Amatuer Racing - where to start?

[eddymon42]

Hi all,

 

I'm looking to get into some amatuer track racing for fun. Where do I start?

 

I'm looking at getting an old car and trying to maintain it myself (not my 350z!)

 

Any advice would be appreciated - the internet doesn't really offer much clear advice on the issue!

[Ekona]

Go get your ARDS National B licence test done first, if you haven't already. A good place to do it is Bedford, they're not overly strict there on the driving test part compared with somewhere like Silverstone.

 

Then go pick a race series! MX5 Championship is cheap but often over-subscribed, MR2 Championship slightly easier to get into but still full grids, or there's a ton of others. It's not cheap though, I reckon you're looking around £10K for a season including testing, parts, repairs, travelling, accommodation etc but still massively worth doing. I accept that number could be significantly lower or higher before anyone grabs me on it, I'm leaving it here purely as an average for the guy.

 

I don't follow much other club racing series, so there may well be better options out there, I'm sure the usual suspects will be by to add their knowledge to the mix as well soon.

[Keyser]

As he said ^^^^

 

Cost is the big thing, I'm hoping to get into a bit of hill climb as it seems to be a lot cheaper I'd love to race but don't think I can fund it at the moment.

[veilside z]

Or you could just go and drive one of the open car track days, certain circuits do.

[brillomaster]

if you just want a bit of friendly competition against a clock then the javelin sprint series is certainly the cheapest way to do it. thought about entering a few rounds myself but haven't got round to it yet.

 

http://www.javelinsprintdays.co.uk/JTSS/

 

then if you want actual wheel to wheel racing, MSV do a trackday trophy, which has a mix of cars grouped by class.

 

http://www.trackdaytrophy.co.uk/

 

after that you're in the mx5, mr2 or maybe stock hatch racing series, or maybe BMW championship, but they're all more money!

[RobPhoboS]

How much cash have you got to sling away ?

(I'm not being facetious)

 

We need autocross over here, sadly it'll never happen like it does in the States.

Edited May 20, 2016 by RobPhoboS

[AliveBoy]

If you want really cheap racing - but don't mind about it not being on a circuit - and the chance to go against the best of the best:

 

http://gymkhanagrid.com/

 

You'll need to be able to sling a car around, but it's genuinely cheap to do.

[brillomaster]

there are a few autosolo type events available as well, basically massive carpark, course laid out with cones. obviously not wheel to wheel stuff though.

 

Could always do a topgear and enter an rallycross event?

 

but as Rob says, what racing you do will be largely dictated by your budget. my budget for racing is non existent, so I do trackdays instead!

[Keyser]

there are a few autosolo type events available as well, basically massive carpark, course laid out with cones. obviously not wheel to wheel stuff though.

 

Could always do a topgear and enter an rallycross event?

 

but as Rob says, what racing you do will be largely dictated by your budget. my budget for racing is non existent, so I do trackdays instead!

 

Ahh we have that in common my budget is £0.00 as well.

[eddymon42]

Thanks for all the info guys.

 

I'd love to do the mr2 one as that I had one just over a year ago - nearly bought another I stead of the Z!

 

That is a very large budget to be throwing down though, thought it would be cheaper than that.

[brillomaster]

yep if theres one thing I know about motorsport is that it should never ever be considered cheap!

 

and also for me, the cost to track time ratio is terrible... you spend thousands on a car, a few more thousand making it competitive, a couple thousand more making it safe. then you spend a few thousand getting your license, helmet and fia approved firesuit. a competitive car is unlikely to be road legal, so that's another few thousand on a tow car and a decent trailer to get to events.

 

then to actually race you pay £500 entry fee, for which you get maybe 30 mins qualifying, and a 45 minute race. so that's several thousands of pounds for maybe an hour and a half on track. oh, and theres also a far greater risk of someone crashing into you and writing your car off, in which case you need to spend thousands more repairing it for the next race. its an expensive business!

 

i'd like to try racing, but trackdays offer so much more bang for your buck, even more so if you have a tow car and trailer already. And its serious fun spending peanuts on a car and being faster than things that cost ten times as much

 

 

[RickyZ]

Go Karting is cheap and fun and probably closer racing than you'll have in a car

[RobPhoboS]

That is a very large budget to be throwing down though, thought it would be cheaper than that.

 

Racing is horrendously expensive, yes it's exciting but unless you have thousands to sling at it, stick to track days/timed stuff (imho) and lessons, which you'd have to do anyway to get track skills up. (even then, it's still pricey)

You'll still get the smiles, have *some* money left to do other things, like eat\drink and what have you

[AliveBoy]

Just to put an actual monetary figure on it. When I was drifting, I was spending 6-700 or so a day (without entry). For the Nissan day at Donnington it was over £800 by the time I'd added in a hotel for the night before. I wasn't doing it at a high level by any means and I definitely wasn't spending the most. Drifting is considered a cheap motorsport too.

