First steps- Youve done quite a few track days.... then what?

[chris blue]

So- having done a few full track days, and quite a few track sessions over the last couple years- whats the next step if you fancy racing someone, rather than getting black flagged for doing it on a track day?

Maybe purchasing a Race ready vehicle (Clio of course) and then deciding hill climbs or race events?
Everything in the vehicle has to be race ready and certified i am guessing- then a licence, which I believe you just pay a few quid for the start off.

What do you need to do- someone elighten me?
I fancy racing (You cant on trakc days obvs) but are there starter events etc etc?
Can you do as a 1 man band, or need a few mates to help?

Comments on vehicle safety requirements, clothing, insurances, etc etc would be welcome

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Learn drifting? Racing is less appealing when you know what everything costs IMO. No one does it solo either and unless you've got deep pockets for your engine you're incredibly unlikely to have a chance at winning anything.

 

[shiftspark]

As said you will need deep pockets for racing say £300 event fee plus fuel,tow car fuel,food , a place to stay a weekend away from home etc etc etc there are a few threads on here like @Russ Rallye @Tony Hunter to look through.
I do sprints and hill climbs as that's all I can afford and that's £1000 per year on event fees where you will see 5 miles per event if you are lucky.
What ever you do there's lots of info on cs.

 

[chris blue]

As said you will need deep pockets for racing say £300 event fee plus fuel,tow car fuel,food , a place to stay a weekend away from home etc etc etc there are a few threads on here like @Russ Rallye @Tony Hunter to look through.
I do sprints and hill climbs as that's all I can afford and that's £1000 per year on event fees where you will see 5 miles per event if you are lucky.

Well, at least that pricing level dont put me off too much- other than getting the vehicle in first place

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

I helped my cousin with the first series he did. Was easily £1k per weekend including all of the above. That's not including bumps to the car or countless new windscreens. You can pay for a very nice car and several track days per year with a budget racing fund.

Saying that, I find little enjoyment being under a car fixing things. And I imagine most people that do it on here do very much enjoy the spanners and working toward a race car is just that bit more fun than working toward a track car (I imagine).

 

[chris blue]

I helped my cousin with the first series he did. Was easily £1k per weekend including all of the above. That's not including bumps to the car or countless new windscreens.

Was that a first look experience? IE his first year costs at having a go?

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Was that a first look experience? IE his first year costs at having a go?

Yep. Lots of help around him with experience etc. He only ever ended up spending more tbh, last time I spoke to him he showed me some pics/vids from a season he did in a Porsche cup (think it was GT3 cars) so not a good role model for trying to do racing on any sort of budget.

 

[chris blue]

East Sussex ^^^^
Can i ask where Jeff simply ? (or have i already)

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Down the road from you. We've already done this

 

[chris blue]

Down the road from you. We've already done this :tongueout:

Ah right. Remind me- where down road?

PS. Town i live in, is on my profile avatar (Or whatever its called on the left )

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Round the corner from Waitrose (Hove).

 

[mattf4r]

ARDS licence needed for most things.

Ktec clio championship or something similar but need to have some cash behind you.

EDIT: more info on the KTCC http://www.750mc.co.uk/formulae/clio-series.htm

Car/safety wise you'll need an MSA approved cage, seat, harness, plumbed in fire system, cut off etc basic things on the car. Then you'll need the kit for yourself so fireproof suit, helmet, gloves, boots and possibly a HANS device if they are manditory which I think they are.

