Costs of Racing?

[ian.stewart]

Is it me or is the price of what used to be CLUB racing now beyond the average Joe to run in a series, or even the young come thru the lower ranks without major sponsorship/parental input, Years ago I used to Race Wendy Wools and Thunder saloons, There were 2 [both 22yo] of us footing the bills, and we could just about afford to do it, I cant envisage my son paired up with his mate being able to do this even if they wanted to do so,
So where is all the youth going to get their Motorsport thrills,----------Seems drifting is one of the options, does creates some supurb car control skills, and if you go out and buy youself a 325BMW, swap in a 3.5 its tail out competition,
I do a bit of drag racing these days and I can tell you this is another place the youth is taking up in their droves, Perhaps not a real high skill form of motorsport in the lower classes, but extremely accessable for the lad who wants to race, each race may only last 15 secs but its fun for them,
Both forms of these motorsport can be done in their daily driver then hopefully drive home
My question is, what is the British circuit fraternity doing to entice the youth in CHEAP entry level motorsport that you can compete in their daily driver without getting tangled up in the Blue Book regs?????

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by ian.stewart

My question is, what is the British circuit fraternity doing to entice the youth in CHEAP entry level motorsport that you can compete in their daily driver without getting tangled up in the Blue Book regs?????

Sprinting and track days.

[R59]

This Time Attack stuff seems to be getting popular too!
It's outside of the blue book too, so no stuffy MSA minions to interfere with it!

[Tim Falce]

Ian, I was going to say that as we are both the same age (I think) how could you afford to go racing when you were 22. But then I remembered how at that age I struggled to run my speed boat and change my car every 3 or 4 months, and the fuel and insurance bills for those 3ltr Capris were horrendous even then.

[GORDON STREETER]

Pro rata I think its worse now with everybody wanting their pound of flesh, and I now limit what I spend and do less races. I have always run on a shoestring budget so I can have a "normal" life in the real world. The guy in the unit next to me has started in drifting and I found out that an entry fee for his complete season is less than one of my race entries !!.
OK I am aware that drifting is not all on high profile tracks (at the moment) but he is still getting a buzz for a lot less bucks and possibly bigger crowds than a normal clubbie.
The choice between sangria and sun and a wet clubbie is getting closer

[Suze]

Originally Posted by ian.stewart

My question is, what is the British circuit fraternity doing to entice the youth in CHEAP entry level motorsport that you can compete in their daily driver without getting tangled up in the Blue Book regs?????

Not sure circuit racing is that possible [not for me anyway atm] but I'm younger than 22 and have to pay for it all myself - have managed a fair amount of club stuff [sprinting, car trials, scatters, autotests, gymkhanas etc] and a circuit race but can't afford to do any more at the moment because of the £££. And for the club stuff I use my daily driver, yes have changed a few things on it [eg tyres so that they are on list 1A for sprinting] but not had to pay out much.

[AU N EGL]

Cost of racing? toooo much. I did a few races back in 1978 when I was 20. the cost then were no were what I could afford. Finished College, went to graduate school, yatta yatta

So I picket racing back up 5 years ago, when I was 47, and it is still too expesive now.

[AU N EGL]

If racing is in your blood, and we hope it is, you do what you have to do. Start a part time business, to bring in extra money.

Heck with the internet, buy things cheap and sell them on ebay.

as we say

Get it done.

[ian.stewart]

Originally Posted by falcemob

Ian, I was going to say that as we are both the same age (I think) how could you afford to go racing when you were 22. But then I remembered how at that age I struggled to run my speed boat and change my car every 3 or 4 months, and the fuel and insurance bills for those 3ltr Capris were horrendous even then.

As we went to the same school as me and the same year, I would guess we are about the same age,
Seriously, After finishing my Engineering apprenticship, I went straight into the Fleet St print as an Engineer, The money was allright, which helped

[Podd37]

I'm with Gordon on this one. Over here entry fees went (and I do stand to be corrected) €350 (all layouts)to €375 and up to €500 on a certain layout of circuit this year. I can no longer justify that to either myself or my better half so this year I have given up racing in Ireland and am doing 4 foreign events (cheaper entry's and longer races) instead. Even including the cost of travel it works out cheaper than a full 8 round season here and its in the sun...I hope!! And SHE likes the sun.....In the mid '90's I was doing circuit racing, rallycross and a bit of rallying, all on a pittance. Couldn't dream of that now.
It's not all the circuit owners either, but also the extra stuff that racing a car seems to require nowadays what with 'approved' racewear/seats/extinguishers etc etc. While I'm no luddite, 'approved' does seem to mean over-priced and at times unnecessary...eg Rainlights on saloon cars with lights. This year the Time Attack guys are running at various 'normal' race meetings and the interesting thing is that bar an approved helmet and in date belts everything else is free. Yes the car must have a cage buy it can be made by someone themselves under proper guidelines. Race suit is from a list of dates that I am not allowed wear. Hand held ext. Whats the difference between me in my 1300 Fiat and a guy in a 650bhp Subaru? Oh and he won't need to spend silly money renewing thier comp licence either. All he needs is a road licence! And the entry for a similar amoutn of track time? €150!! Nope, can't work it out myself either.....Wonder if ther will be an Historic section anytime soon...
End of Rant.

