Turn on the television or click through YouTube, and you’re sure to see high-end motorsports enjoyed by enthusiasts with deep pockets. Six-figure race cars hauled to the track cost more than many homes. The glitz might make you think that the glory of racing is beyond your means. Think again. At Gridlife, an amateur racing series, you can get on the track to compete for trophies on Sunday—in the same car you drive to work on Monday. Or you could find an inexpensive used car and fix it up with the help of eBay Motors, the official marketplace sponsor of Gridlife.
This car, and the one at the top of this page, might not be familiar. Can you name them both?
We were at September’s Alpine Horizon Festival near Colorado Springs at the Pikes Peak International Raceway—an oval track using infield turns for road-style racing. Drivers from across the country bring cars of all stripes, from Teslas to Porsches and Hondas, to Gridlife.
Unlikely Track Stars
The Betty Boop doll is an abandoned memento and a mascot.
Nathan James from Colorado Springs brought his 1996 Saturn SC2 with over 172,000 miles on the odometer. The Saturn is named “Betty” for the Betty Boop stickers applied to the rear window by the previous owner. James’s girlfriend added the Betty Boop doll to the center console to complete the ensemble.
Saturn was never supported by a lot of aftermarket parts. But James uses his mechanical ingenuity to find solutions. He found a set of coilover dampers meant for a Subaru WRX and a performance shift mechanism produced for an Acura RSX. These parts, found on eBay Motors, gave the plastic fantastic Saturn some performance panache.
James said:
Affordable parts from eBay Motors kept us in the game.
Joe Rodehaver and his 1981 Toyota Celica hustle out of a turn.
Joe Rodeheaver was having a great time on the Gridlife track in his 1981 Toyota Celica. The Celica is not wildly modified. Instead, Rodeheaver used stock shocks with Techno Toy Tuning control arms and Energy Suspension bushings to handle the curves.
The Celica’s Toyota 22R engine was tuned for more power.
The venerable Toyota 22R four-cylinder engine was modified with exhaust headers, an aftermarket camshaft, and dual valve springs on the valvetrain. Big brakes from Wilwood help to whoa it down from high speeds on the oval.
Lucas Urban competed in this 2001 Ford Escort ZX2. It clocked over 25,000 miles of track duty over the years.
Lucas Urban has a surprisingly fast Ford Escort ZX2. It did battle in the Sundae Cup.
Take a moment to compare the mighty and battered 21-year-old Ford Escort ZX-2’s aero with the smooth matte Tesla. Which would you prefer to hoon?
Knock wood this Tesla has upgraded brakes for the track.
All these cars are affordable to buy and race (except one, of course). Gridlife Track Battle events are a great way to compete on track against the clock without the risk of wheel-to-wheel racing. Best of all, you can drive that same car to work the next day and brag about your trophies.
