James N

iTrader: (10)

Hi everyone,
I've done several track days, & i'm really fancying a go of a proper race series, as i was considering stripping out the Scooby for a track toy anyway & using a sensible daily.
Now i've thought of a few options, let me know your opinion on these;
Use the Impreza for Sprints
Buy an MR2 for the MR2 challenge series
Maybe the Nippon series (again, in the impreza)
& thats all i could think of! I don't want to go in a series that is entirely won by budget & i think the Nippon series may be a bit that way, also maybe the sprinting.
The MR2 series looks good, the regulations mean everyone is in a similar car & i could leave the car road legal (ish) to use for trackdays/nurburgring trips if i felt like it.
I can't justify having the Impreza, a daily & a car to race, so if i bought an MR2 my Impreza would have to go.
However i love my impreza which is why the Sprint series looked fun, could keep the impreza road legal & only use it occasionally for the trackdays etc?
Any suggestions on what may be a good plan? Cost isn't really too much of an issue, although the cheaper the better as i'll probably break it pretty quick & i'll do all the work to prep the car myself.
If anyone has experience with any of the above events let me know.
I'm especially interested in the Sprint as i'm not sure how much fun it'll be driving round on my own..
Thanks guys,
James

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

Have you got a race license yet James?

You'll need an ARDS group B license for any basic race series or event

http://www.clubmsv.com/car-home/ards.aspx

James N

iTrader: (10)

Already done mate, but thanks
Useful link for anyone else looking at this.
Been watching a few videos of sprint events.. They look a lot of fun actually!
Do you race Hamster?

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Sprints

Hillclimb - e.g. Harewood

Caterham - that does cost but feels like a proper race series with manufacturer support

James N

iTrader: (10)

Hi Trout,
I'd LOVE to race Caterhams, but that really is a lot of money
Have you tried sprints? The videos look great actually.
Also never thought of hill climbs, have you tried those?
Thanks mate,
James

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

No mate, just trackdays and Nurburgring in my Impreza.

I dont have the funds to do it but if I did i'd proberbly start with an MSV license day and get some advice from them. Hillclimbing or some sort of club racing would be my start, no big budget ego's to contend with.

James N

iTrader: (10)

Much the same as me, done loads of trackdays, including the Nurburgring & i love the car on track. Hill climbs/ sprints actually look a lot of fun, as long as I can figure out all these bloody rules & regulations to tell what i can & cant do to my car!!

davyboy

What's your annual budget? 20k per year?

Trout

iTrader: (1)

Not recently, but my friend Mr Darley has - P20 SPD on here - check out his season at Harewood.

http://lateralperformance.co.uk/page.php/news

James N

iTrader: (10)

Davyboy, 20k a year is in theory possible, although i'd like to spend considerably less, i know i could do Sprints or MR2 challenge a LOT cheaper than that. In short, i certainly don't plan on spending that sort of money for my first year!
Trout, that Lateral Impreza is the one in Banzai mag (Or was it Japanese performance?) recently? That things looks soo bloody quick!!

GC8

Never underestimate the cost of racing.

By the way Hamster, when you say 'ARDS group B licence', I think youre meaning that you need to pass an ARDS course and then apply to the MSA for a Race National B licence.

Speed is cheaper, but even though it costs more, Race is better value when you look at the actual track time. In a Speed event you might only get a couple of practices and one timed run. In a Race event youll get practice and then ten laps of a circuit.

James N

iTrader: (10)

I know for speed/sprint etc i don't need the ARDS as thats only required with other cars on track.
I was thinking a year of sprinting which i think would help me improve my technique greatly then maybe on to MR2 challenge.
The main thing putting me off Race events is the fact that if I want to use the Impreza i'm looking at a huge amount of money to be even slightly competitive. I know sprinting won't be cheap, but it should be a bit cheaper than racing.
I'm not underestimating the cost, i know its expensive, but its something I really want to do
GC8, if you have any other suggestions of what i may enjoy that isn't a massive budget then please let me know, any suggestions at all would be good. I'm sure theres loads of series i have overlooked..
James

GC8

Porsche Club Speed Championship. Usually a modified car will move you inot a class where you will be uncompetitive without spending a lot of money. The PCSC is for modified cars and their 'unmodified' rules are extremely lax and only really to enable people to modify their cars without the need to fit cages, extinguishers and cut outs. 'Unmodified' cars can be extensively modified as long as they still have seats and trim and upping the power just moves you up through the class structure, as does fitting slick tyres (by one class).


Simon

the hamster

iTrader: (7)

Yes mate, thats the one. I just linked to the ARDS test as a starting point

Leslie

I started off in what used to be called Club Racing, ie the meetings and races were organised by the BRSCC or BARC as well as occasionally local clubs. We raced in national championships.

I started with an elderly Lotus lX which I re-designed and built the front and rear suspension and though it was a pretty disreputable looking machine it won its class in my first year in one of the championships.

Because I was doing it all on my salary with no sponsorship, I had to design and build my own Gp6 sports racer. It was a pretty fast car and I had a lot of fun with it. I earned my international racing licence in that class.

Sports car racing died a death for lack of sponsorship so I got an ex formula two single seater car and had a lot of fun in formula libre racing until I stopped. I built my own engines as well and wound up with a 1300cc BDA which I turbocharged and was getting around 265 BHP at 11,000 rpm.

Without sponsorship, which was almost non existent, it was very expensive to pay other people to build a car as well as an engine and gearbox. Most people were DIY acts and it was surprising how you could pick up second hand but serviceable bits cheaply if you went round the big racing teams during the week. I got all the parts for the BDA engine and an FG400 Hewland gearbox with full set of ratios for peanuts! The chassis was built out of mild steel tubing after I taught myself to weld with Nickel bronze and using Brabham magnesium uprights for the suspension and Girling racing brakes etc.

If you have got pots of cash then you can afford to buy a ready built car and engine etc. and choose whetever class of racing you feel is right. It is expensive believe me. Especially getting someone to do the race preparation.

There is a lot to learn when you start actual racing. I shall never forget in an early race thinking to myself that I must leave the braking to the very last second. I arrived at Stirling's at Brands with that in mind only to find that when I did leave it as long as I dared, some other bloke went past me with his foot still flat on the accelerator! I learned a bit that time!!

I found the best way to learn safely was to fasten onto someone else a little bit faster than you and learn how to keep up, once you can go a bit faster than him, find a faster car to follow etc etc until you are a winner!

If you join the BARC or the BRSCC you will get all the info' you need to get into racing once you have chosen a class and got a car.

I wish you all the good luck, its a fantastically enjoyable thing to do.

Les

Hysteria1983

What about checking out 750 locost club?

Motorsport in general isn't cheap, and no matter how little you budget, you will soon learn that motorsport and cheap don't go together, lol!

I have a Formula 27 with a fireblade engine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VeqME...e_gdata_player

It is stupidly fast! We got it at an absolute steal as it had been standing for many years and not even started for 12 months. It paid off as all it needed doing was a bit of TLC, some bits stripped back and a new air filter. We did have to hite a trailer to transport it, but that's been the most spent on it so far.

Chris is lining up a new turbo for it in early spring, and I want to replace a few bits cosmetically too.

I think you might do well to sign up to some forums and start keeping a look out for some bargains.

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

My son does a series called tintops, he races a Pug 106 GTI, I'd hate to think what it costs, but if you like I could find out for you, It's great fun to watch and even better fun to take part, if you want any help let me know.
Cheers
Colin

GC8

Future Classics is run by the same people as TinTops, but represents better value, I think. 944s are cleaning up and a good EMC built racer can be bought for <£5,000.

marcevs72

iTrader: (5)

i joined our local motor club a few years ago and have been doing autotesting,12 car rallies etc and next year taking the step into trackdays and proper sprints/hill climbs with the scoob.will be building spare engine though as all my mates say tracking a scoob can be expensive engine wise.

James N

iTrader: (10)

Thanks for all the advise guys, some very useful info here
Leslie, thanks for the advice, I'm wondering what it'll be like with other cars competing on track!
Hysteria, That thing looks quick, i'd almost certainly do myself some serious harm in that!!
Scoob99, i'd be interested in a bit more info on that, although i was avoiding FWD stuff, but thinking about it that could be fun...
I'm liking the look of the MR2 challenger series at the moment... I've always liked the handling of the SW20

Leslie

Good luck, you'll love it when you get into it.

Let us know how you go on.

Les

Ant

Looked into the Toyota sprint series?

Hysteria1983

It's pretty fast, lol!

Good luck with finding something, it will keep you busy whatever it is.

Mr P is going to strip the carbs down on the F27 between Christmas and new year, and just have a general tinker while it's SORN