Essential club races

[graeme]

What's the essential club races to do?

I propose:
2Cv 24 Hours
Formula Ford Festival and
Phoneix Park

Two-and-a-half out of three ain't too bad...

[johnw]

I've done two, but not the 2CV's

Eight Clubs was brilliant in concept, but I think that it has sadly disappeared.
The Birkett for sheer fun and trying to best the handicappers.

[graeme]

Doh - forgot the Birkett - should definately be on the list

[Stinky]

Well I've done the 2CV 24hr (very silly but mega fun and very cheap) several times, and the Birkett once in a Vee (huge fun) would love to do the festival but need to win the lottery first. Pheonix Park - now that's a pipe dream.

:-)

Christine

[graeme]

Formula Vee? Thought it was closed wheel only?

FFord Festival - I did Caterham races as part of the festival (half marks I reckon) - it shouldn't be too pricey to rent a FF1600 for the weekend...?

If you can get a suitable car, do the 'Park - its not that expensive - about £250 entry fee and ferries are less than £200 (or rent a local car and fly over).

[Stephen Green]

Sadly the FFF is not what it used to be *sighs*

[Ian Sowman]

There was one (or maybe more) years they ran a Birkett-esque event for single seaters (might have been named after Dave Bradley?).

And I think the FFF will be great this year - it'll just be that the FF1600 that is much more interesting than the FF1800 (as ever).

[qaz]

After last Saturday you should add NW Moose Trophy

[kickstart]

Racing at Pau in France - classic street circuit and a "poor" mans monaco.

[MGDavid]

Anything at the 'Ring - I cannot imagine any other circuit comes near it for sheer driving challenge and pleasure.

[graeme]

Agreed on both counts - but finding a suitable race at either is the problem

[Stinky]

Originally posted by graeme
Formula Vee? Thought it was closed wheel only?

For a couple of years that rans two relay races - one for closed wheel and one for singleseaters.

Originally posted by graeme
FFord Festival it shouldn't be too pricey to rent a FF1600 for the weekend...?

Last time I shopped around for a drive in the festival (several years ago) I was quoted £5,000 for the weekend. That's more than I spend on a full year's racing.

:-)

Christine

[graeme]

Eek - I was reckoning on bunging a friend a couple of hundred quid to use a car and the entry fee. (Set-up - pah!)

On the subject of Pau, there was some great footage on Motors TV of a space-frame Peugot doing a 720 degree spin at Pau - and missing the all barriers...!

[diz]

* Brands FF Festival - FF1600 only - the halcyon days of 8 heats, 4 quarters, 2 semis and the Grand Final
* The Moose Memorial Trophy FF1600 at Oulton
* The Walter Hayes FF1600 mini festival at Silverstone
* The Edwina Overend F1600 Trophy at Mallory
* Any FF1600 Regional Races
* One hour, two driver relay race for FF1600 on the old Croft - yes it did happen.

and to show no bias to FF1600

* The Oulton Park Gold Cup [with Historic FF1600 stealing the show]
* Fantasy race with the full grid of F1 drivers racing identical FF1600s' at Anglesey

[Ian Sowman]

I'm certain you could do FF1600 at the Festival for far less than £5,000!

[diz]

Those sort of figures were with 'professional' teams and non stop testing Monday to Friday [unless one driver did an exclusive one day hire and everybody had to twiddle their thumbs - which happened one year] and the meeting itself.
Nowdays with the 'clubby professional' teams, it would be cheaper as the Z cars get all week and the K cars only a bit of Friday and there would be less motorhomes and hostility units [someone had to fund them, and it sure as hell wasn't the teams]

[robert2000]

What sort of money could you do it for with a clubby team?

[JohnMiller]

I should think with one of the top-line FF1600 'teams' probably about 2 grand, all in.

[Stinky]

Originally posted by JohnMiller
I should think with one of the top-line FF1600 'teams' probably about 2 grand, all in.

Well, if I can do it reasonably competatively for that much, stick my name down for the 2005 festival!

Bear in mind I haven't raced an FF1600 since 1995 and any single seater since 2001 (though I am driving an F1 Tyrrell this weekend :-)))) )so I would need some testing to get up to speed.

Can't afford that much this year.

So who are these "top line clubbie" teams then?

:-)

Christine

[JohnMiller]

SoM teams charge, I think about £1,200 a day inc. tyres entries for a genuine GOOD car, with coaching etc.
So test Friday at 1 x £1,200 plus q/r Sat/Sun at 1 x £1,200 (not your fault they won't run it one day but it's the same mileage) + £200 for the extra stopping over costs = £2,600 approx to include one set new tyres. Excludes vat/damage. I suppose there might be some demand/supply premiums.

[zefarelly]

I'd have to say, although facilities and location go against it, that Cadwell Park is a must for anyone, Ive not yet been anywhere with anything as good as Halls bends and the hairpin, awesome!

[JohnMiller]

Good isn't it. The best bends anywhere. I just love it as the car lifts off through the last of Hall Bends and bounces down to the track just as you need to stand on the anchors.

[zefarelly]

Originally posted by JohnMiller
Good isn't it. The best bends anywhere. I just love it as the car lifts off through the last of Hall Bends and bounces down to the track just as you need to stand on the anchors.

you mean . . .the tyres start screeching just before you attempt to turn into the hairpin, and cacking your race suit because the tyre wall seems to be getting very large all of a sudden !

[JohnMiller]

LOL, don't get a lot of tyre screech on turn in in a single-seater!

I really like the way you can use the loading up of the car under 'landing' to brake initially very hard without locking up and then reducing brake pressure to suit.

[zefarelly]

I was generally skidding on and off to a suitably slow crawl to turn in . . .got it about right after 3 or 4 laps and didnt touch the tyre wall at all !