How many of the "How do I start Motorsport" folk....
Discussion
How many of the "How do I start Motorsport" folk actually get involved in racing?
There is almost a constant stream of "how do I start racing" threads on this forum, some of them are from people who have clearly done some research and have some idea of what they want to do; others appear to be from people who almost seem to have woken up in the morning and thought "I know, I'm going to be a racing driver"! and want others to tell them how they ought to do it.
Most of them have only joined PH in the days before they post their threads so they don't appear to be people who have been "into" motorsport for some time, it seems to be an impulse thought.
Am I being unfair or is it just a feature of the internet that allows people to trawl for information in a very instantaneous way?
There is almost a constant stream of "how do I start racing" threads on this forum, some of them are from people who have clearly done some research and have some idea of what they want to do; others appear to be from people who almost seem to have woken up in the morning and thought "I know, I'm going to be a racing driver"! and want others to tell them how they ought to do it.
Most of them have only joined PH in the days before they post their threads so they don't appear to be people who have been "into" motorsport for some time, it seems to be an impulse thought.
Am I being unfair or is it just a feature of the internet that allows people to trawl for information in a very instantaneous way?
Maybe a bit harsh.
Speaking as someone who has started a similar thread in the past, but not started motorsport yet.
From an outside point of view, most motorsport seems prohibitively expensive, or massively elitist and inaccessible. The small bit of research my like minded friend and I have done has gone some way to change our opinion on these fronts.
It is still an expense which needs to be reconciled with all the day to day expenditure though, and likely as not, other things crop up in the mean time.
It would be nice to just pile in, spending a grand or two on a whim, but for a bit of fun, I can't justify it. Careful planning and research needs to take place, and this is the perfect place for that, isn't it?
How else should people find out if it's possible/suitable for them?
Speaking as someone who has started a similar thread in the past, but not started motorsport yet.
From an outside point of view, most motorsport seems prohibitively expensive, or massively elitist and inaccessible. The small bit of research my like minded friend and I have done has gone some way to change our opinion on these fronts.
It is still an expense which needs to be reconciled with all the day to day expenditure though, and likely as not, other things crop up in the mean time.
It would be nice to just pile in, spending a grand or two on a whim, but for a bit of fun, I can't justify it. Careful planning and research needs to take place, and this is the perfect place for that, isn't it?
How else should people find out if it's possible/suitable for them?
Agreed. Im one whos building a car to enter in the MSV Track Day Trophy, a friend of mine has been racing this season so I know the full run down from him.
But ive been interested in entering the Time Attack as also looks like alot of fun - but need so much time in researching it all. Would be lovely to speak to some people who actually compete in it.
Cars 98% ready to race now, and now im having doubts as to which series to enter in 2013 :'( Need to decide as i already have sponsors to keep happy.
Thanks,
Andy
But ive been interested in entering the Time Attack as also looks like alot of fun - but need so much time in researching it all. Would be lovely to speak to some people who actually compete in it.
Cars 98% ready to race now, and now im having doubts as to which series to enter in 2013 :'( Need to decide as i already have sponsors to keep happy.
Thanks,
Andy
CupraAndy said:
Agreed. But ive been interested in entering the Time Attack as also looks like alot of fun - but need so much time in researching it all. Would be lovely to speak to some people who actually compete in it.
Call me old fashioned, but when my son was about to start karting, we .......................................................................... wait for it ................................................................. went to a kart race meeting and spoke to the guys in the paddock.Likewise when he moved on to racing cars.
Speak to the drivers of the classes you're interested in and you'll get (in the most part) factual and first hand information, not something that someone heard down the pub, or even worse, read in an internet forum!!!
Obviously I'm being flippant, and there are many people on here who do know what they're talking about, but for someone who doesn't know it's difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff.
The instant gratification which the internet is so good at sometimes has a downside..................................
Kim
eta obviously wait until a quiet moment before buttonholing people - an adjustable spanner wedged into your back passage has been known to offend
Piglet said:
How many of the "How do I start Motorsport" folk actually get involved in racing?
There is almost a constant stream of "how do I start racing" threads on this forum, some of them are from people who have clearly done some research and have some idea of what they want to do; others appear to be from people who almost seem to have woken up in the morning and thought "I know, I'm going to be a racing driver"! and want others to tell them how they ought to do it.
Most of them have only joined PH in the days before they post their threads so they don't appear to be people who have been "into" motorsport for some time, it seems to be an impulse thought.
Am I being unfair or is it just a feature of the internet that allows people to trawl for information in a very instantaneous way?
In fairness, I might have posted something similar in 1993 when I was 17; it only took me 18 years before it was actually something I could finally do.There is almost a constant stream of "how do I start racing" threads on this forum, some of them are from people who have clearly done some research and have some idea of what they want to do; others appear to be from people who almost seem to have woken up in the morning and thought "I know, I'm going to be a racing driver"! and want others to tell them how they ought to do it.
Most of them have only joined PH in the days before they post their threads so they don't appear to be people who have been "into" motorsport for some time, it seems to be an impulse thought.
Am I being unfair or is it just a feature of the internet that allows people to trawl for information in a very instantaneous way?
kimducati said:
CupraAndy said:
Agreed. But ive been interested in entering the Time Attack as also looks like alot of fun - but need so much time in researching it all. Would be lovely to speak to some people who actually compete in it.
Call me old fashioned, but when my son was about to start karting, we .......................................................................... wait for it ................................................................. went to a kart race meeting and spoke to the guys in the paddock.Likewise when he moved on to racing cars.
Speak to the drivers of the classes you're interested in and you'll get (in the most part) factual and first hand information, not something that someone heard down the pub, or even worse, read in an internet forum!!!
Obviously I'm being flippant, and there are many people on here who do know what they're talking about, but for someone who doesn't know it's difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff.
The instant gratification which the internet is so good at sometimes has a downside..................................
Kim
eta obviously wait until a quiet moment before buttonholing people - an adjustable spanner wedged into your back passage has been known to offend
A few years ago I was one of those how do I get started people, and have done two seasons in the classic touring car championship, not full seasons unfortunately due to other commitments and cost.
I would say one of the biggest hurdles was not so much money as much as there's a few championships out there if you haven't got a specific one in mind, and unless you know a motorsport mechanic or you can do the stuff yourself, it's overwhelming to know where to start.
Fortunately I got in contact with Andy at SVG motorsport who were sponsors of the CTCRC and had a car available for renting and did it that way. I'm sure there are others out there that can offer these services, it's getting hold of them, would be good to compile a list of each reasonably priced series along with contacts for arrive and drive and rou costs etc, it's keeping it up to date which is the hard bit I guess.
As an example I think I found drives from £500 - £2000 per race at the "budget" end plus entry fees and some series are more likely to incur damage in than others which is a consideration for on a budget.
To be honest I would say proper outdoor karting can offer a much better value racing experience due to the much lower costs and ability to race wheel to wheel without worrying about damage costs.
I enquired at my local track mansell raceway but they don't run any championships which is a shame, I don't know enough competitive racers to go with.
I would say one of the biggest hurdles was not so much money as much as there's a few championships out there if you haven't got a specific one in mind, and unless you know a motorsport mechanic or you can do the stuff yourself, it's overwhelming to know where to start.
Fortunately I got in contact with Andy at SVG motorsport who were sponsors of the CTCRC and had a car available for renting and did it that way. I'm sure there are others out there that can offer these services, it's getting hold of them, would be good to compile a list of each reasonably priced series along with contacts for arrive and drive and rou costs etc, it's keeping it up to date which is the hard bit I guess.
As an example I think I found drives from £500 - £2000 per race at the "budget" end plus entry fees and some series are more likely to incur damage in than others which is a consideration for on a budget.
To be honest I would say proper outdoor karting can offer a much better value racing experience due to the much lower costs and ability to race wheel to wheel without worrying about damage costs.
I enquired at my local track mansell raceway but they don't run any championships which is a shame, I don't know enough competitive racers to go with.
The flip side to all this, is having lived nowhere near a circuit most of my life, not knowing anyone remotely connected to a fast car nevermind motorsport, is the internet has pretty much been my "foot in the door", to "meeting" people at series events then meeting them for real there.
Still dreaming the dream tho...
