Starting out hillclimbing and sprinting & what car

[LordHaveMurci]

Competed against one of these in my Clio 172 Cup at my 1st ever hillclimb weekend, I won on saturday, he won on sunday taking his door mirror off in the process!

Have fun, it can be addictive!

[Trev450]

Vocal Minority said:

I am not 100% at the moment.

Either the 'Service Hydraulics Speed Championship' (The Midland Speed Championship to you and me), or the Midland Hillclimb Championship.

I am leaning toward the latter and doing some sprints on an ad hoc basis. Though the former may give me more options for upgrading the B license quicker.

No need to decide immediately

I will definately be out on some of the same events if you elect to do the Service Hydraulics. As you say though, no rush to decide.

Why would you want to upgrade from a B license?

[Vocal Minority]

You know what Trev - I don't really know. Just seems the thing to do!

However, I can compete in the rounds I want with just a B license in the Midland championship I suppose!

[Vocal Minority]

LordHaveMurci said:

Competed against one of these in my Clio 172 Cup at my 1st ever hillclimb weekend, I won on saturday, he won on sunday taking his door mirror off in the process!

Have fun, it can be addictive!

I was expecting to be cut loose a little at the back by the clio's - this is reassuring. Can possibly be fixed with the application of a little bravery.

I will be doing the Driving School at Shelsley Walsh tomorrow in it. Will be a fair old learning curve as my only time in it thus far has been a soaking journey down the motorway from Liverpool in it - yes it did try and bite me on a roundabout.

[Trev450]

Vocal Minority said:

You know what Trev - I don't really know. Just seems the thing to do!

However, I can compete in the rounds I want with just a B license in the Midland championship I suppose!

You only really need to upgrade if you want to either enter rounds of the British sprint or hill climb championships, or compete in a single seater over 2 litre.

[Vocal Minority]

Oh ok - some of the Midland Championships run alongside the British Championship, but I assume it would be treated as 'alongside' despite being part of the same meeting?

[Trev450]

Yes its not an issue unless you want to register for the British championships as well.

[Vocal Minority]

Call me unambitious...but no.

[Ringy01]

Im in the exact same boat as you. Its still unclear to what modifications can be done in the standard road going class. Can coilovers be fitted?
Ill be looking to start next year so still have 5months to prep in theory.
Im midlands based also

[Dan Friel]

Ringy01 said:

Im in the exact same boat as you. Its still unclear to what modifications can be done in the standard road going class. Can coilovers be fitted?
Ill be looking to start next year so still have 5months to prep in theory.
Im midlands based also

If running in a true "standard" class, then you are very limited to what you can do. You will need to read the series regs that you are entering.

If running in Road going production, then you need to read the Blue Book (https://www.msauk.org/assets/335-346specificregulationsforsprintshillclimbsanddragracings-1.pdf) and for suspension you need to look at Section 11.7, which says:

"11.7.1 The suspension type and mountings must remain the same as that fitted by the vehicle manufacturer."

I suggest that you have a good few reads of the MSA Blue Book regulations, there's no way to short cut this.

[Ringy01]

Will download the pdf and hav a good read through.
By the sounds of that uprated shocks and springs could be used then.

[Dan Friel]

Ringy01 said:

Will download the pdf and hav a good read through.
By the sounds of that uprated shocks and springs could be used then.

Yes, absolutely no problem with that in roadgoing production.

[Ringy01]

Thats great thanks for clearing that up Dan

[carl_w]

I did 2 years sprinting an MR2 -- liked the car but it was in the same class as DC2 and DC5 Integras so it had to go. You can hang the back a few degrees out of line but beyond that it will punish you.

Sounds obvious but a lot of people don't realize until it's pointed out: make sure you have the same tyres all round. And if you upgrade the brakes pay attention to the rears as well as the fronts as they seem to generate a significant amount of the overall braking force.

Here's a compilation of footage from the second year. As you will see, it ended its competition career in the kitty litter at Lydden. Drove home on a space saver, bought a new tyre and sold it to someone who was going to do trackdays with it,

https://youtu.be/YONNYYuCyYs

[Vocal Minority]

Good video Carl

Today I took the green machine to Shelsley Walsh today to take part in the driving school. 9 runs up Shelsley Walsh today - no times I am afraid.

But it all went broadly well. Rather unsurprisingly the Nanking ditch finders need to go, struggled with traction off the start and out of the slowest corner. Also the car is a bit of a fatso. So needs to go on a diet. Doing that within the rules may need imagination, but I have all winter.

It's nice and fine though. Feels fundamentally stable and planted. I see no reason to reassess my 'faster than the MX5s, a bit off the Clios' assessment.

Edited by Vocal Minority on Tuesday 28th July 20:36

Edited by Vocal Minority on Tuesday 28th July 20:38

[Skylinecrazy]

Vocal Minority said:

I am not 100% at the moment.

Either the 'Service Hydraulics Speed Championship' (The Midland Speed Championship to you and me), or the Midland Hillclimb Championship.

I am leaning toward the latter and doing some sprints on an ad hoc basis. Though the former may give me more options for upgrading the B license quicker.

No need to decide immediately

You're quite local to me. If you want to do some testing before you start, give me a PM

(See my profile)

HTH.

[carl_w]

Vocal Minority said:

But it all went broadly well. Rather unsurprisingly the Nanking ditch finders need to go, struggled with traction off the start and out of the slowest corner. Also the car is a bit of a fatso. So needs to go on a diet. Doing that within the rules may need imagination, but I have all winter.

Ours was full of amps and subs which all came out. The bit of the electric aerial under the wing is huge and heavy. Spare wheel in the front can go.

If you're in roadgoing I think you can replace the bonnet and tailgate with fibreglass but that starts to cost money.

This may help: http://www.jekylhyderacing.com/weight.htm

[Vocal Minority]

Cheers Carl - there will definately be a point when it stops becoming 'worth it' vis a vis expense!

Some handy hints though.

I need to read regulations more closely, would removing the spoiler means it no longer conforms with the basic 'silohuette' for example

[LordHaveMurci]

Vocal Minority said:

Cheers Carl - there will definately be a point when it stops becoming 'worth it' vis a vis expense!

Some handy hints though.

I need to read regulations more closely, would removing the spoiler means it no longer conforms with the basic 'silohuette' for example

A lot of the time in roadgoing, fellow competitors won't mind unless you're gaining an advantage that puts you at the front of somebody! Hillclimbing is a pretty easy going m/sport, don't take the pi55 & I'm sure you'll be fine

[carl_w]

Vocal Minority said:

Cheers Carl - there will definately be a point when it stops becoming 'worth it' vis a vis expense!

Some handy hints though.

I need to read regulations more closely, would removing the spoiler means it no longer conforms with the basic 'silohuette' for example

Yes we wondered about that, but some of them were supplied without a spoiler I think.