Starting to race?
Discussion
I keep thinking about getting into some kind of racing but the costs always seem prohibitive...
Does anyone here have any ideas about something fun and competitive I could do either by renting a car or something extremely low cost.
I'm going to Claire Furnells course in October to do the ARDS course (and also to enjoy a day of motorsport type activities).
Perhaps sprints or something - I'm really not sure - karting seems to be overrun by too many rich kiddies these days and just is'nt friendly like it should be.
Does anyone here have any ideas about something fun and competitive I could do either by renting a car or something extremely low cost.
I'm going to Claire Furnells course in October to do the ARDS course (and also to enjoy a day of motorsport type activities).
Perhaps sprints or something - I'm really not sure - karting seems to be overrun by too many rich kiddies these days and just is'nt friendly like it should be.
quote:
I keep thinking about getting into some kind of racing but the costs always seem prohibitive...
Does anyone here have any ideas about something fun and competitive I could do either by renting a car or something extremely low cost.
I'm going to Claire Furnells course in October to do the ARDS course (and also to enjoy a day of motorsport type activities).
Perhaps sprints or something - I'm really not sure - karting seems to be overrun by too many rich kiddies these days and just is'nt friendly like it should be.
Sprinting, that's definitely the way to go. Just drive there/compete/drive home in any old car, very friendly and sociable bunch who're in it for fun. Also no chance of people running into you (unlike proper racing) - if you damage the car you've nobody to blame but yourself.
Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
Coordinator, TVRCC Speed Championship
quote:
Sprinting, that's definitely the way to go. Just drive there/compete/drive home in any old car, very friendly and sociable bunch who're in it for fun. Also no chance of people running into you (unlike proper racing) - if you damage the car you've nobody to blame but yourself.
Cheers,
Peter Humphries (and a green V8S)
Coordinator, TVRCC Speed Championship
NO!, NO!, NO!, NO!, Don't bother with sprinting, get into some propper racing instead!
Only kidding, Sprinting is a good way to start. Circuit racing can be done for as little as £5,000 a season if you are careful. (Not including the cost of the car). What did you have in mind?
Jas.
I know I enjoy blasting round a circuit but I'm not sure about the cost of a "proper" race due to repair bills etc - I would have thought this most likely in novice classes too.
I just don't know enough yet to tell you what I had in mind. One thing I can tell you is I don't have a car to use already - the elise is far too valuable to me!
How much could yoou spend to have a fun quick car for sprints? Something like a 205 or a caterfield type thingy?
I just don't know enough yet to tell you what I had in mind. One thing I can tell you is I don't have a car to use already - the elise is far too valuable to me!
How much could yoou spend to have a fun quick car for sprints? Something like a 205 or a caterfield type thingy?
Have you already discounted karting? Best budget racing I know of. A 2 stroke category using Rotax engines, arrive'n race with club100 etc. there's lots of choice. Fantastic acceleration (0-60 <4 secs) and up to 100mph or so, all for 1-2k a year. The racing is as close and intense as any I've seen.
quote
NO!, NO!, NO!, NO!, Don't bother with sprinting, get into some propper racing instead!
Only kidding, Sprinting is a good way to start. Circuit racing can be done for as little as £5,000 a season if you are careful. (Not including the cost of the car). What did you have in mind?
Jas.
What?! £5000 a year!!!! I'm just on the first rung of getting into Hillclimbs and Sprints, with an old Kit Car and no money at all, my budget is around £500 a year!
It seems very probable that a hell of a laugh will be had for that much.
NO!, NO!, NO!, NO!, Don't bother with sprinting, get into some propper racing instead!
Only kidding, Sprinting is a good way to start. Circuit racing can be done for as little as £5,000 a season if you are careful. (Not including the cost of the car). What did you have in mind?
Jas.
What?! £5000 a year!!!! I'm just on the first rung of getting into Hillclimbs and Sprints, with an old Kit Car and no money at all, my budget is around £500 a year!
It seems very probable that a hell of a laugh will be had for that much.
My budget in the tasmins this year was about 6k including 2k's worth of new engine....
