Whats the cheapest form of racing (other than karting)?
Discussion
98elise said:
Isn't sprint racing just against the clock though?
Just to be clear, I'm looking to race other cars, on a track (with corners) in a non contact motorsport. Ideally where the cars are almost stock. Stock hatch seems to be the best bet so far.
lol you might want to give stock hatch a miss if you want non contact motorsport! Just to be clear, I'm looking to race other cars, on a track (with corners) in a non contact motorsport. Ideally where the cars are almost stock. Stock hatch seems to be the best bet so far.
98elise said:
After watching the rallycross episode of top gear again, I was wondering whats the cheapest way to go racing?
I was thinking in terms of racing a small hatch back on the odd weekend. Something where I can just turn up with the car, pay a fee, and race. Something I can do as a hobby rather than it taking over my life.
Ideally I'd like to be able to keep the car road legal, so that I can drive it to an from the track, with just a change of tyres for the journey.
Is there such a thing?
Edit.....I go karting once every couple of months, which is why I want to step up from that.
When you say you go karting every couple of months is the club racing with your own kart or just going to an arrive and drive. Anything is a step up from arrive and drive. Don't dismiss karting, I'm going back to it in 250 national gearbox, would kick the arse of most cars on a circuit, most definitely a stock hatch. There's a reason pretty much every professional driver comes from karting and still do it to keep sharp. I was thinking in terms of racing a small hatch back on the odd weekend. Something where I can just turn up with the car, pay a fee, and race. Something I can do as a hobby rather than it taking over my life.
Ideally I'd like to be able to keep the car road legal, so that I can drive it to an from the track, with just a change of tyres for the journey.
Is there such a thing?
Edit.....I go karting once every couple of months, which is why I want to step up from that.
Proper karting to stock hatch racing would be a step back not forwards IMO.
Edited by Yazza54 on Sunday 23 September 20:25
As has already been said it really does depend on what you consider to be cheap. Race entry fees in a cheap series are generally around the £300 mark (2x15 minute races). Fuel is another £60. You also need to budget getting to the venue and the cost of a hotel (or camping equipment). Most series have a control tyre you have to run and these will be around £350 for a set.
When I bought my car this year I went for something that was fully road and race legal and I have driven it to Mallory and Silverstone this year; however, race cars are not pleasant places to be when they are not on the track and I can honestly say I won't be driving to the circuit next year. I really wouldn't get hung up on having a road legal racer. Also racing is not a non-contact sport, despite what the rules say. In tin top racing there will always be contact, So the racer may get you to the circuit but will you be ale to drive it home with the front wing held on by gaffer tape?
Finally, I'll throw in mr2s as another "cheap" series. Have a look at www.mr2racing.com
When I bought my car this year I went for something that was fully road and race legal and I have driven it to Mallory and Silverstone this year; however, race cars are not pleasant places to be when they are not on the track and I can honestly say I won't be driving to the circuit next year. I really wouldn't get hung up on having a road legal racer. Also racing is not a non-contact sport, despite what the rules say. In tin top racing there will always be contact, So the racer may get you to the circuit but will you be ale to drive it home with the front wing held on by gaffer tape?
Finally, I'll throw in mr2s as another "cheap" series. Have a look at www.mr2racing.com
The answer to your question (plus a few more) is very much the remit of both the Production BMW Championship www.pbmwc.co.uk and its sister series, the Project 8 Racing Saloons www.pbmwc.co.uk/P8RS/.
PBMW is a one-make Championship for E30 3 series and is well recognised throughout club motorsport for being highly cost conscious and very very successful - the cars are basically standard aside from safety equipment and mildly upgraded suspension. Driving standards are very closely monitored too.
Project 8 Racing Saloons is for any pre 1994 saloon car and allows a bit more modification than PBMW, but nothing silly. Again, it is run very conscientiously for the amateur competitor on a budget.
Entry fees are the really big selling point for both series and range from £235 x 15min at Brands Indy, to £300 for 2 x 25mins at Silverstone Arena GP circuit (current F1 layout).
This is budget racing at its best on a number of levels. The club is run by drivers for drivers (NOT for profit) and the paddock is a fun and friendly place to enjoy your day's racing ;-)
PBMW is a one-make Championship for E30 3 series and is well recognised throughout club motorsport for being highly cost conscious and very very successful - the cars are basically standard aside from safety equipment and mildly upgraded suspension. Driving standards are very closely monitored too.
Project 8 Racing Saloons is for any pre 1994 saloon car and allows a bit more modification than PBMW, but nothing silly. Again, it is run very conscientiously for the amateur competitor on a budget.
Entry fees are the really big selling point for both series and range from £235 x 15min at Brands Indy, to £300 for 2 x 25mins at Silverstone Arena GP circuit (current F1 layout).
This is budget racing at its best on a number of levels. The club is run by drivers for drivers (NOT for profit) and the paddock is a fun and friendly place to enjoy your day's racing ;-)
How about classic racing - not Historics, that is really expensive.
Classic Sports Car Club runs several series http://www.classicsportscarclub.co.uk/ourseries.ht... which feature 40 minute races, with a compulsory pit stop so that many drivers will share their racing. Sharing keeps car, transport and race fee costs down.
John
Classic Sports Car Club runs several series http://www.classicsportscarclub.co.uk/ourseries.ht... which feature 40 minute races, with a compulsory pit stop so that many drivers will share their racing. Sharing keeps car, transport and race fee costs down.
John
61GT said:
To the OP.
From personal experience Karting isn't cheap!
