Racing in 2017

[shimmy]

Originally Posted by CSLut

Arrgghh its all the CSL and this forums fault!
Ill be aiming to do 4th season with Ginetta G40s this year (although i am very tempted by the M3-Cup). But the CSL i had is the whole reason i ended up racing! As with many, I got so into trackdays with it that before i knew what i was doing I started looking at the Motorsport section on Pistonheads and responded to an advert for a Ginetta G40-GT5 "challenge" car by saying "sorry, no money, but do have a CSL if interested". Of course, he was...so ended up swapping a rapidly appreciating asset for the financial equivalent of a black hole , but it had to be done.
3 seasons (and one championship title, somehow) later, ive had to sell all my assets and cars, but i dont regret one bit. Although I have learned that you really need to set out budget beforehand and stick to it.
I do miss the CSL for its, er...specialness, that glow of appreciation i got ever time i drove or even looked at it. And the fucker would have probably gone up 30k since ...but ive found an M3-CS + race car is a damn fine way of consoling myself.

Ginetta are great for the parity between cars, the tracks (GP layouts) and the glamour/atmosphere of the paddocks. Supporting BTCC and BGT with budgets 10k-25k for the season all-in (plus car) really is great value and would be an enjoyable weekend even if not racing , but being "part of the action" -even if only in a small way- is just brilliant. Its also good for corporate guests (or just a "rent-a-mob" of beer swilling mates) to come along to.

HOWEVER...the cars are VERY fickle handling and not big power (until you get to the G55 cars, which are GT4 class), which is great for learning, but ive always wanted to have a go racing an M3. As such, did a test in M3-cup car at Donny, which was great fun (especially mid December on greasy track). I can see the downsides to them and can certainly appreciate the upsides of Shimmys 1100kg/390bhp (that WILL be fun). But IF they can keep some level of parity between the cars, keep the costs down and fill the grid, then i think it could be quite a cool, competitive series.
Might do an "arrive and drive" at first round on April1st to check it out.If i can find anything else to sell to fund it...like a kidney.

https://www.facebook.com/Rpkracing/

Nice post CSLut, can feel the winter racing blues through the screen

[pinkpanther008]

Great stuff Shim and O'Neil, most envious!

Best of luck with the season ahead

[GregorJP]

Haven't posted on here for a while, mainly because it's painful to be reminded that I sold my CSL when the values were almost half what they are now. I miss it so badly, but cannot bring myself to buy another one.

Anyway, to update on the racing front, I am now heading into my third season of Production BMW (E30). I've sadly had to sell Kylie, my old car, and have now upgraded to Gigi. Main reason for the change was that I was never 100% happy with the cage in Kylie and I saw a couple of shunts at the end of last season that made me think twice. The engine in Gigi is also pukka. Just got to get my livery sorted for the year and we're game on. I've really enjoyed racing in the series. The cars are all very well matched, it's hard to spend your way into a winning position and the grids are always very well populated (over 25 cars). Drivers are friendly and it's a not-for-profit series.

Will post pics of the car when it's done.

Shimmy, CAE shifter is indeed a great move. I put one in my E92 and it is the second best mod I made (after the Nitrons). One thing, though - apparently the grease on the shifter can get hot and the thing gets super-stiff. Mine is currently at Litchfield getting lubed, so to speak.

Nice to see such varied racing on here.

[thegingerninja]

Racing in Production Gti this year again. Sorry the photo is a bit rubbish - only one I could find. I only managed one race last year due to some back surgery, so need to make up for it this year. Mind you - I've been doing it for 22 years now - talk about slippery slope!

[DuncanR]

sHOCK HORROR ! dUNCANr IS ALIVE FFS ! FOOK CAPS !! only on this feckin forum does this happen.

I will look at various Endurance race options across several Organisations, Britcar, 750Enduro, CSCC even ! although to quote Shimmys original post I think
" New Millennium are 30 min qualifying, 40 minute races, with a driver change between 10 and 25 mins " must be his big ass that makes it that slow !
I still have my E36 which is for sale at this moment.


And I have now bought the Mini that I have shared with my mate since 2012~13 when we won our class in Britcar and were 2nd overall.
Recent success was our Class win at the Race of Remembrance at Anglesey in November last year. A really unique trophy one of seven, a genuine WW1 shell fired 100 years ago. If you can get a booking its a great race to be involved in, runs from Thursday through until Sunday afternoon.
Good luck to all, and Alex.... set the seat in that death trap as LOW as possible, and dont wear a full face helmet so you can tuck your several chins in a bit tighter IF you go sky dirt !

