Cheapest form of motorsport?
Discussion
rob13 said:
Im looking to get into motorsport in some shape or form but want to be able to see whether it is sustainable first.
Which is the cheapest form where i can cut my teeth? Minimoto? Karting? Lawnmower?
Which is the cheapest form where i can cut my teeth? Minimoto? Karting? Lawnmower?
Karting isn't the cheapest by a long way, not if you want to win! when we did the british championship in endurance pro karts (1997-2001) you where looking at around 20k per season to come 10th, the top teams where spending way way more then this. This excludes repairs due to idiot newbies who cant drive for toffee destroying your kart.
Think things have calmed down a bit since then, there seemed to be far too many people with far too much money to burn then. But you would still be looking at a couple of k for a half decent 2nd hand kart (rotax max), a couple of hundred per race entry fee, a couple of hundred per race in tyres (more if wets are needed too) and any repairs during a season, and engine rebuilds, which you cant do yourself as they are sealed.
A good hire kart series, like the karting challenge (www.kartingchallenge.co.uk/)is quite cheap get 3 mates to join you and its about £60 each per round, failing that I'd buy a cheap old hatchback and do some classic racing.
The only thing you'll break with minimoto is your ankle
Timmed sprints around around old airfields (normally)that are run by local car clubs. I have attended a couple with a mate of mine who had built a light weight mini. They normally have different class of cars according to engine size, so you get a good cross section of cars and drivers etc.
Cost wise its down to entry fee and how much money you want to chuck at it, some drive to the event, some trailer some real weird and expensive machinery, but all compete on a level footing.
Onr minute you might be watching a nice 70,s Mexico Escort the next some highly tunned 500hp + skyline.
Cost wise its down to entry fee and how much money you want to chuck at it, some drive to the event, some trailer some real weird and expensive machinery, but all compete on a level footing.
Onr minute you might be watching a nice 70,s Mexico Escort the next some highly tunned 500hp + skyline.
dinger said:
Timmed sprints around around old airfields (normally)that are run by local car clubs... Cost wise its down to entry fee and how much money you want to chuck at it
Plus the cost of a helmet and suit, double throttle springs, maybe a roll-over bar and fire extinguisher (mandatory in some categories), maybe a fireproof bulkhead or modified fuel filler, and a four-point belt if you're going to do it anywhere near properly. Plus the potential for damage if you drive like a rock ape.
I'd guess a production car trial, or a road rally/treasure hunt would be far cheaper.
Cheapest motorsport is what you can do in a stock road car, so look at Production car trials, navigational scatters, road rallies, auto tests and drag racing.
I have heard of some racing series where the rules state you have to sell your car after each race for a set amount if a competitor wants to buy it.
John
I have heard of some racing series where the rules state you have to sell your car after each race for a set amount if a competitor wants to buy it.
John
This month's PPC mag has a feature on the Formula Vee series, they seem to reckon you could manage a year's racing for about £6-7k, including buying a car.
I would imagine that most of the cheapest circuit series would be those run by the 750MC, you might want to try their website - www.750mc.co.uk
I would imagine that most of the cheapest circuit series would be those run by the 750MC, you might want to try their website - www.750mc.co.uk
i would have thought racing karts would be one of the cheapest options. Is there not a budget race series (TKM?)
Id rather do some form of track motorsport rather than say hillclimb or drag. My girlfriends dad has an old Suzy 4x4 LJ and i was gonna get that running to take green laning but i think i have more of a thrill of speed.
I also ride bikes but dont fancy throwing my bike around a trackday as ill probably bin it
Id rather do some form of track motorsport rather than say hillclimb or drag. My girlfriends dad has an old Suzy 4x4 LJ and i was gonna get that running to take green laning but i think i have more of a thrill of speed.
I also ride bikes but dont fancy throwing my bike around a trackday as ill probably bin it
rob13 said:
i would have thought racing karts would be one of the cheapest options. Is there not a budget race series (TKM?)
