Cheapest form of motorsport?
Discussion
Andrew Noakes said:
dinger said:
Timmed sprints around around old airfields (normally)that are run by local car clubs... Cost wise its down to entry fee and how much money you want to chuck at it
Plus the cost of a helmet and suit, double throttle springs, maybe a roll-over bar and fire extinguisher (mandatory in some categories), maybe a fireproof bulkhead or modified fuel filler, and a four-point belt if you're going to do it anywhere near properly. Plus the potential for damage if you drive like a rock ape.
I'd guess a production car trial, or a road rally/treasure hunt would be far cheaper.
in just about any form of motorsport you'll need protective gear, but pop along to any sprint and you'll find plenty of standard road cars with no mods what so ever.
Find your local none RACMSA kart circuit, look at the ads in the club house, talk to lots of people there, find people of a similar build to you and see what class they're running.
I've managed to run my son in RAC and none RAC club racing in Cadets and now Pro-karts on a very reasonable budget (c£1k p.a.) all in. OK, we don't win and we won't with stock motors, but it's great fun and when it's wet, we're very competitive.
The best thing about pro-karts is that (crashses excluded) they're very low maintenance, run all day long on £5 petrol and you get some great racing.
PF International does some good racing for Pro's at the moment.
2 strokes (TKM, Max, etc.) are hugely fast, but they're also several factors of cost higher, they run softer tyres, so you may get more of a buzz/scare, but it'll cost loads more.
I'd also recommend having a look at www.karting.co.uk to read up a bit more.
One thing is for sure, if you learn to drive a pro-kart quick, especially in the damp, it will benefit your car control and if you think you're fast, you'll soon realise how far off the mark our perceptions of our own ability usually is! Karting's great.
Good luck.
I've managed to run my son in RAC and none RAC club racing in Cadets and now Pro-karts on a very reasonable budget (c£1k p.a.) all in. OK, we don't win and we won't with stock motors, but it's great fun and when it's wet, we're very competitive.
The best thing about pro-karts is that (crashses excluded) they're very low maintenance, run all day long on £5 petrol and you get some great racing.
PF International does some good racing for Pro's at the moment.
2 strokes (TKM, Max, etc.) are hugely fast, but they're also several factors of cost higher, they run softer tyres, so you may get more of a buzz/scare, but it'll cost loads more.
I'd also recommend having a look at www.karting.co.uk to read up a bit more.
One thing is for sure, if you learn to drive a pro-kart quick, especially in the damp, it will benefit your car control and if you think you're fast, you'll soon realise how far off the mark our perceptions of our own ability usually is! Karting's great.
Good luck.
12 car rallies / navigational scatters are about as cheap as it gets as you can do them in anything and they normally cost less than a tenner to enter, plus insurance if you need it (15 quid).
Production car trials also cost very little to enter and can be done in your road car, although it requires the organisers to find a reasonably smooth field to avoid damaging the underneath. Completely different challenge to most motorsport.
Autotests are cheap to enter, can be done in your road car but are harder on the transmission and tyres. There's also a newer discipline of Autosolo which our club introduced a few years ago and is slowly taking off, which is more open than an autotest and has no reversing, it also splits the field into 3 groups that rotate, one group competing, one group preparing and one group marshalling.
Beyond that you start getting into needing a comp license and safety gear, eg for sprints and hillclimbs, although your road car is still fine - likely not competitive though.
I've done all of the above in completely standard cars that I've been using as every day transport. Doing an autotest in a Citroen BX (parking brake on the front wheels) was amusing, if not very successful.
Production car trials also cost very little to enter and can be done in your road car, although it requires the organisers to find a reasonably smooth field to avoid damaging the underneath. Completely different challenge to most motorsport.
Autotests are cheap to enter, can be done in your road car but are harder on the transmission and tyres. There's also a newer discipline of Autosolo which our club introduced a few years ago and is slowly taking off, which is more open than an autotest and has no reversing, it also splits the field into 3 groups that rotate, one group competing, one group preparing and one group marshalling.
Beyond that you start getting into needing a comp license and safety gear, eg for sprints and hillclimbs, although your road car is still fine - likely not competitive though.
I've done all of the above in completely standard cars that I've been using as every day transport. Doing an autotest in a Citroen BX (parking brake on the front wheels) was amusing, if not very successful.
