Any racers here?

[mikehhhhhhh]

After being bitten by the trackday bug in 2016, I started dabbling with the odd bit of racing a couple of years ago - just the odd Club Enduro race, which was fun and hard work but not as intense as your usual sprint race.

Last year, I got the opportunity to do a race in a series I'd always wanted to do - Elise Trophy and this race was a 45 minute race at Brands Indy.

I'd be renting a car that was regularly found in the top 10, so I knew it would be quick but owing to the last minute nature of the opportunity, there was no opportunity to test so the first time I'd be driving the car would be Qualifying on the day.

It was a bit of a struggle with exhaust fumes coming into the car, old tyres that had been on the car the whole season and the seat being too far back for my short arms But I qualified P6 and finished P3 after two silly mistakes;

One taking a detour through the gravel at Paddock after misshifting mid-overtake, the other being a spin at Druids after getting distracted by another car. Without the mistakes, I'd likely have been close to the leader at the end, but I couldn't be disappointed with P3 on my first time out.

It's safe to say the bug bit after that, so I went out and bought my own Elise race car with the intention of doing a full season of Elise Trophy this year




I'm keen to hear from any other racers here and about your plans for this year. What are you racing and where?

 

[NVP]

Man lightweight cars handle so differently don't they! #WellJel!!!!

Some nice corners there bro, but that cheeky ******* blue *******! haha What happened on the final lap?


One question... how do you rent a race car!?

 

[mikehhhhhhh]

Man lightweight cars handle so differently don't they! #WellJel!!!!

Some nice corners there bro, but that cheeky ******* blue *******! haha What happened on the final lap?


One question... how do you rent a race car!?

On the final lap, the car in P4 hits my right rear wheel into Druids. After that, the car was really loose, and I lost the backend into clearways allowing him to overtake.

He'd already received a 5 second time penalty for repeated track limit offences, so it didn't change the result, fortunately.

As for how you rent a race car - I reached an agreement with a friend and existing competitor that couldn't race that weekend. There are plenty of race teams that'll rent you a race car, though.

 

[kaiowas]

I’ve been sprinting since 2008.

Non MSA series run by Javelin trackdays. Originally the Toyota Sprint Series, it’s since been through a few iterations and is now the Javelin Trackdays Sprint Series and open to all marques. It started out primarily on airfields but nowadays most events are pretty much single lap standing start courses at proper venues (Croft, Cadwell, Snetterton, Anglesey, Blyton and Three Sisters have become staples of the calendar) I’ve also done the occasional MSA sprint at Hethel

Whilst I’d like to move on to circuit racing, realistically I accepted several years ago that the step up in budget required and the risk that someone else’s mistake can so easily cost you significant money or destroy your car and potentially end your season has meant that I’m highly unlikely to make the switch.

 

[mikehhhhhhh]

I’ve been sprinting since 2008.

Non MSA series run by Javelin trackdays. Originally the Toyota Sprint Series, it’s since been through a few iterations and is now the Javelin Trackdays Sprint Series and open to all marques. It started out primarily on airfields but nowadays most events are pretty much single lap standing start courses at proper venues (Croft, Cadwell, Snetterton, Anglesey, Blyton and Three Sisters have become staples of the calendar) I’ve also done the occasional MSA sprint at Hethel

Whilst I’d like to move on to circuit racing, realistically I accepted several years ago that the step up in budget required and the risk that someone else’s mistake can so easily cost you significant money or destroy your car and potentially end your season has meant that I’m highly unlikely to make the switch.

I started looking at JSS when I built my last K20 Elise. I really like that they hold events at real circuits, which is fantastic practice for race starts

It's a bit weird that they chose to compete without MSUK approval, though, isn't it? I heard that MSUK licence holders put their licence at risk by competing in non-sanctioned events.

 

[Doug2507]

Same. Sprints / hillclimbs. Expensive enough without some other guy potentially totalling your motor driving up your arse. Really good community, generally level headed and down to earth.

Plans for this year... Wait and see what happens with COVID. Car didn't see the light of day last year and suspect this year might be similar. I've got full rewire and mapping to get done this year from changing ecu system so even a test day or two would be good so can iron out any niggles.

 

[kaiowas]

I started looking at JSS when I built my last K20 Elise. I really like that they hold events at real circuits, which is fantastic practice for race starts

It's a bit weird that they chose to compete without MSUK approval, though, isn't it? I heard that MSUK licence holders put their licence at risk by competing in non-sanctioned events.

In the early years of TSS it was started by a Toyota tuner (Fensport) in conjunction with one of the Celica GT4 owners clubs. Javelin we’re just contracted to run the events themselves. Back then it was aimed at typical owners club members and occasional trackdayers etc as a way of enjoying their road cars in a safe and friendly competitive environment, as such the safety and technical regs were very simple. Trying to run it to the blue book would have been overkill and put people off from trying it. Over the years, it’s developed, Javelin started their own series in parallel which started attracting more of their trackday customers and got the attention of some of the more seasoned motorsport types and eventually everything has merged into one series under Javelin control. I don’t think there are any issues with MSUK as our events are simply run under a different organising body in a similar way to how something like oval racing in the UK does.

 

[ahar]

First year in the Lotus 7 & Caterham Club championship for me - sprints and hillclimbs. The club is well connected so there's plenty of rounds held jointly with other clubs around the country - first round is Goodwood in April (Covid permitting).

Full racing is something I've been thinking of, but I think I just don't have the killer instinct to do the wheel to wheel stuff really well. There's plenty of options for racing Caterhams - maybe in a few years.

 

[Dr Who]

Not anymore, too old and stiff, but spent many years racing 250 Karts

 

[Rroff]

Not anymore, too old and stiff, but spent many years racing 250 Karts

I think saying I raced karts would be stretching the definition but I used to tag along with some friends and did some events - always found it a bit weird how often there was some serious talent on show, often kids barely old enough to be there winning events despite a good spread of people including professional drivers from other sports, etc. but then you'd never hear of them again.

 

[mikehhhhhhh]

First year in the Lotus 7 & Caterham Club championship for me - sprints and hillclimbs. The club is well connected so there's plenty of rounds held jointly with other clubs around the country - first round is Goodwood in April (Covid permitting).

Full racing is something I've been thinking of, but I think I just don't have the killer instinct to do the wheel to wheel stuff really well. There's plenty of options for racing Caterhams - maybe in a few years.

I've done a bit of sprinting, I enjoy it for a chilled day out but it always left me feeling I'd left something on the table - I really like the repetition of circuit stuff.

Not anymore, too old and stiff, but spent many years racing 250 Karts

That Kart looks serious wit hteh aero etc. is it a shifter kart?

I think saying I raced karts would be stretching the definition but I used to tag along with some friends and did some events - always found it a bit weird how often there was some serious talent on show, often kids barely old enough to be there winning events despite a good spread of people including professional drivers from other sports, etc. but then you'd never hear of them again.

A good kid has such a power to weight advantage in karts, they'll generally clean up, even against some arguably more skilled drivers.

It's tough to break into the world of racing at any decent level unless you've got money. I wonder how many kid's careers are cut short by lack of funding.

 

[Rroff]

A good kid has such a power to weight advantage in karts, they'll generally clean up, even against some arguably more skilled drivers.

Aaah no idea why I never realised that *facepalm*, makes sense. Was always a bit odd seeing how some kids could clean up against some very skilled drivers.

(To be fair like airsoft it is one of those things I had a passing interest in but no motivation to take it to the level some of my friends were into).

 

[Dr Who]

That Kart looks serious wit hteh aero etc. is it a shifter kart?

A good kid has such a power to weight advantage in karts, they'll generally clean up, even against some arguably more skilled drivers.

It's tough to break into the world of racing at any decent level unless you've got money. I wonder how many kid's careers are cut short by lack of funding.

Yup it runs a highly modified CR250 Honda, 65ish BHP, 140 mph. Kart is a Jade.

 

[SKILL]

Not cars, yet, but I raced motorbikes back in 2009-10, didn't realise until end of last year that it had actually been so long Anyway with covid completely changing my short-medium term plans, and giving a bit of a 'yolo' notice I've decided to go back to racing this year, just did the CTC course required to get my licence back on the weekend so all sorted, for whenever the season actually starts...

On the car front I did my first trackday on 14th December last year, not sure why it took me so long but it was great fun even if I wasn't 'that' fast (filmed the sessions and used RaceRender as well to put some overlays/get laptimes, 1:02.9 was my best with an MX5 NC) but think that may have got the bug going The plan is/was to do multiple car trackdays (and maybe some bike ones alongside the racing) this year, not going great so far having had 2 car and 1 bike trackday cancelled so far with lockdown.

But then got looking into racing, or more specifically sprint/hillclimb/autosolo, I found there's a Bristol based club that do events nearby, just not 100% sure yet on what kind of rollcage/seat/harness requirements there are and whether I want to, or even can, do that to my daily driver... Even if that daily drive is usually ~0 miles and isn't going to change much even after lockdown ends anymore

Your video looks like it was really good fun

 

[MrKnifey]

I'm racing in the City Car Cup this year! Assuming we are allowed!!

 

[Malevolence]

Used to do a bit of banger racing back in the 80s, that's about it