Mercedes SLK Cup

[Tim600]

Hi all,

Just wanted to show you the championship I'm running in for the 2nd year now.

In The Netherlands they have a cup for Mercedes SLK r170's only. Already +60 cars were build and every race weekend there are at least +20 competitors.
We race on Zandvoort, Assen, Zolder and Spa-Francorchamps.
After doing rallycross for 7 or 8 years I thought it was time to switch to something that provides more seat time for more or less the same budget.
In The Netherlands there are a lot of cup racing formulas to choose from (206, Westfield, E30, MX5, Volvo 360,...) but the SLK was the one that got me excited.

If you got any questions, shoot.

Here are some pics and my race reports can be viewed on YouTube.







Cheers
Tim

ETA

Sorry not allowed.

Edited by Big Al. on Monday 26th July 15:02

[sherman]

Possibly a stupid question but is the roof fixed shut permenantly or can you still fold in down when not offically racing?
If it is fixed shut have you got rid/are you allowed to take out the roof mechanism for weight saving?

[LucyP]

So what are the regulations? How stock are the cars? What is allowed to be changed and what is not? Which engine and gearbox are used?

[Tim600]

sherman said:

Possibly a stupid question but is the roof fixed shut permenantly or can you still fold in down when not offically racing?
If it is fixed shut have you got rid/are you allowed to take out the roof mechanism for weight saving?

All the mechanism is removed in all cars by the cup organizer when the roll cage is installed (only 1 address to get that done, so they know what to do with the mechanism).
The roof can still be taken out though, we've never done that during our cup races, but I know a few competitors who have taken it off during an endurance race when there was a heat wave.
If we have a race during extreme weather conditions, then it might be decided to have the roofs removed, but then the full grid needs to agree on that.

[Tim600]

LucyP said:

So what are the regulations? How stock are the cars? What is allowed to be changed and what is not? Which engine and gearbox are used?

All cars are going on a dyno at the start of the season and the horsepower limit is 197, so that should be stock figures that the r170 SLK 230 compressor came out with. ECU and engine are sealed by the organizer.
Everyone has AST suspension
nearly all other stuff needs to remain stock (exhaust, transmission, differential,...)
minimum weight is 1285 kg
Tires are the same for all: Interstate DNRT type TW80 competition, those are semi slicks that need to be used in all weather types.

This is the race kit that you need to buy when building an SLK cup car: https://www.slkcup.nl/_downloads/51608228

[LucyP]

I've never seen anyone race an R170 in the UK. Not even in club racing. Most of the road cars were automatic and they were heavy and slow.

In the UK, there are many championships based around the Mazda MX5. 2.0, 150 bhp, 6 speed manual. 1100KG minimum. Much more fun to race.

[n3il123]

LucyP said:

I've never seen anyone race an R170 in the UK. Not even in club racing. Most of the road cars were automatic and they were heavy and slow.

In the UK, there are many championships based around the Mazda MX5. 2.0, 150 bhp, 6 speed manual. 1100KG minimum. Much more fun to race.

Tim600 said:

Hi all,


In The Netherlands they have a cup for Mercedes SLK r170's only. Already +60 cars were build and every race weekend there are at least +20 competitors.

I'm guessing the Dutch don't agree with you or have different opinions

It would be nice if some of the UK championships had 20 + cars in build let alone at each round

[Tim600]

LucyP said:

I've never seen anyone race an R170 in the UK. Not even in club racing. Most of the road cars were automatic and they were heavy and slow.

In the UK, there are many championships based around the Mazda MX5. 2.0, 150 bhp, 6 speed manual. 1100KG minimum. Much more fun to race.

Well I would indeed beg to differ but it is what you personally prefer probably.
The MX5's give you that open car feel, but other than that the competition is just as fierce plus with the SLK you've got the extra power, torque and better brakes.

In Belgium, Holland and Germany you'll find most R170's as manuals.

