What's stopping you giving motorsport a go?

[V8S]

Until last Sunday I had a sportscar that is reasonably quick and vague aspirations of doing something motorsporty with it - sprinting or hillclimbs perhaps. To be honest I had been shooting the breeze for years, and was actually shit scared of breaking the thing.

Last Sunday I went to the Streetwars drag racing at the Dakota strip in Devon and lost my track virginity. And it was simpler and cheaper and more fun than I had ever thought possible - I just wish I'd discovered this kind of thing earlier and got on with it.

It cost a total of £25 for the day, with as many runs as I could manage. This turned out to be 2 each for myself and g/f. Borrowing a helmet was free from the organiser on retention of my driver's licence until the helmet was returned. Timing read-outs were provided for free.

What was also great was meeting up with some other TVR owners who we raced against, and had a short chat with a couple of other people who showed interest in buying an S series TVR.

So... there must be lots of other people out there coveting an Elise, TVR, Porsche, BMW or similar pride-and-joy who are talking the talk but something is stopping them.

So what's stopping you getting into grass roots motorsport?

[V8S]

RobM77 said:

Maybe it's just that - it's the fact that they "covet" their Elise, Porsche or TVR

Seriously though, whilst I wouldn't dream of putting my pride and joy into competitive duty, I've been racing since my early twenties, and have just always had a dedicated car for it. It needn't be too expensive. It's also great to have something to tinker with when your pride and joy just sits there looking smug and reliable all day! My first racing car cost me £2,500; gave me five seasons of pleasure (and trophies!), and was sold on for a similar amount. Racing gets seriously expensive very quickly, but at the grass roots level needn't cost that much.

I see your point but I covet my Tiv. I realised a drag strip for instance is no different than the normal nailing it from the lights shenanigans that many PHers get up to.

Of course, I don't have the brakes or driving skills to do hillclimbing well.... yet.

Edited by V8S on Friday 9th November 15:11

[V8S]

K50 DEL said:

If you want to get into basic motorsport as cheap as possible.

Road Rallying is your answer.

great fun, great people and entry fees under £75 - can't go wrong.

I've always wanted to do a road rally - love the idea of a load of classic sportscars bombing around country lanes - but they're either miles away, or very long and miles away. You have to factor in transporting the car there and back and then fuel for the rally, and there's more chance of writing your car off on a rally than on a strip or sprint.

[V8S]

cocopop said:

I'd love to start, but don't really have the cash, well I do, but my P&J needs to be upgraded from a mk5 Escort.

And I'm only 19 so that makes me a boyracer

Edited by cocopop on Friday 9th November 15:30

But... there were a couple of standard Mk5 Escorts at the drag strip on Sunday, along with some proper sportscars, hot rods and many boy racers. It's mostly about your time up the strip, not whom you beat. You're usually up against a dissimilar car making who gets to the line first mostly irrelevant.

[V8S]

I notice this has been moved to General Motorsport.

I was hoping it'd be left in General Gassing as that is where most people who aren't actually already in motorsport would see it. Still, we've had some good banter all the same.

Carry on...