Yeah I know I wouldnt need 3000 to get into it. Thats for the slightly more serious stuff. I am keen to have a go. But at the moment under current circumstances I can not. I wish it were still at lakeside. All but a 5min drive. Then I would definately be in no matter what. Hell if something broke id push it home.

Quote:

don't we all. Lakeside was/is an awesome track. High speed sweeping corners with camber changes in the road, plus a few bumps thrown in. The blind, top of 4th gear, downhill RH sweeper under the bridge around the back, and Hungry's - there is no other corner in Australia anything like Hungry's.

Have you been out there lately. I did a month or so back. Had a walk around. Feels wierd. Its like a ghost town. I remember when it was full of life. I miss hearing the cars from our place. Everything is still there too. Fridges, telephones, tables chairs etc. I stood on the roof of the tower. Plus it was one of the best tracks. Its like mini bathurst how you head up the hill. Better than the dead flat Queensland Raceway. My Dad used to race there in the early seventies. less than $5 an a helmet was all you needed for the whole day. He said the only thing that kept him away from regular use was the fact he'd scrub out a set of tyres per day.

Cheers

Quote:

bugger! Here in NZ a basic cage will typically start around the $800-900 mark! Thats a full cage not half cage.

I agree that motorsport is an expensive sport, but I do think that if people REALLY want to compete, they'll find a way. Like L18 says, you can have a blast doing events in your road car. Yes, driving to an event and then breaking down would suck though.

In Hawkes Bay, the car club has an awesome autocross track, they run a low cost class called the BOS class (bucket of ####) which are cars up to 1600cc I think, no multivalves, no efi, no 4wd, and it was pretty popular. And quite often a well driven bos car would be mixing it with dedicated 1600cc club cars! Typical cars were early mirages, lasers/323, was a good way to get racing for bugger all.
But, apart from that, the sport does seem to get dearer all the time... I wish the clubs would put more effort into encouraging new young people into the sport, I think half the time guys get put off by the amount of rules and regs as much as the money...

I don't think it's got anything to do with rules and regs! It's just a lack of interest...... I'll go out to a khana or track day with mates just for a look and the same thing happens "this looks like fun", "Matt help me build up a dato"....Do they do it? NO! Loads of money just couldn't be bothered! I did an event every month when i was an apprentice, I had a 180b sss painted matt black and was cheap. You also only race the clock so half the fun / reason is to improve on your own times! Haven't done an event for about 3 years but as i have just finished restoring my car trailer i'm gonna get back into it! As L18 has said its called club level for a reason... You could do a year for about $1000 which is only $20 a week (a dole bludger could do it). I'm in a club called the north shore sporting car club www.nsscc.com.au which is heavily into rally but also runs club level events as well as invites to all the other events run by clubs all around sydney. You don't have to be in a club to go and watch! While your there speak to the competitors and officials and you'll soon learn that its all about low cost, fun and safety.

About 4 years ago, I helped out two brothers who had a budget of $50/week each to run their datto 1600 in club sprints. This amount included car development, club memberships, entry fees, fuel, tyres and general maintenance.

These brothers (the Pooley boys from the NDSOC) have quite a quick 2 litre 1600 now and have honed their skills without spending a fortune. Both had young families and a mortgage yet still raced full club seasons.

Club level motorsport is affordable to even the lowest budgets.

I have seen people who bought a stock stanza and started to sprint it!. Dead stock not even extractors.
As their times dropped they were able to fit more and more bits to make it go faster and each time they went out set new personal bests at a track. No one cared that they were much slower than the rest of the field when they started.

After they had done all the body lightening and some basic brakes and suspension mods they added extractors then a 32/36 weber. Later a side draught weber and then twins and a cam. This is how most do do it and have a lot of fun in the process.

People will help you when you are struggling and often donate parts free to help, if you listen and are willing to learn.

It is common to see some say "I can do that better than those guys or girls", but are never game to put their bum on the line and be compared with their peers. Maybe competition would destroy the myths

As someone one the site says..............
Quote: