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Mark_Karting
885 posts
51 months
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tjob said: The Clios don't go to Croft, I'm not actually sure why, but they are back out again in 8 weeks time! However, I will be at Croft on the Saturday just to watch  Aahh, makes sense why the Scottish Minis (why I'm there) and the Classics are going then. Surprised they aren't, they've not been at Knockhill for a few years but I don't see why the FRenault and the Clio's won't be at Croft. A shame, usually the best championship
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emicen
5,693 posts
87 months
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In past years, they've not come up because its too far to travel so have gone to Belgium to race at Spa instead.
This year, Formula Renault is canned in the UK anyway due to dwindling numbers, ClioCup is undergoing austerity measures including limiting testing and reducing rounds. Croft and Knockhill got the chop.
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TAHodgson
753 posts
40 months
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Ah, I remember seeing you at Prestwold! Infact, looking at your facebook page, a video "18 April 2012 22:30" my ugly mug goes past the camera at around 3 secs! Good luck getting yourself going in the Clio's, i'm sure Pete's "tuition" in his Clio on the day helped  I'll be keeping my ears open for your name, by the sounds of it you're prepared to take some risks to get yourself there, but stay sensible, never gamble everything! Best of luck mate!
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tjob
Original Poster
444 posts
20 months
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TAHodgson said: Ah, I remember seeing you at Prestwold! Infact, looking at your facebook page, a video "18 April 2012 22:30" my ugly mug goes past the camera at around 3 secs! Good luck getting yourself going in the Clio's, i'm sure Pete's "tuition" in his Clio on the day helped I'll be keeping my ears open for your name, by the sounds of it you're prepared to take some risks to get yourself there, but stay sensible, never gamble everything! Best of luck mate! Haha, massively small world... Tom
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Sexual Chocolate
853 posts
13 months
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I see your in the Harrogate post. Your not that chap who's little brother is widley tipped to be the next Lewis Hamilton who has an interest in a business out by tockwith are you?
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ArosaMike
727 posts
80 months
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You can do a season in Caterham Supersports for £8-12k fully supported. Good place to start at more affordable. Still get TV coverage on Motors TV and there are a few drivers who have managed to get some sponsorship, including one in my team who is fully funded!
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AA121
156 posts
67 months
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ArosaMike said: You can do a season in Caterham Supersports for £8-12k fully supported. Good place to start at more affordable. Still get TV coverage on Motors TV and there are a few drivers who have managed to get some sponsorship, including one in my team who is fully funded! Mike, Sorry mate but I can tell you that whole season in Caterhams with full team support works out much more than £12k!!!! Tim
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marshal_alan
253 posts
47 months
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the reason that clios are struggling is that renault are taking the p!$$ bigtime, they are running it as a cash cow for them in terms of parts costs etc
Okay Tom you are with a great team in TCR, Lee and the lads can prep a clio as well as anyone (including Mark and the Pyro lads) but for a newbie racer to spend best part of 100k in your 1st season of cars is dodgy to say the least, go for a year in club racing, learn the tracks and get some good racecraft then if you have budget go for clios or ginettas, at least Lawrence Tomlinson is a racer at heart and wants to help young talent
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VX Foxy
2,723 posts
112 months
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Interesting comments Marshal. You obviously know your stuff. What's your involvement?
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coppice
619 posts
13 months
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emicen said: In past years, they've not come up because its too far to travel so have gone to Belgium to race at Spa instead.
This year, Formula Renault is canned in the UK anyway due to dwindling numbers, ClioCup is undergoing austerity measures including limiting testing and reducing rounds. Croft and Knockhill got the chop. Oh ,poor lambs, couldn't face a couple of hours up the A1. Belgium obviously so much handier.And this year - how unusual- the motorsport world thinks its nothern limit is the Midlands...
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GreigM
4,140 posts
118 months
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To be honest, its no big loss - the Scottish Minis are far more entertaining than the Clios...possibly one of the best race series in the UK at the moment...
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marshal_alan
253 posts
47 months
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VX Foxy said: Interesting comments Marshal. You obviously know your stuff. What's your involvement? err i wear a orange romper suit and shove cars out of gravel traps lol seriously know a few guys connected with clios and know of a lot of the bullpooh that renault gives them, plus having a few mates that are connected to the smrc series
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emicen
5,693 posts
87 months
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To echo what Alan is saying, I know many of the same people and they have all come from other series in to Clios.
There are guys straight out of successful superkarting careers chosing the Scottish Minis for example. They are looking for car racecraft and time to develop the required sponsorship.
Within the current Clio field you have guys like Finlay Crocker and Vic Covey Jnr who have cut their teeth in the Minis and even for a championship winner like VCJ, the Clios is a 2yr program, 1 getting in to the car and aiming for top ten, second year aiming for glory.
