Short/cheap racing series?

[MarkJ]

Afternoon all,
I'm quite interested in starting racing next year, however I want to make sure it's for me before I properly commit to it so would like to do a "taster" season first, if these exist. I currently do trackdays on my RSV and am mid-to-sharp end of the fast group normally.

Having looked around it seems a lot of the cost of racing comes from the fees (so long as you choose a cheapish class), so I wondered if there are any race series' where you do qualifying and race on the same day to keep the fees low? Everything seems to be 10-11 rounds in a year, but do you have to go to all meetings? I think I read somewhere that Mallory Park (EMRA?) do a series that's only 5 races a year with qualifying and race on the same day, but I can't find anything about this.

I live in Sheffield, so no Brands of Lydden for me. Cheers

[G]

You absolutely don't have to do all the rounds in a year.
You may find you get relatively 'more' from it if you do, but it is very expensive.

Plenty of series that don't have qualifying. However I know when I started with Bemsee they said they'd stopped single day entrants because of someone racing at another meeting, crashing and getting a head injury, then coming over to race with them for the rest of the weekend.

I'd say that if you can, it's best to save up and do the whole thing - Friday practice, then both days.
While you're spending more, you're also getting the most 'value' on your track time and that practice day can make a decent difference in how you do on race day.

[MarJay]

[Ben.]

no one really does qualifying in rookies, its 2 races on sat and 2 races on sun.
Just do a race or two from a few different clubs for this year and pick a club to do the whole season with next year.
Youll go through 2 sets of tyres on friday saturday and sunday so that £600. Race fees will be about £250. Fuel getting there and racing will be about £100 - £200. Thats not including getting your bike set up for racing, the spare parts, (no one camps at racing they all have caravans) so a tent / caravan, food for the weekend, leathers etc need to pass scruitineering so they need to be 100% perfect - you cant have a mark on your helmet, not a scratch, or it will fail.
You wont be able to race an rsv in anything competitively in any race series so you also need to buy a race bike and lockwire it ready to pass scrut.
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follow my racing season
Race bike - R6
Road bike - sv650

[Deano]

I race with EMRA and will be there this sunday so come down and say hello if you wanna get a feel for the club and I will answer anything you wanna know.

EMRA is a really friendly club and is cheap in comparison to other clubs.

£120 for the 1st class you enter, then 30 for any additional class on top of that (£20 for Newcomers, only one race).

what you running

My costs for this weekend:

-£260 for racetec interacts
-£40 for diesel, im in west london
-£40 for petrol
-£10 gennie fuel if you dont get any power hookup
-£150 for entry fees, I'm entering f600 and ss600 so thats 4 races and 2x qualifying/practice.
-£35 for transponder

You wanna make sure you can get under a sub 60 lap to stand any chance of half decent results at least in the newcomers.

You must beware that the newcomers class is subject to anyone who holds a clubman * license and what you tend to get is peeps running in the class for 3-4 years and taking the title as they dont race at other tracks. IE last years 600 newcomer champ is running in the class this year and is running away with the championship and he still competes even though the sponsor for the class refuses to give him the prize money
If your bike is road legal then I suggest roadstocks as this is another novice friendly class at EMRA, you need your numberplate holder, horn and v5 and off you go.

The best novice championship is BEMSEE, alot fairer as they run true novices and you get a full weekend of riding in a novice championship.

NGRCC run a novice championship but you can run in the novice championship for 2 years after you are given your ACU license, you only get one race a weekend and its only 5-6 rounds for the whole year.

I ran scrubs most of last year as I only managed to buy one set of tyres for the whole season after loosing my job twice and was quite easily able to run in the top5 on most weekends. buying 2 sets a weekend is probably false economy until you get closer to the sharp end.
for instance I buy a new set of tyres at the start of the weekend and run them for 2 days and find I set my best times during the 2nd day?
tyres are meant to drop off after 20 laps but if you are not good enough to take advantage of it then it seems pointless.
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Dean Stone #777
EMRA 2012 final standings, Formula 600s 3rd, Superstock 600s 3rd.
www.triplesevenracing.co.uk: www.ljmotorcyclerepairs.co.uk www.gettaylored.co.uk BN RaceScience, Now officially run out of money to carry on racing

[Old Git Racing]

Have a look at Auto 66, Northern club that's very good for newcomers. They have a wide variety of classes where you can be competitive on relativley old tackle if you can ride a bit.
They also do sprints and hillclimbs that can be a good cheap way of competing to test yourself, these can even be done on a day licence. Check it out.

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack

[Fawbish]

He said cheaper


My brother now races in CB500 cup with ThundersportGB - excellent entry to racing after all of us getting a van and all the gear for his first race weekend at the start of April - there were 47 riders and only 40 qualify for the main race, and the others are in with another class.

He's doing 5 rounds this year if he can afford it, his tyres will last about 2 rounds (we hope) which each consist of test day, qualifying, and four races.

Its brilliant being there, honestly, proper buzz
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"Oh....it looks like Average Joe's is forfeiting the match!" - "Yeah, its a risky strategy but lets see if it pays off for 'em Cotton."

[MarkJ]

Thanks guys, some good advice

Streetstock sounds like a good start, are there engine size or power restrictions on it Deano?

I must admit I knew you get through tyres at a fair pace, but didn't realise it can be three sets a weekend. I've got a Honda Hornet SORN'd in the garage which I was considering turning into a racer as it's worth more to me than selling it in its current state. Has anyone raced in ThundersportGB's streetfighter class?

The stock classes certainly appeal, especially one ones where tyres last a bit. Hillclimbs are something that hadn't entered my head, thanks OGR.

[G]

Smaller cc/hp definitely leads to less tyres used.

On the SV I'd do one rear a weekend and two fronts every three weekends.

Believe Desmo is more like half a season from a set of control tyres and wets not allowed - though that'd scare me a bit!

[Deano]

[Ben.]

[garth]

Desmodue - pm me, I'm going to try and do a season next year.

I reckon it's the cheapest form by quite a margin and quite close racing too.

Class B is the 583's - Monsters or Supersports. Should be able to get a competitive bike for 1200ish, 1 control tyre, 53bhp max, cant remember the min weight.

Personally, don't start. It's addictive and expensive. Who wants to buy a kidney?
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You ain't a has been if you never was

[Deano]

its definately addictive even if you are slow you'll still wanna keep getting back out there as you know you can do better and when you do make progress and get a good result you will be walking smiling for weeks. Best feeling in the world by a country mile!
____________________
Dean Stone #777
EMRA 2012 final standings, Formula 600s 3rd, Superstock 600s 3rd.
www.triplesevenracing.co.uk: www.ljmotorcyclerepairs.co.uk www.gettaylored.co.uk BN RaceScience, Now officially run out of money to carry on racing