Still dreaming the dream tho...
vladcjelli said:
Maybe a bit harsh.
Speaking as someone who has started a similar thread in the past, but not started motorsport yet.
From an outside point of view, most motorsport seems prohibitively expensive, or massively elitist and inaccessible. The small bit of research my like minded friend and I have done has gone some way to change our opinion on these fronts.
It is still an expense which needs to be reconciled with all the day to day expenditure though, and likely as not, other things crop up in the mean time.
It would be nice to just pile in, spending a grand or two on a whim, but for a bit of fun, I can't justify it. Careful planning and research needs to take place, and this is the perfect place for that, isn't it?
How else should people find out if it's possible/suitable for them?
I think what a lot misunderstand is the sheer hard work involved. I know people who spend from just a few thousand a year through a few tens of thousands a year but the thing in common with everyone is the hours of effort needed to keep everything together and actually go racing.Speaking as someone who has started a similar thread in the past, but not started motorsport yet.
From an outside point of view, most motorsport seems prohibitively expensive, or massively elitist and inaccessible. The small bit of research my like minded friend and I have done has gone some way to change our opinion on these fronts.
It is still an expense which needs to be reconciled with all the day to day expenditure though, and likely as not, other things crop up in the mean time.
It would be nice to just pile in, spending a grand or two on a whim, but for a bit of fun, I can't justify it. Careful planning and research needs to take place, and this is the perfect place for that, isn't it?
How else should people find out if it's possible/suitable for them?
We've never found racing elitist or inaccessible at all, from karting through various club series. We have seen many come and go because for one reason or another they aren't able or prepared to put in the necesssary workload on the car, the planning and organisation, the travel etc, which can be pretty relentless through a season and hard, especially if you have to do a day job too.
Yes we've had a few of these threads haven't we. Several people from the Caterham Graduates club have suggested that they get in contact, or come along to a meeting to see how accessible and relatively cheap that club racing can be.
I don't know of a single person that's got in contact.
For the record, i'm leading the championship and my total spend so far including entry fees, tyres, maintenance, accommodation, testing and fuel is £4,900. I'm hoping to secure the championship on less than £5,500.
I don't know of a single person that's got in contact.
For the record, i'm leading the championship and my total spend so far including entry fees, tyres, maintenance, accommodation, testing and fuel is £4,900. I'm hoping to secure the championship on less than £5,500.
I think it's actually a lot harder to make the jump to do it, than it is to plan!
Once I'd made the commitment to do the Caterham Academy, it all just seemed to happen. Whilst money is always an issue, if you spend ages trying to plan before hand you'll just talk yourself out of it.
No matter what championship anyone does, I defy anyone to suggest they don't spend everything they can on racing! If you're income goes up, so does your racing budget!
So I think a lot of people who write these 'how do I start racing' topics are probably hoping someone will come up with some kind of magic idea where you just pay a few hundred quid and jump in a car.
In reality....the only way anyone ever makes it happen is by just going out and buying a car/kart. As long as it's eligable for something, you'll race it at least once....but you'll probably spend all the money you have on it!
Once I'd made the commitment to do the Caterham Academy, it all just seemed to happen. Whilst money is always an issue, if you spend ages trying to plan before hand you'll just talk yourself out of it.
No matter what championship anyone does, I defy anyone to suggest they don't spend everything they can on racing! If you're income goes up, so does your racing budget!
So I think a lot of people who write these 'how do I start racing' topics are probably hoping someone will come up with some kind of magic idea where you just pay a few hundred quid and jump in a car.
In reality....the only way anyone ever makes it happen is by just going out and buying a car/kart. As long as it's eligable for something, you'll race it at least once....but you'll probably spend all the money you have on it!
Piglet said:
How many of the "How do I start Motorsport" folk actually get involved in racing?
look @ this one by bizboy titled 'How could I get into club racing on a weekend at a low cost?' a couple of weeks ago & I got shot down for suggesting they use the seach functionEdited by andy rob on Thursday 2nd August 12:40
To me the obvious place to find out what it's like to go racing is to go to a track and this is something that quite a lot of these thread starters seem reluctant to do. Get out there and talk to people who are out there racing.
