Driving to events or towing??

[Davislove]

Hey guys,

I'm currently researching entering into club circuit racing.

The main drawback for me at the moment is the expense and storage of a tow car plus trailer for the race car.

The race car would be a hatchback (Fiesta etc), so in theory I would be able to drive the car to the events on the road right? How does this work out with insurance and is it practical? This way would reduce costs and eliminate the need for seperate tow car and trailer.

Any advice or experience would be appreciated.

Thanks

[pdV6]

One thing to consider would be: what happens when a racing incident leaves your racecar undriveable?

[jeremyc]

You might find a tow car useful to carry all of the spare parts/wheels/tyres/tools that need to accompany you to the meeting.

Also, as has been said before, you need to consider how to get yourself and the car home again if it is not roadworthy for any reason.

[daydreamer]

I have an Iveco Daily van that the car (Ginetta G20) can actually sit in the back of. This gives all sorts of advantages.

Essentially, the van operates as a mobile garage - so I can store the car in there overnight (or for weeks on end) if necessary. It also has plenty of room for all the bits and pieces that you have to take with you (spare tires, gearbox?, tools etc). Best of all, it will do 70mph on the way home, when the last thing you want to be doing is sitting at 50 on an empty motorway.

The van cost just over a grand - with another few hundred to convert it, buy aluminium channels for ramps, and fit some cubby holes etc. - so not a nightmare.

And echo the above - My car is presently missing the front half of the chassis after an incident at the weekend. Even if it was road legal, it wouldn't be driving anywhere . We also had a minor bump at Silverstone, which was easily fixed, but with a reasonable supply of tools to do so.

Rich

[jeremyc]

I thought that Rich (daydreamer) might contribute here - I was thinking of his latest dramas whilst posting.

If you have a garage for the race car then you have room for a trailer as well; simple park the car on the trailer in the garage and get some low-level ramps for working on it into the bargain.

There are many more reasons why you wouldn't be able to drive home from a meeting than there are for you to be able to safely get home.

>> Edited by jeremyc on Wednesday 23 June 13:13

[Davislove]

daydreamer said:

I have an Iveco Daily van that the car (Ginetta G20) can actually sit in the back of. This gives all sorts of advantages. Essentially, the van operates as a mobile garage - so I can store the car in there overnight (or for weeks on end) if necessary. It also has plenty of room for all the bits and pieces that you have to take with you (spare tires, gearbox?, tools etc). Best of all, it will do 70mph on the way home, when the last thing you want to be doing is sitting at 50 on an empty motorway. The van cost just over a grand - with another few hundred to convert it, buy aluminium channels for ramps, and fit some cubby holes etc. - so not a nightmare. And echo the above - My car is presently missing the front half of the chassis after an incident at the weekend. Even if it was road legal, it wouldn't be driving anywhere . We also had a minor bump at Silverstone, which was easily fixed, but with a reasonable supply of tools to do so. Rich

Cheers.......that is a great idea, do you reckon a Fiesta XR2 would fit in the back + tyres etc?

[griff2be]

A word of warning - trailers for cars bigger than Caterhams are usually too wide (and possibly too long) to fit in most domestic garages. The one for my Tuscan certainly is.

[daydreamer]

Davislove said:

Cheers.......that is a great idea, do you reckon a Fiesta XR2 would fit in the back + tyres etc?

No problems.

I'd post pictures, but haven't go access to upload them until the w/e. If you drop me an email via my profile, I'll send some pics from another guy who does the same thing.

Rich

[ehasler]

If you're looking for a bit of inspiration, why not wander around the paddock of a few club race meets - there are always some weird and wonderful ways that people transport their race cars!

I've seen everything from converted coaches and horse transporters, to smaller vans like daydreamer's one.

I would also advise on not driving your race car to the circuit - there are so many reasons why a towcar/van is better, and having also bent my race car against a barrier at 85mph after someone dumped a load of oil on the circuit, it's nice to have the option of just sticking it on the trailer and not have to worry about how you'll get home.

Brian James do a narrow trailer (Minno range)which is designed to fit in a normal garage, so this might be worth a look.

[Graham]

Davislove said:

Any advice or experience would be appreciated. Thanks

buy an old car/van and a trailer there will be days when you dont even want to look at the race car never mind drive it home....


