ARDS / MSA Licencing Assistance / Advice

[YozzaSport]

Is there a resource or someone who can comprehensively answer the following:

Passing the ARDS licence, does this give you MSA National (B) creditation and what are you eligable to compete in with this licence - what is the licence structure and on passing these initial applications, what can you compete in - is there a championship list relating to the different licence scales eg:

National B (for example)

Hot Hatch Championship
BMW Kumho Championship
Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship

National A (for example)

BTCC

International C (for example)

VLN

etc...

the first step as far as I can understand is to purchase this pack "go racing"

http://wbs.msauk.org/wbsshop/Details.">www.msauk.org/site/cms/contentChapterViewHosted.asp?chapter=265&Url=http://wbs.msauk.org/wbsshop/Details.

what are the costs there after?

Circuit Driver Magazine (June 2006) "playing your ARDS right" then state:

Medical - £60
Race School for examination - £250 www.msauk.org/site/cms/contentViewArticle.asp?article=2306&category=772
Licence - £45
Joining a club...

HOW TO BLOOMING HECK ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO FIND A LOCAL CLUB FROM HERE:

www.msauk.org/site/cms/contentChapterViewHosted.asp?chapter=322&Url=%2Fcustom%2Fasp%2Fredirect%2Fdefault%2Easp%3FRedirectTo%3DClubSearch%2Easpx

or do you normally have join the club of the championship that you run in:

eg. Castle Combe Saloon Car Championship Regs state:

1.3.2

Drivers and Entrant drivers must be fully paid up valid Racing membership holding members of the Castle Combe Racing Club, be registered with the Championship ad be in possession of a valid MSA Competition (racing)National (B) or above licences.

We plan to run in Britcar and the Clio Cup so these are the regulations for the two:

Britcar:

www.eerc.co.uk/cms/e107_plugins/wrap/regsdocs/2006_Britcar_Production_S1_Regulations_Issue_4.pdf

States - National (B) Required, but nothing about joining EERC (European Endurance Racing Club)

Clio Cup:

www.renaultsport.co.uk/championships/cliocup/regulations/regulations.pdf

States - National (B) Required, BARC membership is required:

www.barc.net/membership/types_of_membership.php

A BARC "Racing" licence is £95 - MUST you hold this to compete in clio cup based on the regs above, as I am not clear if being a member of the Castle Coombe or equivalent club would give you BRDC membership.

Am I correct so far and will my initial ARDS qualification give me the ability to compete in the two championships that I wish to consider.

Thank you for your time. I may have more questions if i get some replies.

Many Thanks,

Regards,

y0z

[jacobyte]

You can race VLN on a National B. The ADAC 24hr race requires International C.

[YozzaSport]

yes, ok,

but, as I stated "for example" to imply that it was not to discuss the licence that I needed to do the VLN more along the lines of the list of Championships that each licence made you eligable to gain access to...

It is perfectly simple to go around every championship and put together a resource of which licence you need to do them - I just wanted to know if someone had done it before me to save me the effort.

Ah, and thank you for your other reply - I had written this before your second post.

:-)

Thank You.

/y0z

Edited by YozzaSport on Friday 23 June 11:36

[jacobyte]

And to the main question(s):

- Get your Go Racing pack and get some tuition
- Pass ARDS, get National B.
- Check which championships allow National B (I am unaware of any extensive list of all catgories and their status).
- Join racing club that runs your chosen National B championship (e.g. yes, you will have to join BARC even if you are already a member of a circuit).
- Race!

Before all the above, just double check to make sure you have a bottomless pit of money.

Edited by jacobyte on Friday 23 June 11:35

[YozzaSport]

jacobyte said:

And to the main question(s):

- Get your Go Racing pack and get some tuition
- Pass ARDS, get National B.
- Check which championships allow National B (I am unaware of any extensive list of all catgories and their status).
- Join racing club that runs your chosen National B championship (e.g. yes, you will have to join BARC even if you are already a member of a circuit).
- Race!

Before all the above, just double check to make sure you have a bottomless pit of money.

