Anyone compete in motorsport here?

[speedtwelve 0]

Thinking of doing some sprints this year, perhaps even a hillclimb. Anyone else take part in their C's?

 

I've done plenty of trackdays, a bit of car club sprinting (non-MSA) in Scotland, and ran a Prokart for a year in club racing. Was going to do a few trackdays this year in the VR6, but have realised that for less than the average trackday cost I can have a day of competition instead.

 

Initially considered a day at Gurston Down hillclimb school followed by entering an event, but by the looks of the place (went to spectate last year), any big mistake into the first corner would result in the Corrado being completely destroyed!

 

Abingdon is just up the road, and holds a sprint in the summer. Plenty of run-off; I reckon I'll have a crack at that instead. Should be less wear/tear on the car as well, on the whole day the car is only at race-speeds for a few minutes, as opposed to lap after lap at a trackday.

 

Need to sort a Nat B MSA licence and club membership; Farnborough & District MC are the likely contenders, they seem to like their sprint events.

[Toad 0]

A mate of mine races trucks, this is his website.

 

http://www.dbtruckracing.co.uk/

 

Watching truck racing is awesome... There's noting quite like them drifting round corners.

[speedtwelve 0]

Truck racing is complete lunacy. Steam pouring from water-cooled brakes, using the vehicle in front as an aid to slowing for the next corner...

[Taggart 0]

using the vehicle in front as an aid to slowing for the next corner...

 

Ah, the gran turismo approach.

[corozin 0]

I'm a regular (spectator) at Gurston Down and whilst I agree with your comments I am bound to say that you won't get into entry-level Motorsport for a lot less money than you'll spend if you go to Gurston.

 

However if you don't want to do Gurston (you wusser!) and want to try proper circuit racing I'd suggest you try contacting either:

a) The BARC - I'm sure they can give you loads of advice on how to get started

b) The 750 Motor Club - this was recently recommended in PPC as one of the best/cheapest ways to sample competitive motorsport. However you'll have to buy a racecar to compete in that, as your Corrado is outside 750MC rules!

c) Try contacting Castle Combe circuit. They have a number of "amateur" club racing series based at thier circuit designed specifically for people stepping up to racing from Trackdays. I think you only need a National B licence to do some of them.

However once again I don't know if you'll be able to use your Corrado. There's a popular club series for 3-series BMWs for example

 

HTH,

John (and hopefully see you at Gurston this summer!)

[speedtwelve 0]

Hi Corozin, thanks for the comments.

 

I used to have a fully race-prepared Scirocco, but I just used it for club-level sprints and trackdays.

 

The good thing about sprints/hillclimbs is that I can drive the car to the venue, compete in a 'road car' class and drive home again. My Corrado is not race-prepared, and has only the mods listed in my signature. I don't have any plans to do car circuit racing yet, as it ends-up being horrendously expensive. Even the season of karting that I did worked out at around £300 per race, what with kart slicks at £100+ per set, maintenance, kart storage, entry fees, not including the £1600 we paid for a year-old kart.

 

Nat B non-race licence sprint/hillclimb does keep the cost manageable; much less potential to wreck the car than trying to fit through the same corner as 20 other cars for a start!

 

The thing with Gurston and most other hillclimb venues is the selection of scenery in the way if you depart from the rather narrow circuit. My C is my P & J, and I'm not sure to what degree I'm happy risking the car. I know from previous experience that if I do compete at Gurston Down that it'll be maximum-attack once the green light comes on... A nice airfield sprint would probably be better all-round for car preservation!

 

I still might have a day at the Gurston hillclimb school and see what I think!

[bristolbaron 10]

traffic light grand prix for me..

[corozin 0]

I'm sorry but I strongly disagree. It's almost impossible to drive a car at 100% on any public road without considerable risk to either yourself or other road users.

 

Real drivers take it to the race track - be that in Trackdays or in Competition. You'll also learn more about performance driving skills in a single afternoon on track that you will in a whole year of street driving.

 

Just IMHO of course...