In the ktec championship it's largely regulated to keep the playing field level. You can build something to race in this for about £5/6k if you're handy. Example of one for sale: http://www.750mc.co.uk/classifieds,renault-clio-182_16088.htm

Engine
The only permitted engine is the Renault Clio 182 type F4R 738, K-Tec Racing control series ECU.
Suspension
K-Tec coilovers. Spring rates are free.
Wheels
Team Dynamics Pro Race 1.2. Drivers will be able to purchase the wheels direct from the manufacturer; Rimstock for a special price of just £65 per wheel.
Brakes
Discs may be standard or standard pattern and be of standard diameter and thickness. Racing pad material.
Transmission
Standard gearbox must be retained. Standard gearbox ratios must be retained.
Limited slip differentials are not permitted.
Chassis
6 point bolt in rollcage only. Cars must be identical in specification to the Clio 182 Cup model (CB22)
​

A friend of friend races in the Civic Cup which ran alongside 750MC days that the ktec championship run on and it looks like great fun. Civic cup is moving to a BTCC support series for the coming year though

 

[bob the builder]

I started racing 3 years ago in the tricolore trophy (track attack race club) and would never go back to track days.
basically to race the basic requirements are a full cage (approx £1000) . race seat £100 , harness in date £110 , fire extinguisher with pull cables £100 , battery cut off £50 , race suit £200 , helmet with hans posts £200, hans device £200 , boots and gloves £100, race licence/ards test 230, think that's it really as regards being msa compliant.

 

[JB21]

How much is maintenance and repair though? These series the Clios race in have a fair amount of contact. Someone of here recently got took out off the line and sure it was cheaper to reshell with minimal rear quarter damage than repair...

Looks like an expensive hobby as a novice at the back or mid pack.

Timed laps racing against myself suits me at the minute...and it's free :smile:

 

[mattf4r]

How much is maintenance and repair though? These series the Clios race in have a fair amount of contact. Someone of here recently got took out off the line and sure it was cheaper to reshell with minimal rear quarter damage than repair...

Looks like an expensive hobby as a novice at the back or mid pack.

Timed laps racing against myself suits me at the minute...and it's free :smile:

It's all part and parcel of racing, cars get put on the line. Most people doing it either have a large wallet or the skills to fix most issues. A full re shell would be rare IMO unless it's a bad smash, I've known people to roll these clios and be back out for race 2 in the afternoon. Having said that you will need basically a full donor car of parts to play it safe

 

[bob the builder]

to be fair in our series it is rare for any bad contact (but does happen). in my 3 years all I have had to replace through accident damage is a rear beam, track rod and a door.

 

[colesy]

I race an MG ZR in the MG Trophy championship, costs about £13000 a season to run over 6 round 12 races. That includes everything I need to go racing during the season;
Race entries
Running the car with a team
Pre weekend tests
Tyres
Consumables
Hotels
Fuel for van and race car etc but excluding any damage.
That sees me being competitive in class and won a race and podium last season.
When I started it cost;
£500 for my ards test
£1000 for the kit
£6500 for the Car
£1800 for a trailer
£3000 for a van
£400 for trailer test.
Luckily I’ve got some sponsors that keep me racing but it does get expensive very quickly.

 

[Advikaz]

Racing is expensive and will eat up your spare time..

First off you’ll need to decide what series you want to do, then purchase a vehicle eligible.

Get your race licence sorted, you can do it at most race circuits. You’ll need a go racing pack from the MSA

 

[Steven103]

How standard is the standard-ish class in Tri Color? Tech regs wise?

Yes the ktec series is probably the fairest playing field on offer & bigger grids, but the startup costs & I assume entry fees are higher.

If you’re not fussed on Clios, there are plenty of very popular spec series for MX5, Hyundai coupes etc

 

[chris blue]

Timed laps racing against myself suits me at the minute...and it's free :smile:

Do you do that on a track day- How?
Just wait for a long gap bewteen vehicles when pulling out

I find there is always a few real slowies on track that look like they are out for a Sunday afternoon drive (MX5's and Classics usually)

 

[chris blue]

Round the corner from Waitrose (Hove).

you ever do track days Jeff? (Or we had this conversation too

 

[bob the builder]

the production class in tri is no mods what ever really, just camber bolts / shims and some springs. the production plus class is no engine mods but most of everything else is free

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

you ever do track days Jeff? (Or we had this conversation too

I do indeed. Not many mind you. But I've done brands a couple of times along with Oulton and Donnington.

