Pay-to-drive Racing?

Mr Burns · Oct 21, 2015

This year I've been looking at different ways of getting into Motorsport as I've become bored of trackdays and need a new challenge. I had been talked into doing a hillclimb and sprint championship but I've since decided that if I'm going to chase my dream I need to race around a proper circuit. After speaking to several drivers in various race series the only real stumbling block I face is not having a 'pit crew' to speak of. Now I know many drivers don't have a 'team', but if I were to race I'd literally be turning up alone and would have to do my running maintenance myself. I'm no mechanic so I can image me struggling if I encountered issues. I'm now considering a pay-to-race option but I can't find any race series where I can do this? Does anyone on here know anyone who pays a team for a racing seat and how much it costs?

@Tony Hunter

adamlstr · Oct 21, 2015

'Arrive-and-drive'

What do you want to pedal?

Advikaz · Oct 21, 2015

Hi mate,

I've competed myself, my family have been involved in the sport for years.

There are plenty of championships where you can either pay someone/a team to run your car or pay to run in one of their cars. You will pay the price for this service mind.

What kind of budget are you looking at? Single seater or Tin tops?

Arrive & Drive is becoming increasingly popular.

Edit: I see you have an MX5, the MX5 championships have teams that will run you in one of their cars. Not all that expensive in the grand scheme of things either. One of my dads mates runs a few MX5's as it goes.

Steve · Oct 21, 2015

Give Rodders a call he has several race cars for hire.

Ask AdamR he has tried a few series.

Just remember you pay for damage!

... · Oct 21, 2015

Look-at your budget first , arrive and drive you are going to be minimum of 1500 to 2k a weekend being realistic

Unless you ask the team to-run your own car

If you have an Mx5 as per your avatar you could do worse than speak to Rich Breland at blink motorsport

They may do whats known as running within their awning so you decide what level of support you want

To give tou the other end 7k plus vat will get you arrive and drive in a clio cup car just about

And when i say other end i mean stuff that you can still do on a national b licence
Nat a stuff and single seaters radicals etc and its £££

Mr Burns · Oct 21, 2015

Great feedback... I'll reply properly once I'm home from my evening shift at work.

Tony Hunter · Oct 21, 2015

I know of an Mr2, Clio and a 206. All within our club, that do arrive and drive.

Do you want me t find out more Mr Burns?

Mr Burns · Oct 22, 2015

@adalis - Anything to a certain degree... I'd prefer RWD but as a novice maybe a more predictable FWD hatch would be better. Cost is key, so something that won't bankrupt me if I prang it would help lol.

@Advikaz - I'd prefer tin-tops over single seaters as I'd imagine it's cheaper and more 'fun' in the respect that doorhandle-to-doorhandle is safer than wheel-to-wheel. Budget is a tricky one because I'd be dipping into my house deposit, so the less I spend of it the better! The only reason I have plenty of disposable income is because I live with my parents... I'm not rich lol.

@Steve - I may give Rodders a call, but only when I know more about what I'm getting into! Are they Mk1's or Mk3's, or both?

@harvsurrey - As said, my budget isn't high but I fancy doing something I've always dreamed of. I've sold my Megane and now have a dirty diesel for work as I got bored of trackdays and fancy a proper challenge. I have a house deposit but spending it all on racing would be a bit silly lol. The main reason I looked at arrive and drive is that I wouldn't have anyone to assist with anything, so I guess the Blink Motorsport idea is a good option too. I watch the BRSCC Championships too so it would be great to get involved with that (I was at Donington on Sunday!).

@Tony Hunter - As long as it's no trouble mate. It's early days yet so I'm just finding out what I can

Advikaz · Oct 22, 2015

Okay, honestly....

I wouldn't be spending house savings to go racing mate. I've seen it done, it's a slippery slope.

Goodj · Oct 22, 2015

MX5 championship arrive-and-drive pacakge.

then, if you find you're actually Senna, turn your MK.1 into a spec-racer

But yes, as above, unless you like the idea of still having your mum wash your jizzy socks for you in your mid-30's, don't piss your money away on this

BoatNonce · Oct 22, 2015

Echo the above. Don't do it.

Advikaz · Oct 22, 2015

When I purchased my first home, it was either go racing Formula Ford or buy a house...

I chose the house, and at the time I was like you, seriously considering it, the deal on the table for a seat was very reasonable as well.

