Sprinting/hill climbing newbie advice
Discussion
Next year I'm taking the plunge into sprinting and hill climbing and looking for advice before I buy the wrong bits or miss something i should consider for the top of the list. I'd like to enter at south/south eastern events like goodwood, gurston down, lydden Hill and motorsport at the palace.
I am in the process of filling an application for an interclub licence and joining sevenoaks club which are localish for me.
The car is a leon cupra r 225, it's no RS clio so I'm not expecting to be competitive but its low value and family friendly whilst I dip my feet in to a few events before I can reflect on what I do for 2021.
Help I need is;
1. Baffled sump - worth it or not assuming I'm not going to be on the pace to start with?
2. Tyres are currently mid range but mixed brands do I need a consistent set on the blue book list 1a?
3. Safety gear - I believe I need helmet, race suit, boots and gloves. Any recomendations for reasonably priced kit and retailers near south london I can try stuff on at.
4. I need magnetic sheet for stickers, yellow tape for battery wires and a timing strut. Anything else to consider for the car?
5. For the speed league apparently you need to do marshalling, is this only those competing at the front end trying to win or all competitors?
Thanks
Adam
I am in the process of filling an application for an interclub licence and joining sevenoaks club which are localish for me.
The car is a leon cupra r 225, it's no RS clio so I'm not expecting to be competitive but its low value and family friendly whilst I dip my feet in to a few events before I can reflect on what I do for 2021.
Help I need is;
1. Baffled sump - worth it or not assuming I'm not going to be on the pace to start with?
2. Tyres are currently mid range but mixed brands do I need a consistent set on the blue book list 1a?
3. Safety gear - I believe I need helmet, race suit, boots and gloves. Any recomendations for reasonably priced kit and retailers near south london I can try stuff on at.
4. I need magnetic sheet for stickers, yellow tape for battery wires and a timing strut. Anything else to consider for the car?
5. For the speed league apparently you need to do marshalling, is this only those competing at the front end trying to win or all competitors?
Thanks
Adam
Hi
Ok if we assume it's running as a 'Standard Car' or close to it in 'Road Cars' then you can remove a fair bit from that list.
I wouldn't have though a baffled sump would be required - not heard of Oil Surge being a common problem on these and certainly wouldn't have expected it to be with 1A's - but might be worth checking on a owners club chat?
Tyres are a huge factor in your cars performance so yes a matched set, while not a rules requirement etc, would be a really good idea, there will probably be a 'Tyre of choice' used in that class, but one of the 'sportier' tyres from Yokohama or Toyo are generally there or thereabouts..
Safety Kit - big changes for 2020 in that you'll need a lot less of it (assuming Standard or Road Car Class) so, for you it'll be:-
Helmet (Go and Try them on - different shaped heads fit different brands..) I'm 'up north' but heard good things about MSAR and Alex Reade who are south London way.
Race suit - optional in 'Standard' and Proban (I.e. the basic ones!) in 'Road Cars' - I'd suggest a proban one would be worth it - or ex circuit racing race suits are often found on that well known auction site..
Boots - no flame resistant race boots aren't required, BUT I'd suggest that Type of boot is a good idea, the close fit & thin sole does help - look at 'Karting Boots' same design, but much cheaper, as you'll be in them all day the water resistant type are a good buy.
Numbers - you can put them on the windows too - photocopied onto A3, taped into rear window works..
Yellow tape for negative battery cable
Ignition cut off marking - sticker by ignition key
Timing Strut - folk mount this to the number plate normally, save drilling obscure holes in your bumper!
The Marshalling thing sounds like a local championship idea - and IMHO a good one, you'd need to check that one with the championship organiser, perhaps the opportunity to marshal at a different discipline or similar.
Hope it goes well
Ok if we assume it's running as a 'Standard Car' or close to it in 'Road Cars' then you can remove a fair bit from that list.
I wouldn't have though a baffled sump would be required - not heard of Oil Surge being a common problem on these and certainly wouldn't have expected it to be with 1A's - but might be worth checking on a owners club chat?
Tyres are a huge factor in your cars performance so yes a matched set, while not a rules requirement etc, would be a really good idea, there will probably be a 'Tyre of choice' used in that class, but one of the 'sportier' tyres from Yokohama or Toyo are generally there or thereabouts..
Safety Kit - big changes for 2020 in that you'll need a lot less of it (assuming Standard or Road Car Class) so, for you it'll be:-
Helmet (Go and Try them on - different shaped heads fit different brands..) I'm 'up north' but heard good things about MSAR and Alex Reade who are south London way.
Race suit - optional in 'Standard' and Proban (I.e. the basic ones!) in 'Road Cars' - I'd suggest a proban one would be worth it - or ex circuit racing race suits are often found on that well known auction site..
