Mike, I am one of the friends that Nick Froome mentioned - my hubby and I have raced in the 70's Roadsports since 1997 in Lancias. Hubby won the championship in 1998 and I have won class E for the last 4 years (not this year as my car has been given a years sabbatical).
We started racing in 1997 and 70's Roadsports was our chosen championship. It is an excellent starting point for any racing activities. The regulations actively encourage racing on a budget as road going cars which are driven to and from the race are awarded extra "starting points". This is a great incentive (though somewhat contraversal) as it means you don't need to go to the expense of buying a trailer etc. Also the regs only allow limited race preparation which should keep costs down.
I agree with Simon that virtually everyone in the championship is friendly, helpful and encouraging. The racing is very competitive but gentlemanly - ie no contact. Again this really helps the purse strings.
Mike, what kind of car are you thinking of entering? If you need any help with the regs etc, the championship chairman Richard Thorne is very helpful - be aware though, he is a Lancia dealer and you may end up buying a Lancia to race (no bad thing in my books!). Check out the web page:
www.70sroadsports.com for more info.
LAK