Cheapest way into racing

[Z4MCSL]

So I am going to get a lot more trackdays under my belt first but then I'm wondering what the cheapest and easiest way to get into some sort of competitive racing would be.

I have a clio 182 stripped etc and am happy to use that. It still needs a cage and a few other bits so I'm open to changing car but want to stay FWD for now.

I've looked at the tricolor trophy and some others but has anybody here actually taken part and can they give a true picture of costs?

I would be doing this alone without a co-driver

I am enjoying track days but it would be good to have a bit more purpose and a measure of success.

I probably wouldn't be looking at starting till late 2022/2023

Thanks

[alfa-alex]

The 750mc web page has indicative costs for each series.

Personally I think there’s too many variables to work out accurate costs, cars ready prepped are usually the cheapest way in to a race series as building a car is always more expensive.

The difficulty with working out costs are the unknowns, breakdowns, damage from contact with racers or offs are all completely unknown, you could write off the car on the first corner!

Best of luck with it and keep us posted with your journey!

Alex

[Swampy1982]

https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGSOZAHg1yQE3Pp...

If you want cheap, this has to be up there. Also good insight into some of the things involved.

Have a watch, see what you think

[Kswap]

Gives an idea

https://youtu.be/_ICwYpiKMIg

[Z4MCSL]

Thanks for these


11k seems a bit steep for 3 races!?

I haven't watched the whole video yet and appreciate a large chunk of that will be the car.

[BobM]

I raced with the 750MC for several years, they have quite a few different formulae to suit most needs. I reckon it generally worked out around £10k a season by the time you've paid for the entry fees, test days, consumables, repairs etc. I raced in RGB (now Sports 1000) which kept costs down through using standard bike engines (I could usually get a low mileage replacement engine/gearbox for £1k) and roadgoing trackday tyres (Yoko AO48s at the time). You could make a set of tyres last a season.

Highly recommend the club, well organised, friendly and great atmosphere in the paddock.

[Tommo87]

I keep seeing Facebook feeds from people racing in the C1 series.

I can start asking questions around cost, if that race series is of interest..

[anonymous-user]

Build the car you have to 750mc Clio regs, it sounds like it just needs a cage, mandated suspension and a few other bits. Then you have the trailer, race suit, helmet etc etc to cost up.

The good news is the car will be eligible (but not necessarily competitive) in all manner of series from 750mc (obviously!), Castle Combe Saloons, CSCC series and dozens more. You can pick and choose which races you want to do based on availability rather than having to stick to one championship on dates/circuits you can’t do.

Of course You can drive it to circuits negating the trailer requirement but it will be full of kit which may not be safe/comfortable.

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

I've been club racing for 25 years. Once you've paid for the equipment ( car, trailer, tow barge) and safety stuff ( helmet, overalls etc) you can do a seasons racing for £5-6k. You won't win much ( but then you won't in your first season anyway) but that's basically , 7 race meetings and the associated costs - entry fee, fuel, food, spares etc.

Obviously engine blow ups and smashes will increase your spend dramatically, however there is no obligation to complete all the races, so if you damage the car in round one, you can skip round 2 to pay for it.

IMHO, you are best continuing completing track days at all major circuits, ensuring that you do 2 things, get some tuition at each circuit so that you know the lines and are given areas to work on, and 2, do a min 200 miles per track day. Once you've been to each circuit at least twice, you won't need to test much and therefore the race season costs are contained.

If you get a liking for racing and want to win, then that's down to how much you want to spend, a winning car could easily be 10 -30k, and then testing and race could be 15k easily.

it's all down to how much money you have.

As for your Clio, chuck a cage in it, and the safety equipment and leave the rest until you are getting the max out of the car, then do your engine rebuilds and trick suspension.

hth.

Edited by Dynion Araf Uchaf on Saturday 1st January 14:43

[Steve H]

Plenty of good advice given already but it does vary hugely on your own situation.

Entry costs are typically £3-400 per meeting so if you don’t do any stop-overs and can spanner everything yourself then even with car fuel, towing fuel, tyres, brakes etc you could be running around £600 per meeting or about £4k per season but that is a very skinny budget and if you get unlucky with offs or breakages, or if you need someone to run the car for you, it can be multiples of that amount even in a "budget" car/series.

While you are still trackdaying I’d totally agree with the advice about tuition (and let them know your ultimate target is to race) and also get yourself to a few club meetings to see how it all runs and which series/championships you may be interested in.

[White-Noise]

A slight aside, it sounds like you're focused on tin tops but I thought i would mention karting. Clearly it's not cars but it's a lot cheaper and extremely competitive. I'm talking about something like club100, not owning your own kart. It might be a good way to cut your teeth on competitive racing, maybe you already did this infact I'd say go and do it anyway to start getting your eye in just an idea

I did years of karting then after a break for something else I've started track days in 2020. I planned to do a couple of years of that in my clio around the country then possibly some sort of enduro tin top series, I don't much fancy sprints so to speak

Edited by White-Noise on Monday 3rd January 18:10

Edited by White-Noise on Monday 3rd January 18:11

[loggyboy]

Here's a break down of the approx costs after 3 (on-off) seasons in the Clio 182 Series with 750mc

2019
License, ARDs, PPE. - £1400
Race car (pre raced) - £7000 (inc decent tyres and new brakes, mostly ready to race.)
Tow Car and Trailer - £2000
Pre season trackday Eve - £90
Pre race total £10350

2019 Series Registration and club membership - £160
Extinguisher Service - £50
Race weekend 1 (2 race) - £355
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Test Day (half) - £250
Race weekend 2 (2 race)
Fuel (Race and travel) - £250
Light Damage repair £80

2019 Year 1 racing costs (4 races, 2 weekends) £1735
Year 1 all in total £12085

2020
Gazebo - £250
New harnesses - £175
Cartek Isolator - £160
New in-car Camera - £50
Track day - £150
Series registration and membership - £160
Car Service - £50
Race weekend 1 (2 race) - £300
New tyres (x2) - £200
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Replacement Gearbox - £250
Race weekend 2 (2 race) - £300
New tyres (x4) - £400
Fuel (Race and travel) - £150
Race weekend 3 (2 race) - £350
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Service £50
Race weekend 4 (2 race) - £300
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200

2020 Year 2 Total (8 races over 4 weekends) £3895
Running total £15980

2021
Series registration and membership - £160
2nd Gazebo £200
Car Service - £50
Track day & fuel - £200
Race weekend 1 (2 race) - £300
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Suspension (Used) £550
Repairs £60
Alternator £60
Race weekend 2 (3 race) - £425
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Race weekend 3 (2 race) - £350
Car crashed - end of season

2021 Total 5 races, 3 weekends £2755
Running total £18735

Reshell and repair of car is currently at about £1000 (but I had a spare shell from an old track car)

[don29]

loggyboy said:

Here's a break down of the approx costs after 3 (on-off) seasons in the Clio 182 Series with 750mc

2019
License, ARDs, PPE. - £1400
Race car (pre raced) - £7000 (inc decent tyres and new brakes, mostly ready to race.)
Tow Car and Trailer - £2000
Pre season trackday Eve - £90
Pre race total £10350

2019 Series Registration and club membership - £160
Extinguisher Service - £50
Race weekend 1 (2 race) - £355
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Test Day (half) - £250
Race weekend 2 (2 race)
Fuel (Race and travel) - £250
Light Damage repair £80

2019 Year 1 racing costs (4 races, 2 weekends) £1735
Year 1 all in total £12085

2020
Gazebo - £250
New harnesses - £175
Cartek Isolator - £160
New in-car Camera - £50
Track day - £150
Series registration and membership - £160
Car Service - £50
Race weekend 1 (2 race) - £300
New tyres (x2) - £200
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Replacement Gearbox - £250
Race weekend 2 (2 race) - £300
New tyres (x4) - £400
Fuel (Race and travel) - £150
Race weekend 3 (2 race) - £350
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Service £50
Race weekend 4 (2 race) - £300
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200

2020 Year 2 Total (8 races over 4 weekends) £3895
Running total £15980

2021
Series registration and membership - £160
2nd Gazebo £200
Car Service - £50
Track day & fuel - £200
Race weekend 1 (2 race) - £300
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Suspension (Used) £550
Repairs £60
Alternator £60
Race weekend 2 (3 race) - £425
Fuel (Race and travel) - £200
Race weekend 3 (2 race) - £350
Car crashed - end of season

2021 Total 5 races, 3 weekends £2755
Running total £18735

Reshell and repair of car is currently at about £1000 (but I had a spare shell from an old track car)

Thanks, that was really useful.

[LordHaveMurci]

Sprinting / hillclimbing?

[Dynion Araf Uchaf]

LordHaveMurci said:

Sprinting / hillclimbing?

no....

[Boggo]

I don't think the word 'cheap' and 'motorsport' ever mix - I work on the general rule of 'if you have to add it up - you can't afford it' with racing, but I think the above comments are mostly realistic.

I budget around £1200 per weekend (2 races + quali) in a Caterham including testing (£400+ on it's own!) and I'm a front runner (most of the time).

My biggest piece of advice for you would be to stop doing track days and start racing - they simply don't compare. So many people think they are hero's on trackdays, then turn up to a race and are 2sec per lap off the pace. Racing is a completely differnt thing - and it's way better too!

Also recomend spending any budget you can on a good driving coach/vbox system. For me to enjoy something I need to know I'm doing my best and coaching/data are critical for this.

Good luck!

[jacobsmark]

Boggo said:

I don't think the word 'cheap' and 'motorsport' ever mix - I work on the general rule of 'if you have to add it up - you can't afford it' with racing, but I think the above comments are mostly realistic.

I budget around £1200 per weekend (2 races + quali) in a Caterham including testing (£400+ on it's own!) and I'm a front runner (most of the time).

My biggest piece of advice for you would be to stop doing track days and start racing - they simply don't compare. So many people think they are hero's on trackdays, then turn up to a race and are 2sec per lap off the pace. Racing is a completely differnt thing - and it's way better too!

Also recomend spending any budget you can on a good driving coach/vbox system. For me to enjoy something I need to know I'm doing my best and coaching/data are critical for this.

Good luck!

I think racing has a much higher % of people who are very comfortable who are more than willing to have that 10k-20k ready to chuck at the car for major damage (say caterham extensive damage) and I'd argue the risk is much higher due to how close you are and how hard you're pushing (no doubt it is 'much better' though).

[JP__FOX]

Watching this thread with interest, I used to do Club100 Karting when I was a bit younger (and lighter) and loved it. The 2 stroke karts are much much quicker than rentals, they take the karts to some great tracks around the UK and there's a good mix of driving standards so you'll always have someone to race against... Arrive and drive means there's no stress to it either.

I've since done a lot of trackdays and love the idea of racing cars but it's a lot more money for a lot less track time that is the main thing stopping me... I've probably spent more than a seasons racing would cost but I did over 30 track days last year across UK and Europe. I'd miss the Europe trips and how easy it is to arrive and drive but I feel like racing is something I'll definitely have to tick off at some point in life!

[Nickjd]

jacobsmark said:

I think racing has a much higher % of people who are very comfortable who are more than willing to have that 10k-20k ready to chuck at the car for major damage (say caterham extensive damage) and I'd argue the risk is much higher due to how close you are and how hard you're pushing (no doubt it is 'much better' though).

I have been racing a good number of years now and never had to find £10 to £20K to throw at a car, and certainly would not be "more than willing" to do so. Entry level racing rarely has cars that are that expensive and rarely a total loss even if you shunt it quite hard. If you keep shunting it then it is going to add up, but them there is a solution to that.

[jacobsmark]

Nickjd said:

I have been racing a good number of years now and never had to find £10 to £20K to throw at a car, and certainly would not be "more than willing" to do so. Entry level racing rarely has cars that are that expensive and rarely a total loss even if you shunt it quite hard. If you keep shunting it then it is going to add up, but them there is a solution to that.

Fair enough. I guess key is to chose your series carefully as some will be much more gentlemanly than others. With some of the single make series, sometimes those with deeper pockets barge through / dive on bends vs mid/back of pack it's much more courteous.