Boots - no flame resistant race boots aren't required, BUT I'd suggest that Type of boot is a good idea, the close fit & thin sole does help - look at 'Karting Boots' same design, but much cheaper, as you'll be in them all day the water resistant type are a good buy.
Numbers - you can put them on the windows too - photocopied onto A3, taped into rear window works..
Yellow tape for negative battery cable
Ignition cut off marking - sticker by ignition key
Timing Strut - folk mount this to the number plate normally, save drilling obscure holes in your bumper!
The Marshalling thing sounds like a local championship idea - and IMHO a good one, you'd need to check that one with the championship organiser, perhaps the opportunity to marshal at a different discipline or similar.
Hope it goes well
Isn't the Cupra R 225 turbo charged..? If this is the case you need to apply the "forced induction" factor of 1.4 to your engine capacity. This will put you into the over 2 litre class, where the competition will be Porkers and Evos, rather than Clios...... It will also mean that you cannot run in the "standard car class" which has a 2000cc limit (after FI factor applied). Check your local club regs though as some SW venues have a class split at 2600cc rather than 2000cc.
Motorsport at the Palace is a great event, and from memory has class splits by era/age rather than capacity.
You will still have fun though, learning the hills and circuits and setting PBs.....!
Motorsport at the Palace is a great event, and from memory has class splits by era/age rather than capacity.
You will still have fun though, learning the hills and circuits and setting PBs.....!
Jim Spencer said:
Numbers - you can put them on the windows too - photocopied onto A3, taped into rear window works..
Yes, nobody really pays any attention to the regs for competition numbers. I use self-adhesive white numbers stuck to the rear windows.The best List 1A tyres are usually considered to be Michelin PS3 or PS4. The PS4 is best, but not available in all sizes.
Have fun!
Cheers all, sounds like a trip to brands hatch which is a fairly nice drive from mine.
Bit concerned about the engine size. I was aware of the turbo muliptlier but still imagined it would be considered road going and not a higher level and require the likes of a cage. Not worried if it's not competitive that's not my 2020 goal with the car which is to get myself signed up and have a go without having too much tied up in the car. I have a gt86 I'd like to use in future years potentially when it's worth less or get a track specific car.
Bit concerned about the engine size. I was aware of the turbo muliptlier but still imagined it would be considered road going and not a higher level and require the likes of a cage. Not worried if it's not competitive that's not my 2020 goal with the car which is to get myself signed up and have a go without having too much tied up in the car. I have a gt86 I'd like to use in future years potentially when it's worth less or get a track specific car.
You don't require a cage for production car classes. The point being made in relation to the FI multiplier is that in some championships it would take you into the biggest engine size class of over 2 litre, whereas in others (ASWMC for example) their largest engine size class is over 2.6 litre. You just need to check the class structures before entering any championship.
mallockman said:
Isn't the Cupra R 225 turbo charged..? If this is the case you need to apply the "forced induction" factor of 1.4 to your engine capacity. This will put you into the over 2 litre class, where the competition will be Porkers and Evos, rather than Clios...... It will also mean that you cannot run in the "standard car class" which has a 2000cc limit (after FI factor applied). Check your local club regs though as some SW venues have a class split at 2600cc rather than 2000cc.
In the East/Southeast we have a guy who is sometimes faster in a turbocharged Clio 200 than the Porsches in his class. 4WD cars also have their own class. This will give you a general idea of the regs and venues for southern and SE events. (Will be updated for 2020).
https://acsmcsite.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/2019...
Leon should be a fun starter car.
https://acsmcsite.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/2019...
Leon should be a fun starter car.
Hi, I thought I’d add to the above. I would strongly recommend getting some driver tuition, I’ve been rally driving for over 20 years and yet still pick up tips and benefit every time I sit alongside an instructor. I’d recommend a day at Carlimits in Essex just off the M25, closer to you than me and extremely good value - £225 very well spent. I’d recommend attending a shared day, you can attend in your own car and will learn a lot about car control and your car in particular, whilst keeping the cost down. There is nothing to hit apart from a few cones and it is a lot of fun. In addition to the training days they sometimes also offer club days, very inexpensive, time in your car, but less instruction.
I would recommend buying a Nomex rather than Proban suit. Proban generally doesn’t fit as well and Nomex is also more comfortable. As mentioned, you can buy them on Ebay - must be careful to buy one that conforms to the regulations - there are several different standards. Be careful not to buy one that is out of date and also avoid karting suits as they don’t conform. Karting boots are fine and you can probably also use karting gloves - I actually prefer using gloves, even when not required and use karting ones for rallying. You may also want to consider fitting a race steering wheel to your car - although this will generally mean losing the airbag... Have a lot fun and be prepared for the amount you spend on motorsport to keep on increasing over the years!