But walking away was the best thing I've done.

Mr Burns · Oct 22, 2015

I appreciate the honest advice :smile:

I suppose now that I'm driving around in a boring diesel my mind is wandering more than ever... It's a weird situation as my current MX-5 is my favourite car I've ever owned so I refuse to sell it, but it's just not a track car. I know I could make it track-worthy but I think that would spoil it somehow.

I should concentrate I my house purchase really, or at least start looking at the market and figuring out what and where I want to live.

coverman · Oct 22, 2015

Karting is relatively inexpensiver, dependent on class of course, and some classes are very easy to maintain yourself.
Autosolo is very cheap motorsport, much cheaper than hillclimbs or sprints, and MX5's are competitive cars

TheEvilGiraffe · Oct 22, 2015

Couple of my friends race in mk2 VW golf champs.. There's always low cost stuff you can do. I bet they don't spend too much more than a well sorted season of track days..

Turning up, spunking 5k a weekend and crashing first corner in someone else's car is going to cost you a fortune haha !

Buy a house, man.. Get into decorating and powertools and such haha.. good grief.

Mr Burns · Oct 22, 2015

I've got another friend trying to talk me into hillclimbing and sprinting, which is what he does. I like the idea of that but I can't imagine I'd get the same buzz as I would tearing around a track in a pack.

I've watched Autosolo at Curborough and it looked really dull as a spectator. I'm sure it's much more fun when you're competing but I don't think it's something I'd get a thrill from.

Advikaz · Oct 22, 2015

I've been keeping myself away from race tracks as I feel the 'pull' from it every time I'm around it lol.

Although I'm up at Brands for the Festival at the weekend, gulp.

My missus will cut me if I came home and said "oh by the way I've just dropped a shed load of money on a drive for next year" haha.

Something that's been on my mind though is going club bike racing, but we'll see.

Mr Burns · Oct 22, 2015

Circuits are certainly addictive places... I could quite happily live at the Nurburgring!

Advikaz · Oct 22, 2015

Mr Burns said:
Circuits are certainly addictive places... I could quite happily live at the Nurburgring!

Thought about something like the track day trophy that MSV run?

Mr Burns · Oct 22, 2015

Advikaz said:
Thought about something like the track day trophy that MSV run?

I've heard about that... What's at all about?

Advikaz · Oct 22, 2015

Mr Burns said:
I've heard about that... What's at all about?

http://www.trackdaytrophy.co.uk/

It's designed from what I understand as a step up from Trackdays, I.E. somewhere for the trackdayer to go when they want 'a bit more'.

I think costs are fairly low from what I've heard...

Mr Burns · Oct 22, 2015

Yeah I Google'd it earlier and it seems ideal! Don't quite know what the difference is between this and a conventional race series. Is there no starting grid, a bit more like Time Attack?

Advikaz · Oct 22, 2015

Mr Burns said:
Yeah I Google'd it earlier and it seems ideal! Don't quite know what the difference is between this and a conventional race series. Is there no starting grid, a bit more like Time Attack?

pretty sure it's a similar schedule and arrangement as a club like 750 would run.

Goodj · Oct 22, 2015

Mr Burns said:
I suppose now that I'm driving around in a boring diesel my mind is wandering more than ever... It's a weird situation as my current MX-5 is my favourite car I've ever owned so I refuse to sell it, but it's just not a track car. I know I could make it track-worthy but I think that would spoil it somehow.

Meh, not really.
You dont actually need to do anything to yours to make it trackable, well, nothing more than some good brake fluid and pads anyway.

Sure, chavclio with no rear seats and drainpipe backbox will have you in a straight line, but when their epic lowz bottom out around a mild corner, you'll be making apex with pace y0000!

Mr Burns · Oct 22, 2015

Goodj said:
Meh, not really.
You dont actually need to do anything to yours to make it trackable, well, nothing more than some good brake fluid and pads anyway.

Sure, chavclio with no rear seats and drainpipe backbox will have you in a straight line, but when their epic lowz bottom out around a mild corner, you'll be making apex with pace y0000!

I don't think I'd be too happy with a Jason-Plato-style nerf into the tyres in my spotless MX-5. A Clio is much more 'disposable' in my eyes (or an average condition Mazda).

Goodj · Oct 22, 2015

Take Listerine off my hands then.
Best stock parts

Tony Hunter · Oct 22, 2015

Buy a tent, and race.