Hi,
The MX5 OC are currently working hard to get MSA (Motorsport Association) affiliation, and to then run some sort of Speed (sprint/hillclimb) series.
www.mx5ocforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=30903
I can recommend TKM karting, karting is a great sport, very competitive and really bloody good fun. Its what Scumacher likes to do with his time off!
I can also recommend road rallying, but its motorsport of a totally different nature. About 4 years ago I bought an old MG Maestro for £300 (although I recommend you get something that rusts less, ahem) and we thrashed the living daylights out of it for 2 years. The car was very reliable (apart from the rust) and really quite compeititve. We did a helluva lot of events, inc 12 cars and the like. Bloody great fun. You do need a good mate who's willing to have a bash at being navigsator though.
The MX5 OC are currently working hard to get MSA (Motorsport Association) affiliation, and to then run some sort of Speed (sprint/hillclimb) series.
www.mx5ocforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=30903
I can recommend TKM karting, karting is a great sport, very competitive and really bloody good fun. Its what Scumacher likes to do with his time off!
I can also recommend road rallying, but its motorsport of a totally different nature. About 4 years ago I bought an old MG Maestro for £300 (although I recommend you get something that rusts less, ahem) and we thrashed the living daylights out of it for 2 years. The car was very reliable (apart from the rust) and really quite compeititve. We did a helluva lot of events, inc 12 cars and the like. Bloody great fun. You do need a good mate who's willing to have a bash at being navigsator though.
Autotests Scatters Solo's and Road Rallies have all been mentioned a variation is Historic Road rallies. You need a cheap old car, not that old, because pre 1982 is OK in the post historic catagory. Very little modifications are required throttle springs, fire extinguishers cut off switch, not much else. It's quite possible to pick up an old Volvo or something for a few hundred quid, they are strong and can take a lot of hammer.
Entries typically cost about £100.00, for that you get about 100 miles of road section, sometimes timed as regularity (Ie arriving at secret controls at set times to maintain avarage speeds) also about 20 special tests, which can be either an Autotest type coned off carpark, a blast around a muddy farm yard or maybe a fast open forest road or 'white'. The rules actually forbid Helmets and race suits and average speeds are kept to no quicker than 30MPH, this sounds slow but believe me you will never ever clean a test!!.
You usually get fed at lunch and dinner too, split the cost with your navigator and it doesn't come much cheaper.
have a look here for all the guff
www.hrcr.co.uk/clubman/index.htm
Entries typically cost about £100.00, for that you get about 100 miles of road section, sometimes timed as regularity (Ie arriving at secret controls at set times to maintain avarage speeds) also about 20 special tests, which can be either an Autotest type coned off carpark, a blast around a muddy farm yard or maybe a fast open forest road or 'white'. The rules actually forbid Helmets and race suits and average speeds are kept to no quicker than 30MPH, this sounds slow but believe me you will never ever clean a test!!.
You usually get fed at lunch and dinner too, split the cost with your navigator and it doesn't come much cheaper.
have a look here for all the guff
www.hrcr.co.uk/clubman/index.htm
Drifting might suit... an easy way to get into motorpsort, it can be inexpensive, its definately fun & you can do it in your road car assuming you have RWD & a diff. There are entry level events to get you onto the smaller circuits & if you get good enough then you can venture onto the big circuits too for some serious antics. Very little in the way of beuorocracy, in fact just about none. For the smaller events, a cage, seat, lid, harnesses & fire extinguisher will do. You don't have to have a Japanese car!!! anything RWD or old skool is cool too & everyone loves a bit of difference.
You can apply for a licence simply by turning up at practice day & proving you can drive sideways in control & without falling off the track
pay your £20-£60 odd quid & off you go for some competitions.
Gems of small tracks like Teeside
Lydd & Three Sisters are simply fantastic to drive let alone drift on. It can be fairly competive too but that does'nt detract at all. If you want to progress to "proper" motorsport then you'll have learnt more than a few useful tricks on the way that will certainly help you out.
The people & drivers are probably the most friendly & helpful bunch your ever likely to meet & newbies are made to feel more than welcome. For starters go to www.driftworks.com or www.drift-uk.co.uk or www.d1gb.com for more info.
Oh and there ar NO limits to how much power you can put down
but saying that it's a driver control sport so power is'nt everything, we have 160bhp Corolla's beating 500bhp monsters so budget does'nt always get you further which is nice to know.
I'll vouch for the fun side
Entry level fun at Teeside. An awesome little track, like a mini ring
The big boys at silly speeds, at Rockingham
You can apply for a licence simply by turning up at practice day & proving you can drive sideways in control & without falling off the track
pay your £20-£60 odd quid & off you go for some competitions. Gems of small tracks like Teeside
Lydd & Three Sisters are simply fantastic to drive let alone drift on. It can be fairly competive too but that does'nt detract at all. If you want to progress to "proper" motorsport then you'll have learnt more than a few useful tricks on the way that will certainly help you out. The people & drivers are probably the most friendly & helpful bunch your ever likely to meet & newbies are made to feel more than welcome. For starters go to www.driftworks.com or www.drift-uk.co.uk or www.d1gb.com for more info.
Oh and there ar NO limits to how much power you can put down
but saying that it's a driver control sport so power is'nt everything, we have 160bhp Corolla's beating 500bhp monsters so budget does'nt always get you further which is nice to know. I'll vouch for the fun side
Entry level fun at Teeside. An awesome little track, like a mini ring
The big boys at silly speeds, at Rockingham
Edited by cptsideways on Monday 6th November 20:40
Autograss -
Start off in a £400 mini
Then off too supercharged v8/double bike engined specials and saloons, and spend what you like.
Cheapest form of motorsport by far, even kids from the age of 12 can do it, theres around 60 clubs around britian - all you need to do is sign up build/buy a car and your off.
www.autograssreview.com/ for more info.
Start off in a £400 mini
Then off too supercharged v8/double bike engined specials and saloons, and spend what you like.
Cheapest form of motorsport by far, even kids from the age of 12 can do it, theres around 60 clubs around britian - all you need to do is sign up build/buy a car and your off.
www.autograssreview.com/ for more info.
rob13 said:
Im looking to get into motorsport in some shape or form but want to be able to see whether it is sustainable first.
Which is the cheapest form where i can cut my teeth? Minimoto? Karting? Lawnmower?
Which is the cheapest form where i can cut my teeth? Minimoto? Karting? Lawnmower?
No racing is cheap
Cheap karting - Look @ £300 per event
Cheap Single Seater - Look @ £800 per event
Testing - Kart £40/Car £300 :-)
Check
ten-tenths.com - club racing
karting.co.uk - karting :-)
and
www.monoposto.co.uk/
I'd try karting! buy a cheap rotax Max! will scare you to death at first :-) then move up to gearbox karts and then realise that fast road cars are in fact very very slow :-)
www.250superkarts.com/
Visit a local track and chat to the drivers
Tip for you, karting is by far the best form of motorsport, any decent driver will tell you that!, 250 Gearbox karts run at champ car speeds.... how fast do you want to go?
Try a max :-)
have Fun
A
jim88 said:
Autograss -
Start off in a £400 mini
Then off too supercharged v8/double bike engined specials and saloons, and spend what you like.
Cheapest form of motorsport by far, even kids from the age of 12 can do it, theres around 60 clubs around britian - all you need to do is sign up build/buy a car and your off.
www.autograssreview.com/ for more info.
Start off in a £400 mini
Then off too supercharged v8/double bike engined specials and saloons, and spend what you like.
Cheapest form of motorsport by far, even kids from the age of 12 can do it, theres around 60 clubs around britian - all you need to do is sign up build/buy a car and your off.
www.autograssreview.com/ for more info.
Jim88, yes it's cheap. I have a Class2 Mk2 Escort in my yard dissolving. One day I'll sort it.
I wanted to run one of these:
Just to entertain the crowds, do a bit of PR, and maybe race it in Class 10 (unlimited mad crazy things with four wheels and a driver) since it wasn't really a Saloon Class 7, yet they gave me a massive list of why I couldn't run one in either class. Even though he did agree I could run a Rover SD1 in Class7, or a Jag XJ, even though it could be a space frame facsimile of the original car. I gave up and went away shaking my head.
It's certainly a fun, if a little muddy at times, sport.
Entry fee's were (last time I looked) about a fiver a meeting, though if you were a spectator it cost the same to get in. An drivers and their teams were expected to pull together and help set up the course and put it away again after (you could get points for getting your hands dirty(er))
Rob.
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