Cheapest from of motorsport?

[worm]

Hey guys/gals

Would love to get into some from of motorsport one day (competitive, not track days) and was wondering what would be the cheapest from.
I came to the conclusion that go karts would be cheapest.
What motorsport besides gokarts would you think is cheapest.

I was told that the Mirage cup series costs about $30,000 per year. Seems cheap.

[Golfwise]

How long is a piece of string ?

Try slot cars for cheapness.

Otherwise even the basic form of competative motorsport is costly.
Before the car there is licence ,racesuit,boots,helmet there's $2g minimum already.
Then there is entry fees,fuel oil,transportation,tyres
Safety features for the car such as roll cage,seatbelt,seat,extinguisher etc
And then there is the car.

I'm told go carts turn out to be very costly too, more than most anticipate and they are for kids anyway as most 6 year olds in a kart can kick most grown ups.

My advice is Supersprints in your road car or win the lottery or marry a rich bird.

[Golf Loon]

marry a rich bird.

Sweet ;) ;)

[86gti]

both my dad and my brother used to race Karts till it got to expensive.
it is cheap, but if you want to be competitive you still have to spend big $$..
same old thing, if you arnt competitive enough you seem to lose interest pretty quickly. :( get a cheap jap import n take it to the track :-)....
did get my GTi-R with some rallying in mind aswell as track days and drags, but its not happening at the moment. lol

[ausgolfer]

Motorkhanas........... (Different surfaces, usually all 1st gear and somtimes reverse, tight courses starting in gates finishing in gates, remebering the routes throught the witches hats, lots of handbrake turns/powerslides etc)

Costs you eiter a year or a day low level cams licence, a secondary bonnet catch(can be made for a few dollars), a fire extinguisher fixed securely in your car, secondary throttle return spring, clothes that cover your limbs (lets hope we all have some of those), a roadworthy car(they like to check brake pedal feel, steering and wheel bearings), a good handbrake, and ofcourse the entry fee somewhere between 25-50 dollars usually.

So basically about 100-150 in set up costs then the entry fee on top of that.

After that there's the Auto Cross (short lap type rallye circuit), which is similar but you need a helmet and I think a slightly higher level of cams licence but could be wrong.

[gtimk5]

Autocross, you need a level 2 licence.
Hey, apart from entry fees, accomodation ,fuel and general things like that Gunter cost me around $30,000 over 6 1/2 years. Had lots of success up until people started buying cheap Jap imports. They can be high cost, high maintenance vehicles. Depending what you buy, but if it has a turbo expect added costs.
I have a shelf full of trophies and plates and lots of good memories. I didn't break the bank, but to lift the pace a couple of seconds on the racetrack would cost a lot of money. Road rallies are a different story, you just have to be game and keep the momentum thing happening. That was my passion, rather than driving around the same tracks constantly, this is where I brake, this is where I accelerate stuff.
Hillclimbs are big balls stuff and sociable, loved them too.
I found the circuit game too political and unfriendly with people playing mind games ect... Cheers, whatever you decide enjoy it and don't make it a chore!:) :)

[gotrice]

The cheapest form of motor sport that I have found to date is driving at or under the speed limit with a passenger on bin night and having the passenger hit the bins with either a baseball or cricket bat so that they fall over and spill everything. It costs petrol really and is loads of fun.

[gtimk5]

mmmmm. clever:?

[worm]

*sigh*.....

[gtimk5]

vortex????

[GoLfMan]

i was thinking of some hillclimbs and auto/motokhanas and i joined The VW club of Victoria for that reason. But they dont seem to have any anymore :? so ill prob join another club next year that has motorsport events, maybe a hillclimbing club or something ill see what i can find :)

[Valver.]

The cheapest form of motor sport that I have found to date is driving at or under the speed limit with a passenger on bin night and having the passenger hit the bins with either a baseball or cricket bat so that they fall over and spill everything. It costs petrol really and is loads of fun.

