Club Racing and Fuel
Discussion
sfaulds said:
Well that's a cheery start 
Sadly true however. I could realistically see that the service fuel cost for a season to rally in the BTRDA (as I've done in the past) would now amount to several thousand pounds ... That's before you've posted an entry, fitted a tyre, or turned a stage mile.As far as I am concerned fuel costs are not at the top of my list of gripes at the moment, OK it is gone up around 25% in the last few months but even at 1 litre per race minute I can still afford it.
What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
falcemob said:
As far as I am concerned fuel costs are not at the top of my list of gripes at the moment, OK it is gone up around 25% in the last few months but even at 1 litre per race minute I can still afford it.
What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
+1What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
GBRM said:
falcemob said:
As far as I am concerned fuel costs are not at the top of my list of gripes at the moment, OK it is gone up around 25% in the last few months but even at 1 litre per race minute I can still afford it.
What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
+1What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
mat205125 said:
GBRM said:
falcemob said:
As far as I am concerned fuel costs are not at the top of my list of gripes at the moment, OK it is gone up around 25% in the last few months but even at 1 litre per race minute I can still afford it.
What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
+1What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
The roads don't seem any quieter since fuel went up so much so it's not really having the govt's. desired affect. We managed in the seventies when it doubled in a couple of months and I'm sure we'll manage this time round.
I agree the cost of fuel is high but when you sit down and look at the cost of motor racing the expense of travelling has only gone up minimally and it's the cost of actual racing that I look at as I could be going to a football match or away for a dirty weekend instead of racing but I choose racing (mad!!) and I think that membership fees, entry fees and track times do really need looking at.
I know we all pay high fees but it does get to you when you have to pay £120+ to register for a championship, £120+ for membership a club and then £200+ quid per race for 15 minutes, so the £50 fuel over £30 fuel from last year isn't too bad in my eyes and that's what I tell my bank manager!!
I know we all pay high fees but it does get to you when you have to pay £120+ to register for a championship, £120+ for membership a club and then £200+ quid per race for 15 minutes, so the £50 fuel over £30 fuel from last year isn't too bad in my eyes and that's what I tell my bank manager!!
GBRM said:
I agree the cost of fuel is high but when you sit down and look at the cost of motor racing the expense of travelling has only gone up minimally and it's the cost of actual racing that I look at as I could be going to a football match or away for a dirty weekend instead of racing but I choose racing (mad!!) and I think that membership fees, entry fees and track times do really need looking at.
I know we all pay high fees but it does get to you when you have to pay £120+ to register for a championship, £120+ for membership a club and then £200+ quid per race for 15 minutes, so the £50 fuel over £30 fuel from last year isn't too bad in my eyes and that's what I tell my bank manager!!
you need to be in a 750mc championship, usually registration fees are £60..I know we all pay high fees but it does get to you when you have to pay £120+ to register for a championship, £120+ for membership a club and then £200+ quid per race for 15 minutes, so the £50 fuel over £30 fuel from last year isn't too bad in my eyes and that's what I tell my bank manager!!
however you are right about value for money, the tracks fees take the piss, but part of that is the poxy nimbyism legislation they have to manage, noisey tracks see their rates go up too much.
however what i'd like to see is some leftfield thinking from the organising clubs and tracks so that
a) we hold race meetings mid week, for considerably less charge, with perhaps the morning for testing and the afternoon/evening for practice and racing, i know powernights does this and its not been that successful, but that's because it is organising standalone events, i'd like to see the dear old 750mc try one of its meetings during the week.
b) more specifically i'd like farmer palmer to allow the more entrpreneurial clubs the opportunity to take the gate reciepts from a race meeting, even if that meant an initial higher fee for hiring the circuit. my thinking is that if brands cost £20k to hire for the weekend, then said club could promote the weekends racing, maybe get 1000 paying people through the gates at £10 a time and thus have an income of £10,000 to offset the higher fees ( say brands raised the cost by 10% or something). ok the club has to pay for promotion but there are any number of pr agencies out there that can do the job, eg, adverts in local papers, radio features, local tv that kind of thing, but i still think the club could make some useful money out of said opportunity. the extra revenue could even be used as prize money, or pay for more scrutineers, or just lower entry fees. however brands et al won't consider it, even though they do didly squat in terms of promoting it, and that most of the people watching the race are drivers wives etc who got free tickets.
c) the only other option is to not provide more than one free pass to the circuit with your race entry and lower the cost by the price of the three other tickets you no longer have. even if you have to pay for hangers on to go to the some of the races, i reckon you'd be better off over a season.
or am i being too simplistic here?
trouble is running a day at Brands is more than just the circuit:
circuit hire
permit fees
promotion/advertising/event program
scrutineers
noise scrutineers
St Johns/paramedics/doctors
rescue/recovery units
timekeepers
awards
misc admin
add that lot up and there isn't any change from £30k.
The clubs charge registration & entry fees based on these kind of costs. Frankly no one is making a much profit either. No easy answer unless circuit fees come down dramatically which they won't.
circuit hire
permit fees
promotion/advertising/event program
scrutineers
noise scrutineers
St Johns/paramedics/doctors
rescue/recovery units
timekeepers
awards
misc admin
add that lot up and there isn't any change from £30k.
The clubs charge registration & entry fees based on these kind of costs. Frankly no one is making a much profit either. No easy answer unless circuit fees come down dramatically which they won't.
GBRM said:
falcemob said:
As far as I am concerned fuel costs are not at the top of my list of gripes at the moment, OK it is gone up around 25% in the last few months but even at 1 litre per race minute I can still afford it.
What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
+1What's putting me off more and more is the poor value for money track time we are now getting with higher prices and shorter races, plus we have to contend with the MSA and FIA regulating us out of existence with more and more costly and in many cases unnecessary regs.
Mind you EVERYTHING COST ALOT MORE IN TH UK - Maybe you have noticed;)
Petrol cost pail beside the rest of the cost of prepping a car (well ours) and entry, mind it does hurt on getting to the further away tracks, but who wants to go much past the North midlands anyway (southerner;)) - I here people do actually live up there.......
andygo said:
Never heard of it!I think petrol costs are a massive issue, and if you are on a tight budget make a huge difference to your cost for a weekend. The first four races of the Ginetta Championship were Oulton Park, Cadwell Park, Knockhill and Croft, plus a press day at Croft before that! Living in Wimbledon and trailering to all those when your tow cars are an Impreza WRX and a Petrol Ford S-Max (both around 17mpg) costs a fortune.
That means the first five events were 2,350 miles (534-litres roughly)
It does take a chunk from your budget compared to the happy days of 80p a litre
That means the first five events were 2,350 miles (534-litres roughly)
It does take a chunk from your budget compared to the happy days of 80p a litre
RacingPete said:
I think petrol costs are a massive issue, and if you are on a tight budget make a huge difference to your cost for a weekend. The first four races of the Ginetta Championship were Oulton Park, Cadwell Park, Knockhill and Croft, plus a press day at Croft before that! Living in Wimbledon and trailering to all those when your tow cars are an Impreza WRX and a Petrol Ford S-Max (both around 17mpg) costs a fortune.
That means the first five events were 2,350 miles (534-litres roughly)
It does take a chunk from your budget compared to the happy days of 80p a litre
Best is don't do anything north of Oulton;)That means the first five events were 2,350 miles (534-litres roughly)
It does take a chunk from your budget compared to the happy days of 80p a litre
jellison said:
andygo said:
Never heard of it! 
Edited by falcemob on Thursday 12th June 15:57
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