DE, Why Bother?

[Trackrat]

Some folks are of the opinion that DE has its limits. If you tweak your car enough, you are wasting your money and should just buy a "race car". Real men (and ladies) graduate to wheel-to-wheel racing.

While always willing to keep an open mind and change my opinion at any time I enjoy DE and Time Trials and choose not to move to wheel to wheel for the following reasons.

1. DE is no pressure and very relaxing.
2. Lower cost of participation. Much fewer consumables.
3. Less chance of car to car contact.
4. Less chance of catastrophic crash due to wheel to wheel contact.
5. A DE car can be and usually is street legal. A pure race car is not street legal. A Cup car can never be street legal.
6. DE gives you a whole lot more track time and events during the year to participate in.
7. You can make any changes to your car that you like as there is no rule book to restrict you.

During my GT3RS build project over the winter, adding a cage, new suspension, race exhaust I frequently worried if I was going too far over the top. Folks asked me if I was just wasting my money on a street car.

But I must say, I now enjoy DE more than ever and the car is a pure joy to track. Plus I have the reward of tuning the car exactly as I like it. To me DE is as valid a pursuit as anything else?

What do you think about this topic and what is right for you?