Step up from trackdays
peter030371 - 8/6/22 at 07:52 AM
After a Covid induced delay of 2 years, this weekend I should finally get my Striker on track sprinting which is what I built it for really.
I have looked at various events such as the TWMC All Circuit championship (https://twmc.org.uk/all-circuit-sprint-championship-2/) and followed the
Javelin Sprint Series with interest (http://www.javelinsprintdays.co.uk/sprint/).
At Christmas I had planned to enter the All Circuit but then they released this years calendar that didn't originally include my closest circuit
and one double header this year is on a short non-circuit course (so its now the 'almost all circuit'
. The costs for All Circuit are higher
but last year all the locations were a lot closer to home so halved the travel costs for me, they have lost the saving this year. So although all the
events are the other end of the country to me I opted to give the Javelin series a go this year.
I was already busy in May so my first event is this weekend at Blyton.
The 'kit car' classes are very under represented in this series. Looks like I can win my class by turning up and reversing around the course
as I am the only one in it! It costs not more than a track day. OK you get less track time than a track day but you can only drive around in circles
so many times without nodding off 
The rules for Javelin are very simple and almost any 'track day' car is eligible with no further work. You don't need certified ROPS,
fresh seatbelts every few years, in date fire extinguisher etc Obviously if you want these extra safety features you can have them but its left to you
to decide what suits your budget/risk factor.
So if any of you fancy something a little different to just going around in circles all day why not have a look at Javelin and maybe come and join for
one day and see what you think of it.
bi22le - 9/6/22 at 11:31 PM
Hi Peter, I have been meaning to reply for days but life is pretty fast paced at the moment.
This sounds really interesting as I would love to give competitive driving a go. I am more of a dizzy doing layouts kind of guy but sprinting could
also be fun.
You are further south than me so if you can get up to tracks I have no excuse!
Keep us posted worth how you're got on. I would love to come and join you to spectate and maybe even complete, guaranteed 2nd place for me!!
peter030371 - 10/6/22 at 08:16 AM
I am not going to be fast so it would possibly be a fight for second place between us
Class 'T' is for kit cars and I am guessing most on here would be in class T7-T9 for cars on road tyres. Looks like this weekend we have 1
car in class T7 and me on my own in class T8 so would be really good to actually get a few more cars in these classes to give us someone to really run
against.
It is a pain that all the rounds are so far away, Blyton is my second closest at 420 miles round trip...Cadwell is 20 miles less 
Some of the rounds are double headers so two days in a row, this does effectively halve the travel cost per round. Last year they had Snetterton which
would be a little closer to both of us but for some reason it is not on this years calendar (I suspect they couldn't get a weekend date) 
ravingfool - 11/6/22 at 10:08 AM
All sounds really interesting and actually much more so than a track day surrounded by others.
The problem with these things as you say is the locations of the tracks and the need to tow the car each way (given the distance to cover and the need
to bring tools and the expectation of breakages once you start pushing the car).
I don't even have a tow vehicle or trailer so whilst the individual event costs are very reasonable (just checked that and the regs) it's a
significant investment to start trying to use the striker in anger rather than as a toy.
If the tracks weren't all so far away I'd be along to spectate and that might lead to more planning but fortunately a 7 - 8 hour round trip
just to spectate is not something that excites me so I will continue to use the striker as a sunny day toy for now!
Best wishes for your racing though and so update us on how you get on and if any closer circuits are added next year.
peter030371 - 16/6/22 at 02:26 PM
Had a great day at Blyton and enjoyed it more than the last track day I did. Knowing you have one lap (each time) to nail it focuses the mind
somewhat. In total I had one untimed practice lap and then we all had 6 separate timed runs. I ended up having 2 extra runs, the first was because the
car before me planted it into a tyre barrier and I was yellow flagged so had to stop that lap and rerun when safe. The second time was because the
timing gear stopped working.
I started off with a basic safe lap and built on it each time. My lap times were 1:25.72, 1:21.50, 1:18.16, 1:19.73, 1:18.41 and 1:16.90. The 1:19 was
a bad start, too much wheel spin and going from 2nd to 5th doesn’t help. Looking at my data logging when I got home I can see where I could go faster.
For a first event I didn't want to bother too much with reviewing the logging at the time.
Class ‘T’ covers single seaters and kit cars, no idea why we have to play with single seaters but they are nice enough guys Then you have sub-class
1-9. T7, T8 and T9 are for kitcars on e marked road tyres. I was on my own in T8. You choose your class and they don’t tend to check. I think if there
were more in a class then they would keep an eye on it. A Tiger in T3 should probably have been in T9. I beat him. Next up from me was another Tiger
in T7, he beat me.
For a first competitive event I learnt a lot. I enjoyed it a lot and will be back for more.
On the way home my alternator in the tow campervan packed up and it took >12hours to get recovered on what should have been a 3 hour journey. The
vans been fixed now but that is the entry fee for the next round I was going to do spent so will probably not get out again until September when I
will go back up to Blyton again.
