"When I grow up, I want to be a racing driver"
Discussion
I've always had some off-the-wall obsession through my lifetime. Martial arts, sword fighting, American Football, playing in a band, motorcycles. I'd throw everything into it, be the best I possibly could, and then inevitably get bored and move on to the next thing to get my hit.
I'd been stagnating for a few years in a crappy job, with no real passion other than bikes to keep me going. And where was I going? Nowhere.
So I asked myself what was it that I really wanted to do from as young as I remembered?
Easy. I wanted to be a Bounty Hunter, and a racing driver.
Having already stuck my fingers in the surveillance/P.I. field, it made sense to have a look at the second one.
This was a few years ago, and although I'd been riding bikes for 10+ years, I'd only actually first driven a car 2 years previously. I'd already done a skid control course and upgraded my 1 litre Fiat Uno to an old 1.4 Honda Civic Sport. Now I wanted to get 4 wheels on track.
I looked at the expensive 'driving experience' things around, but someone suggested taking my ARDS National B race license test - as I'd get to use their cars for free, and (hopefully) get a race licence at the end of it. It made sense - so I drove down to Silverstone and thraped a Caterham around some cones, then managed to pass my test in a Megane RS250.
My Step-Dad, who is a previous Formula Vee champion, was running a car for my sisters ex, but with him moving to Sweden, I was offered the chance to have a go in one of the Vee's. Of course, I bit his hand off, but a few delays with rebuilding and modifying the car meant a few years passed, culminating in me finally jumping in the car at Donington at the end of last year, getting to the third corner on my out-lap, and then spinning out as the engine seized solid.
Test over, the following days race cancelled, season over.
Life and work got in the way, and we missed all the races this year, until finally we went to Llandow at the end of July to shake the car down. It went well until the front suspension broke. I showed good lines, and thought I was fairly quick considering I wasn't doing anything stupid - that was to prove to be completely wrong when I finally met some other Vee drivers on track....
Last week we had our second test on the Silverstone National track, having entered the race that would be on the International track the following week. The test was in horrendously wet conditions that really did nothing except destroy any confidence I'd gained in the cars handling at Llandow. Fun, but nothing really to be learned.
The test day for the International was dry, and was to be my first time on track with similar cars. I was still trying to keep the car safe, and was faster than a few, but the really quick drivers came past me like I was stood still, even when I was confident and starting to push.
Building speed in the 3rd session, I lost power at the end of Hangar Straight, saw lots of smoke in my mirrors, and switched off as I rolled into pit lane, thinking it had all happened again.
Luckily, my Step-Dad quickly diagnosed the problem with a piston, and we had a late night getting it all apart and rebuilt.
We made qualifying the next morning, and although I was keeping the revs down to 6000 hoping the problem didn't happen again, I was going about as hard as I could everywhere else.
I qualified 29th for race 1, and my 2nd fastest lap put me 28th for race 2. Respectable for my first ever time out there amongst 37 other far more experienced drivers, but I knew I was in trouble.
It’s easy to watch the slower cars racing in Formula Vee, and you like to think that you’d easily beat them… I found out that even the ‘slow’ people out there in the UK championship are REALLY fast! Much better than I was doing.
I had to reset my brain.
I’d followed Ben Miloudi briefly as he passed me, and noted how he was braking for a much shorter time than I was, and then just throwing the car into the corners at a speed that was mind blowing to me!
I tried it tentatively on the last lap and was surprised to find my car made it! There is no way I’d have made the corners at that speed on a bike without the front washing out.
I chatted to a lot of drivers through the day, and listened to all the amazing advice they gave me. I had to put my trust in them and in the car, and just go for it. It was either that or give in to he doubts creeping in about whether I should even be out there with these real racing drivers. All my time, energy and money wasted? I wasn’t good enough to mix it with them, as I’d greatly underestimated the skill levels in Formula Vee, and I didn’t have those skills…
Hell no! I realised I had to forget almost everything I’d learned to get through the ARDS test. I trail-brake to the apex on my bikes, so I’d have to do this in the car – braking in a straight line and then turning into the corners had to go, if I were to even get close to the other drivers.
Last weeks wet test had done a surprising amount of damage to my confidence in the car, but this was now my time to properly test myself – I couldn’t let myself down, and I couldn’t let Glenn down after all the work he’d put in!