 

[JB21]

Do you do that on a track day- How?
Just wait for a long gap bewteen vehicles when pulling out

I find there is always a few real slowies on track that look like they are out for a Sunday afternoon drive (MX5's and Classics usually)

I just use the basic racechrono app on my old iphone...see below just ignore the speedo as it needs better GPS attachments to get live speedo data. I don't even bother with the camera now just have the lap data. I just leave the phone in my glove box for each session and check times after. Some rig the phone in the dash and have live times as you go around but you need to be careful with this as some tracks really frown upon timing. Harrys lap timer is another option.

 

[chris blue]

I do indeed. Not many mind you. But I've done brands a couple of times along with Oulton and Donnington.

Will have to hook up on track sometime. I am planning Castle combe on 7th April, Lydden May 7th , FCS July, Blyton Aug 25th, and a couple designated full days at Brands and Lydden, so far.

 

[Tony Hunter]

To answer a question.
Production class in Tricolore Trophy, means production.
Roll age
Fire extinguisher
Battery cut off.
That's it.
Adam Fittings used to drive to an event, race, then drive home with air con.
He had great fun, and won that class a few times to.
Forget being at the front.

 

[Knuckles]

Ginetta have released a package which buys you your license, the car, a support team and transport/spares for the car as well as entry into all the races for a season.

They say it’s ‘affordable racing’ hmmm

https://www.ginetta.com/g40-grdc

 

[JB21]

£35k for 4 weekends....affordable, lol.

 

[massiveCoRbyn]

It's all relative. £35k is nothing to a lot of people.

Plenty of ways to get into motorsport for semi sensible money. I always thought the ktec championship looked a bit expensive. One make series which use control parts always risk being like that though. The production class in the Tricolor Trophy looked reasonable value I thought. The regs were tight but they didn't specify what parts you had to fit.

If you can't afford to race, there are autotests, auto solos, targa rallies, road rallies, sprints etc etc. There are so many options if you want something with a competitive element.

Javelin run their own sprint series with various classes to suit different budgets.

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

£35k for 4 weekends....affordable, lol.

42k with the VAT lol!

I suppose you could sell the car on after a year to get a bit back....providing you hadn't stuffed it into the armco lol

 

[STEVE.M]

£35k for 4 weekends....affordable, lol.

That`s OK then.
Can you get me one too?

 

[Tony Hunter]

Ginetta have released a package which buys you your license, the car, a support team and transport/spares for the car as well as entry into all the races for a season.

They say it’s ‘affordable racing’ hmmm

https://www.ginetta.com/g40-grdc

I know, I looked into it for next year.

 

[Ex-User (19928)]

Do you get to keep the car?

 

[JB21]

Yeah you get to keep it, with that it's not bad at all.

 

[Sam Linssner]

So- having done a few full track days, and quite a few track sessions over the last couple years- whats the next step if you fancy racing someone, rather than getting black flagged for doing it on a track day?

Maybe purchasing a Race ready vehicle (Clio of course) and then deciding hill climbs or race events?
Everything in the vehicle has to be race ready and certified i am guessing- then a licence, which I believe you just pay a few quid for the start off.

What do you need to do- someone elighten me?
I fancy racing (You cant on trakc days obvs) but are there starter events etc etc?
Can you do as a 1 man band, or need a few mates to help?

Comments on vehicle safety requirements, clothing, insurances, etc etc would be welcome

This is where I am at the moment. Startup cost is pretty big as i'm finding out. You need to buy a fair bit of gear. Ive been looking at Tricolore and Tin Tops and a weekend seems to be around £300/350 for entries and you have membership fees. That said selling parts is easy if you decide to stop so looking at it that way you wont loose to much money.

 

[Matt555]

I'm also looking at this, though wont be using the 197 so have bought a 172 to convert. Just looking at series options at the mo - likely either production class in the tricolore or do a years sprinting first and see how it goes from there.

Car was cheap as, next biggest costs will be cage, and buying a trailer and doing my trailer licence. Working on thr idea that the car and trailer will be sellable if it all goes pear shaped