lsdweb
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 11:10 AM |
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How successful are our cars in motorsport?
Hi All
I was wondering how successful are our so-called ‘inferior’ cars are in motorsport?
Obviously, Locosts win every race in their own championship but what other successes are there, e.g. other racing formulae, speed events, autotesting
etc.?
Is anybody competing in other kinds of events – rallying?! (I’d love to try my car through the lanes although ground clearance may be a problem!)
Regards
Wyn
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iank
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 11:29 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by lsdweb
...
Is anybody competing in other kinds of events – rallying?! (I’d love to try my car through the lanes although ground clearance may be a problem!)
Regards
Wyn
Not a locost, but there is a guy rallying a westfield. Since it comes in hugely underweight (200kg!) he has to add lead, but in a locost you could
design it to weight - nice thick steel floor to get COG as low as possible, beefed up tubes (even 1.5" tube?) to up the strength etc. Obviously
you would need to increase ground clearance, might be worth redesigning wishbones etc.
Sounds like it could be a lot of fun 
Here is the linky to some pictures etc.
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greggors84
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 11:42 AM |
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They are quite often used in auto testing.
Good video here:
http://www.mgtoronto.com/maitrise.wmv
(Sorry i know its been posted before, but not for a while)
Not sure what class they are in as you normally see Minis and Novas competing.
Im planning on competing in a auto test in a couple of weeks, but the Indy wont be ready as im away from home so will be using my 106.
[Edited on 27/10/05 by greggors84]
Chris
The Magnificent 7!
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donut
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 12:02 PM |
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Holy Christmas Batman!! That vid is amazing. Wish i could drive like that (some people say i already do but on normal roads  )
Back to the orig question, There are locosts in the RGB and kit car seris in motorsport and someone runs an MK Indy somewhere. Plus our very own John
Ison runs (ran) an MK GT1 in the RGB.
Andy
When I die, I want to go peacefully like my Grandfather did, in his sleep -- not screaming, like the passengers in his car.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/andywest1/
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SeaBass
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 12:02 PM |
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We regularly grass autotest the Locost during the summer... It's fairly competitive but we don't go to the extremes some people do getting
russian unlabelled M+S tyres etc.
Sevens enjoy reasonable results in class at hillclimbs and sprints.
I presume due to poor coefficient of drag figures they aren't brilliant at high speed circuit work, where closed wheels are better.
Don't Fluke rally a cateringvan??
[Edited on 27/10/05 by SeaBass]
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akumabito
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 12:39 PM |
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That rally-seven looks sexy! It doesn't even look completely out-of-place in the dust and sand... it has a bit of a sandrail lok to it really..
only prettier..
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greggors84
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 01:08 PM |
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Its a fluke one in the pictures from the link above. There is some videos on their website of it too.
Chris
The Magnificent 7!
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mookaloid
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 01:19 PM |
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I compete in hill climbs. I haven't won anything yet but I am competing with stuff that costs 4 or 5 times as much as my car so I won't be
winning anytime soon!
However I am getting closer to the times posted by the fast boys and i have occasionally beaten some more powerful and more expensive machinery.
last season was my first in motorsport of any kind so i am hoping my second year will see me more competitive without spending too much money.
IMHO there is no reason why a locost with loads and loads of money spent on it shouldn't be able to be as fast as say a Caterham R400 - but then
you would need to spend probably as much as a Caterham costs, so why not buy the Caterham?
Cheers
Mark
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liam.mccaffrey
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 01:38 PM |
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i think i saw an article on that rally 7 in track and race car about a year or 2 back. I think it was built up from scratch and cost 10's of
thousands buying every imaginable lightweight part. carbon fibre everything. ali honeycomb monocoque the works.
weighed in at 380 or 390 KG wet with a full tank
Build Blog
Build Photo Album
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iank
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 02:00 PM |
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Yep, that's where I remembered it from. Seems a tad silly to buy lightweight everything, then have to load up with 200kg of lead 
Sure it's basically a westfield... wonder if I kept the magazine...
[Edited on 27/10/05 by iank]
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liam.mccaffrey
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 02:56 PM |
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they didn't use ballast in the car for the race they featured in the article i read
Build Blog
Build Photo Album
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shortie
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 03:07 PM |
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A couple of us down south are planning on doing some sprinting next year. Would ultimately love to do some racing but at times it can get expensive
often through no fault of your own!!!
Will try to sort out a website all about it.
We are definitely not doing it just to win, really just looking to have some fun wherever we come.
Rich.
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lsdweb
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| posted on 27/10/05 at 06:10 PM |
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Hi Guys
Great responses - that autotest video is pretty spectacular but nobody clapped when he finished!!
I've been sprinting and hillclimbinb mine for the past 3 seasons - this season I picked up two trophies (1st and 2nd in class) both at a venue I
don't like. I finished fourth overall and first in class in the Welsh championship so I'm pretty pleased! The car has the potential - all
it needs is a decent driver!
I'm toying with racing next season - I've had the licence for 10 years but never done it - Pembrey is only 4 miles from where I live so I
may give it a go - sadly, I'll be in the class with all the ex touring cars but with 190bhp and 535kg I could worry a couple of them!
Regards
Wyn
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skydivepaul
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| posted on 28/10/05 at 01:11 AM |
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These types of cars are especially suited to hillclimbes and sprints. I am planning to compete in the westfield speed series next year as they have a
great number of events about 26 around the country. I am waiting for clarfication from the wscc to make sure i am legible to compete next year.
Otherwise i'll be competing in the harewood hillclimb championship (may do that as well). I agree with the previous comment regarding racing it
can get very expensive especially when someone else knocks you off!! Hillclimbing and sprinting plus a few trackdays should keep the adrenaline gland
buzzing nicely for the year.
p.s. I'm not really up this late i'm in the airport departure lounge in Florida waiting for my flight which is 6 hours delayed. Still
drinking draught Bud and chilling out
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Jasper
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| posted on 28/10/05 at 11:24 AM |
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And don't forget Endurance Rallying - Hicost has completed a good few now with some high placings.
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NS Dev
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| posted on 28/10/05 at 01:42 PM |
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I am hoping to do some navigational (road rallying) stuff, 12 car rallies and scatters in mine when it's finished, should be fun and raise a few
eyebrows!!
Just hope the RACMSA scrutes will not object too much!
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matt_claydon
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| posted on 28/10/05 at 02:07 PM |
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I've done a lot of 12 car rallying in the last 4 years in my 306 and have often been tempted by the idea of doing one in the MK. However,
open-top cars and mapreading / navigation do not mix well, particularly as 9 out of 10 of our rallies are in the freezing cold pi55ing rain!
Edit: Besides which, 12 car rallying is far more about accurate navigation than speed, and on the type of roads they run on you'd probably end
up going much faster in a tin-top anyway!
Cheers,
Matt.
[Edited on 28/10/05 by matt_claydon]
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G.Man
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| posted on 30/10/05 at 10:10 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by greggors84
They are quite often used in auto testing.
Good video here:
http://www.mgtoronto.com/maitrise.wmv
(Sorry i know its been posted before, but not for a while)
Not sure what class they are in as you normally see Minis and Novas competing.
Im planning on competing in a auto test in a couple of weeks, but the Indy wont be ready as im away from home so will be using my 106.
[Edited on 27/10/05 by greggors84]
That boy has some skillz
Opinions are like backsides..
Everyone has one, nobody wants to hear it and only other peoples stink!
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andyps
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| posted on 1/11/05 at 10:28 PM |
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There is class win for one here at Harewood in August.
Andy
An expert is someone who knows more and more about less and less
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