[350zedd]

Why not try rallying, beats driving around in circles all day!

[andy10v]

As above, what can you afford?

 

I have a mate who raced Caterhams, it was costing about £1000/event.

 

Initial car cost

trailer

tow car

tools

spares

tyres

brake pads

 

Also expect semi regular

 

Engine rebuild

gearbox rebuild

 

Wear rate is massive compared to road work, everything is getting hammered.

 

Also when it gets binned, if you cant afford somebody else to drive into the side of you and wreck the car in the first race....

 

Hillclimbs can be cheaper to get into if you are in a road class, also if there is a road class time attack series near you.

 

Still normally need

 

licence

suit

helmet

 

then your consumables

 

Being competitive can become expensive quickly, eg front runners with a new set of tyres per 20 min race! Engine rebuild every season etc.

[NeilMH]

Rallycross have a lower cost production class. If you look at the Rallycross bit of the BTRDA site there are a number of PDFs attached including the tech regs which are quite straightforward.

[Jetpilot]

A good mate of mine competes in the msa tarmac rally series, he does pretty well and has won the series a few times for his class, even won events outright and that is up against genuine ex wrc cars and escorts running millington engines which cost 4 times his car, just for an engine. He has used various cars, 205, davrian, gtm and is now building a mr2 mk3. I am sure he wont mind me saying he is not a wealthy man and competes on a low budget doing most of the spannering himself with the help of mates and because he is successful has managed to pick up some sponsors, but they mainly donate cheap parts more than actual £.

 

The thing that strikes me, away from the cost, is the sheer amount of time required, forgetting the time at the actual event its the hours and hours spent working on the car, fixing, improving, maintaining etc etc, he is forever in his garage or going to collect parts and also space required, car, trailer, spare wheels and tyres. A massive all round under taking.

 

Speak to Andy James ref hillclimb, as per Keyser, its probably the easiest and cheapest to get into.

 

Brillo also makes a very good point re entry costs and actual time on track, i was chatting with my mate mentioned above about booking a Goodwood track day, i mentioned its not cheap at £350 in August and he said he did a rally there, £250 entry fee and did about 45 miles.

Edited May 21, 2016 by Jetpilot

[ZEUS]

Do you need a medical and eye test for a car race license like you do for a motorbike?

[GMballistic]

Do you need a medical and eye test for a car race license like you do for a motorbike?

Not sure on the eye test but you definitely needed a medical exam from a Doctor last time I looked at getting a racing licence.

 

@Op ~ The MSA "Go Racing" pack is a good place to start: https://shop.msauk.org/product_details.asp?id=4023

[Ekona]

The medical includes a basic eye test.

[Linus27]

Civic Cup and VTEC challenge are all good entry racing but again, it's still going to cost lots of money.

[grahamc]

Have you done much track driving? Are you at a level where you could go to a new track, be relatively competitive and not a danger to the other drivers? If relatively inexperienced, then track days are the ideal start.

 

Im at the track days level and really enjoy it. Depending on the car you choose, even that can be expensive!! The GTR is just silly on tyres and brakes, hence why I moved to the MX5.

 

A good friend of mine does sprinting, but has not been having good luck with his car over the last few years.... 3 gearbox builds, 3 engine builds and now a 2nd head build. Not to mention, new FIA seats, suit, new turbo and the list really does go on.

 

I have always want to try RallyCross, looks like great fun, but the car that you use must be trailered as there is the potential for damage. So you need a tow vehicle as well.

 

It is not a cheap sport!!! Painful some days....

[Marcus01]

I have raced Mazda MX5 for the last season and a half in 5 club racing.

The earlier quoted figure of 10k for a season is accurate if you include test days a few trackdays and 8 race events Inc accommodation.

MR2 series also on 750mc calendar is similar money.

As to better value in trackdays etc, IMO 1 seasons racing is better than 5 years of trackdays, the 2 cannot be compared.

Trackdays are strictly controlled so as Billy in his road car can pretend he is going fast and let you past when he is ready.

Racing is strictly controlled so as you can push a car to the absolute limit and still squeeze past like minded individuals without contact.

Adrenalin levels on a trackday 3 out of 10, adrenalin levels in 1 make racing 10 out of 10.

One make racing is a true test of driving and temperament skills.

If you want to know more or introduction to MR2 racers let me know.

[HaydnH]

Maybe anyone interested could all go out and buy a car for < £500, then book several forum only track days and create our own mini series?