I hope you're joking :(

[Golf Loon]

Yeah where do you live gotrice? Ive got a cricket bat.

[MK2 GTI]

Golfman - VWCV doesn't have a motorsport rep anymore it used to be john edsel but he's had enough (done it for a while and its alot of work too), but there waiting for someone to put there hand up, used to be good with the motorkhanas and khanacross's.

[GoLfMan]

yeh i think im going to join PIARC next year and also hope that a motorsport rep is appointed :)

[gotrice]

Come on you lot, lighten up. I only have one motorsport outing and it was just a no speed limit day at Wakefield (hardly motorsport) but everyones done that or something similar so who wants to hear about that eh? I'd rather rabbit (no pun intended) on about some guff that sounds plauseable and.....well not really. I just thought it sounded funny. Hah! More fool me eh.

Anyone got a Quaif they want to offload?

[gtimk5]

Thats cool Gotrice mate. Sounded like you meant it. Needed more laughing faces or something! Had that sort of thing happen to me in Brissie consantly years ago. Not a good way to start a monday morning!
Cheers and try having a go at some low level motorsport, it can be as cheap as you want to make it and fun.
Had a P plater doing donuts on his own last sunday morning at 11 am 2 houses down from home. Raced out to watch lose control, up on the footpath and take out a neighbours letterbox. At least to his credit he got out and stood the thing back up. I abused him and when he sheepishly went up the road the rhf wheel was running about 5degrees of positive camber! Only an XF falcon so who cares! Thats not cheap motorsport!!! Cheers, Andrew :D :D

[Golf Loon]

Yeah I have suffered picking up the rubbish from idiots playing such games. Glad to hear you were not serious gotrice. :)

[gotrice]

I used to work with kids from Family Services and the courts and a few of them would do similar things but they always did it in a stolen car. It was real sad stuff and the courts were very very lean on them too. Mad me very...disgruntled .

[worm]

After going go karting today I have been doing some research.... go kart racing is where its at hahaha..... surely its not THAT expensive to have fun.... and there are 19 clubs/tracks in victoria!
Soooo tempting

[Bug_racer]

I guess you should try everything . I prefer drag racing , still trying to build a car up , the costs are monumental and I hope I get some kind of sponsorship after its run a few times , otherwise it wont be seeing the strip too often . So while I wait for my car to get built I just fix everyone elses cars and prep them up for circuit and drag racing . One day I'll probably build a wicked circuit car , but until then I'll just stick to drag cars :)

[blackgti1.8]

Yeah, definitely motorkhanas. Khanacross is fun too.
A stock (Mk1) Golf is actually fairly well set up for dirt events, although most opt for stiffening up the rear. Motorkhanas are relatively safe as well, although I have seen the occasional car flip going sideways and hitting a ditch:( (rare)

As pointed out, motorkanas are quite cheap - the only hassle is that you get your pride and joy nice and grubby, which doesn't sit well with some folks.

Hillclimbs and circuit events get considerably more expensive (and dangerous), but if you're after an adrenalin high - you can't beat 'em. Just don't use a car that you couldn't stand to see stuffed into a wall, that's all.
The GTI isn't going near a circuit for that reason, but Motorkhanas - you bet:)

[gtimk5]

Quite agree with you there. As an entry level fun sport they are fun. You have to be smart and use your head a fair bit but once you get into the flow, it is very satisfying. They are also a lot more sociable than other forms of motorsport, especially circuit racing where people are out to play mind games with you. We also have a fair bit of "backstabbing" that goes on down here.:)
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/07/DSCN0616-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/05/dirtstuff-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/04/DSC_1784-1.jpg

[worm]

Less Gunter pics and more bird poop pics ;)

[gtimk5]

:D :D :D Laugh out VERY loud!!!!!
Not sick of em already are you????!!!! Got hundreds of em
I will wait a bit longer for some more poop to infest the paint! Actually contemplating selling him along with the other golfs I have (no, not the mk5!)
And my camper and twincab ute.

[GoLfMan]

did you stay infront of that Suby long mate? j:

[gtimk5]

7 lapper, rained on lap 4. He eventually got me and won the race by .6 second. 20 odd cars behind having fun on the damp track! :D

[GoLfMan]

thats awesome that you held a WRX off for that long :)

[gtimk5]

Jap imort STI with sequential and all. He's spent a lot on it too!:)

[blackgti1.8]

The Subby wouldn't out-handle the GTI, come of it;)
Just need to hold him off down the straight.
You also need to do the sums on power to weight ratio - WRX's are no light-weights..

I have to say though that either you've a well-sorted suspension or you're
not trying hard enough - I can't see daylight under that inside rear wheel!
(the former, right?)

Grass motorhanas are great (no dust!), as long as they are dry - if there's been any rain recently, a WRX (or a Golf synchro) would come in handy (or a LSD):(
I'm going to have to start saving for that Quaife LSD...

I like the dirt cicuit pic too (is it a circuit?). They can be great fun too if you find a good circuit. Probably ( a little) safer than a tarmac circuit too.
It's a real shame that the Amaroo dirt circuit (NW Sydney) disappeared years ago (along with the main circuit and hillclimb)...

More pic please. Love these ones.

[gtimk5]

Hi! If you went back through my posts there are some pics with the rear wheel off the deck by about 300m/m! Or the classic one in Rally Tasmania (3 day sealed road rally) with the front wheel up about 18 inches +! I fear if I repost em I might be crucified by some! Go to gtimk5 and look up my posts to find some more. I have so many shots of the car (gunter) on discs, motorkhanas, classic rallies and cealed tarmac events. Hillclimbs and racing. I used to pick up the rear wheels a lot but when I took up circuit racing I fitted harder springs. I drove the wheels and tyres off the thing,sometimes literaly. One time the front hub sheared off which could have been very bad but I speared off the track and stopped before hitting anything! The dirt circuit was run on the Southern Safari (ARC) super special stage course. I ran G grids and finished 4th on the day against the local rally guys down here. They were very surprised as I hadn't competed in gravel events for years. I will post some more pics if the others don't get bored with em!
Amaroo was an awesome place, I went to a few meetings there in 1981 while I lived in Sydney. Nice tight technical place, a bit like Baskerville here. Cheers, Andrew:)

[blackgti1.8]

Hi Andrew! Just stirring mate - it really looks like you having a pretty good go there. The car looks great too.
300mm? That's pretty impressive:)

Anyway, thanks for the tip - I'll go back through the posts when I get a chance. You must been pushing pretty hard to shear a front hub off.
Looks like you've got some serious rubber on there. Slicks?

I must have just 'missed' you in Sydney - got back from the UK on '82.
Amaroo was my favourite track (much more challenging than Oran Park),
despite having a major "off" there - came unstuck going a right-hand sweeper (used to be called Mazda House from memory), and launched the Golf over the bank at Honda. From the back mind you - landed back on the track...
Those Pirelli's P6's had savage breakaway characteristics...
Like you say - very technical. Little scope for mistakes wthout hitting something. A hell of a buzz when you get it right though. Going over Skyline flat-stick (a blind left hand off-camber sweeper) is about as good as it gets. Of course, washing off enough speed for the 'Loop' just after it just added to the fun factor...

I've never had a chance to try Basketville - I left Tassie before I got into motorsport (or Golfs). Got my fun instead by terrorising everyone else on the Huon highway (before they straightened out all the kinks...).
Life was simpler before speed cameras:)

Anyway, look forward to any new (or old) material Andrew!

[gtimk5]

OK, this a rehash of some 3 wheeled stunts again. Got the front guard between the wheel and door on 3 guideposts near Savage River. 3 days later Gunter was pristine again after the 3 day event and went out the following weekend to compete in supersprints. Oh, and after that excursion in Rally Tasmania, we still finished 9th outright. Win Percy, ex british touring car champ and Le Mans winner came 5th outright. Thats out of 60/70 cars. We did lose time finishing that stage as the front tyre was rubbing badly emitting plumes of smoke to the service break. I had no idea how badly the golf was damaged. Had another spin the next day (the back broke away on a steep downhill hairpin. Ended up nearly running over 4 photographers who were on the inside of the corner! Lucky they were quick to scatter!!!:D
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/05/1stoff-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/05/off-1.jpg
http://www.vwwatercooled.com.au/forums/images/imported/2006/05/damage-1.jpg
Thats all the damage it did verses 3 dead guide posts!!

[Oneofthegreats]

Love those pics andrew.
Using a GTI the way it was intended. TO THE MAX!

[gtimk5]

To drive on the edge is only the starting point!!!!:D

[Oneofthegreats]

To drive on the edge is only the starting point!!!!:D


I like it!

You reckon you should have that as your signature andrew!

[gtimk5]

LOL Thanx mate! :D :D :D

[britchie]

i was in the passanger seat with dirt flying past my head, and all those guide posts slapping the door right next to my head...sliding sideways big thump...just select firts gear and....Whoooosh...we were out of there..hey andrew

[gtimk5]

Heard that before Ben!!!!!!! Where did that saying come from?
I think the funniest thing about that was the fact that when I realised we were in trouble, all you heard in the intercom was....... Nuh!
Thats when you finally took your eyes off the notes and looked up after 25kms of reading them flat out! :D
We had a rule that I wasn't to speak on the intercom but that time was allowed!
All caused by losing my concentration, seeing triangles put out by another crashed cars crew. Only takes the slightest lapse to put over the other side eh?
Still, We had a great time that weekend eh Ben? And got a good result and an easy class win. The trophies are good too! Wish we could still be out there.....
PS. Good to see you using the forum too Ben, welcome back mate:) :)

[britchie]

i have never been in a car going so fast so efficiently. we were just at the point where you are going too fast for your brain but still in control...just. it doesn't take much to loose it at that pace. awesome teamwork, awesome driving. scares me now to think how fast we were going...i'll have to scan in the photos of the dinner after drinks:)

[britchie]

ahh memories...there are plenty of stories :)

[gtimk5]

Hmmmmm........
The shower block with the noisy pipes at Devonport bluff. The playground at Devonport. (at 2am!) The nightclubs that reckoned I was too drunk to go in? at Devonport of course!
Heaps of fun for a few years Ben.
And the targa guys that wouldn't give us the time of day until we were beating them!!!!!
Hey! What about the minutes silence at the dinner? We had a minutes silence for a fellow competitor that died 1.7 kms into the first stage one year. During the minutes silence with about 200 people in this civic centre someone collapsed dragging the tablecloth , with everything on it down on top of him! poor bloke!:) :)

[britchie]

if i remember correctly, you weren't allowed to go into the club because i drunkenly tried to put you in a taxi as a joke telling the taxi driver you were too old to be out. problem was it wasn't a taxi, i was pushing you into a commodore that someone had pulled up in. the bouncers were watching.

the stove as a heater in the caravan

[gtimk5]

Can't remember too much of that night apart from being extremely sober! I do remember telling the bouncers that the next time I was there that would be the last night club that I would go to!
The drives up and down Lake Barrington road doing pace noting in the mk2 4door CL was a memory that I want to forget. The Mallee Grill house wine the night before must have been off Ben? Kate was ill too and she was in the back filming between vomitting!!
Loved doing the motorsport thing with you mate. You are good at telling me where to go, unfortunately you weren't telling me where not to go!:)
Is there anyway we can put the incar video of Hellyer Gorge on the computer via Youtube. That was awesome video! I think the members would be impressed! :)