Edited by jacobyte on Friday 23 June 11:35

OK,

that clears a lot of the questions up.

What are the annual costs of retaining your licence then?

EG. BRDC membership, Club Membership, Medicals etc.

Thank You,

/y0z

PS. Doesn't everyone have one of those pits at the bottom of their garden? ;-)

Edited by YozzaSport on Friday 23 June 11:39

Edited by YozzaSport on Friday 23 June 11:39

[jacobyte]

From memory, annual fees:

Nat B licence: About £60
Club membership: About £150
Championship entry: About £150
Race entry fees: About £2000
Medical: About £60 (one-off for Nat B but annual for Int'l C)
Bottomless Pit: Priceless

[thunderbelmont]

YozzaSport said:

OK,

that clears a lot of the questions up.

What are the annual costs of retaining your licence then?

EG. BRDC membership, Club Membership, Medicals etc.

Thank You,

/y0z

PS. Doesn't everyone have one of those pits at the bottom of their garden? ;-)

1. BRDC Membership - you don't unless you're invited into that one. Some people view them as the "Blazer wearers", others (like me!) see it as a goal/ambition to be invited to become a BRDC member. You have to prove yourself worthy representing the sport at it's higher levels.

2. Club Membership - depends on the series you choose. Some allow competitors to be drawn from a number of different clubs. Some are specific. You mentioned Britcar - you enter the series by registering with them (the EERC), your registration is your "Club Membership".
For the Clio Cup, I'm fairly certain that it's BARC (as a Racing Member), that's cheaper than BRSCC Racing Membership.

3. Annual Medical - if you have a Nat(B) or Nat(A), it's self certification (honest, I can see without the need for glasses, I still have 7 fingers on that hand, and that wasn't a heart problem, it was just bad wind, they just took me to Papworth for a ride). If it's an International licence, it's annual medicals at what ever rate the doctor you choose wishes to fleece you. Anything from £30 upwards - most are nearer the £100 mark for 15mins work.

4. Licence Renewals - depends on your licence. My Intl.C was £140 this year.

Your other option would be to take your wallet, and throw it on the fire. Has a similar effect to motorsport - burns your money like there's no tomorrow. Fun though, innit!

One other option, if you have too much money, is give it to me, and I'll spend it for you.

Rob.

[lemon yella rs]

One point about VLN and adac 24hr race. I beleive you can race at 24hr if you have competed in 3 similar races i.e. 3 x VLN. There is something in the adac rules that allows for this.

[jacobyte]

lemon yella rs said:

One point about VLN and adac 24hr race. I beleive you can race at 24hr if you have competed in 3 similar races i.e. 3 x VLN. There is something in the adac rules that allows for this.

It depends what class you want to race in. If you haven't done the 24h before, even though you might have done several VLN races, you are not normally allowed to race in the faster classes. But you can take a course a couple of weeks before the 24h which, subject to your competence, grants you permission to do it. Ultimately your entry is down to the decision of the officials. I wouldn't doubt that several crates of Champagne have swapped hands in the past.

[chassis 33]

thunderbelmont said:

Your other option would be to take your wallet, and throw it on the fire. Has a similar effect to motorsport - burns your money like there's no tomorrow. Fun though, innit!

No, it's more akin driving along the M6 at 80mph in the pouring rain, all windows wound down, throwing crisp £20 notes out of the window every 100yds.


Regards
Iain

[Finchy172]

Hello YOZ,

Brad here from cliosport, and also from FCS when you NEARLY spun with me in the car!

MSA National B should cover you for everything you intend to do,
Unsure on the european rounds of britcar such as spa

Our drivers have a National B and race britcar without problems,

[YozzaSport]

Hi there Brad,

Didn't realise that you were on here - was good fun that little outing, I hope that you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Thanks for the information folks.

/y0z

[phib]

Just done my ards last week and the process and cost's were like this :

Go Racing Pack £50
Medical £80
ARDS £250 (Goodwood)
Tuition 30 mins before the ards £100

Race suit,boots etc etc £1000

Bottomless money pit ...... sorry should read car !!!

Now where has that sponser gone ..............................