Hi Guys,
Am just looking at a few various types of cheap motorsport including mini 7's stuff...
Anyone on here racing mini 7's?
Are there any other similar types of cheap motorsport?
And a bit of a long shot but is there anyone else interested in starting some kind of motorsport on a budget that could form a duo?
Thanks in advance
Ed

Cheapest form of motorsport is Club Racing and one of the best IMHO is the 750MC, We have raced in both the Locost series and currently in the Stock Hatch series, well worth looking at.

There's auto solo and auto testing that seems to be quite a cheep thing to do, saw some this Sunday gone.

Prices seem to be £20 to £25 per session and club membership around £10 per annum.

Depending on the club you join there is road rally sprint or hill sprint.

Just a matter of knowing what is in your area

Adrian

Sprinting and Hillclimbing are probably the the cheapest of the 'speed' type competitions, typically £80-90 (with a few noticably more expensive)

There is no such thing as cheap motorsport if you want to win. If you are happy with not winning but having fun then it depends what you want. Hillclimb and sprinting are a good compromise, but you don't get the wheel to wheel thing you will with some form of circuit racing.

If you want to race mini7's then go for it. Cheapest way to start is to buy the car from a current competitor who's moving to miglia's or some other class (or leaving motorsport for whatever reason).

Overall cheapest circuit racing can be found in autograss (if you ignore karts and wacky stuff like lawnmower racing)
Cheapest overall motorsport is probably one of Production Car Trials/Classic Trials/Sporting Trials/Autotest - but it doesn't sound like that's what you're thinking.

Autograss is fantastic value, if you're OK with a few possible drawbacks* like it's all oval racing, you will get very dirty & you'll be expected to put in some work for the club (it's this volunteer work that makes it cheap) there is little to beat it for the money.
Plenty of scope for the better driver or more talented builder to beat the open cheque book folk, skill can still win over money.
Licence & entry fees may well come under £150 a year, most other events will be over that for one entry!



* these may well be seen as big positives by some!

eddie

The term "Cheap" is relative

relative to your budget

however, you tend to get what you pay as with everything in life.

its all about "bang for you your buck" and how safe / organised you want it to be.



Grasstracking (non MSA)
cost wise, grass tracking - £10 entry and basic facilitys - car can be built with inch Sq tubing roll cages etc.. and they are controlled engines 1ltr minis.

However, go up a few classes and you can build a twin bike engine grass tracker which are not "cheap" in my book.


Sprints and hillclimbs

Good value about £90 entry and good value for money - Most are MSA and pick your circuits. best ones i tried are longcross - Gurston Down - harewood


Rallycross

now thats what i call motorsport!
70% tarmac 30% gravel
many classes - latest 3 series BMW class looks good. with regard to minis
Minicross (www.mini-cross.co.uk) is very competitive and regs are kept under control to avoid the "more money = faster car" problem. it is your prep time / build time and attention to details that can get you a "quick car" not money. you should be able to go to a scrap yard and get a mini and a 1275 A+ engine and talk to another competitor total cost fo the car are about £1200, you will struggle to do anything exiting for less, and its all MSA - Doctors - etc..

grass tracking is ok but racing round a field is not really same as tarmac?


or try F1, i think to set up a team you need £35m credit in you bank and your all go. as long as you agree with bernies demands to use a cosworth engine you should be fine!


Description

eddie

The term "Cheap" is relative

relative to your budget

however, you tend to get what you pay as with everything in life.

its all about "bang for you your buck" and how safe / organised you want it to be.



Grasstracking (non MSA)
cost wise, grass tracking - £10 entry and basic facilitys - car can be built with inch Sq tubing roll cages etc.. and they are controlled engines 1ltr minis.

However, go up a few classes and you can build a twin bike engine grass tracker which are not "cheap" in my book.


Sprints and hillclimbs

Good value about £90 entry and good value for money - Most are MSA and pick your circuits. best ones i tried are longcross - Gurston Down - harewood


Rallycross

now thats what i call motorsport!
70% tarmac 30% gravel
many classes - latest 3 series BMW class looks good. with regard to minis
Minicross (www.mini-cross.co.uk) is very competitive and regs are kept under control to avoid the "more money = faster car" problem. it is your prep time / build time and attention to details that can get you a "quick car" not money. you should be able to go to a scrap yard and get a mini and a 1275 A+ engine and talk to another competitor total cost fo the car are about £1200, you will struggle to do anything exiting for less, and its all MSA - Doctors - etc..

grass tracking is ok but racing round a field is not really same as tarmac?


or try F1, i think to set up a team you need £35m credit in you bank and your all go. as long as you agree with bernies demands to use a cosworth engine you should be fine!


Description

I don't think Mini 7s are anywhere near the cheaper end of the scale!

Hillclimbing and sprinting can be OK and you can run in a road car.

As for winning on a budget, I ran in a standard road going Saxo (circa £1200 and for sale!) this season, won the Club Championship outright, the class in the
Welsh Championship and finished fifth overall in the Championship. On the way, I finished first in class 6 times, second twice and third once. If I get those kind of results in my bike engined Westfield next season I'll be very surprised!

Costs relate to entries and travelling and a couple of nights in a hotel (because the weather's so bad!) - roughly £1000 for the whole of the season.

[Edited on 7/12/09 by lsdweb]

Don;t forget


Navagational Rallies

Auto tests

and 4x4 Offroad Trials


I know these are not all suitable for '7' but they are or can be cheap motor sport.

Treasure Hunts ?

Hi

For circuit racing you will not get cheaper than the Locosts espesialy as we now have the team championship specifically for two drivers sharing the driving and costs.

Sprints and hillclimbs are on the increase with costs and are barley any cheaper that circuit racing entry fees espesialy when taking into account the actual track time.

Cheers Matt

As already said, there is no such thing as cheap motorsport.

But there are plenty of formulas on the short ovals.

A few of which can be cheapish.

take a look at www.gpmidgets.co.uk

very similar construction to grass track/seven. inch box section
Can be front or rear engined.

best way to do it is to just enter a formula and never add up the costs

Thank you for all the responses, all useful stuff..

When i say cheap, maybe 6-7k for car and first years costs, mini 7 s class can supposedly be done for a little more than that.

Will look into locost stuff a little bit more, U2U sent Matt.....

I am not really interested in any of the oval stuff...

Thanks Again

Ed