[jupe777]

Originally Posted by DuncanR

sHOCK HORROR ! dUNCANr IS ALIVE FFS ! FOOK CAPS !! only on this feckin forum does this happen.

I will look at various Endurance race options across several Organisations, Britcar, 750Enduro, CSCC even ! although to quote Shimmys original post I think
" New Millennium are 30 min qualifying, 40 minute races, with a driver change between 10 and 25 mins " must be his big ass that makes it that slow !
I still have my E36 which is for sale at this moment.


And I have now bought the Mini that I have shared with my mate since 2012~13 when we won our class in Britcar and were 2nd overall.
Recent success was our Class win at the Race of Remembrance at Anglesey in November last year. A really unique trophy one of seven, a genuine WW1 shell fired 100 years ago. If you can get a booking its a great race to be involved in, runs from Thursday through until Sunday afternoon.
Good luck to all, and Alex.... set the seat in that death trap as LOW as possible, and dont wear a full face helmet so you can tuck your several chins in a bit tighter IF you go sky dirt !

Hi Duncan congrats on the class win, were you in the Mini at RofR? I was there in the Caterham, actually qualified P2 which was a surprise. We finished 3rd overall but was pipped by a handful of seconds to finish 2nd in class. Fantastic weekend and look forward to the next one. Don't know if it was your mini or not but I had a little coming together with one at Rocket when I tried to dive down the inside, my fault :-( Still got a dodgy wrist where my wheel was jolted.

[DuncanR]

That was indeed me in the Mini at Rocket, I do indeed recall the incident, and the Invoice is in the post !
I guess like a lot of people, you underestimated the stopping power of the Mini, as I kept it buried and braked late, I thought at the time "this is going to be fun !"
A great week-end indeed, and a fantastic track, my first time there on the Friday quali so a steep learning curve, but got the hang of it in the end !
Shame you got pipped at post, some nice trophies.
Bump into you next year then probably !

[jupe777]

Originally Posted by DuncanR

That was indeed me in the Mini at Rocket, I do indeed recall the incident, and the Invoice is in the post !
I guess like a lot of people, you underestimated the stopping power of the Mini, as I kept it buried and braked late, I thought at the time "this is going to be fun !"
A great week-end indeed, and a fantastic track, my first time there on the Friday quali so a steep learning curve, but got the hang of it in the end !
Shame you got pipped at post, some nice trophies.
Bump into you next year then probably !

They really were great trophies, don't think I underestimated the braking power more the willingness to let a pesky Caterham get past haha, certainly knew where I stood after that :-) It can be a little unnerving in the 7's as you can never be sure if someone has seen you, the BMW Compacts were a nightmare, pretty sure they don't race with mirrors :-0 You can give me the invoice next time we bump into each other I'd never been to Anglesey either, what a great circuit, November doesn't seem so glum anymore.

[Graham]

Took a bit of a different direction and decided to sell my red M3, and I am going to build an M3 Cup Car from scratch. I don't really want to split my red one as I feel it's a bit of a waste rather somebody gets the use out of it with all the decent parts on it. To change it to M3 Cup spec requires alot of work due to modifications I have fitted.

I want to build the shell to a good racing standard and then if I ever go off M3 Cup then I just unbolt the controlled modifications and put some decent stuff on it but at least the shell itself can be used in whatever application. I think it will be too light for M3 Cup so I might (I hope) I have to put ballast in then I can remove it if I want to race in other series.

Work/deciding to build a car too late/rollcage delays due to being start of race season means I'm going to miss at least 2 of the races, I'm hoping to make the June round as it's Brands Indy so a circuit I raced alot last year which might be handy for my first round. But at the moment I can't get a cage delivered until 2nd April due to them being so busy supplying at this time of year.

So the build has ground to a halt at the moment



The M3 Cup ticked the boxes for me as racing last year in a series where the classes were poorly controlled (IMO) meant being classed with a 400bhp+ Clio Cup Car with uprated sequential box etc, I could drive the wheels off my car but he would just get to any straight and pull away effortlessly. So I wanted to race an M3, I wanted close/even racing and I don't have the mega budget for Kumho racing, so M3 Cup ticks the boxes. I hope it's as good as it looks and I think close racing will bring my driving on alot more as if somebody is pedalling their car alot better than me when we are in theory in more or less the same car, then I know I have to get some serious tuition in.

[billyboysm3]

Good luck everyone