Next part to follow...
I'd been stagnating for a few years in a crappy job, with no real passion other than bikes to keep me going. And where was I going? Nowhere.
So I asked myself what was it that I really wanted to do from as young as I remembered?
Easy. I wanted to be a Bounty Hunter, and a racing driver.
Having already stuck my fingers in the surveillance/P.I. field, it made sense to have a look at the second one.
This was a few years ago, and although I'd been riding bikes for 10+ years, I'd only actually first driven a car 2 years previously. I'd already done a skid control course and upgraded my 1 litre Fiat Uno to an old 1.4 Honda Civic Sport. Now I wanted to get 4 wheels on track.
I looked at the expensive 'driving experience' things around, but someone suggested taking my ARDS National B race license test - as I'd get to use their cars for free, and (hopefully) get a race licence at the end of it. It made sense - so I drove down to Silverstone and thraped a Caterham around some cones, then managed to pass my test in a Megane RS250.
My Step-Dad, who is a previous Formula Vee champion, was running a car for my sisters ex, but with him moving to Sweden, I was offered the chance to have a go in one of the Vee's. Of course, I bit his hand off, but a few delays with rebuilding and modifying the car meant a few years passed, culminating in me finally jumping in the car at Donington at the end of last year, getting to the third corner on my out-lap, and then spinning out as the engine seized solid.
Test over, the following days race cancelled, season over.
Life and work got in the way, and we missed all the races this year, until finally we went to Llandow at the end of July to shake the car down. It went well until the front suspension broke. I showed good lines, and thought I was fairly quick considering I wasn't doing anything stupid - that was to prove to be completely wrong when I finally met some other Vee drivers on track....
Last week we had our second test on the Silverstone National track, having entered the race that would be on the International track the following week. The test was in horrendously wet conditions that really did nothing except destroy any confidence I'd gained in the cars handling at Llandow. Fun, but nothing really to be learned.
The test day for the International was dry, and was to be my first time on track with similar cars. I was still trying to keep the car safe, and was faster than a few, but the really quick drivers came past me like I was stood still, even when I was confident and starting to push.
Building speed in the 3rd session, I lost power at the end of Hangar Straight, saw lots of smoke in my mirrors, and switched off as I rolled into pit lane, thinking it had all happened again.
Luckily, my Step-Dad quickly diagnosed the problem with a piston, and we had a late night getting it all apart and rebuilt.
We made qualifying the next morning, and although I was keeping the revs down to 6000 hoping the problem didn't happen again, I was going about as hard as I could everywhere else.
I qualified 29th for race 1, and my 2nd fastest lap put me 28th for race 2. Respectable for my first ever time out there amongst 37 other far more experienced drivers, but I knew I was in trouble.
It’s easy to watch the slower cars racing in Formula Vee, and you like to think that you’d easily beat them… I found out that even the ‘slow’ people out there in the UK championship are REALLY fast! Much better than I was doing.
I had to reset my brain.
I’d followed Ben Miloudi briefly as he passed me, and noted how he was braking for a much shorter time than I was, and then just throwing the car into the corners at a speed that was mind blowing to me!
I tried it tentatively on the last lap and was surprised to find my car made it! There is no way I’d have made the corners at that speed on a bike without the front washing out.
I chatted to a lot of drivers through the day, and listened to all the amazing advice they gave me. I had to put my trust in them and in the car, and just go for it. It was either that or give in to he doubts creeping in about whether I should even be out there with these real racing drivers. All my time, energy and money wasted? I wasn’t good enough to mix it with them, as I’d greatly underestimated the skill levels in Formula Vee, and I didn’t have those skills…
Hell no! I realised I had to forget almost everything I’d learned to get through the ARDS test. I trail-brake to the apex on my bikes, so I’d have to do this in the car – braking in a straight line and then turning into the corners had to go, if I were to even get close to the other drivers.
Last weeks wet test had done a surprising amount of damage to my confidence in the car, but this was now my time to properly test myself – I couldn’t let myself down, and I couldn’t let Glenn down after all the work he’d put in!
Next part to follow...
Race time.
This was the peak of my fear. This was all unknown. What if I miss my place on the grid? What if I stall it at the start? I’d never even practised a race start in the dry, and even the wet ones after spinning last week were on my time and not to a set of lights!
I started my engine, took a couple of deep breaths, and followed the other Vees out of the holding area onto the track…
As I pulled up to the grid the marshals pointed my into place, showing me the exact line to stop at. I was calm and in the zone, but as the 5 second board was displayed my visor fogged up as I realised I was breathing quickly and heavily.
I got control as the red lights came on above the start line, keeping the revs up and slowing my breathing and heart rate down, and dropped into the zone as the lights flashed out.
I reacted so quickly that I actually hesitated because nobody else around me seemed to be moving. I got an ok start, but had to lift almost immediately as I couldn’t get around the car ahead.
37 cars piled into the first corner with wheels hanging out everywhere, twitching as everyone tried to find a gap.
I stayed out wide and drove around the outside of the track, having to drift wide to avoid people, and finding some bugger had put traffic cones there! I smashed into one with the left front suspension.
I kept the throttle open and the cone flew away, and the suspension looked ok as we all piled into the next turn.
The rest of the race is just a blur. I settled into the racing lines and found I was getting faster every lap. Total confidence in the little old Sheane as I pushed harder, braked less, turned in faster.
I stuck a few overtakes on people, and avoided spinning cars.
I found my car came out of the corners really strong, and after I passed people I could reel in the next car ahead even down the Hangar Straight.
I was enjoying it, cackling madly as I nailed a corner here and there. I was battling with names I’ve been watching racing Vee for years, and coming out ok!
I pulled in Nick Brown, and as he got sideways onto the Hangar straight I got a good exit, passing him into the braking area, and he switched back on the exit to regain his position, but then lost the back end through the next turn.
I had nowhere to go, and flicked the wheel right to try and get around the back of him and straight into the gravel trap.
The nose cone took a battering, but I missed Nick by millimeters, and got back on the track in a shower of gravel, shaking the wheel and hoping none had got into the calipers.
I got back the places I’d lost and found myself with a clear track ahead. Knowing it must be near the end, I got my head down to make sure I dropped the cars behind me – I was having this one!
One of the things you can’t appreciate from the outside is after the chequered flag, as you do your cooling down lap, the marshals wave to you. This actually makes you feel really special, and I almost got emotional as I gave them all a thumbs up as I passed.
We were guided into park ferme where I jumped out and chatted to Glenn and the other drivers excitedly.
I’d done it!
I learned that I’d actually taken 17th place overall, and 4th in Class B – massively exceeding my own expectations, and at last I felt like I should be out there, and had proved that. Better still, I was only around 3 seconds a lap off the pace of the leaders!
Race 2 was more of the same, but with a slightly worse start, and I knocked another half a second off my best time. I found that I could trail brake into corners and slide the back end out just enough to get me through the faster turns quicker, then get straight back on the throttle. You have to get these cars sliding to be quick.
I won’t go into more detail about the races, as this has been far too long already, and you can watch the onboard videos for yourselves!
I found I’d got myself up to 18th place and 5th in class – but better yet was passing Ed Lowndes into the very last corner. He’d been the car 20 seconds ahead of me that I couldn’t even see in the first race!
To top off an already awesome day, I was given the Driver Of The Day Award!
I know I can go faster, and so can the car, so there is more to come. With a bit of luck, I can’t see why I can’t get a top 10 place with the Sheane.
Glenn has a few modifications he wants to make, and we’re working together very well changing set-ups (told you my time playing Forza 4 wasn’t wasted!).
So that was my first ever race. It’s still all a bit surreal.
All the drivers and crews are a great bunch, and I can’t wait to get back out there!
I hope you enjoy the videos, and thank you all for reading this and your support. I hope this blog has helped show people that you CAN go from nothing to racing driver on a very limited budget, and you can live your dream.
And seriously, get out there and do it! Now I’ll be keeping you updated on the equally as hard progress forward from here, to try and climb up the order and see how far I can really take this.
I still have a Hell of a lot more to learn!
Onboard videos of both races here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd-6uIIjbkw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c7qGHAfJcU
This was the peak of my fear. This was all unknown. What if I miss my place on the grid? What if I stall it at the start? I’d never even practised a race start in the dry, and even the wet ones after spinning last week were on my time and not to a set of lights!
I started my engine, took a couple of deep breaths, and followed the other Vees out of the holding area onto the track…
As I pulled up to the grid the marshals pointed my into place, showing me the exact line to stop at. I was calm and in the zone, but as the 5 second board was displayed my visor fogged up as I realised I was breathing quickly and heavily.
