172 Cup Racer, 172 Rally Car and Clio 200 Race Car

[Clio80]

Ive had the white and orange clio for a good few years now and my mate and i bought it just to use as a Nurburgring car but you now how things snowball! We then converted it for racing and used it in the Track Day Trophy in their first year and i lead the first race in the wet at Brands and we finished 3rd overall after the driver change! We then slowly added bits to it like cup racer rear shocks, Gaz Golds, Comp Brake 4pots and just carried on having loads of fun it it! We now do a few single venue rallies in it which sadly its totally out classed as it falls in the 1600 to 2.0 class against 300bhp Escorts and 306 Maxi Kit cars etc! At Brands a couple of years ago we were 10th in class and 18th overall and this year we got 19th overall and 9th in class but we were the 3rd FWD home behind a ex 172 Cup Racer with 240bhp and a 306 Maxi Kit Car! We did the Cadwell Stages last year and were 4th in class and around 20th or lower cant remember!

When we first were using the car it was plain silver then it went multi coloured and now is white and orange in Meridian Motorsports colours as my friend that owns the car with me is now part owner of that company.

BMWrace_5-L by sickash, on Flickr

BX8R0445 by sickash, on Flickr

cliospeedline by sickash, on Flickr

IMG_4785 by sickash, on Flickr

brally2 by sickash, on Flickr

MGJ_BH_120113_D101976 by sickash, on Flickr

Then because we love how the Clio 172 does everything we were offered a 172 Cup Racer at the right money with plenty of spares and wheels and tyres so we had to buy it and we are going to both drive it in the Team Trophy this year and i might do a few rounds in the QMN. Its an orignal Cup Racer that was used in the Euro Saloons a few years ago then sat up for a couple of years and i have only used it once in the Track Day Trophy at Snet 300 in the invatation class where we qualified 22nd because the windscreen kept misting up had the heated screen turned on but then turns out that the heated screen is no longer fitted lol. So i started made my way through the field on the first lap up into the top ten by Coram then got a tank slapper on because of cold rears and collected a 205 and we both spun out! I was then on a mission and made my way back up through the field to lead the race after having a good little battle with Icemans 182, then one of the Meridian Motorsports paying drivers took over from me and and dropped back to 9th and i held fastest lap! Cant wait to get out it in this year and use it on slicks in the QMN!

DSC_4496 by sickash, on Flickr

DSC_4518 by sickash, on Flickr

DSC_4484 by sickash, on Flickr

engine by sickash, on Flickr

Then finally i have been lucky enough to have a drive in this Clio 200 which i have been asked to drive in the Barcelona 24hrs, we were aiming for the Britcar 24hrs but Britcar are robbing B*******s and what far to much money for everything so we have changed direction and are heading out to Europe where everything is much better value for money! For example for the same money for a Britcar 90 minute race you can do a 4hr race at the Nurburgring for less money!!!!!

In the 200 i did one Team Trophy event at Anglesey and lead that briefly before being pushed off by a Honda Integra but finishing 3rd overall 2nd in class, then we headed out for the Britcar night race where the conditions were horrible but on proper wets and avoiding the racing line there was plenty of grip and was cracking fun! We managed 11th overall and 2nd in class!

brit by sickash, on Flickr

brit2 by sickash, on Flickr

britcar4 by sickash, on Flickr



Bring on 2013! Keep track of me on Ashely Davies Motorsport on Facebook and check out my videos on youtube http://www.youtube.com/user/sickash

 

[BIGASH]

Haha that cup racer is still advertised on Race cars direct I was only looking at it this morning!

Plans sounds good and good luck for this season

 

[Clio80]

Cheers Ash was it your car on the French Car Mag stand up at the NEC ?

 

[BIGASH]

No mate, Mine is undergoing a rebuild/ rethink

 

[SharkyUK]

Congrats on the results and racing so far mate - thanks for posting up. I won't pretend to know how much it costs to run and enter race series but the Britcar sounds an expensive one to do. Look forward to the updates.

 

[Clio80]

To do a 90min race in Britcar this year its 885 + vat :banghead:

 

[SharkyUK]

To do a 90min race in Britcar this year its 885 + vat :banghead:

Ouch - that's a lot, especially on top of everything else.

 

[BIGASH]

To do a 90min race in Britcar this year its 885 + vat :banghead:

I was speaking with David at Britcar this morning and he said £665+vat for the 5 normal rounds! I think the 1000km is very overpriced however.

 

[Advikaz]

We looked at doing the Brit 24.

Yeah we didn't do it.

 

[BIGASH]

The 24hr is a bargain compared to the 1000km (6hr) it seems to me!

 

[Advikaz]

Swear it was something like 10k for the entry from memory.

 

[BIGASH]

Ouch 24hr entry the other year was 5k ish +vat so I was told, so £3.50 a minute. The 6hr works out at £9.15+vat a minute! As Clio80 says races like some of VLN, and the European 24HR's are much better value for money and most of the entry fee's include transport!

 

[Advikaz]

I don't know if it's different as to what class they put you in?

Strange how it works isn't it with regards to racing in europe.

 

[Bobby.]

Brilliant write up, very interesting.

 

[BIGASH]

I don't know if it's different as to what class they put you in?

Strange how it works isn't it with regards to racing in europe.

Yes come to think of it I think it does for the 24HR

Yeah it is but I think it's becoming alot more popular recently and will continue to do so!

 

[Chip-mk1]

Some very cool cars there, thanks very much for sharing

Still some places left on the llandow trackday in march if you fancy coming and showing them off!

 

[Tony Hunter]

LOL Chip, beat me to it.

Nice cars you have there.

 

[Clio80]

Yeah thats if you register for the whole championship and i think that is 260+vat then 50 per driver on top of that!