So who is going to join me next time? Lets get some more in class T. Some of the others spend a fortune on their Evo/Scooby/MX5 maybe they need to see
the light http://www.javelinsprintdays.co.uk/sprint/
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roadrunner - 16/6/22 at 02:55 PM
Sounds great fun.
I'd love to do something like this but my car needs work to compete like this.
It definitely wouldn't pass the noise limit, the brakes need upgrading and I want a full cage.
The last two are already on my todo list.
roadrunner - 16/6/22 at 02:58 PM
I've put Blyton Park in the diary as its fairly local to me and could get out to watch. Cadwell is too.
peter030371 - 16/6/22 at 03:05 PM
quote:
Originally posted by roadrunner
Sounds great fun.
I'd love to do something like this but my car needs work to compete like this.
It definitely wouldn't pass the noise limit, the brakes need upgrading and I want a full cage.
The last two are already on my todo list.
What engine are you running? The noise limit is very high.
I don't have a full cage. I have never seen a '7' roll on its own only when helped by other cars around it (that was at Brands). Not
saying its not possible but i suspect the risk on the drive to the circuit is higher ;-) You can go at your own pace and what you feel comfortable
with. Go on give it a go
roadrunner - 16/6/22 at 04:20 PM
I'm running ZX10r. But the noise can be muffled by fitting a different exhaust.
My problem is that I'm massively competitive.
peter030371 - 16/6/22 at 04:27 PM
quote:
Originally posted by roadrunner
I'm running ZX10r. But the noise can be muffled by fitting a different exhaust.
My problem is that I'm massively competitive.
Several bec and all but one (400+bhp turbo thingy) had no noise problems.
I'm massively not competitive so that is the opposite problem
Mr Whippy - 16/6/22 at 06:46 PM
well done looks like great fun
bi22le - 17/6/22 at 05:06 PM
Well this sounds fun, Im well up for buddying up and going to play sprinting.
Could you break down the costs so I have an idea. I have a track day next month and another in October, September is a busy month due to birthdays but
I'll see what weekend it is.
peter030371 - 18/6/22 at 07:05 PM
quote:
Originally posted by bi22le
Well this sounds fun, Im well up for buddying up and going to play sprinting.
Could you break down the costs so I have an idea. I have a track day next month and another in October, September is a busy month due to birthdays but
I'll see what weekend it is.
It's cheap, for motorsport. Blyton entry fee is £149 and you need a race license which is £10 for one day or £25 for the year. For an open top
car you have to have a full face helmet, gloves and your arms and legs covered. How much you invest in these is up to you. If you are happy with your
10 year old helmet (which you have worn 5 times) that's fine. You need some sort of roll over protection but again what you are happy with. The
whole point is what you use on a track day should be good enough for a Javelin Sprint
This has nothing to do with MSUK which is run by millionaires from up high and have lost the grasp, if they ever had it, on what 'entry
level' and 'grass roots' mean
The only draw back is the distance to the venues for us south of the river Thames. But camping on the Saturday is normally free so drive up Saturday,
chill out for the evening, race Sunday then home Sunday night.
Give it a try, no more expensive than a track day at brands hatch 
JimSpencer - 20/6/22 at 07:56 AM
While knocking MSUK is a national pastime, especially if you're a motor club official.. lets get a bit more Open about it.. To be fair..
A MSUK licensed sprint/hillclimb, in a road going car, isn't much more.. still no homologated cage, no fire extinguisher, yes you'd need
better PPE to get started, but in the great big scheme of things it's not a whole leap more expensive.
Club Motorsport is much More accessible than people, in general, think.
The Club's do a huge amount to try and make it as simple as is possible to get started, but Yes it does come across as complicated (compared to
Javelin for example - Which is a GREAT way into the sport as suggested) but once you've got your head round a Javelin day then taking the move
into other events would be a very small step really.
When I started (Striker - at the time a 1.3 crossflow) Javelin didn't exist and one could throw basically the same rocks at the MSA (now MSUK)
then as you(we!) do now, but the absolute basics that I could drive my Striker to the gigs, add a piece of yellow tape to the battery negative, mark
the ignition switch on/off and add a timing strut and numbers and then go and play for the day hasn't changed.
So
Javelin Do a Great Job - if you're even remotely interested in giving the Sport a go And you're near a Javelin gig get along and have a
look..
However
If you're Not near a Javelin Gig - Don't let that put you off.. get along to your local hillclimb/sprint (or for a REALLY cheap day's
motorsport - have a look at an autosolo..) and have a chat..
peter030371 - 20/6/22 at 10:51 AM
quote:
Originally posted by JimSpencer
While knocking MSUK is a national pastime, especially if you're a motor club official.. lets get a bit more Open about it.. To be fair..
A MSUK licensed sprint/hillclimb, in a road going car, isn't much more.. still no homologated cage, no fire extinguisher, yes you'd need
better PPE to get started, but in the great big scheme of things it's not a whole leap more expensive.
