Banger Racing - A Missed Opportunity?

[Chainsaw Rebuild]

Inspired by the other banger racing thread that's running, I have a notion: is the banger racing format a missed opportunity?

As I understand it, banger racing involved a lot of crashes, some of which are quite brutal. This means the drivers get knocked about, and the cars dont last long. This makes it unappealing to a lot of people. For me, I am certainly interested in racing, but not in having my car smashed up every time.

However if it was basically no contact and an actual race, would more people be interested? I certainly would - some cheap racing in a lightly modified car sounds great - regularly building a new car with cage, fuel bladder, netting etc because some ape has smashed me into the barriers doesn't.

What do you guys think?

[Muzzer79]

Cheap racing in a lightly modified car already exists - there are series run for all sorts of production-spec cars, just add safety equipment.

Banger racing appeals to people because it's so basic and therefore so cheap. Cars are (were) cheap, pick up some scaffolding and hack it into a roll cage and you're more or less away.

The oval format is also there for a reason - speeds are relatively low therefore again reducing the safety requirement.

Could that cheap format be adapted to be no-contact? Well, IINM banger racing technically is no contact but the cheap nature of it means that there's plenty of 'rubbing'
It's not a demolition derby though.

[Truckosaurus]

The 'Lemons' series in the USA is pretty much what the OP suggests. Cheap cars with no glass and a welded in rollcage, running endurance length races with multiple drivers.

I suspect track hire fees (and MotorsportUK interference) would make it cost prohibitive over here.

[vx220]

IIRC Top Gear did something similar to what's being suggested?

[WosMyName]

Ref the speed , when I did some amateur banger racing in non tuned cars , 2nd gear was as fast as I went .

Did win a race too ,in 1987 , Brafield stadium Northampton .

[b0rk]

vx220 said:

IIRC Top Gear did something similar to what's being suggested?

They entered Britcar from memory back the series ran long endurance distances and accepted all classes in the main series. Britcar is still around with both an endurance and trophy championship.

[595Heaven]

We used to go and watch banger racing at Hednesford near Cannock when I was a child - brilliant fun to watch. Just searched and it is still open.

I also took part in one race not long after I started working for Rover Group, driving an old (even then) Austin Princess. Great fun but absolutely brutal!

[Milkyway]

I used to watch cars racing on the grass... no contact & classes for basically anything.
( And no brutal fences to cause any damage)

As Clarkeson said about the production rallycross... It’s Cheaper than golf.

Edited by Milkyway on Saturday 5th August 18:58

[vx220]

b0rk said:

vx220 said:

IIRC Top Gear did something similar to what's being suggested?

They entered Britcar from memory back the series ran long endurance distances and accepted all classes in the main series. Britcar is still around with both an endurance and trophy championship.

I seem to remember a Starion in a field?

[garybezz]

Chainsaw Rebuild said:

However if it was basically no contact and an actual race, would more people be interested? I certainly would - some cheap racing in a lightly modified car sounds great - regularly building a new car with cage, fuel bladder, netting etc because some ape has smashed me into the barriers doesn't.

What do you guys think?

Lots of ovals run some sort of cheap non-contact 'rod' formula.
They tend to run as a domestic formula ie. specific to each track with their own variations on a similar theme.
These are what run at Buxton Raceway local to me https://buxtonraceway.com/drivers/rules/1600openro...

[b0rk]

vx220 said:

I seem to remember a Starion in a field?

The cheap coupe challenge then, drive three old coupes around a prepared dirt course in field for many hours, winner does the most laps. Also magically add full safety equipment with no impact on the budget

From memory didn't "race" basically shag all three cars with them ending up as non runners.

[andy97]

b0rk said:

vx220 said:

IIRC Top Gear did something similar to what's being suggested?

They entered Britcar from memory back the series ran long endurance distances and accepted all classes in the main series. Britcar is still around with both an endurance and trophy championship.

And Britcar is very, very expensive.

[CanoeSniffer]

Autograss?

Circuit racing is very expensive, in any series.

[bigothunter]

CanoeSniffer said:

Autograss?

Circuit racing is very expensive, in any series.

But strong demand continues despite £400 per race entry fees. Easy to spend £2000 per meeting. Difficult to spend under £1200.

I wonder where all the money comes from, especially in these financially stretched times. We set up a small business solely to fund circuit racing. Unfortunately Covid killed both

[GlobalRacer]

bigothunter said:

But strong demand continues despite £400 per race entry fees. Easy to spend £2000 per meeting. Difficult to spend under £1200.

I wonder where all the money comes from, especially in these financially stretched times. We set up a small business solely to fund circuit racing. Unfortunately Covid killed both

Very easy to spend under £1200 (by a long way) a meeting. I, and many others, do it all the time.

[CanoeSniffer]

GlobalRacer said:

bigothunter said:

But strong demand continues despite £400 per race entry fees. Easy to spend £2000 per meeting. Difficult to spend under £1200.

I wonder where all the money comes from, especially in these financially stretched times. We set up a small business solely to fund circuit racing. Unfortunately Covid killed both

Very easy to spend under £1200 (by a long way) a meeting. I, and many others, do it all the time.

I’m averaging about £1000 a meeting self run with no bells and very few whistles, not sure where I could make it cheaper other than to run a car lighter on consumables etc. but having a wacky lairy car is part of the buzz for me.

I’m not sure where the money comes from either. Personally I am stretching like fook and I think I’m on limited time, I don’t know of many other people in the same predicament though

[bigothunter]

GlobalRacer said:

Very easy to spend under £1200 (by a long way) a meeting. I, and many others, do it all the time.

Work out what racing really costs £££

[GlobalRacer]

bigothunter said:

Work out what racing really costs £££

I know exactly what it costs. I've been doing it for over 10 years and I know exactly how much money I earn. It's all about how much you do. I don't pay anyone to do anything on my car, I camp at the circuit and take my own food. I use one set of tyres for the whole season and use Tesco fuel.

[bigothunter]

GlobalRacer said:

bigothunter said:

Work out what racing really costs £££

I know exactly what it costs. I've been doing it for over 10 years and I know exactly how much money I earn. It's all about how much you do. I don't pay anyone to do anything on my car, I camp at the circuit and take my own food. I use one set of tyres for the whole season and use Tesco fuel.

My first car race was at Castle Combe in 1979

[RB Will]

This is the only thing I can think of run as an actual event over here OP, without going down the route of DIYing it in a field.