Starting club racing - car and series advice please

[tms996]

After years of watching all sorts of motorsport around the UK, driving the Nurburgring and a few track days at my local circuit, Oulton Park in my Golf GTI, I've decided to go and get my licence and have a go at racing next year. At 43 I need to have a go and get this out of my system, although I'm sure I'll be last!

I've driven a lot of high performance FWD stuff over the years, so I was thinking of sticking with what I know and buying something like an old XR2 or similar, although it's not set in stone. I've seen them really cheap on PH classifieds and it seems to be a cheap way into racing. My budget is as low as possible, I'd like to buy a car for no more than 2-3K really. (A bit more if the wife's not looking!)

I've read a lot of the advice on here and a lot of it is useful. What I need is suggestions for which Car Club and Race Series to sign up for. I'm in Macclesfield in Cheshire, so Oulton is quite close. I'd like to stick to a short race series for the first time if that's possible. I've had a look at the CSCC and 750MC sites and it seems to be what I'm after. Do I need to join a local club as well? What sort of total budget are you looking at for a seasons racing? I'm open to any suggestions. Many thanks!

[roddo]

Mx5's are a good starting place, plenty of arrive and drive options.
Check out max5racing. Com a good friendly place to go and meet people. They are at oulton in August this year, go and meet them....... It costs nothing to do your home work.

[tms996]

I'll certainly go an have a look but I was going to stay away from pay to drive as I'd like to have the car to practice when I can. Also I think it's all part of the fun,getting there, setting up and fixing it afterwards. I did have a chat to MSV about their package and the arrive and drive deals are sold on the ease of having someone sort everything else out. The MX5 series look very serious and competitive too!

[roddo]

The front runners have years of experience but the mid fielders are made up of newby drivers.
In other words something for everyone

If you want to see/chat with the guys (great guys) at oulton in August I'll get you a couple of tickets foc?

I think it's the 16th a Saturday

[slippery]

Watching this thread with interest. I'd like to have a go at some sort of racing at some point and am not one for twirling the spanners. The arrive and drive option might well be the way forward for me.

[tms996]

Had been looking at something like the XR Challenge as northwest based and cheap to get into. Quite fancy a look at the MX5 s but technically, I know nothing about them. There also seem to be a lot of series for them, so are they more expensive to start up with?

[roddo]

Arrive n drive from as little as £500
Just turn up and race.........

Mx5's are bomb proof so ideal for beginners.

[tms996]

What do you do if you want some extra practice time with the car outside of race weekend!

[roddo]

Strike a deal with whoever you rent the car from........

All the max5 guy are a friendly bunch, passionate about getting people out racing.

[roddo]

http://www.max5racing.com

[A500leroy]

There's always the mighty mini series, you need brscc membership, mighty mini championship membership, a car (around 4k) trailer, the races are around 400 a weekend

[slippery]

Hmmm, a garage owner fairly local to me competes in a Mighty Mini, so perhaps that might be a plan.

[A500leroy]

There a real good crew in the mightys dude, was gonna compete myself but ran outta money!

[bromers2]

Don't underestimate the costs :
Trailer (or hire)
Towing vehicle.
Race suit and helmet costs etc
Mechanic.

Reliability - we started with a e30 325, nice car but quite unreliable - always little things going wrong with it, eventually sold it at quite a lose and invested in a Mini (nearly 100% reliable). Go for something reliable and available. I'd go to a few local meets and just ask racers - we're a friendly bunch.

Maybe find someone in a similar boat and look at races you can share the driving and costs ?

[bromers2]

These guys are northern based :

http://www.darlington-motor-club.org.uk/series_hom...

Don't know much more than that though.

[bromers2]

PS : you can normally run first race as a guest before signing up to them.

[tms996]

Thanks for all the advice so far. Been reading the BRSCC site which gives some guides on annual cost, reckon around 8k a year to operate a small car, excluding purchase cost. It's about what I'd worked out. Some of the bigger costs like transport and maintenance are what could be offset by a pay to drive deal.

I do like the idea of getting my own car set up and fiddling with it. Was originally thinking about something like this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/151326127233?_trksid=p20... or an XR 2 for www.xrchallenge.com.

I'll find out in a couple of days if I'm going to be off when the MX5 guys are at Oulton and if I am, will take you up on the ticket offer. Do you know where they are based?

Does anyone have any thoughts on the size of the field for these series? Reading the BRSCC and 750 sites, they talk about 60 cars in a race! That seems a lot and a bit intimidating for a first time, I would have though. Wouldn't it be better to find a series with fewer?

[tms996]

BTW this made me smile..".The Demon Tweeks/Sparco XR Challenge is considered to be one of the best and most cost effective ways for any budding or experienced driver to go out and enjoy hard but fair racing. The friendship within the paddock is very real and warm."

Hard but fair?!

[roddo]

Tms996 max5 limit the number of cars on the grid to limit the Risc of car to car contact, please don't take this the wrong way as it's still very competitive.

As an example Donington 30 cars Cadwell 26 cars

[tms996]

Roddo I think I'd prefer fewer cars on the grid to start with. Less for me to hit!

So what happens on a pay and drive if someone bends one of your cars?