I would recommend buying a Nomex rather than Proban suit. Proban generally doesn’t fit as well and Nomex is also more comfortable. As mentioned, you can buy them on Ebay - must be careful to buy one that conforms to the regulations - there are several different standards. Be careful not to buy one that is out of date and also avoid karting suits as they don’t conform. Karting boots are fine and you can probably also use karting gloves - I actually prefer using gloves, even when not required and use karting ones for rallying. You may also want to consider fitting a race steering wheel to your car - although this will generally mean losing the airbag... Have a lot fun and be prepared for the amount you spend on motorsport to keep on increasing over the years!
Agree that nomex is more comfortable than Proban, and I haven't seen that any leading manufacturer is producing decent proban suits either.
For Nomex, you need to get a suit that meets the FIA 8856-2000 homologation, or the new standard is FIA 8856-2018. The FIA 8856-2000 suits have no expiry date at the moment. See better guidance here: https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/knowledge_base_...
I got a decent suit in eBay, but you can also find bargains in the sales at this time of year.
Steering wheel. I'd be very nervous about disabling any of the manufacturer safety systems
For Nomex, you need to get a suit that meets the FIA 8856-2000 homologation, or the new standard is FIA 8856-2018. The FIA 8856-2000 suits have no expiry date at the moment. See better guidance here: https://www.merlinmotorsport.co.uk/knowledge_base_...
I got a decent suit in eBay, but you can also find bargains in the sales at this time of year.
Steering wheel. I'd be very nervous about disabling any of the manufacturer safety systems
bassett said:
2. Tyres are currently mid range but mixed brands do I need a consistent set on the blue book list 1a?
Im not being unkind, but if you have to ask that question you have a hell of a lot to learn about motorsport...not only do you want the same brand, but you want the tyres to be the same age with the same amount of running on them.
tyres make the single biggest difference to how a car handles... with mixed tyres they car will handly differently depending how each tyre reacts...
even mixing new and old identical cars will affect the cars balance...
fair enough if you know exactly what you are doing and need to alter handling then yes you might mix compounds but when starting out you want the car to be as consistent and predictable as possible, different tyres will have different grip and breakaway characteristics...
best of luck :-)
bassett said:
Bit concerned about the engine size. I was aware of the turbo muliptlier but still imagined it would be considered road going and not a higher level and require the likes of a cage.
11.1.1 Defines standard cars, although your car will fall into Category 12.1.1 - Road cars Series Production (MUK set the categories, organising clubs/championships set the class structure within categories)
As mentioned by Trev450, ROPS not mandatory for Series Production - see 10.2.1
Edited by mallockman on Sunday 15th December 19:00
Love the regulations for this, not easy for someone trying to get into it so could really do with the various sub areas ie hillclimbing summarising this stuff for you, although emailing the guys at MSUK and HSA have been very helpful.
Annoying that a helmet designed for 2015 regs will only last me until 2026 so might leave this until more Snell SA2020 are knocking about.
My application is now in the post for the interclub licence and need to finalise my sevenoaks application so I can start booking some events.
Annoying that a helmet designed for 2015 regs will only last me until 2026 so might leave this until more Snell SA2020 are knocking about.
My application is now in the post for the interclub licence and need to finalise my sevenoaks application so I can start booking some events.
bassett said:
Annoying that a helmet designed for 2015 regs will only last me until 2026 so might leave this until more Snell SA2020 are knocking about.
6 years for a lid? You'll probably be wanting a new one after that anyway. I bought my current SAH2010 lid in 2016 which is apparently OK until 2023 so 7 years. bassett said:
Annoying that a helmet designed for 2015 regs will only last me until 2026 so might leave this until more Snell SA2020 are knocking about.
I would just ignore the SNELL standards and make sure that any helmet purchased is FIA 8859-2015 homologated (the vast majority will be now).Cheers maybe I had it a bit mixed up, the bell sport 5 I was looking at is fia 8859 2015 rather than snell 2015. I was thinking with sprinting given I'm not in the car a huge amount of time the wear both externally or from sweat etc would be quite low. My aria helmet I use in my lotus 7 style car, track days and for karting has done me a decade and still feels like new with only some light marks and the odd minor stone chips
bassett said:
Cheers maybe I had it a bit mixed up, the bell sport 5 I was looking at is fia 8859 2015 rather than snell 2015. I was thinking with sprinting given I'm not in the car a huge amount of time the wear both externally or from sweat etc would be quite low. s
A friend has one of those, a nice bit of kit. I always just wear a balaclava, that gets washed as needed and protects the helmet padding from any sweat.Gassing Station | UK Club Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff