4 or the first or second-gen Mitsubishi Eclipse. Both of these cars are great options for beginners and have been covered in our previous articles.

**Getting Started with Motorsports**

As I mentioned earlier, getting started with motorsports on a budget requires some research and planning. With GUNK Wipes by your side, you'll be ready to take on any project that comes your way.

There are plenty of resources available online, from books and tomes to tablets of institutional knowledge and support for modifying Mustangs and Camaros. Affordable aftermarket parts are also widely available, making it easy to work on your car yourself.

If you have better ideas or suggestions for affordable motorsports options, I'd love to hear them! Drop your comments below, and let's get the conversation started.

**In Conclusion**

Racing is a thrilling world that can bring people together like nothing else. With the right equipment, knowledge, and mindset, anyone can get started with motorsports on a shoestring budget.

GUNK Wipes are an essential tool for any car enthusiast, providing a reliable and efficient cleaning system that's tough on grime but gentle enough not to damage your tools or hands.

Whether you're a seasoned pro or just starting out, remember that the world of racing is full of possibilities. So, what are you waiting for? Get started today!

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- I love racing more than I love myself.And while self love is important,and mine is probably lacking,going fast is more important.You wanna go race on a shoestring budget?It can be done.Here are my picks for the best cheap carsyou can buy for five grand or less,to get started in in fivedifferent kinds of racing.(soft music)Yo, big shout out totoday's sponsor, GUNK.That's right, they'rea company called GUNK.GUNK Wipes are a brand new, waterless wayto clean grease, grime,and dirt off any surface.These massive wipes arethe largest on the market,plus, it's dual-sided.It's got a scrubby side and a soft side.(sniffs) And they smelllike oranges. (sniffs)Tough on grime, but not on your hands.GUNK Wipes have betterscrubbing performancethan the other guys, with no scratching,no rinsing, and no residue. (sniffs)Oh, another huge thingI love about GUNK Wipesis that they don't have isopropyl alcohol,so the moisture will not evaporatewhile it's in your toolbox.GUNK Degreasing Wipes are available nowat Walmart, Auto Zone, AdvanceAuto Parts, and Amazon.I think it's a great product.Check GUNK out in the link below.Get GUNK. (sniffs)Honestly, there are aton of awesome optionsfor these forms of motorsport,and what I'm mentioning here is justa handful of great places to start.If you think you have betterideas, I wanna hear 'em.Drop your suggestionsin the comments below.(claps) Let's get started.Drag racing.(car engines rev)Drag racing!(car engines rev)First up is one of the simplestand most accessible formsof grassroots motorsports, drag racing.The sport means a lot to me.I raced Junior Dragsters as a kid,I drove a Sportsman carwith my dad, in college,and I crewed on a Funny Car team.I love it. (belches loudly)You can't go wrong with a FoxBody or SN95 Ford Mustang,or a fourth gen F-body Camaro.This Camaro, we found for 4,200 bucks.It already has a nitro setup.The easiest way to go fastwith a 'Stang or a Camarois to get the V8.All these cars have a solid rear axle,which is what you want for drag racing.It helps the rear tiresmaintain better tractionwhen the suspension squatsunder hard acceleration.There are pages andpages, books and tomes,and tablets of institutionalknowledge and supportfor modifying Mustangs and Camaros online.Affordable aftermarketparts for these carsare super available, andthey're fairly simpleto work on yourself.If you're more into thesport compact scene,the Dodge Neon SRT-4, andthe first or second genMitsubishi Eclipses are good choices.We talked about both these carsin our "Fastest Cars YouCan Buy For Cheap" episode,and they're naturals on the drag strip.(car engine revs)Number two, autocross.(funky music)Autocross is a great way toget into racing on the cheap.I absolutely love it.You can take anything you wantout to your local autocross.I take my Mustang, but it's kinda slow.If you want a real car control challenge,look for any generation Toyota MR2.They're mid-engine two-seaters,which is pretty ideal foroverall balance and handling,but it also means the rear endis gonna whip out around you real quickif you try to dodge thosecones a little too fast.That'll speed up yourreaction times in a jiffy.Here's a turbo secondgen for 5K that we found.Other great rear-wheel-driveoptions under five grandare first and secondgen Miatas, of course,I love the NA and NBs.The first and second gen RX-7s,not sure if you can findone of those for five grand.And the Porche 944, get one of thosewhile they're still cheap,'cause for some reason,they're going up, eventhough they're kinda ugly.There are a bunch of rad front-wheel-driveautocross car too.The Mk1 and three, GolfGTIs can do really well.GTIs have a bonus spectatorentertainment factor too,because they can lift the rear wheelwhen cornering really hard,it's really funny to watch,(dog barks)it's like a little dogpeeing on a fire hydrant.I love it.Older Civis, CRXs, and Acura Integras,with double wishbones, are great too.The fully independent suspensionkeeps the tires' contactpatches on the pavement,so you get better traction.The original Dodge Neonis a super hot pick too,and it doesn't even have to be turboed,especially if you canfind of the R/T models,those things dominatedSCCA ProSolo autocrossback in the day, andthey're still great today.