[rcarr]

Chequebook racers anyone?

One can still race on a shoe string, if one doesn't travel far and wide. One doesn't have to join a national series, one could join one's local club and do 8 -10 races a year. One does not have to buy a winning car to go racing, start from the bottom and work your way to the top.

I haven't raced in almost 2 years now, I have been cash strapped and now I am ill for the fore-seeable future, I hate it. I can't work because I am deemed as too ill, I am not allowed to drive my road car because I am ill. I went to the Brit GTs today, I loved it, soaking in the atmosphere and the noise and some rain too. I am lucky I've always lived 15 miles from Knockhill, its my home circuit, its home to me, now in my 25th year of racing there, I was telling friends, who work for a BGT team, how the weather reacts at Knockhill, just because I know.

I know guys who spend £x000s on tyres alone in 1 season, its meant to be entry level motorsport, one doesn't need new tyres every race! Unless you are running on super-soft hillclimb tyres or your car needs really looking at. We know a guy whose old race car used to consume driveshafts, he went through 3 in a weekend.

Enough of my ranting!

[al_sami]

Originally Posted by R59

This Time Attack stuff seems to be getting popular too!
It's outside of the blue book too, so no stuffy MSA minions to interfere with it!

Have you seen what people are spending in Time Attack? Some are spending more than 50k. Japanese super cars car are not cheap in terms of tune up parts and costs to take a 300 bhp Subaru or a GTR to 600+ will cost you silly money. Then it will still be slower around a race track compared to a Single seater or a BTCC car

[mountainstar]

No matter what you do someone is always going to have more money and/or try to reinvent the wheel. That's just the way it is.

[AU N EGL]

The price of entry level motor sports keeps climbing while wages and business profits keep falling.

Entry fees are only a part of the costs:

Fuel to and from the event
Food and Lodging, ( tent or camper work well)
Fuel for the race car
Car preperation ( replace or fix parts as needed )
Brake fluid and brake pads
Tires only last soo long, If you get a season out of tires, your not going hard or fast enough.

[midgetman]

Sprinting may seem cheap, but it's poor value for money IMHO.

Racing always was expensive, look back over the years (think immediate post/pre war) and the man-in-the-street didn't race. When was it affordable?

I reckon it's better than ever now, with indoor/outdoor karting, trackdays, Time Attack (whatever that is), often you don't even need your own equipment to go racing. You won't fill up the coffers of the MSA, but you'll have a great time with low-involvement and still have another life. Why bother with club circuit racing with all its expensive paraphernalia?

Never mind the rose-coloured specs for the past, we are living in a golden period and let's enjoy it before elf'n'safety realise we're having a great time and ban it all!

[Suze]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Sprinting may seem cheap, but it's poor value for money IMHO.

Def agree on that one but there is plenty of other "cheap" club stuff that can be fun.

[RickP:Clio51]

Always in danger here of falling into that very British trap, of "he does it, so I have to do it and put it on the credit card"...

Racing is expensive, always has been although at the moment there is a lot of cash in the business and your basic GT2 Le Mans drive has doubled in price in the last 3 years... a global recession and these sort of things will come back down, esp. when Mr Ratel gets his way and runs GT3 at Le Mans... (if ever).

But cost of cars/ tyres and fuel all add up and always have done I'm afraid... it's true though, UK racing is VERY poor value compared to Europe, but thats a function of the tax/costs situation of running a team in the UK... blame El Gordo...

[StephenRae]

I did my first circuit race in 1977 the entry fee was £4. At the time the average wage was £68 per week. This season entrees are £190, by my calculation one would have to be earning £3230 per week to maintain the status quo.

[Alan Raine]

Originally Posted by StephenRae

I did my first circuit race in 1977 the entry fee was £4. At the time the average wage was £68 per week. This season entrees are £190, by my calculation one would have to be earning £3230 per week to maintain the status quo.

My first race in 1980 cost £15 entry and £15 for a mornings test at Mallory. In those days I was on £120 a week, so it was affordable. It Isn't anymore

[rcarr]

When I "started" actually driving the entry fees were £120 then £150, now I think its £200? I am not sure coz there is a tv contract involved and I haven't been able to race since that started. I have no idea how much it was when Dad started in 83.

[Tim Falce]

When my uncle used to race in the fifties and sixties and I used to watch at the age of one from my pedal car they used to pay him to race and give prize money as well, so how's that.

[terence]

One of the factors now I think is there are more professional organisers involved in the UK.Good or bad,they are here to stay.

[GORDON STREETER]

When I was hot rodding the entries were free, we got traveling expenses also we won money. I don't know what the set up on the ovals is now ?
OK I know that the overheads weren't as much and we used to get massive crowds packed into a small space, but I still think we are being shafted today.
Also I don't fly to work in a helicopter !

[Kyle Tilley]

Was only having this convo last night with Dad, he was saying when he raced British FF2000 entry fee's were only £15!!
To pay for my racing, rightly or wrongly i've opted to live at home this year instead of on uni campus and use the money from my student loan to pay for entries and parts!!

[terence]

As has been said many times before,IF the organiser's were to advertise the fact that there is a meeting at such and such circuit,perhaps the attendance figures will rise.More has to be done in this respect,then perhaps gate charges could come down as well as entry fee's.