You dont have to do a whole season, just the odd event that you fancy, doesn't have to cost a fortune at all.

Mr Burns · Oct 22, 2015

Cost is definitely the main hurdle, and probably is for many... I can see me getting addicted to racing and spending all my house deposit if I'm not careful!

No wait, I'm a tight half-Scottish b*****d... I'll never do that!

ilovewilly · Oct 22, 2015

It doesn't sound so much that you can't afford it.

It certainly sounds like you can't justify it.

Plus you are thinking/talking about it too much. What you should do is get involved in a low cost form as Tony Hunter suggests. If you throw a couple of grand at it and realize its not for you, no great loss.

Goodj · Oct 22, 2015

Go get your racing license first.

Then

http://www.max5racing.com/arrive-drive/

If you like it enough, you'll slag-up your mk.1

Steve · Oct 22, 2015

That's Rodders cars ^^^
Phil with the trophy tried his hand at this & won both races in mk1 class at Croft

He has mk1, mk3 & has several mk4's.
Should be at Donny on Mon with his mk4.

Goodj · Oct 22, 2015

Several Mk4?
As in, the just-released one? Awesome

nicfred · Oct 22, 2015

I race the Michelin Clio road series, I have now for 2 years, the first year I did everything myself, drove, mechanical etc etc, i finished 2nd in the series to a guy who was being run by Westbourne who were a very professional set up,so it can be done on your own, this year I got some help from a team,20Ten,but I still did most things myself, again I finished 2nd in the championship.You don't need to be on a team, if you don't have the budget you can do it on your own if need be.
I also raced in the Ma5da series (Mx5 Mk1) a number of years ago, and I would recommend looking into the Mx5 series, for budget you will struggle to find cheaper, parts are readily available and cheap and when I raced it had massive grids due to this. I also hear the Ktec 182 series is good with large numbers and not stupid costs as is the Tri Colour trophy.

Steve · Oct 22, 2015

Goodj said:
Several Mk4?
As in, the just-released one? Awesome

http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=242401&page=16#entry3059249

Going to ROR eight hour next month :wink:

Adam G · Oct 23, 2015

Tony Hunter said:
Buy a tent, and race.

You dont have to do a whole season, just the odd event that you fancy, doesn't have to cost a fortune at all.

Save even more....don't need a tent.
It really isn't THAT expensive once your car is done. As Tony said just do one or two local events (with us in Tricolore) next year.

Goodj · Oct 23, 2015

So there we have it.

Circuit racing is ruinously expensive, but not actually that expensive.
Provided you've already paid out for the license, car and other associated kit. Including a trailer....and tow car.

Mr Burns · Oct 23, 2015

So I'll need a national B race license then? Google says that's £95 is that right? It also says that a non-race national B license doesn't require a test but as I'd be racing I'm guessing I would, so what does that involve? I'll need an approved race suit, gloves, helmet and shoes won't I... Where's the best place to look for those? What's the rules regarding the HANS device, will I need one of those too?

Goodj · Oct 23, 2015

http://www.silverstone.co.uk/experiences/one-day-ards/overview
Non-race B license will probably be hilclimbing, autotest, that kind of thing

Arai, Bell, there's your helmet
Alpine Stars, there's your gear

I can't imagine you'll need a HANS for a grass-roots, club-level event.

mikekean · Oct 23, 2015

Why not get your licence etc, have a go at hill climbing and sprints and go from there. Racing isn't cheap and if you cant work on the car yourself or have friends willing to do it for you then your going to rack up costs pretty quick. It wouldn't surprise me if it costs you 15-17k for a season in even a lowish end arrive and drive setup when you include a couple of knocks in the car, a blown engine etc, don't kid yourself that it wont happen as it will..

I do 2 hill climbs, 1 rally sprint and 1 two day rally in a season. Total costs for this is around 4-5k a year not including any upgrades on the car, this does account for an engine/gearbox rebuild every few years and its important to include these costs and that's doing it all myself. Then you get into mechanical failures, repairing bodywork, rule changes requiring modification to the car etc.

Have a go at hill climbs, the competition is pretty fierce out there. You will be surprised how much you enjoy it and will really show how good/bad of a drive you are.

coverman · Oct 23, 2015

Things are changing for 2016 in respect of driver protection even in speed events. Check the new Blue Book

Pay-to-drive Racing?

South East - Essex

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