Id rather do some form of track motorsport rather than say hillclimb or drag. My girlfriends dad has an old Suzy 4x4 LJ and i was gonna get that running to take green laning but i think i have more of a thrill of speed.
I also ride bikes but dont fancy throwing my bike around a trackday as ill probably bin it
Id rather do some form of track motorsport rather than say hillclimb or drag. My girlfriends dad has an old Suzy 4x4 LJ and i was gonna get that running to take green laning but i think i have more of a thrill of speed.
I also ride bikes but dont fancy throwing my bike around a trackday as ill probably bin it
Dont kid yourself, Im a speed lover too, but I scared myself far more, more often in my 4x4 days, than I do on many a trackday.Adrenalin at 5mph ? For Def.
I'd have to say something you can do in your own production car,
me myself plan to do mainly road rallies, with some auto testing and sprints to boot.
this means i'll have only one car and i can keep using it for many different events, making it cheap and all round good fun, and is it that what we do it all for, good olf fashion fun?
me myself plan to do mainly road rallies, with some auto testing and sprints to boot.
this means i'll have only one car and i can keep using it for many different events, making it cheap and all round good fun, and is it that what we do it all for, good olf fashion fun?
If we are talking about circuit racing then I can recommend the Monoposto Racing Club and its single seater series. I have raced in Monoposto single seaters (www.monoposto.co.uk) for the past 4 seasons - 3 seasons in Monoposto 1800 and this season in Mono 2000. However, I only compete in about 6-8 races a year due to budget and time issues - most circuit racing is expensive & I am very definately self funding!!! Included in my race schedule has also usually been a couple of BARC-SEC single seater races on the Silverstone Stowe circuit - extremely good value and no scenery to hit!.
I drove a Formula Vauxhall Junior 16V for 3 seasons - great fun and very cheap to buy and run (£4.5 to buy, £10 for a set of second hand Formula Ford slicks, Sold for £4.5K!!!). I now have a 2 litre Formula Vauxhall which I bought for £6K and I use second hand F3 tyres at about £10-25 a set. Nothing comes close in performance per pound terms, IMHO. Adding everything up - licence, entry fees, medical, club membership, fuel, spares, tyres, transport, accident damage (not much), testing (not much) and only racing near home so no overnight stays, paid help at races - each race costs me about £400. That's not cheap in the real world but its considered to be cheap in racing; if I was technically competent then I know that i could race for for £300 a go.
I have also just bought a race prepared Fiat Uno for £2K for use in the Classic and Sports car Club's "Tin Tops" series (www.classicsportscarclub.co.uk). These are 40 min, 2 driver races and great fun, plus the fact I can rent out the second drive and share an entry fee to subsidise my own costs. The car is very scruffy but hilarious fun to drive. I just need to work out how to change gear in a car with a gearbox that has a mind of its own!
Give it a go, and if you fancy it then single seaters are probably cheaper to run than you think and excellent performance for your money.
I drove a Formula Vauxhall Junior 16V for 3 seasons - great fun and very cheap to buy and run (£4.5 to buy, £10 for a set of second hand Formula Ford slicks, Sold for £4.5K!!!). I now have a 2 litre Formula Vauxhall which I bought for £6K and I use second hand F3 tyres at about £10-25 a set. Nothing comes close in performance per pound terms, IMHO. Adding everything up - licence, entry fees, medical, club membership, fuel, spares, tyres, transport, accident damage (not much), testing (not much) and only racing near home so no overnight stays, paid help at races - each race costs me about £400. That's not cheap in the real world but its considered to be cheap in racing; if I was technically competent then I know that i could race for for £300 a go.
I have also just bought a race prepared Fiat Uno for £2K for use in the Classic and Sports car Club's "Tin Tops" series (www.classicsportscarclub.co.uk). These are 40 min, 2 driver races and great fun, plus the fact I can rent out the second drive and share an entry fee to subsidise my own costs. The car is very scruffy but hilarious fun to drive. I just need to work out how to change gear in a car with a gearbox that has a mind of its own!
Give it a go, and if you fancy it then single seaters are probably cheaper to run than you think and excellent performance for your money.
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