Potential Buyer - Running Cost and Safety Questions

Welcome to the forum.

I'll address the second question first... I have owned my Rush for over 2 years. Running costs are indeed that low (or close to that), IF and ONLY IF, you keep on the maintenance and make sure bolts are tight and don't do stupid stuff. I have changed tires, brake pads, chain and shock rebuilds... and that is about it from "normal" wear items. Stupid costs have been shock rebuild (mine were the original shocks and you HAD to pressurize them up nearly every other session.. I didn't do that the first time), and gear box seal (don't ask...). I drive 8.5/10, don't tend to jump curbs much, and have kept it on track. So I don't have nearly the wear and tear that a fellow owner has who DOES drive 10/10 (and sometimes over). He has had much more issues as he tries very hard to get that 0.1 second. His best drive our local track at 1.38, but I'm "only" 1.42. Others have spent quite a bit on starters, body panels, etc from pushing it too hard. Even at 8.5/10 it is still a blistering fast car.

As for safety... This is a tough topic as there is a lot of gut feelings about it. The cage is quite strong, and one of the fellow owners did roll his car and you could barely tell with a minor dent in the roll hoop. I originally had the "non-Trident" version of the car, and recently had Rush upgrade mine to the Trident as I do feel that is safer. However, defensive driving with the Rush (or even a Radical) is THE BEST approach. When racing with heavier cars, I will be extra careful when passing to make sure they see me as we are small and low. I try hard to stay out of "the vortex of danger" unless I'm SURE they saw me. That said, this is still an open cockpit car, so appropriate caution and heads-up driving is absolutely required. Even with this, it is still highly recommended to use proper headgear and not the bare minimum SA2020 that most HPDEs or race organizations require. The racers typically use FIA 8860 ABP which i believe was developed after the death of one of the Formula One drivers. These helmets are designed with smaller eye holes and significantly thicker material above the eye sockets to provide maximum protection in open cockpit cars. Only you can decide if a race car is "safe enough"....

Potential Buyer - Running Cost and Safety Questions

Hi everyone,

I’m seriously considering purchasing a Rush SR as my next track car, but I have a couple of questions before making the leap. I’d appreciate any insights from current owners or those with experience with the car.

1. Safety Concerns – Frontal Crash Structure
The Rush SR looks like an incredible machine, but its compact size and minimal frontal crash structure give me pause. I’ve read that it features a front aluminum crash box, anti-intrusion panels, and optional upgrades like a halo-style roll bar. However, how does this translate to real-world safety in the event of a frontal collision? Is there enough protection compared to something like a Radical or SRF or other lightweight track cars?

2. Realistic Running Costs
The advertised running cost of ~$120/hour for the Rush SR is very appealing, especially compared to something like a Radical SR3, which can run $300–$400/hour when factoring in engine rebuilds and consumables. For those who own or operate a Rush SR, how close is that $120/hour figure to reality? Does it include typical consumables like tires, brakes, and fuel? Or are there hidden costs (e.g., frequent maintenance or rebuilds) that push it closer to Radical territory?

I’m trying to balance performance, safety, and operating costs before committing. Any advice or firsthand experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
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Reactions: Bill Wright

New member - first question

I did. I did an unplanned test drive and second lap had an 'oh sh*t I'm going to buy one' moments. Looking forward to the learning curve!

Thanks for the pics!
You will love the car. I was finally starting to feel comfortable just as our season ended. I did 1757 Km's from breaking it in at Club M to the end of our track days at CMP. Looking forward to this year, will be doing our full Libre race series up here.
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Reactions: TimG

New member - first question

I'm assuming you bought the car from Bruce, you are very fortunate to have him at your disposal, he is a wealth of knowledge and a great guy. I had my Rush delivered to him and spent two days breaking it in at Club Motorsports last August, an awesome track! Same designer as my home track, Calabogie Motorsports Park.
And your trailer question, I winch mine in backwards, works great with the remote as well as that allows me to steer the car and pull it in at the same time.

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Reactions: Orca 992

New Owner based in SoCal

The tire rack is not the most practical if Im being really honest, I see myself carrying the extra set on the truck bed....but useful if you are towing with an SUV and wants to free some trunk space.

I suggest ordering an extra spare tire + the mounting kit (it goes underneath the trailer) since its a single axle trailer, just for an extra piece of mind.
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Reactions: la_car_guy

New Owner based in SoCal

Hi everyone, I’m new here…just purchased chassis #199 from Rush California! I’m very excited to pick the car up and plan to take it to Buttonwillow next month.

This will be my first “track only” car and my first time towing a car to the track..definitely appreciate any trailer recommendations that would fit in a standard garage ideally if anyone has any ideas!

My most recent car is a 2007 Krypton Green Lotus Exige S that’s been heavily modified…and I’ve been fortunate to have had many other fun cars throughout the years.

What can I say? I love lightweight cars so the Rush SR caught my attention ever since I saw one for the first time at a track day at Chuckwalla. I’ve been obsessed ever since and am very excited to now own one!

I look forward to meeting more owners, but just wanted to stop and say hi.

P.S. Do I need to do anything to get access to the owner forums?

Best,

Colin
Welcome! Fellow Exige owner and future chassis #293. When you get access you will see some great trailer examples.
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Reactions: la_car_guy

New Owner based in SoCal

Hi everyone, I’m new here…just purchased chassis #199 from Rush California! I’m very excited to pick the car up and plan to take it to Buttonwillow next month.

This will be my first “track only” car and my first time towing a car to the track..definitely appreciate any trailer recommendations that would fit in a standard garage ideally if anyone has any ideas!

My most recent car is a 2007 Krypton Green Lotus Exige S that’s been heavily modified…and I’ve been fortunate to have had many other fun cars throughout the years.

What can I say? I love lightweight cars so the Rush SR caught my attention ever since I saw one for the first time at a track day at Chuckwalla. I’ve been obsessed ever since and am very excited to now own one!

I look forward to meeting more owners, but just wanted to stop and say hi.

P.S. Do I need to do anything to get access to the owner forums?

Best,

Colin
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Reactions: Bill Wright

For sale chassis #74 .

Stored at podium club. Dual tanks extra tires and starter and chain. Few extras also. Included Aluma trailer and winch. Aim with smarty cam. 27hrs on car . Medium seat.
$50,000.
The trailer folds up and will stand up and has castors on the bottom to move around.
Without trailer $45,000.

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