Club Motorsport is much More accessible than people, in general, think.
The Club's do a huge amount to try and make it as simple as is possible to get started, but Yes it does come across as complicated (compared to
Javelin for example - Which is a GREAT way into the sport as suggested) but once you've got your head round a Javelin day then taking the move
into other events would be a very small step really.
When I started (Striker - at the time a 1.3 crossflow) Javelin didn't exist and one could throw basically the same rocks at the MSA (now MSUK)
then as you(we!) do now, but the absolute basics that I could drive my Striker to the gigs, add a piece of yellow tape to the battery negative, mark
the ignition switch on/off and add a timing strut and numbers and then go and play for the day hasn't changed.
So
Javelin Do a Great Job - if you're even remotely interested in giving the Sport a go And you're near a Javelin gig get along and have a
look..
However
If you're Not near a Javelin Gig - Don't let that put you off.. get along to your local hillclimb/sprint (or for a REALLY cheap day's
motorsport - have a look at an autosolo..) and have a chat..
My knocking of MSUK was a bit tongue in cheek
I have looked at sprinting in the south east with TWMC (All Circuit) and last year was ready to start this year. I will save money on not having to
tow so far for each event but then this years events timetable came out and is not that much better than Javelin from that point of view. It started
at Cadwell, includes Gurston and no Lyden when it fist came out (since added).
Entry fees are similar, licence I have no idea about now...I think its a bit more but not a deal breaker. PPE is a lot stricter than Javelin, not
saying that is a bad thing as such, but if you are just getting into it then you have to spend all this money upfront. With Javelin you can start off
with your 'track day' gear and then add to it if/when you want to. I did talk to the TWMC eligibility guy about my car and I need to take it
to him to look at so he can be sure of my class and advise on anything that might need looking at/sorting. He only charges a pack of beer for this
which is fine but another day off work, so needs to be planned in advance. Javelin never even looked at the car, you choose your class and they say
'OK' unless you suddenly go much faster than others in your class.
For me, if you can get over the distance, Javelin is a great way to start and is more of an alternative to track days if you are getting dizzy like I
was 
I will keep an eye on the All Circuit championship for another year maybe
adithorp - 20/6/22 at 02:55 PM
If I'm free I'll pop over the Three sisters on one of the days.
I did a couple of Mazda-on-track ones in very similar format to the Javelin sprints. Slightly different, in that the morning was a track day, then
timed laps in the afternoon. Personally, it was interesting to try but didn't feel the need to do any more. I've had the competitive bug in
other sports and haven't the time or inclination to do it again.
JimSpencer... As I understand it, if I was to try MSUK sprints my car (without reverse) would go into SportsLibra and require approved ROP. That makes
it not an easily sorted option.
Pete, did you not need a race suit? Just had a look at the regs and it says they're required for class T.
.
peter030371 - 20/6/22 at 03:05 PM
quote:
Originally posted by adithorp
If I'm free I'll pop over the Three sisters on one of the days.
I did a couple of Mazda-on-track ones in very similar format to the Javelin sprints. Slightly different, in that the morning was a track day, then
timed laps in the afternoon. Personally, it was interesting to try but didn't feel the need to do any more. I've had the competitive bug in
other sports and haven't the time or inclination to do it again.
JimSpencer... As I understand it, if I was to try MSUK sprints my car (without reverse) would go into SportsLibra and require approved ROP. That makes
it not an easily sorted option.
Pete, did you not need a race suit? Just had a look at the regs and it says they're required for class T.
.
I already had a race suit which I got in the sales a year or two ago. I also have FHR although I need to change my belts to 6 point before I can use
that. Not needed for the regs but sensible to have. With Javelin I can 'add' these extra PPE items as and when funds allow 
To be honest if you went out in a '7' as long as your arms and legs are covered by any suit (bolier suit?) they would not notice or
mind....the full racesuit is really for the single seater guys who are also in class T all be it the higher set for slicks and wings. After all the
MX5 drivers don't all need racesuits and that is no different.
peter030371 - 12/7/22 at 10:42 AM
Just over 3 weeks to the next round which is a double header at Three Sisters near Wigan. As a double header they run two events on consecutive days,
these being Saturday the 6th and Sunday the 7th of August. Helps keep travel costs down doing it this way You don't have to enter both rounds
and can just sign up for one if you want. I've just signed up for both
I've never been to Three Sisters and its a go-kart track so as far as I know nobody gets a chance to drive it before hand unlike the other
tracks. This is probably the only way you can try this track with a car.
Looking at previous sprints they seem to do 2 laps for each timed run. Being a go-kart track it should suit lightweight cars....like a '7'.
I do know a guy with a Caterham 170 has signed up for one of the days (his first sprint), that's a 3 cylinder car with about 84bhp. You
don't need mega power or a high spec car to sprint, just a basic helmet, race suit and gloves
So who else is coming? £159 a day and at the weekend. Whats not to like
http://www.javelinsprintdays.co.uk/sprint/
