Spec racing

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Spec racing is a type of racing in which all competitors race in nearly identical vehicles. The idea behind spec racing is that success will be based more on driver skill and car setup instead of engineering skill and finances. Spec series are popular because they often bring down the cost of non-consumables, such as the engines and chassis, through economies of scale. Many amateur racing leagues follow the spec model in order to ensure participation remains affordable to the teams. Spec Miata advertises the total introductory cost of their series as being $10,000 US (although in reality used Spec Miatas sell for 50-100% more than that figure), comparatively cheap next to $157,000 for a SCCA Club Sport T1 division race car. The advertised cost for a Spec Focus car is between $8,000 to $10,000. NASA implemented a maximum HP-to-Weight Ratio to keep the cost of the engines down allowing the Spec Focus to stay within its target price.