AS has been said wander round a paddock for inspiration

[Davislove]

Graham said:

Davislove said: Any advice or experience would be appreciated. Thanks buy an old car/van and a trailer there will be days when you dont even want to look at the race car never mind drive it home.... AS has been said wander round a paddock for inspiration

I'm off to Brands Hatch on Saturday to watch the 750 MC to do just that!

[HiRich]

Davislove,

If you are thinking of enetering 750 Stock Hatch, trust me, you WILL NOT be driving the car home!

Seriously,
- A trailer might be expensive, but they hold their value well, and ultimately it will save you money.
- With a trailer, you know you can get home.
- As you will find at Brands (if the BBC forecasts are correct) weather protection of some form is a smart move.
- Whether you trailer with an estate, or convert a van, you will realise that you can carry loads of spares, tools and useful equipment, much of which you won't have thought you need yet.

We have a trailer and estate, plus an EZ-Up canopy. We carry all we need, make decent progress on the roads. A well-conceived van conversion might be a better option in some ways, but we're happy with the trailer for now. We may be trailer-trash to some of the paddock hardcore, but we do stay warm and dry, and we know we'll be sleeping in our own beds come Sunday night.

[Graham]

thats a good point about trailers..

ultimatley you want a covered trailer of some sort, i keep looking and drooling.

the car gets covered in so much sh1t on the trailer at the very lest you want the middle of the trailer boarded to keep the worst of the road muck at bay.

a lot of the guys also use the covered trailers as a base to work from if the weather turns nasty

G

[Davislove]

HiRich said:

Davislove, If you are thinking of enetering 750 Stock Hatch, trust me, you WILL NOT be driving the car home! Seriously, - A trailer might be expensive, but they hold their value well, and ultimately it will save you money. - With a trailer, you know you can get home. - As you will find at Brands (if the BBC forecasts are correct) weather protection of some form is a smart move. - Whether you trailer with an estate, or convert a van, you will realise that you can carry loads of spares, tools and useful equipment, much of which you won't have thought you need yet. We have a trailer and estate, plus an EZ-Up canopy. We carry all we need, make decent progress on the roads. A well-conceived van conversion might be a better option in some ways, but we're happy with the trailer for now. We may be trailer-trash to some of the paddock hardcore, but we do stay warm and dry, and we know we'll be sleeping in our own beds come Sunday night.

HiRich....cheers, never thought about the weather / road muck issue. It is the stock hatch i'm considering entering, have you had any experience of this championship? i've been researching costs etc, and a large portion of that seems to be getting to and from the events, but I agree that driving appears not an option in reality.

Ref the costs.......what do you reckon for engine rebuild on an XR2 and roll cage installation etc? I've some experience of the XR so it seems an idea starter and hope to do alittle of the work myself, off to Brands on saturday for some advice!!!

[Graham]

Davislove said:

what do you reckon for engine rebuild on an XR2 and roll cage installation etc? I've some experience of the XR so it seems an idea starter and hope to do alittle of the work myself, off to Brands on saturday for some advice!!!

Buy an existing race car you'll save a bundle even if its a dog and you end up transfering the bits to another car...

the little bits and bobs really add up if you start from scratch..

[ehasler]

I agree with Graham on both points - a covered trailer is fab (my car lives in a Brian James Sprint Shuttle at home, as well as a bunch of tools, awning, spare wheels etc...). I got really fed up with cleaning my Westfield before an event, then finding it covered in dirt and full of water once I arrived if it rained on the way!

You don't need to spend £££ on a hard top Brian James though, as some people have made their own frames and covers out of wood and plastic sheeting. Again - worth looking around race paddocks for ideas on this.

Also agree with Graham about buying an already built car. If you chat to the drivers in the series, you'll more than likely hear about cars coming up for sale towards the end of the season before they're advertised. You'll also get an idea of which cars are quick, reliable, well looked after and not crashed that often!

Each 750MC formula has a series rep, and they'd be the best person to approach for advice to start with.

Also, are you a member of the 750MC yet? They do a monthly mag which has a For Sale section, and you often get race cars up for sale here, especially towards the end of the season.

As you may have guessed, I race with the 750MC too, so if you have any other questions feel free to mail me!

