NASA Relaunches NP01 Program with SEBECO

[Jeremy C.]

National Auto Sport Association Relaunches NP01 Program with SEBECO

 

https://nasaspeed.news/columns/nasa-news/national-auto-sport-association-relaunches-np01-program/

[Tansar_Motorsports]

My unsolicited opinion.

I was super excited when this class first launched a few years ago, until I saw the prices.  The relaunch is exciting, but without cutting costs significantly, it will have the same fate as before.

 

Lets compare this with the "other" spec prototype class: SCCA Spec Racer Ford (gen 3).

A kit for a brand new car is approx $40k.  Fully assembled new cars are around $50k.  Good, used cars are regularly for sale for $35-$40k.

$70k is just way too much money for the NP01, even with all of the features it has over and above the SRF.  Racing is all about competition.  SCCA has produced over 900 SRF's over the years, and most of them are still actively racing.  It is a pretty easy sell for most club racers that they can spend $40-$50k, and have a front running, low maintenance, no rules creep or continual upgrading, racecar with big competition fields everywhere in the country.

The NP01 needs to match or beat that value proposition if it is going to gain any traction.

 

My wishes:
-Drastically reduce the cost of the car, even if that means deleting features or making it slower.
-Offer it in kit form to reduce cost even more.
-Find an easy way to make it a plug and play car for ST3/TT3, instead of ST2.  ST3 has much bigger fields in most of the country, and the straight line speed differential won't be as extreme as it is in ST2.  (maybe this requires supplying the car with a big, specifically made balast plate to increase weight for ST3 competition.)  Ideally, all you'd have to do is add the ballast plate, and keep running on Toyos (those 2 factors should reduce the cornering performance advantage the NP01 has over normal ST3 cars).

 

I hope the relaunch works, and the class grows, but without reducing costs, I fear that it's going to remain something that is only popular in small, wealthy corners of the country.

[Jeremy C.]

Thanks for your feedback. You will see a "Kit Form" of the car offered in the future again from SEBECO. That will certainly have an effect on the price and it will assist with the teams and individuals that want to build their own car from the ground up. 

Many have compared the NP01 to the SRF, but IMHO it just isn't a fair comparison. While SRF's are fun to drive, the experience offered between the two cars is simply night and day. The NP01 has modern day body word, a proper sequential gearbox, and suspension geometry that provides for a far superior product and driving experience. 

Give this new relaunch a little time and you'll see these cars blossom. Nothing can match the performance per dollar they offer. 

 

[SéBeco]

We will be offering the NP01 in kit form later in the year. 
 

As Jeremy says the SRF is a great little car but you can’t compare it to an NP01. The NP01 is a step up in every way. It’s unrealistic to expect it cost the same amount. 
 

It’s interesting, but since taking over the program the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Similarly people’s view of what the car should be is pretty varied. Equal amounts of ‘it should be cheaper’ to ‘we want more power and more aero’. Somewhere in the middle is what we’re aiming for. We certainly do appreciate any feedback and we will do our best help this great race car succeed. 
 

Ben

[8cRacing]

  I'm waiting on a chance to test one of these cars. I do fell the price has me on the fence a bit. I would be more interested in a kit version if there is a good bit of cost savings.

  It's seem to be a cost effected car to race though. 

  The other issue is they do seem hard to sell. 

Jeff