[Tim600]

n3il123 said:

I'm guessing the Dutch don't agree with you or have different opinions

It would be nice if some of the UK championships had 20 + cars in build let alone at each round

Amateur club racing is something that is done right by the Dutch, I'll have to give them that as a Belgian.
Nearly all competitions are 20+ car fields, just look at some of the images on the DNRT (Dutch National Racing Team) facebook: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=dnrt.ne...

[anonymous-user]

LucyP said:

I've never seen anyone race an R170 in the UK. Not even in club racing. Most of the road cars were automatic and they were heavy and slow.

In the UK, there are many championships based around the Mazda MX5. 2.0, 150 bhp, 6 speed manual. 1100KG minimum. Much more fun to race.

To be fair, for every MX5 series with a full grid, there are many single model championships that barely survive the first year, RX8 Trophy, Puma cup, Smart fortwo and Z3s to name but a few….

The SLK isn’t an obvious choice but if there is a full grid, and it’s an equal playing field, who cares?

[andy97]

pablo said:

To be fair, for every MX5 series with a full grid, there are many single model championships that barely survive the first year, RX8 Trophy, Puma cup, Smart fortwo and Z3s to name but a few….

The SLK isn’t an obvious choice but if there is a full grid, and it’s an equal playing field, who cares?

Sure, but plenty of places for each of those types to race in multi-class series. Each to their own. Would be interesting to see someone race an SLK in something like CSCC, MSVR track day trophy, 750 club enduro etc.

[DodgyGeezer]

great thread

[Portofoni]

LucyP said:

Much more fun to race.

You've never raced an SLK ,so how do you know the fun level ?

[Tim600]

andy97 said:

Sure, but plenty of places for each of those types to race in multi-class series. Each to their own. Would be interesting to see someone race an SLK in something like CSCC, MSVR track day trophy, 750 club enduro etc.

Well, this year I'm also racing in the new Belcar Sprint Cup in Belgium. I wanted to be part of the very first season of a sprint championship again in Belgium.
The issue with multi-class series is that it becomes more expensive.

Like, I'm now entered in class 3 where I'm competing against BMW M3's, Porsche Boxters and such....no way I can go for a good ranking in the championship unless you start modifying your car.
But the more you modify, the more easily something will break and the costs just go up and up, I've experienced that in Rallycross.

I'm just having fun this year in the cup, but on track I'm fighting with the fastest cars of Class 2 (Fiesta cup cars, MX5's, Civic's,...), not going to enter that championship again next year.

Cup racing is much more fun and cheap.

[anonymous-user]

andy97 said:

Sure, but plenty of places for each of those types to race in multi-class series. Each to their own. Would be interesting to see someone race an SLK in something like CSCC, MSVR track day trophy, 750 club enduro etc.

I agree but the people who shell out £6-10k prep’ing a Z3 for a spec championship are then forced to run an uncompetitive car in a multi-class series. No car will fare too well outside their own spec championships. I know organisers have to think of new series and availability of donor car is critical but some barely last a season

[Tim600]

pablo said:

I agree but the people who shell out £6-10k prep’ing a Z3 for a spec championship are then forced to run an uncompetitive car in a multi-class series. No car will fare too well outside their own spec championships. I know organisers have to think of new series and availability of donor car is critical but some barely last a season

Indeed, we've seen the same happen in Belgium.
We don't really have one car championships over here. Only one I can think of are the VW Fun Cup, but that's a tube frame chassis.

Like I said, Holland is very good at this with large fields of Peugeot 206 GTi's, MX5's, Volvo 360, BMW E30, BMW Compact, Westfield, SLK's and perhaps a few more.

And that for a country that only has 2 race tracks.

[Tim600]

Here's a video of the race of last friday.
Race 3 was held in heavy rain...as you can see, not easy.
Got too confident and that bit back hard at the end of the race.

https://youtu.be/pnbXF1JIL6I