As others have said, you get a very mixed range of advice on a forum and sometimes it's difficult to tell whether posters know what their talking about or not and there are those that will criticise everything other than what they do.
If you can't afford to get out there and start racing now, then go to a track and get involved, marshal, wash wheels, find out how the world works, don't just sit in a darkened room on the internet!
As others have said, you get a very mixed range of advice on a forum and sometimes it's difficult to tell whether posters know what their talking about or not and there are those that will criticise everything other than what they do.
If you can't afford to get out there and start racing now, then go to a track and get involved, marshal, wash wheels, find out how the world works, don't just sit in a darkened room on the internet!
I can sympathise with the guys trying to get involved in the sport. It took me 5 years to pull together the funds to do it, but during that time I took part in an organised outdoor karting championship to develop my skills. I would recommend that, as simple things like racing in the wet were not new to me when car racing.
Part of the problem is that there is a lot of misinformation about costs, which can be intimidating to those on a budget (like me). I compete in Formula Vee, and thought that I would probably only be able to afford 3-4 races. As it stands I've been able to take part in 15 now, with reasonable success.
If your serious, and can do so then buy your own car. If you bend it, then you don't owe somebody thousands of pounds and you can fix it as and when you can afford to. Do your research on the cars (I had a file going for 3 years before I bought mine) and you can get a bargain. There is nothing more satisfying than beating guys with more expensive cars. Come along to a race, and the drivers will always be willing to give advice on what's involved - better to speak to them after the race though.
If anyone is looking to get involved, then consider Formula Vee! The performance is not far off a formula ford, and you can pick up a very good car for £4.5k
Part of the problem is that there is a lot of misinformation about costs, which can be intimidating to those on a budget (like me). I compete in Formula Vee, and thought that I would probably only be able to afford 3-4 races. As it stands I've been able to take part in 15 now, with reasonable success.
If your serious, and can do so then buy your own car. If you bend it, then you don't owe somebody thousands of pounds and you can fix it as and when you can afford to. Do your research on the cars (I had a file going for 3 years before I bought mine) and you can get a bargain. There is nothing more satisfying than beating guys with more expensive cars. Come along to a race, and the drivers will always be willing to give advice on what's involved - better to speak to them after the race though.
If anyone is looking to get involved, then consider Formula Vee! The performance is not far off a formula ford, and you can pick up a very good car for £4.5k
I'm not sure if I have asked on P.H but I have certainly asked my fellow 944 folk about 'beginner motor sport'. I love my 944's and have done so for years so certainly don't trawl the net just looking to post any old questions.'I do see your post as possibly quite harsh dare I say a little arrogent.
There seems to be an assumption in what's been posted that anyone looking to have some more fun with their car wants to be 'a racing driver'.
Surely motor sport doesn't just mean being 'a racing driver'.
My own personal desire is to get involved in very low end stuff that's social with a 'fun' element of competition, more of an excuse to whizz a car I love around in a safe enviroment and have a laugh rather than to try and win anything. Examples possibly being hillclimb , autocross or time trials and yes I have asked around online to get an idea how seriously folk take these events and guage the reaction of the folk involved.
I'm 46, I think quite normal and have no desire to become a 'racing driver' but I do fancy tarting up a 944 with numbers decals and perhaps getting it muddy in like minded company , is that such a bad thing ?
Not wishing to be rude by my own post but you did ask an opinion and here it is.
Cheers
Mas
There seems to be an assumption in what's been posted that anyone looking to have some more fun with their car wants to be 'a racing driver'.
Surely motor sport doesn't just mean being 'a racing driver'.
My own personal desire is to get involved in very low end stuff that's social with a 'fun' element of competition, more of an excuse to whizz a car I love around in a safe enviroment and have a laugh rather than to try and win anything. Examples possibly being hillclimb , autocross or time trials and yes I have asked around online to get an idea how seriously folk take these events and guage the reaction of the folk involved.
I'm 46, I think quite normal and have no desire to become a 'racing driver' but I do fancy tarting up a 944 with numbers decals and perhaps getting it muddy in like minded company , is that such a bad thing ?
Not wishing to be rude by my own post but you did ask an opinion and here it is.
Cheers
Mas
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