I got control as the red lights came on above the start line, keeping the revs up and slowing my breathing and heart rate down, and dropped into the zone as the lights flashed out.
I reacted so quickly that I actually hesitated because nobody else around me seemed to be moving. I got an ok start, but had to lift almost immediately as I couldn’t get around the car ahead.
37 cars piled into the first corner with wheels hanging out everywhere, twitching as everyone tried to find a gap.
I stayed out wide and drove around the outside of the track, having to drift wide to avoid people, and finding some bugger had put traffic cones there! I smashed into one with the left front suspension.
I kept the throttle open and the cone flew away, and the suspension looked ok as we all piled into the next turn.
The rest of the race is just a blur. I settled into the racing lines and found I was getting faster every lap. Total confidence in the little old Sheane as I pushed harder, braked less, turned in faster.
I stuck a few overtakes on people, and avoided spinning cars.
I found my car came out of the corners really strong, and after I passed people I could reel in the next car ahead even down the Hangar Straight.
I was enjoying it, cackling madly as I nailed a corner here and there. I was battling with names I’ve been watching racing Vee for years, and coming out ok!
I pulled in Nick Brown, and as he got sideways onto the Hangar straight I got a good exit, passing him into the braking area, and he switched back on the exit to regain his position, but then lost the back end through the next turn.
I had nowhere to go, and flicked the wheel right to try and get around the back of him and straight into the gravel trap.
The nose cone took a battering, but I missed Nick by millimeters, and got back on the track in a shower of gravel, shaking the wheel and hoping none had got into the calipers.
I got back the places I’d lost and found myself with a clear track ahead. Knowing it must be near the end, I got my head down to make sure I dropped the cars behind me – I was having this one!
One of the things you can’t appreciate from the outside is after the chequered flag, as you do your cooling down lap, the marshals wave to you. This actually makes you feel really special, and I almost got emotional as I gave them all a thumbs up as I passed.
We were guided into park ferme where I jumped out and chatted to Glenn and the other drivers excitedly.
I’d done it!
I learned that I’d actually taken 17th place overall, and 4th in Class B – massively exceeding my own expectations, and at last I felt like I should be out there, and had proved that. Better still, I was only around 3 seconds a lap off the pace of the leaders!
Race 2 was more of the same, but with a slightly worse start, and I knocked another half a second off my best time. I found that I could trail brake into corners and slide the back end out just enough to get me through the faster turns quicker, then get straight back on the throttle. You have to get these cars sliding to be quick.
I won’t go into more detail about the races, as this has been far too long already, and you can watch the onboard videos for yourselves!
I found I’d got myself up to 18th place and 5th in class – but better yet was passing Ed Lowndes into the very last corner. He’d been the car 20 seconds ahead of me that I couldn’t even see in the first race!
To top off an already awesome day, I was given the Driver Of The Day Award!
I know I can go faster, and so can the car, so there is more to come. With a bit of luck, I can’t see why I can’t get a top 10 place with the Sheane.
Glenn has a few modifications he wants to make, and we’re working together very well changing set-ups (told you my time playing Forza 4 wasn’t wasted!).
So that was my first ever race. It’s still all a bit surreal.
All the drivers and crews are a great bunch, and I can’t wait to get back out there!
I hope you enjoy the videos, and thank you all for reading this and your support. I hope this blog has helped show people that you CAN go from nothing to racing driver on a very limited budget, and you can live your dream.
And seriously, get out there and do it! Now I’ll be keeping you updated on the equally as hard progress forward from here, to try and climb up the order and see how far I can really take this.
I still have a Hell of a lot more to learn!
Onboard videos of both races here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd-6uIIjbkw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c7qGHAfJcU
zeb said:
looks fun
good luck to you fella
Cheers! good luck to you fella
I should be having a go at the full championship next year, and doing the Vee Festival at Brands in a few weeks time.
My wrist is still a mess after hitting the other car at Donington, but I should be ok...
Edited by JamesCater18 on Sunday 25th October 23:22
It's taken a hell of a lot of work, but I'm pretty chuffed with my first ever highlight video from my first races this year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb5NmmmdGLc
Hope you enjoy it - any comments, suggestions or tips for future vids very much appreciated!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kb5NmmmdGLc
Hope you enjoy it - any comments, suggestions or tips for future vids very much appreciated!