Then in the last race i did about 3k of damage bugger
No christmas pressies in this house.....
for your average race
Race Entry :- 180
Fuel( car plus van) :- 100
food :- 30
consumables :- 50
then add a couple of k at the end of the year for repairs tyres and upgrades ect...
and that should give you an idea of costs, unless you've got somthing exotic i would have thought most club stuff costs about the same...
If i were you id start by looking at the adds in CCC and circuit driver/ autosport and see what takes your fancy and then have a closer look at what it can compete in and go from there...
imho caterfield type cars are much to dangerous i think id rather be on a bike than a caterfield, slightly more sensible than a geared kart but not much!!!
Then in the last race i did about 3k of damage bugger
No christmas pressies in this house.....
for your average race
Race Entry :- 180
Fuel( car plus van) :- 100
food :- 30
consumables :- 50
then add a couple of k at the end of the year for repairs tyres and upgrades ect...
and that should give you an idea of costs, unless you've got somthing exotic i would have thought most club stuff costs about the same...
If i were you id start by looking at the adds in CCC and circuit driver/ autosport and see what takes your fancy and then have a closer look at what it can compete in and go from there...
imho caterfield type cars are much to dangerous i think id rather be on a bike than a caterfield, slightly more sensible than a geared kart but not much!!!
quote:
my budget is around £500 a year!
yeah but what are you including in that 500 quid?
i bet if you added up the total cost fuel, entry , food, tyres, brakes ect you probably only get 2 or 3 sprints for your 500 quid you probably actualy spend much more your just better at hiding the costs than me
I did 14 Races and about 4 test days this year
G
£5,000 is a pretty realistic minimum IMO for a championship of 10 to 13 rounds, including fuel, tyres, repairs, race entries, food, and the odd B&B now and again. (And that's just using my Fiesta).
Jas.
P.S. In defence of tin-top racing, parts are cheap from the breakers yards, and they can be made to go like hell! Infact just last weekend I was watching a heavilly modified Toyota Starlet keep with a Westfield Megablade for an entire race. Both drivers are pretty competent and regularly feature in Autosport, so it just goes to show that fast fun comes in all shapes and sizes.
Jas.
P.S. In defence of tin-top racing, parts are cheap from the breakers yards, and they can be made to go like hell! Infact just last weekend I was watching a heavilly modified Toyota Starlet keep with a Westfield Megablade for an entire race. Both drivers are pretty competent and regularly feature in Autosport, so it just goes to show that fast fun comes in all shapes and sizes.
£500 basically buys you 6 championship rounds per year, (ASWMC championship), This is of course without factoring in the price of food, which I would eat wherever I was, and fuel which is negligable as 2 practice and 2 timed runs doesn't add up to more then 10 miles per round. Tyres and other consumables, and damage repairs are the only other expenses to take into account, and as Hillclimbs and Sprints have only one vehicle at a time, the chances of damage are greatly reduced.
I always thought that to compete in motorsport you had to have a whole heap of money, but the more | become involved the more people I meet who are just like me, Brassic and having enormous amounts of fun on a shoe string.
I always thought that to compete in motorsport you had to have a whole heap of money, but the more | become involved the more people I meet who are just like me, Brassic and having enormous amounts of fun on a shoe string.
I spent under 3K in my first season of Group One Touring cars (plus the cost of the car - 2K) - though the last two seasons have been rather more expensive. 
But that doesn't compare to the £500 you're quoting for sprints. My 3K included brake pads, tyres, fuel to and from events, B&B's etc. I think my tow car gets better MPG with the race car attached than a TVR on its own on route to a sprint...
Another word about sprinting vs. racing. In terms of competitive mileage, racing is probably CHEAPER - you get 15-20 mins qualifying (say 12 laps) plus a 12-15 lap race for £135. Some sprints are hardly worth getting out of bed for - three timed runs at minimal mileage each?
And then of course there's the major difference - its RACING. You can't compare driving round an airfield against the clock with taking Paddock Hill Bend in the middle of a pack of 30. You just can't.
But that doesn't compare to the £500 you're quoting for sprints. My 3K included brake pads, tyres, fuel to and from events, B&B's etc. I think my tow car gets better MPG with the race car attached than a TVR on its own on route to a sprint...
Another word about sprinting vs. racing. In terms of competitive mileage, racing is probably CHEAPER - you get 15-20 mins qualifying (say 12 laps) plus a 12-15 lap race for £135. Some sprints are hardly worth getting out of bed for - three timed runs at minimal mileage each?
And then of course there's the major difference - its RACING. You can't compare driving round an airfield against the clock with taking Paddock Hill Bend in the middle of a pack of 30. You just can't.
quote:
And then of course there's the major difference - its RACING. You can't compare driving round an airfield against the clock with taking Paddock Hill Bend in the middle of a pack of 30. You just can't.
And dont forget the actual start as well, its an amazing sight being in the middle of a pack when the lights go green..
boy i carnt wait till next season
G
SPNRACING,
Did the Group One Touring Cars Championship used to be the old Rain-X championship? I notice from your profile that your Golf has a number plate. Does that mean that the championship is for road registered cars?
Also, where do you compete?
Does the car have to retain full interior / door cards etc.. or can it be stripped and lightened? (Go to work with a jigsaw and hole cutter in other words!).
Jas.
Did the Group One Touring Cars Championship used to be the old Rain-X championship? I notice from your profile that your Golf has a number plate. Does that mean that the championship is for road registered cars?
Also, where do you compete?
Does the car have to retain full interior / door cards etc.. or can it be stripped and lightened? (Go to work with a jigsaw and hole cutter in other words!).
Jas.
Raced a Radical last year and my mate spannered for me for the season (very competantly I might add) and we finished 4th overall in the championship at our first attempt !! (42 registered drivers). Primarily the races were double headers of 15 mins each at various uk circuits with two 1 hour long races in Spa on the grand prix circuit (WOW what a track). The costs were under 10k (Not counting the car) for everything!! how bad is that when you consider that these cars lap quicker at most circuits than a full blown tuscan racer ! We are competing again this year and are currently 5th (bloody proffesionals!)
quote:
Did the Group One Touring Cars Championship used to be the old Rain-X championship? I notice from your profile that your Golf has a number plate. Does that mean that the championship is for road registered cars?
Also, where do you compete?
Does the car have to retain full interior / door cards etc.. or can it be stripped and lightened? (Go to work with a jigsaw and hole cutter in other words!).
Jas.
Group One has always been just Group One - though my first Golf WAS an ex Rain-X Road Saloon, I converted it to Group One spec. Basically that means taking the interior out, but I do have to leave door cards, window winders etc. Both the old car and new car have plates on simply so I can occasionally 'test' them round the roads of South London - until this weekend the new car was taxed and MOT'd.
The championship visits most of the UK circuits, there has a been a non-championship round at Spa the last few years too.
Apologies - didn't notice the question until now.
Group One is organised by the Classic Saloon Racing Car Club (www.csccgb.co.uk/) in assocation with BARC (www.barc.net).
There are some Group One cars for sale at the moment if you're interested - including (I believe) Rick Kerry's XR3, which more often that not beat me last season.
Group One is organised by the Classic Saloon Racing Car Club (www.csccgb.co.uk/) in assocation with BARC (www.barc.net).
There are some Group One cars for sale at the moment if you're interested - including (I believe) Rick Kerry's XR3, which more often that not beat me last season.
quote:
Have you already discounted karting? Best budget racing I know of. A 2 stroke category using Rotax engines, arrive'n race with club100 etc. there's lots of choice. Fantastic acceleration (0-60 <4 secs) and up to 100mph or so, all for 1-2k a year. The racing is as close and intense as any I've seen.
Club100 actually use TKM engines not Rotax thats another series that I might be tempted with next year.
If you do intend to race cars good on you but if you want to try karting I can certainly recomend Club100. Good bunch of people and quick karts. 100mph is a little optomistic, the quoted speed is 80mph but due to gearing and track layout you rarely get to this. At Clay Pigeon we were hitting 75mph on the downhill dogleg/straight
. I currently race in their Intermediate Endurance championship and this is my second year racing with them.
Race fees for an edurance event (team) £335 or £110 for a sprint event.
>> Edited by cotty on Wednesday 9th October 14:05
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