(upbeat music)Number three, club racing.If you wanna raise the stakes,and drive a little faster,any of the cars I mentioned for autocrosswill easily take you onto theracetrack to go club racing.Independent suspension helpswith traction even moreon road courses that mighthave elevation changes,and banked corners, and raised curving,and all that kinda stuff.Horsepower is a little bit less important,since the cars are generally groupedwith others that have thesame power-to-weight ratio,or you might race in a Spec classwhere every car is prettymuch the same anyway.So, doesn't have to besuper powerful, just good.I'll explain.Honestly, there are probably more classesfor the low-powered Civicsand Miatas than anything else,because they're so much fun to drive,and affordable to race.They aren't fast, inthe traditional sense,so they're considered momentum cars.Once they're up to speed,their goal is to maintainas much of it as possiblethrough the corners.(car clanks)That's where their lightweightand independentsuspensions help out a lot.15-inch wheels and tiresare ideal for these cars.Lemme tell ya, both ofthose are a lot cheaperthan 17s or 18s.It's tough to beat Civics and Miatasin the bang for the buck department.But older BMW 3 Series are also popular,as long as they're not M3s.Replacement parts and upgrades for thesearen't as expensive asyou'd think, either.Spec E30 classes aresuper popular right now,and they look like areally damn good time.(engine revs)Number four, rally cross, slash rally.If you wanna get intorally cross or rally,you might wanna look in another direction.The obvious choice issomething all-wheel-drive,that has rally heritage, like a first genSubaru Impreza 2.5RS, or a Bugeye WRX.Gaskets.Watch out for bad head gasketswith the EJ25 motor in the 2.5RS.We found one with some bodydamage for only two grand.Let's be real that bodydoesn't really matter,'cause you're probablygonna crash it anyway.Rally sounds scary, but also very fun.Front-wheel-drive cars can alsobe really quick in the dirt.You can be on the throttle for longerthan you would be witha real-wheel-drive car.And with their simpler drive trains,they're a bit cheaper andeasier to fix and maintainthan an all-wheel-drive car.The first gen Ford Focus is a great pic,especially if you can findone of the SVT models,those are sick.If the Focus was goodenough for Colin McRae,it should be good enough for you.He was a much better driver than you are.The Toyota Celica has arally history as well.If you wanna go in a moreunexpected direction,pick up a cheap Volvo 240 or 740.Real-wheel-drive is a specialchallenge on loose surfaces,and if you can master that,you can drive pretty much anything.Parts are cheap and plentiful,and Volvos are crazy stout,yet surprisingly light on their feet.And you might not know it, but Volvodoes have a legit racing heritage.The 740 was even offered with a turbo,and they all make awesomeengine swap candidates,if you wanna get a little creative.K20 swap that (beep).(funky music)Number five, drifting.It's one of the mostpopular and exciting waysto participate in motorsports these days,and one of the most interesting,since the competition isn'tbased entirely on speed.Unlike the other forms of racing,to drift, you're gonna need acar that's rear-wheel-drive,and has enough power tobreak the back tires loose.Something with an LS V8 isdefinitely nice to have,but it's not really necessary.The number one go-to drift car,the Nissan 240SX has lessthan 160 horsepower stock,and yes, they will drift stock.The S13 and S14 both have an exceptionallywell-balanced chassis,and a longish wheel basethat make them some ofthe best cars to slide.But truth be told, you mightnot find an S14 for under 5K.But the early 350Zs areanother great choice,and they're startingto come down in price.They've got plenty of power,and there are definitelymore of them aroundthan the S13 and S14s.Obviously, there's a ton of aftermarketsupport and knowledge aboutboth the 240s and 350s,and you really can't go wrong with either.I love the 350Z.I'm gonna turn low car into a drift car.The E36 BMW 3 Series alsohas a well-balanced chassis,and is capable as a drift machine.There are plenty of theseout there for cheap,so what are you waiting for?Pick your poison and start racing.The cars I've chosen aren't necessarilyhard and fast rules, they'rejust good starting places,but if you look closeenough, you're gonna seesome really wild stuff at a drift event.That's why it's so cool.(chill music)Drag racing, autocross,club racing, rally,I wanna try rally cross so bad,drifting, of course, I wanna try.I wanna do every kind of racing.Lemme know in the commentswhat kind you wanna do,and with what car.I'd love to hear it.Again, thank you somuch for watching Donut,and watching WheelHouse, it's just like,it really means a lot to me, man.(imitates karate chopping)(intense music)