Good on you James, that looks great fun.
These cars really remind me of Skip Barbers (don't be fooled by their wings as they do practically nothing!). They're a very popular series on the online simulation iRacing. A lot of real life racers use iRacing as a tool and I could really see that helping you with your race craft - especially if you run the Skip Barber series.
Good luck!
These cars really remind me of Skip Barbers (don't be fooled by their wings as they do practically nothing!). They're a very popular series on the online simulation iRacing. A lot of real life racers use iRacing as a tool and I could really see that helping you with your race craft - especially if you run the Skip Barber series.
Good luck!
Cockey said:
Good on you James, that looks great fun.
These cars really remind me of Skip Barbers (don't be fooled by their wings as they do practically nothing!). They're a very popular series on the online simulation iRacing. A lot of real life racers use iRacing as a tool and I could really see that helping you with your race craft - especially if you run the Skip Barber series.
Good luck!
That's exactly what I'm planning on doing! These cars really remind me of Skip Barbers (don't be fooled by their wings as they do practically nothing!). They're a very popular series on the online simulation iRacing. A lot of real life racers use iRacing as a tool and I could really see that helping you with your race craft - especially if you run the Skip Barber series.
Good luck!
One of the other drivers on an equally tight budget - James Harridge - used iRacing to learn Donington, and having never been there before he qualified a very close second at the start of this year with his first ever 7 or 8 laps driven there! He did the same again at the Brands Festival and got his first (two) wins!
I'd be happy to hook up, or whatever you do on iRacing, once I've sorted it out and got on there!
JamesCater18 said:
Cockey said:
Good on you James, that looks great fun.
These cars really remind me of Skip Barbers (don't be fooled by their wings as they do practically nothing!). They're a very popular series on the online simulation iRacing. A lot of real life racers use iRacing as a tool and I could really see that helping you with your race craft - especially if you run the Skip Barber series.
Good luck!
That's exactly what I'm planning on doing! These cars really remind me of Skip Barbers (don't be fooled by their wings as they do practically nothing!). They're a very popular series on the online simulation iRacing. A lot of real life racers use iRacing as a tool and I could really see that helping you with your race craft - especially if you run the Skip Barber series.
Good luck!
One of the other drivers on an equally tight budget - James Harridge - used iRacing to learn Donington, and having never been there before he qualified a very close second at the start of this year with his first ever 7 or 8 laps driven there! He did the same again at the Brands Festival and got his first (two) wins!
I'd be happy to hook up, or whatever you do on iRacing, once I've sorted it out and got on there!
I've only been on iRacing since July but I'm having so much fun on it. It's become a full time hobby and I'm currently taking part in a couple of different private championships. Both of these are broadcast live and have full commentary which is pretty cool (my last race as an example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roXXbK26VRc). I found I got the most information when I got access to the forum, which only comes after you sign up. You often get special offers (like 1 month access for $1) so it's worth keeping an eye out.
Few introductory vids here: https://www.youtube.com/user/iRacingTV/playlists?s...
Cockey said:
Good to hear! The tracks are all laser scanned so the surface, undulations, camber, cracks etc are all accurate to the mm. I believe they're the only people laser scanning tracks (dont think even the F1 teams do) so for realism and learning tracks that you race in real life, it's hard to beat. The cars are all laser scanned too, and all moving parts are modelled separately (even chassis flex and engine bore and stroke) so the the physics are as accurate as can be too.
Bah ha ha ha ha.....who told you that!? Most F1 teams use R-Factor pro, which is far more advanced than i-racing. Everyone Laser Scans how else would you do it? Also laser scanning is not as accurate as you are led to believe and requires a lot of refining. (My ex housemate is a simulation engineer we used to take the piss for his 3d grass!)
You sir have been fed a load of cobblers. The computing power to re-create what you are talking about would be mind blowingly enormous. Let alone stream it.
Don't get me wrong Simulation is great for learning tracks, and can help you try lines and stuff and help you use driving techniques. But having raced i racing which is great fun it is not the best for real world comparison.
Bertrum said:
Don't get me wrong Simulation is great for learning tracks, and can help you try lines and stuff and help you use driving techniques. But having raced i racing which is great fun it is not the best for real world comparison.
