Low Cost Motorsport

[Brynmor]

Anyone doing/done HSCC care to comment, looks the most affordable way into circuit racing for historics ? Can't imagine the hordes of Imp drivers are all millionaires. It's going to be interesting to see the size of the grids this year, the economic climate being as it is, and I wonder whether there's too many different historic race series when you include Masters, GTCC and CTCRC ?

I know a guy who aces an IMP in the above and he certainly isn't mega wealthy, has a small village garage near me but i'm sure he only does 2 or 3 meetings per year...

For me looks like i'll be sticking to night road events and stage events both in the passenger seat. I just can't make the figures add up to bring JFO out in a competitive sense of the word.

Thanks for all the replies, it seems my mind hasn't completely lost the plot then..lol

[Tim Harber]

Having put my foot in the water in HSCC and Masters, It would seem that Masters is about right money if you share a drive and HSCC is damn cheap relatively.

In Mighty Minis an average cost of 20 min practice and 20 min race last year was about £165. Brands , being posh and southern was £220 I think , but it evens out with cheaper venues and double headers

Masters is between £425 and £550 approx for 25 min practice and 45 minute race which equates to about similar time per pound. HSCC can be really cheap: The Gold Cup would have been (if I had lasted out) £235 for 25 min practice and 45 min race. If you want to do a hillclimb or sprint ; roundabout £100 gets you less than 10 minutes of action!

The Silverstone Classic was steep at £695 for 15 min practice and two 15 min races , but I notice that Bookatrak charge £488 for a trackday on the same track this year. This is however a bargain compared with what Rich and co were paying in Heritage from what I remember ; approx £800 for a 25 min practice and 45 min race.(No wonder Mark got put off)

What you get with Masters and Heritage is hospitality and class I guess. HSCC go to all the posh tracks as well (inc Croft). HSCC is second only to 750MC for price. My inclination is to think about doing more with them , especially if the FIA Appendix K class within it can grow, so that with a proper FIA car can have a race with others and a chance at the championship. At present the class D cars are the norm , but an FIA car could never compete on even terms with them and the Appendix K class is poorly supported

Driving standards are always going to be occasionally a bit marginal if you put duffers of my age and more into race cars. I know Andy Acepspeed has criticised HSCC and Uncle997 fell foul of inexperienced driving and/or big speed differentials at the Gold Cup, but it appears Masters have just the same problems eh Andy?.

Did anyone hear Patrick Watts explosion at Silverstone Classic after he had come together with Dean Forward's Mustang? Never heard the F word over the tannoy before!

[acespeed72]

There will be coming togethers in all series i think so dont know as yet where i will be racing. HSCC looks favourite at the moment as im hearing about some big spending going on in the masters mini series. One of the guys has just had 5 engines built for this year alone so that could turn into a miglia affair all over again.

I just want to race in Historics and have some fun without breaking the bank.

[YMJ]

There will be coming togethers in all series i think so dont know as yet where i will be racing. HSCC looks favourite at the moment as im hearing about some big spending going on in the masters mini series. One of the guys has just had 5 engines built for this year alone so that could turn into a miglia affair all over again.

I just want to race in Historics and have some fun without breaking the bank.

5 ??

[Pete]

Interesting comments Tim, and it does seem plausable to be in with a chance to win a championship with HSCC, even in class D where Barry was right on the pace of Godfrey's car last year, which did win outright. From a speccys point of view I'd rather see the App K class expand within HSCC than half full grids at Masters which looks a possiblity, and I still think a decent 1071 could do well in HSCC Class E (up to 1150cc) .

[Brynmor]

£235 for Gold cup??
I don't know why but i'd got it in my head entry fees for that were more like £500-£600?

When compared to forest rallies which are now around £435 for 40-45 miles of stages, usually some double useage that looks very good value and i'll be honest not really that far out of reach..hmmm

[bluemin]

Blimey you racer guys spend a lot on entry fees. Now I know that it's a long way for most of you but you'd probably balance out the fuel bill with the reduced entry fee.

As an example the Scottish Tarmack Championship offer on the Crail Stages........ROUTE: The event will be contained wholly within the perimeter of CRAIL RACEWAY.
There will be a total of 8 special stages totalling approx 61.6 miles. The surface will be
90% Tarmac, 5% concrete & 5% loose. All that for a measly £250.00.

So save your race money & come & join the fun on the tarmac stages.

[mk1rally]

Blimey you racer guys spend a lot on entry fees. Now I know that it's a long way for most of you but you'd probably balance out the fuel bill with the reduced entry fee.

As an example the Scottish Tarmack Championship offer on the Crail Stages........ROUTE: The event will be contained wholly within the perimeter of CRAIL RACEWAY.
There will be a total of 8 special stages totalling approx 61.6 miles. The surface will be
90% Tarmac, 5% concrete & 5% loose. All that for a measly £250.00.

So save your race money & come & join the fun on the tarmac stages.

Send me a link please!! that's like the cost of the SMC stages (single venue, about10 stages) but it's aweeton and supposed to be tarmac..it might have been 20 years ago but now it has potholes you can loose a mini in!!

[bluemin]

The forum is at: http://www.strc.co.uk/forum/

You have to register to see all the various threads.

The whole thing is in a state of flux this year due largely to personal problems within the club and its members. I'll not say more on open forum.

At present the proposed championship consists of:
January 16th-Jack Frost @ Croft
March 26th-Ingliston Stages @ Ingliston
May 27th/28th-Jim Clark NATIONAL
July 2nd-D&W Brown Stages @ Crail
August 14th-Solway Coast Rally @ Castle Douglas
September 11th-Lindisfarne Stages @ Otterburn
October 14-16th-Tunnocks Mull Rally
November 5th-Kingdom Stages @ Crail

First round now out as the club AGM is after Croft.

Finally I should say that there isn't a historic class at present. There are however older cars around including Minis. If it's just a bit of fun that you're after rather than pot hunting then it should be OK...........Pug/Nova hunting should be good though.

[Tim Harber]

£235 for Gold cup??

There is also the cost of joining. HSCC: £150 Masters: £295. HSCC have a deal that you can race once with them in a season for £10 Joining fee which is clever as a taster

Not sure who's running any sort of race at Silverstone classic. Last year the Masters seemed to be accepting entries althought the meeting was run by the HSCC. Anyone have a clue?

Also , what's happening at Goodwood Revival?

[davidnutland]

Whats happening at the Goodwood Revival Tim?

Lord March will be laughing all the way to the bank!!

David

[Pete]

It's back to pre '66 saloons isn't it ? Be interesting to see how many Minis are invited and who's cars they are, though it shouldn't be difficult to guess ! I'd like to see Brian Redman in one for a change , easily sorted.

[Broadspeed]

re Goodwood. I heard that first you have to be invited !!
Then i heard that the entry fee is astronomical !!??. Much more than the classic.
Then there is all the extra work of presenting the car for scrutineering with the head off for measurement.
I would love to do the event, but is it worth it for a bit of status.??.
Perhaps Paul Stanworth can comment as he has done the event.

[Pete]

Not sure the status thing is quite as attractive as the whole experience itself, as you know it's like no other race meeting on earth. As for the 'entry fee' - I think it's actually a £1000 donation to 'charidy' which isn't compulsary but expected understandably.
I don't think there'll be heads coming off for scruting if it's back to a mixed grid, that's only ever happened to the Mini entry list in 2009 as far as I know but stand to be corrected. Had that not happened that race would undoubtably have been completely different (unless they were all stroked ! )

Pete