I concur. I have a few mates who switched from karting to stock hatch because, if they wanted to spend enough to be genuinely competitive, karting would have ended up more expensive, whereas a stock hatch is, by its very nature, mainly stock parts. I know a few guys who still do the C100 karting and they're always skint. You're talking buying off-the-shelf mass-produced Ford Fiesta XR2 parts, in some cases from scrapyards, versus bespoke/low-volume cutting-edge motorsport engineering.From personal experience Karting isn't cheap!
I'll throw in the BMW Compact Cup for consideration..
http://www.750mc.co.uk/F-BMW-Compact-Cup.php
and
http://www.bmwracedays.co.uk/
Car can be built for between 4 and 5k less if you try. Running costs including entry fees for a season are around 2k. Feel free to PM me with any questions or ask here...
http://www.750mc.co.uk/F-BMW-Compact-Cup.php
and
http://www.bmwracedays.co.uk/
Car can be built for between 4 and 5k less if you try. Running costs including entry fees for a season are around 2k. Feel free to PM me with any questions or ask here...
davepoth said:
Autotests are pretty cheap too. Saw a local one at Castle Combe by accident a few weeks back, looks fun.
That's probably AutoSolo, rather than Autotests:http://www.bristolmc.org.uk/Noviceguide/autotestso...
There's a taster event next month at Castle Combe:
http://www.stroke.org.uk/castlecombe
Just turn up in a road legal car with some fuel in it and have some fun! Of course, if you're intent on banging panels with other cars, this isn't the discipline for you.
geeks said:
I shouldnt say this because i work for different formula in the same club BUT the stockhatch has cleaned its act up alot over the last two years...
i guess that wouldnt have been that hard to do as it was shunt central for a long time! although ive got a sneaking suspicion its got cleaner since they went to proper tyres rather than the crappy A539's they used to run,and the fact that whole series now has a lot less entries than it used to 5/6 years agobut again,the word 'stock' isnt exactly true,when some peoples ignition systems cost more than other runners complete cars!
Another vote for Production BMW (PBMW)
Cars are cheap (from £3k ready built), RWD, and any contact is punished.
I have a wife & x3 kids so really can't spend much on racing and this was the cheapest I could find once you factor in running costs. If you ding a panel you can find a replacement on ebay for a tenner!
Replacemnet gearbox? £50 Replacement engine? £200.
You get to race at all the best circuits in the country (Brands Hatch GP, Silverstone GP, Oulton Park, Donnington, Cadwell, Snetterton etc.) and the racing is close but fair.
Great bunch of people too.
Check it out - you won't regret it.
Cars are cheap (from £3k ready built), RWD, and any contact is punished.
I have a wife & x3 kids so really can't spend much on racing and this was the cheapest I could find once you factor in running costs. If you ding a panel you can find a replacement on ebay for a tenner!
Replacemnet gearbox? £50 Replacement engine? £200.
You get to race at all the best circuits in the country (Brands Hatch GP, Silverstone GP, Oulton Park, Donnington, Cadwell, Snetterton etc.) and the racing is close but fair.
Great bunch of people too.
Check it out - you won't regret it.
refoman2 said:
i guess that wouldnt have been that hard to do as it was shunt central for a long time! although ive got a sneaking suspicion its got cleaner since they went to proper tyres rather than the crappy A539's they used to run,and the fact that whole series now has a lot less entries than it used to 5/6 years ago
but again,the word 'stock' isnt exactly true,when some peoples ignition systems cost more than other runners complete cars!
Yeah the cars are far from stock! They still have some decent grids though but its mainly saxo's!but again,the word 'stock' isnt exactly true,when some peoples ignition systems cost more than other runners complete cars!
Cheapest form of circuit racing is the 'taking part for fun' kind. What I mean by this is that this question always raises the usual suspect cheaper car and cheaper entry fees end of club racing whilst forgetting that those items only count for a part of any ones annual spend. As an example once one goes down the route of paying some one to run and support the car the costs go through the roof rapidly and is often unrelated to the actual car.
As just said 750Mc. http://www.750mc.co.uk/ cover the lot saloons kitcars sports cars and single seaters. And there is the one championship aimed at beginners Locost, one of the closest competitive championships in the UK.
Cheers Matt
Cheers Matt
Caterham Graduates Club (www.graduates.org.uk) gets my vote.
The initial outlay is going to be around £10k for a car, but it won't depreciate. If you do well it might actually increase in value.
Entry fees are £350 for a double-header (20 min qualifying, then 2x 20 min races).
Tyres are either A539s that will last nearly a full season in the "classics" category at £240 per set, or the softer A048s that you will typically go through 3 sets of at roughly £300 per set.
Then there's fuel.
The rest is up to you. Testing, paying someone for transport/prep, etc.
You should consider the potential cost of mechanical failure or crash damage. If you haven't got a few £k put aside to cover this then you might get yourself stuck with a broken car and no money to fix it.
A full season will cost roughly £6,000 as a minimum including tyres, entry fees, fuel, some basic maintenance, the odd bit of testing, etc.
The initial outlay is going to be around £10k for a car, but it won't depreciate. If you do well it might actually increase in value.
Entry fees are £350 for a double-header (20 min qualifying, then 2x 20 min races).
Tyres are either A539s that will last nearly a full season in the "classics" category at £240 per set, or the softer A048s that you will typically go through 3 sets of at roughly £300 per set.
Then there's fuel.
The rest is up to you. Testing, paying someone for transport/prep, etc.
You should consider the potential cost of mechanical failure or crash damage. If you haven't got a few £k put aside to cover this then you might get yourself stuck with a broken car and no money to fix it.
A full season will cost roughly £6,000 as a minimum including tyres, entry fees, fuel, some basic maintenance, the odd bit of testing, etc.
Gassing Station | UK Club Motorsport | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff