What’s it all about?
Excel Cup is aimed at getting drivers out on the race track in a low cost controlled formula racing the Hyundai Excel X3 1.5 16v. Basically take a stock Excel do a couple of little things add some safety and go door to door with >16 other likeminded stigs
Why are we getting into it?
long story and many beers slewing judgement haha - but as well as the skyline race car we also have a v8 Rx7 race car that’s in storage in New Zealand – mid 2018 we almost made the decision to ship that car to Australia and bring it to WA. The costs of shipping a car from NZ and the taxes involved is horrendous (I could get 4 cars out of the states for the same sort of money), thinking about it the RX7 like the skyline is a handful and we’d probably only use it once a year or so figuring it was a pretty expensive and selfish venture bringing it over when it could happily stay in storage in NZ. We have several great customers in the local Excel Cup series, like the family atmosphere/ teams and the amount of national events the Excel series supports.
Luxe Performance being a small independent local business we don’t have the budget to throw at advertising but figured if we had a Excel cup car or two :) for use on the track it would be a fun new thing to try, give back to the sport, would help show case our range and get better exposure then a rx7 sitting in the shed.
What’s the ultimate goal with the Excels?
To have two cars log booked and ready to race – really keen for them to be painted and sign written the same as the skyline but that will come with time. The first car (green one) is ready for log booking now and will be the test case for how we build the Red one. Would love for one to be up the front somewhere. The long term goal is to be able to get new drivers on the track and into door to door racing – be it kids from a Kart back ground or people going through a midlife crisis and just don’t know how to do it. Were open to the Excels being used for all sorts gymkhanas, rally sprints, point to point, speed events etc but the goal is to elevate people to door to door racing.
Who can use them?
We’re really lucky to have some great customers and supporters, and are keen to give back there –if any of the #teamluxeperformance group want to use one all the need to do is ask – Also keen for interstate Excel Cup drivers to come over and race at WASCC - Barbagallo, we’ve transported the Skyline interstate to race so understand how cost prohibitive going interstate can be. If it takes off and gets really popular we may have to come up with some sort of vetting system but until then well play it by ear –
So far we have had a couple people interested but nothing locked and loaded,
- Barbagallo legend Cameron Edwards the most keen, he wants to use one for the opening of the Collie Long Track
- One of customers from when we first set up in WA Mark Jewell’s son Anthony is keen to transition from Karts
- Long-time supporter Andrew from Hyperdrive’s keen for his Sons to have a crack
- Kelly Maloney from ignition Garage the brains behind SCRAWA is keen to get behind the wheel.
- As well as our mates the velvet voiced Vaughn Brewer and Darwin IPRA rotary nut James Pocock who are keen to take on the enduro .
What’s it cost?
Cars themselves are really cheap and depending on how handy you are you can get one on the track for about 5 k in bits (excluding body work)– budget for 7k this will get you some better brakes and help to get a bit closer to the front. Most People I have talked to have spent around the 10-15k mark to get the cars dialled in and competitive.
As far as cost to use we’re not interested in leasing the cars we just want them used and on the track – pay your own way and fix what you break as easy as that. Being business related well have some sort of agreement drawn up but yeah we’re not out there to make money out of leasing cars it’s not our core business we want the cars used to get exposure.
Who’s helping with them?
Build wise we’ve done the majority of the work at home after hours but have been lucky for Damien at DC Auto Centre in Yokine to do any of the heavy mech work. Thanks to Damo, Bursons in Osborne park have supplied us with all the service items for the green car and Natrad in Morley have given us a new radiator which is an awesome help.
Brent has been an ambassador for Penrite Oil for a couple of years now and they are continuing to support our ventures : P
Paul Pasaris has been a instigator helping us with some of the proven go fast bits really keen to have Jake and Tash drive and help set the cars up.
Soon to come is Des at Des Leader Paint n Signs for the paint work and Andrew at Hyper drive for the dyno time to finish the cars off.
Really lucky to have the help we have had but if anyone wants to help let us know we have tones of little jobs that need doing so if you want to get your hands dirty or are keen to some vloging etc let us know :P
To follow the builds we have a separate FB page here- Luxe Performance Race cars.