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marshal_alan
253 posts
47 months
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and another thing, i remember chatting to Martin Johnson of Boulevard team racing when he raced the old astra in BTCC, his btcc budget was almost the same as his clio budget, okay he got the astra for peanuts (less than a current clio) and by running it on a total shoestring he still managed to run midfield in BTCC. Mickey Doyle was the same, main difference being the BTCC entry fees, running the old BTC spec cars was not that much different to a clio. it is the stupid things like apparel that puts clio budget up, you have to wear clio cup overalls at £750 even if you have a in date suit
also I remember when jonny won in 05 the prize for winning (10k) barely covered tyre costs
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tjob
Original Poster
444 posts
20 months
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Not too sure about Spa, obviously this is the UK calendar, but I've got most the Clio drivers on Twitter, not seen any mention of Spa. I'd not think it was to do with distance, TCR have the Clios, and Ginettas, and the Ginettas are going....Like I said, I don't really know.. http://www.renaultsport.co.uk/championships/cliocu...As for the Mini vs Caterham vs Clio vs anything else, as I have said, it's simply down to coverage. The Minis, yes I've been informed all about it, spoken to a couple of teams who used to run them, and the prices, to be fully run and having the best shot at doing well, it still comes out somewhere north of £50k for the year (No actual proof, i'm just going on what various teams have said) and with no massive following, why would I sponsor plunge £50k into something with no real following? This is THE main reason I've opted for Clios, it really is as simple as that. This will be a 2 year campaign for me, and yes, IF I end up being a major flop then so be it, but the coverage gained (regardless of pace, you still get TV time and mentions) holds value for sponsors. I can't personally fund my way through some more years in karting, and then into Fiestas, then Mini's, then Caterhams, then eventually into Clio's and try raise some funding. It may seem an unorthodox approach doing it this way round, but I see it as my only option. Tom
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ArosaMike
727 posts
80 months
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AA121 said: Mike,
Sorry mate but I can tell you that whole season in Caterhams with full team support works out much more than £12k!!!!
Tim Depends massively with who you go with though. McMillan are around £9k for full support ( http://www.mcmm.co.uk/#/race/4539196349)...add on your tyre and entry costs and there's no reason to say you couldn't keep it around £12k for the season. Whilst yes....it's a bit of a squeeze to do it for £12k, I'm only trying to point it's considerably cheaper than doing a season in Clio's. I spoke to someone about costs just after they started in the current generation of cars. Renault had told them £60k for the season....half way through they'd spent £150k.....
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FactoryBacked
168 posts
101 months
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marshal_alan said: the reason that clios are struggling is that renault are taking the p!$$ bigtime, they are running it as a cash cow for them in terms of parts costs etc
Okay Tom you are with a great team in TCR, Lee and the lads can prep a clio as well as anyone (including Mark and the Pyro lads) but for a newbie racer to spend best part of 100k in your 1st season of cars is dodgy to say the least, go for a year in club racing, learn the tracks and get some good racecraft then if you have budget go for clios or ginettas, at least Lawrence Tomlinson is a racer at heart and wants to help young talent Renault did the same with the S1600 Clio rally cars too. They'd sell you a base car within the budget cap set by the FIA but if you wanted it to go fast then you had to spend huge money on them. Likewise, gravel kits or tarmac kits for them were a fortune and the rebuilds on components like engines were eye watering.
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AA121
156 posts
67 months
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ArosaMike said: Depends massively with who you go with though. McMillan are around £9k for full support ( http://www.mcmm.co.uk/#/race/4539196349)...add on your tyre and entry costs and there's no reason to say you couldn't keep it around £12k for the season. Whilst yes....it's a bit of a squeeze to do it for £12k, I'm only trying to point it's considerably cheaper than doing a season in Clio's. I spoke to someone about costs just after they started in the current generation of cars. Renault had told them £60k for the season....half way through they'd spent £150k..... Mike, Don't want to drag this off topic into a "what it costs for season in Caterhams" and I absolutely hate adding it all up........but the teams are all much of a muchness and £9k is fairly typical for FULL support at all seven events in your own car. The entry fees this year alone have been £3k+ and if you want to do the test day before the race weekend then add at least another £2k for the year. Fuel, oil, tyres, brake pads & fluid...in other words consumables obviously depend on usage but all will add up to at least £3k for the season. "Optional" things such as insurance, hotel rooms, travel to the circuits (including one overseas event) can easily be another £3k minimum and that's not allowing for any additional track time or set up you might want to do in between events. So without any damage or mechanical repairs to the car (I needed a new engine last event at £4k!) in reality it's an absolute minimum of £20k to do a supported season in Supersports but, you're right and getting back on topic, way, way cheaper than Clios by the sound of it. Good luck at Nurburgring next month.... Cheers, Tim
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dapearson
747 posts
93 months
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I'm 8 races (4x double headers) into this season in what has to be the cheapest way to go one-make racing - Caterham Graduates Racing Club - Classics. Pre-2001 caterhams with 1.6 engines running yoko A539s (a set lasts almost a whole season).
I don't have any team support. I trailer the car to events myself using my Leon TDI, and stay in a B&B unless a mate lives nearby. I have tested at two of the race weekends so far and have only bought one set of tyres so far. I did a cheap (£100 or so) trackday before the season started as a shake-down.
I've had no damage and one mechanical issue, a failed diff, that has cost £450 to replace.
In other words, it's on a shoestring and i can't imagine one-make racing being any cheaper.
So far this season i've spent:
Entry fees - £1700
Accommodation - £300
Maintenance including consumables - £700
Tyres - £240
Fuel - £400
Testing - £440
So approx £3850 and we're only halfway through the season.
I'm expecting the season to cost approx £6k, but that's if I miss the final two rounds at Spa (which for obvious reasons i'd rather do, but this season is all about the championship for me).
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VX Foxy
2,723 posts
112 months
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tjob said: why would I sponsor plunge £50k into something with no real following?
Why would a sponsor plunge 50k into clios ?! There are top10 btcc drivers who'd kill for that...
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