Yeah but they never will be until you add someone behind you with a sledgehammer to give you a few whumps when you crash, and then sit you in a camper van next to Glenn for the 3 hour ride home having to explain why you bent his car!So simulations definitely ARE better in some ways!
Bertrum said:
Cockey said:
Good to hear! The tracks are all laser scanned so the surface, undulations, camber, cracks etc are all accurate to the mm. I believe they're the only people laser scanning tracks (dont think even the F1 teams do) so for realism and learning tracks that you race in real life, it's hard to beat. The cars are all laser scanned too, and all moving parts are modelled separately (even chassis flex and engine bore and stroke) so the the physics are as accurate as can be too.
Bah ha ha ha ha.....who told you that!? Most F1 teams use R-Factor pro, which is far more advanced than i-racing. Everyone Laser Scans how else would you do it? Also laser scanning is not as accurate as you are led to believe and requires a lot of refining. (My ex housemate is a simulation engineer we used to take the piss for his 3d grass!)
You sir have been fed a load of cobblers. The computing power to re-create what you are talking about would be mind blowingly enormous. Let alone stream it.
Don't get me wrong Simulation is great for learning tracks, and can help you try lines and stuff and help you use driving techniques. But having raced i racing which is great fun it is not the best for real world comparison.
Interesting video which explains the process: https://youtu.be/mq0MK6aXaV0?t=58s
Honestly the scan quality is not the issue. Its the way the tyre interacts with the surface that is the problem to some degree with all of the off-the-shelf sims, one could waste months reading through all the old threads on iRacings own forum where they have fiddled with one tyre model after another never quite getting it right. If a fixed tyre model isn't the best then getting the grip level dynamics right is never quite going to get there, especially at tracks where they have patched it over time so the surfaces are different from corner to corner or even within one corner ala Thruxton.
NJH said:
Honestly the scan quality is not the issue. Its the way the tyre interacts with the surface that is the problem to some degree with all of the off-the-shelf sims, one could waste months reading through all the old threads on iRacings own forum where they have fiddled with one tyre model after another never quite getting it right. If a fixed tyre model isn't the best then getting the grip level dynamics right is never quite going to get there, especially at tracks where they have patched it over time so the surfaces are different from corner to corner or even within one corner ala Thruxton.
Yeah, I understand the tyre models are very hard to get right. I believe the current one appears to be quite well liked though.There's a decent amount of professionals praising the accuracy of the sim here, and how many of them use it to practice: http://www.iracing.com/testimonials/
Anyway, I don't want to de-rail James' thread any more so I will stop there.
Cockey said:
Yeah, I understand the tyre models are very hard to get right. I believe the current one appears to be quite well liked though.
There's a decent amount of professionals praising the accuracy of the sim here, and how many of them use it to practice: http://www.iracing.com/testimonials/
Anyway, I don't want to de-rail James' thread any more so I will stop there.
And how many of these are paid endorsements? Professional Racing Drivers don't do much for free after all. There are loads of Sims I prefer to iRacing which tends to be very US centric.There's a decent amount of professionals praising the accuracy of the sim here, and how many of them use it to practice: http://www.iracing.com/testimonials/
Anyway, I don't want to de-rail James' thread any more so I will stop there.
Hell no! I realised I had to forget almost everything I’d learned to get through the ARDS test. I trail-brake to the apex on my bikes, so I’d have to do this in the car – braking in a straight line and then turning into the corners had to go, if I were to even get close to the other drivers.
..... to quote Mario Andretti F1 World champion 1978 "it is amazing how many drivers, even at Formula one level, think that the brakes are for slowing the car down"
..... to quote Mario Andretti F1 World champion 1978 "it is amazing how many drivers, even at Formula one level, think that the brakes are for slowing the car down"
E46Will said:
Brilliant blog style read thank you. Would you mind breaking down the cost for some one very keen in perusing the same sort of journey?
Breaking down the costs is scary, because it means I'd have to see exactly how much I've spent!If you read my blogs I go into more detail about costs - including a recent one on how to do a whole season in Formula Vee for under £3000.... That doesn't include buying all the stuff you need before you can even begin to start out, though!
If, like me, you're not too bothered about having second-hand stuff, it can still be done cheaply - I probably spent less than £250 for 3-layer suit, boots, gloves and helmet (before my £400 helmet upgrade and HANS device...)
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