How to get into motorsport?

W

Woots

Veteran
 Milton Keynes
Have decided its prob about time i actually did something about my aim to start racing (just for fun)
I kno a few guys on here have done it an have a lot of experience so was hoping some guys could pass on sme info

Really just wondering where to start really. Ideally i'd like to have a car i could drive to and from the track, as the Zed isnt exactly a tow car (the 2.0 engine has waaayy too much torque tht im concerned id shear the towbar off :wink: ) so what would you guys suggest?

I was thinking of going down the clio 182 route as there are some real bargains nowadays. Id love to build my own kit car (dax rush ideally) but i dont have the money or the space to do that
How did you guys get into racing?
Im not looking at doing it seriously, just something to work on and something to make me stand out for future job interviews (every mans dream of working in motorsport)
So yeh guys, how do i do it

Cheers :D
 
Start with a racing school, then find the local race /sports car club and start asking questions.....then get yourself a supermodel Girlfriend with really deep pockets and have at it :thumbsup:
 
If you already have a GF and she won't let you have a sugar mama. Might I suggest you go to a pet store and find that goose that lays golden eggs. It's an expensive hobby.

In the US we used to set up a traffic cone course in a parking lot and have autocross races. We raced against the clock within a class. One car on track at a time. So wing damage was at a minimum. That made insurance doable. It was sanctioned by the SCCA. It was fun and cheap to do as the speeds were low due to the tight courses.

Good luck to ya

Cheers
 
Don't bother, you'll get hooked and end up selling the z to fund the racing, you mock but mark my words it'll happen, so after taking absolutely no notice of my advice the best way maybe to start in hill climbing / sprinting and a few track days with something like a westfield? Check out all the clubs that are local to you and go to a few meetings and ask the drivers for their advice. Failing that, I have a 155 hp yamaha r1 race bike for sale on eBay at the moment :evil: :rofl:, whatever you decide to do it's f::kin expensive but unbelievable fun.

Corrie Phil
 
If you are going to race then trailer your race car, if the unfortunate happens then you can be stuffed for getting home. It also affects the way you end up racing.

I help run a series http://www.lotrdc.com/elisetrophy/ and some of our guys drove their race cars originally but no-one does any more.

The problem with racing is how much it ends up costing you. We have guys spending a fortune, and others on a proper shoestring budget, both enjoy their racing (the low budget guys probably a bit more as no pressure).
I always competed in rallying in the past, my logic being that if I binned the car it was my fault, getting caught up in someone else's accident in a race was another matter. Motorsport is brilliant fun but you need to go into it with your eyes (and wallet) open.

As Phil suggests above, start with Hillclimbs and sprints and then if the bug bits look at racing.
 
Get into karting first if the thrill of racing is all you're after.

Cheap, safe and fun. Progress from there as your wallet allows...


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Go to racing school. Few track days in your car. Get a well paid job and be ready to spend.

I moved from rally to circuit to powerboats and ended up off road as so much fun at low speed.
Still ended up with 2 Jeeps, trailer, warehouse to store and more tools than I can shake a stick at. Huge expense. Probably £200k to date.

Son in law to be races in Lotus on track series. Still ended with 2 cars, storage, retained mechanic and an average of £500 per event in entry spares and repairs so you've been warned....
 
here's my bit ..............

before you do anything, spend a few hundred quid on a "trackday" experience run at most circuits using their cars .........
do that a few times ............

racing is a passion, racers are passionate ...... and once you get the passion you'll do it forever.
You can spend wads ..... but you can also race on a really low budget ...... its a choice you make.

I race bikes :D and I reckon on a thousand pounds a day to race ..... spread across the year ...... between 15 to 20K .......

but then ......... the real secret, is to start at the low end, and only move up when you have hit the limit.

after trackdays, look for a club ....... apply for a licence, do the schools ....... then get out there :thumbsup:
 
RidgyDidge said:
Get into karting first if the thrill of racing is all you're after.

Cheap, safe and fun. Progress from there as your wallet allows...


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Click to expand...

+1
 
Hark said:
cj10jeeper said:
Huge expense. Probably £200k to date.
Click to expand...

Holy s**t! :? :o
Click to expand...


you think he's kidding :D
have a day out at santa pod and walk around the pits,
average pro mod car runs about 250K, engine blocks run about 25K .... and cost about 5K to rebuild after a race day (which accounts for about 80 seconds track time)
then when you are bowled over by it all ......... look at the vans they came to the track in :D

A friend of mine was european top fuel champion ........ runs a 100k bike .......... and doesn't even have a kitchen in his house :D and drives an old bedford van

Top fuel dragsters (the full on long rail type things) cost about 1000 pounds a second down the track to run :D
 
Withdraw all the money from your bank account and burn it.
Then empty out your parents bank account and burn that to.

If after that you still want to do it follow the sage advice previously given, try a few trackdays and see if the bug really takes hold.
 
RidgyDidge said:
Get into karting first if the thrill of racing is all you're after.

Cheap, safe and fun. Progress from there as your wallet allows...

+1 :thumbsup: rotrax carts are awsome fun and vbery quick too. Great to get yur skills up.
Click to expand...
 
teamemmenracing said:
Hark said:
cj10jeeper said:
Huge expense. Probably £200k to date.
Click to expand...

Holy s**t! :? :o
Click to expand...


you think he's kidding :D
have a day out at santa pod and walk around the pits,
average pro mod car runs about 250K, engine blocks run about 25K .... and cost about 5K to rebuild after a race day (which accounts for about 80 seconds track time)
then when you are bowled over by it all ......... look at the vans they came to the track in :D

A friend of mine was european top fuel champion ........ runs a 100k bike .......... and doesn't even have a kitchen in his house :D and drives an old bedford van

Top fuel dragsters (the full on long rail type things) cost about 1000 pounds a second down the track to run :D
Click to expand...

Come on guys there lots of ways into far cheaper racing: Midgets, Wesfields, Caterhams, Ginetta all on time share. I think you could get away with it at abut £5k per year and an other 2k to get started. It won't be your own car though.
 
ChawenHalo said:
Come on guys there lots of ways into far cheaper racing: Midgets, Wesfields, Caterhams, Ginetta all on time share. I think you could get away with it at abut £5k per year and an other 2k to get started. It won't be your own car though.
Click to expand...

Agreed - it's not cheap, but doesn't have to cost the earth. Was talking to someone about this the other night, he's making the shift from track days to competing... I think it was something like £400 to get the license and about £1,000 for the gear (clothing) and the car. I'd chuck quite a lot at driver training too.

Have a look at the Track Day Trophy, you can compete but aren't committed to the entire race calendar and can share with another driver too. Otherwise look for 1 make / model series with restrictions ie where cars have to run almost stock, that keeps you out of the trap of upgrading for a competitive edge.
 
aye its true ......... start low ...... and go from there
biggest expense is usually tyres, and the getting there ........
 
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