How much to race in formula ford.

[pwig]

Im wondering how much it costs to race in formula fords for a season?

[jamesc]

Hi,

What sort of Formula Ford and which championship?

[pwig]

Erm... the ones that support the Touring cars

[eric mc]

Is that the main FF British Championship? I would hazard a guess that you would need a minimum of £200,000.

Of course, there's nothing to stop you picking up a second hand Crossflow FF car for under £10,000 and taking part in one of the many club series (eg. SEMSEC).

>> Edited by eric mc on Monday 15th September 09:17

[Rob Barff]

£200,000 is much more like a Formula Renault budget.

£85,000 plus VAT would get you a good drive in the UK Formula Ford Championship.

A much less expensive option is a seat in the BRDC Single Seater Championship - £30,000 will get you a full season of 'arrive and drive' racing around the country in identically prepared Van Diemen Zetec engined race cars.

Or you could go down the 'buy and run your own car' route....

>> Edited by Rob Barff on Monday 15th September 10:05

[eric mc]

Motor Racing is not as expensive as I thought!

Rob - were you the "instructor" at the Caterham Day organised at Silverstione on 1 March this year? If so, thanks for the advice. It was an excellent day out.

>> Edited by eric mc on Monday 15th September 10:14

[Graham]

you could also start with the silverstone race school winter series

6 races and 3 practice sessions


from 3.5k in a formula first to 5.5k in a fford zetec

looks like good value. if only one round didnt clash with thruxton in the taz...

[Rob Barff]

Indeed the SRS Winter Series is good value for money.

And yes, I was the briefing instructor on the Caterham event earlier in the year. I'm glad you enjoyed it. More days like that are being planned by Evo for next year....

[eric mc]

Looking forward to doing some.

I saw you race in the first round of the GT series at Donnington in April. Cracking drive.

[pwig]

Hmmm interesting! Cheers.

[daydreamer]

Graham said:

you could also start with the silverstone race school winter series 6 races and 3 practice sessions from 3.5k in a formula first to 5.5k in a fford zetec looks like good value. if only one round didnt clash with thruxton in the taz...

Another thing to note is that the practice sessions have instruction built in - so a very good place to start.

Not sure about the 'damage not included', smallprint on the invitation though - although that is motorsport.

pwig - if you haven't raced before do the 5 day intensive race school at Silverstone first (which curiously lasts for four days). Here you will get tonnes of track time (formula ford, skid pan, protons on the bigger circuits etc), excellent instruction, a race licence and a couple of races (on the fifth day).

At just over £3k it is 'for nothing' bearing in mind what you get (although my bank balance didn't feel that way), you get to find out if you really enjoy the wheel to wheel stuff, or you would be happy with track days, and get some sort of idea what you want to do next. And - you will also find out if you are any good!

[Graham]

well it looks like im going to sign up to do part of the winter series.

they've given us a good offer to split it between 2 drivers, with us both testing and racing at stowe, one of us doing rockingham and the other silverstone national.

i asked about damage and apparently you are responsible for the first 1500 quid in parts only for accident damage. which seems reasonable.

anyone up for the Full Series

[daydreamer]

Very tempted, but have already exceeded my 'budget' for the year by some amount, and am looking to buy either a Ginetta or a 2L FF for next year. Any suggestions anyone?

[jamesc]

The Ginetta G20 cup is very cost effective. £10500 + vat for the car (new) and £5000 running costs.

James

[Graham]

jamesc said:

£10500 + vat for the car (new) James

and about the same in bonnets if Croix was anything to go by

[racingdick]

F3 Championship: 350-400K
F3 Scholoship: 200-250k
Formula Renault: 150k
Formula Ford Snr: 120k
Formula Ford Jnr: 85k
Formula Zip: 65k

[The DJ 27]

I think you could pick up an old FF car for about £4000 or so and do a season of Pre'87 North West (Champion of Oulton) FF1600 for about another £2000 on top of that in running costs. And that is a fanastically competitive championship with great wheel to wheel racing. Last weekend something like 5th to 12th was covered by two and a half seconds at one point. Anyone car to shed more light on budgets for that type of championship, because I'd love to give it a go

[Graham]

The DJ 27 said:

Last weekend something like 5th to 12th was covered by two and a half seconds at one point.

tasmins are down to less than that at some points.....


in qually the other day 4th to 10th was 2 tenths..... guess who was 2 tenths down bugger....

[daydreamer]

Well, I'm going to see what these guys are about next weekend at Mallory, and then to the Ginetta meet (or the meet that the Ginettas are at) the weekend after at Donnington to try and help make a decision.

All I want is real close no excuses (i.e. all the cars are the same) racing at minimal cost - is that really too much to ask .

Rich

[Graham]

the monposto is a good way to go slicks and wings, but it is a multi class structure which tends to lead to full grids but not as close racing, and if your in a lower class no chance of a flag win and almost certain lapping.

If you want good close racing with matched cars you want a single make single class series like the Ginettas or even the tasmins.

both of these series seem to have similar costs and some very close racing.

if your about on saturday i think both the ginettas and tasmins are out at rockingham if you do look out for a pink taz and drop in for a chat

G