I was speaking with David at Britcar this morning and he said £665+vat for the 5 normal rounds! I think the 1000km is very overpriced however.

 

[Fred@BTM]

i've been looking at the 48hr race they're doing in Spain http://maxiendurance48.com/ that would be bonkers!

 

[Clio80]

Meridian Motorsport will have all the cars at Oulton Park on the 6th of Feb for the Trackday and Team Trophy press days! If i can get out of work ill be up there in the Yellow one hopefully that will be stickered up like the old Lagua BTCC livery.

The rally car will be there and we are looking to hire it in the Track Day Trophy so for a fee im sure you could test it that day if you wanted to race next year!

 

[BIGASH]

Yes that could be the case mate Which races abroad are you thinking of? Do you know what the time penalty is in Britcar for sequential gearbox? I forgot to ask

 

[Clio80]

We didnt get a penalty i think they apply them as success penaltys in the drivers briefing it was only certain cars that had to pit for longer, no mention of the sequential box.

We are going to do the VLN 4 Hr at the Nurburgring on the 22nd of June just booked the cottages! then the Barcelona 24hr in Sept

 

[BIGASH]

Awesome the VLN will be good fun I imagine! Lots of setup work I imagine to swap from a quick Ring car to a quick car around Barcelona! Best of luck and look forward to seeing how you get on

 

[Clio80]

The Clio 200 is set up nicely now for Brands, Snet etc ive been told they run a longer softer damper insert for the Ring by the Renault Sport bloke. Then on spekaing to James May who was out in a Clio at the Britcar 24hr (who brake a cam belt) that they did a VLN race and didnt change anything!

So if we can get the other dampers i would think its just the rears that need to be changed, also my mate who i bought the yellow 172 from thinsk that the ex Palmer Clios have a different rating to the true Clio Cup cars (which is what the Clio 200 is)

 

[Clio80]

Also with the my Clio 172 Rally car ive got the old matched inlets off the Yellow 172 to go on it, is it possible to break into the orignal Clio ECU for a re map or does it need a piggy back system on it? We want to try and keep costs down and want to keep it as reliable as possible it ust needs abit more get up and go! I know that throttle bodies are the way to go but thats a big chunk of money and time!

 

[Chip-mk1]

Standard ecu can be remapped, in fact for just a set of matched inlets and a decent exhaust even an RS Tuner map should work well enough. You can apply this yourself.

 

[MG cup]

If the mk3's are the same as 1*2's then there was two setups for the suspension of "Cup" and "Nurburgring" that was available in the german championship including other parts that no other european championship run like Alcon front callipers. The cup was the stiffest with stronger springs front and back and stiffer shocks on rear. Nurgurgring was softer springs and the rear dampers were originally painted yellow. If you ask r-sport London they will tell you there is only one set of inserts that are actually shared with the current cup racers so if you want new inserts for your 1*2 racer then you will actually be fitting the same as the 197 and 200's, they have had slightly improved damping throughout the evolution of the cars. If you want anything better then you need to speak to ohlins that will do adjustable inserts at £750 + vat a corner. Other than that, see eibach for some softer springs, you will get away with a reduction in poundage with the current shockers.

Afaik palmer sport cars were built by themselves and varied in many ways to the proper r-sport cars, they never had the same wheels, engine tune, electrics amongst other parts is what I have heard.

 

[Clio80]

The Car we are taking to the Ring is the ex Palmer Clio 200

That already has the Alcon front brakes which are excellent!! Thanks for the advice it was the guy from R Sport that told us about the Nurburgring set up so im sure he can just supply what is needed!

Cheers

 

[MG cup]

If you find a part number could you pass it on to me pleasenas the parts guy at r-sport London doesn't know about them.

 

[Clio80]

Will do!

 

[Clio80]

Here is the new livery on the Cup Racer testing at Brands on Monday! Still cant get the flat shift to work in every gear spot on! Sometimes its happy doing and sometimes it wont release early enough! Ive tried different shimms in the flat shift sesnor! Then my mate was driving and the release bearing broke! the two plastic fingers broke off! Not an easy job dropping the box out compared to RWD escorts!

DSC_5286_1 by sickash, on Flickr

DSC_5183_1 by sickash, on Flickr

 

[D4RREN]

Testing at brands on monday, might stop by and watch on my lunch break
Was you there on monday just gone (18.02) in the orange and white, im sure it was you i saw there?

 

[Wayne-G]

Awesome thread, looking forward to seeing how you get on in the races this year, you seem to have had some decent results so far

 

[Clio80]

Yeah had the White and Orange one there aswel! My friend hired that car for the day for his nephew for his 21st bday so i was instructing in that with him then i let some of the boys who help out on the race meetings have a drive of it too!! I was out in the Cup Racer and my mate who i share the car with was also out in it and he was drinign when the release bearing broke!

What were you in?? Should have come said hello!

 

[Breamy]

Remember seeing the multi coloured one in germany last may!

 

[D4RREN]

I thought it must have been you, its not like you see clios in them colours everyday.
I was in the silver 172 and my mate was in the silver 182
Was a fairly fast paced day (bloody fiestas)

Ill come and say hi next time

 

[Stu-]

We were at the ring in 2011 at the same time!

 

[sonny172cup]

Love the cup racer, could price as well.

 

[Clio80]

Those photos were from the Ring trip i went out on with a broken shoulder and my mate was using the Clio and i went to Holland on the Saturday to pick up a Mk2 Escort i had bought! Luckily it was LHD and auto! Did a lap in it hahaha

302416_10150305656601946_223868051_n by sickash, on Flickr

 

[Wayne-G]

haha Thats epic ^ Absolutley huge fan of mk2's, you kept it standard or changed a few things? The shell looks clean from the outside, was there much rust underneath?