I'll stand behind my statement - how much do you want to spend. There are open source solutions, such as phpBB, but you get what you pay for. vBulletin is without a doubt the way to go, but a startup website has to justify the licensing costs. So ultimately, do you want to do it as cheaply as possible, or as effective as possible.
I am using phpBB that Scott helped setup for me. Granted it is not the best system, but forums take a while to get going. If I recall, Scott used a different system when Lateral-g first got started? You may consider using the free forums to start and if they take off and get active then upgrade?
phpBB doesn't have alot of the tools and tricks that Vbulletin does, but it does the job.
Brian Hobaugh SCCA National Tour June 2014
First Hemi 'Cuda Convertible Ever Built
Short clips: Goodguys Pleasanton autocross and pit videos
Hybrid Mode