[Davislove]

ehasler said:

I agree with Graham on both points - a covered trailer is fab (my car lives in a Brian James Sprint Shuttle at home, as well as a bunch of tools, awning, spare wheels etc...). I got really fed up with cleaning my Westfield before an event, then finding it covered in dirt and full of water once I arrived if it rained on the way! You don't need to spend £££ on a hard top Brian James though, as some people have made their own frames and covers out of wood and plastic sheeting. Again - worth looking around race paddocks for ideas on this. Also agree with Graham about buying an already built car. If you chat to the drivers in the series, you'll more than likely hear about cars coming up for sale towards the end of the season before they're advertised. You'll also get an idea of which cars are quick, reliable, well looked after and not crashed that often! Each 750MC formula has a series rep, and they'd be the best person to approach for advice to start with. Also, are you a member of the 750MC yet? They do a monthly mag which has a For Sale section, and you often get race cars up for sale here, especially towards the end of the season. As you may have guessed, I race with the 750MC too, so if you have any other questions feel free to mail me!

Covered trailer sounds a good idea as well, do you have a specific tow car or do you use you daily car? are there any issues with insurance regarding the towing?

Reference the race car, I see your point regarding buying an already built car, but part of the fun I hope will be developing my own car and working on it etc, probably an XR2, however, I could buy an already built car for my first season to gain experience and test the water a bit, ummmmm

[ehasler]

Davislove said:

Covered trailer sounds a good idea as well, do you have a specific tow car or do you use you daily car? are there any issues with insurance regarding the towing? Reference the race car, I see your point regarding buying an already built car, but part of the fun I hope will be developing my own car and working on it etc, probably an XR2, however, I could buy an already built car for my first season to gain experience and test the water a bit, ummmmm

I share a Freelander with my parents, so use this for towing my trailer.

No insurance issues, although the trailer and towed car aren't covered by the tow car policy. It is possible to buy extra insurance which does cover this, and more (tools etc...) - there are a couple of places that advertise in the 750MC mag.

Building your own car is certainly good fun, and a great way to learn what goes on, but does cost more than buying one that someone else has built.

Saying that, race cars normally require a lot more maintenance than road cars, so even if you don't build it yourself, it won't be long until you've had a fair amount of it in bits, especially if you race in Stock Hatch!

[HiRich]

DL,

Re: experience of the Stock Hatchers? They're a bunch of animals, and they happily admit it! Panel damage is not considered a risk, rather standard starting procedure. Having scared you, though, the series is pretty cheap - if you can't hammer a panel out, go down the breakers and find a replacement. If the shell gets damaged, buy a wreck and just transfer your roll cage and running gear in. I would recommend that you buy a car ready to race, at least for your first year. Most of your debut season will be about learning to drive decently, and learning what to do at a race meeting. At least you'll know how fast the car should be going

On trailers, I've always thought the BJ Shuttle was very expensive and not very well thought out. Sure it keeps the car dry, but if the canopy could be raised higher, and skirt sealed the canopy to the bed, you'd have a decent, waterproof office/workshop. For your first year, find the cheapest decent trailer you can. If you want it covered, design you own frame, bolt it on, and use some curtainsider material. With a bit of thought, you can make it do what you want (alternatively, sell it and buy a Shuttle - at least you will now know why you want it).

We don't race in Stock Hatch, but in the 750 Trophy, so we're on the same card. I'm a bit busy tomorrow, but pop in (my brother's Neil Hodges, in a yellow and blue Cooper F3), and I can do a bit of 'show-and-tell'

[Davislove]

All,

Just got back from the 750 meet at Brands.......

Wow, the stock hatches look like fun and its mad getting through that first corner!!

It appears there's a wide range of budgets, trailers, motor homes, I heard of £2000 spent on an XR2 engine alone!!

I think everyone I spoke to today reccommended buying a ready to race car second hand for the first season to get used to the racing and that sounds a good idea, also it does appear 95% of people trailer for the reasons mentioned here.

Overall I think I underestimated the commitment required in terms of time and prep etc for the race meetings from talking to people, i'd also like to do it with someone (ie friend / family) rather than travelling to the race meets on my own so I will have to consider this.

All in, I think I will be lucky to get ready for next season with my other commitments, but certainly will be looking to get ready for the season after that!!