[Golf Loon]

Yes lets see the video

[britchie]

asked someone at work about converting video to digital then shrinking it to a size suitable for youtube etc. it may be more hassle than its worth. Get everyone together for an end of year dinner in hobart for a video night adn some beers maybe..might mend a few bridges too. everyone could bring something. a personal video of there own projcets 5 min long etc. just an idea

[gtimk5]

sound like a good idea Ben. Bridges to mend? I think the forum members here are all friendly guys. Great idea and a laugh. Got that Golf Majic video too :)

[gtimk5]

And britchies favourite remark to other competitors?


:D "Hey! You were going so well when we passed you!":D

[blackgti1.8]

Andrew, I hate to imagine how quick you must have been going to get that sort of result:) No wonder the other competitors had to take you seriously.
Who would think that a little Golf would be that quick... Gunter must be quite a car. Good to see that it doesn't get an easy life. As someone else said, GTIs were made to be driven hard!
Great action shots too. Someone was quick to get those.
Lucky to get out of it with relatively little damage.

Some of those roads on the West Coast are pretty challenging, even at relatively sane speed. At race speed, well I think Ben's comment sums that up:)

That video sounds worth having a look at. If you can't get it on the web, I'll have to chase it up when I'm down you way next...

BTW, my only off-road excursion (on public roads) was on the road east of Bridport. There used to a sharp kink in an otherwise fairly straight road (I think they've straightened it out now). Came off it side-ways at about 60mph (in a Mini though) and took out a 6 inch corner strainer in the middle of the car:( Did a little more damage than Gunter took...

[gtimk5]

That result was with a stock 1.8 TC. I made my own headers, lightened the flywheel and altered the cam timing. Thats it! Not bored, resleeved and was a budget car. Once you got it wound up you had to keep the momentum up. Because of the golf being in a bed nose/tail on the Tasman Bridge before I got it, it would crab along the road. Not noticable when driving but people would always be running up to tell me. I zero'd the odometer when I built him in 1998 and it now shows 22,000 kms! Thats a lot of hard kms! There are some good roads out Bridport way. That is about the only place in Tas that we never ran. Always wanted to do Targa, the Sideling would've suited his set up. In fact, all of the thursday morning stages would suit him! And the west coast roads? Awesome driving experience! We are lucky in Tas for the roads, now if we could get rid of a few police??? (and roadkill, its everywhere down here these days):)

[blackgti1.8]

Stock 1.8? Geez, animal mate, animal;) (that's you, not Gunter:) )
(that's a compliment where where I come from...)
I'm impressed.

Talking about the Siding, I remember driving down there one day in thick fog.
That was an experience... One hell of a road at race speed I'd think.
Do they use the Siding for Targa?

Ian.

[gtimk5]

Too right they do! 1st thing on the thursday morning each year to start the eastern loop when they head for Hobart. They have many offs there too. **** Johnson had an off there in the Barchetta years ago. He said "its not that bad, its just parked badly!" Cheers, Andrew. Oh, and thanks for the complement! :) :)

[worm]

Come on..... ur starting to double post alot of Gunter pics.. surely u have different ones to post *yawn*

hahahahah j/k mate ;)

[gtimk5]

Yeah, I know Dom and I apologise! Its a bit of a yawn, true. I have a lot more on discs. Do you want some different ones mate?
I wish I knew how yo put the incar footage from Rally Tas and circuit racing into you tube. The video cam is on the blink at present but it is digital I think. Rally Tas footage is awesome. The 4 hour race at Baskerville turned out ok. And the rsce I ran into yhe side of a cortina was.....interesting. I wish we had the cam switched on when we had our "off" in rally tas. Was very dissapointed to find that someone (else!) hadn't mastered it at that stage! Part that we did get was in Hellyer Gorge and Ben got the pacenotes wrong. When he called a 4 right, (reasonably fast) it ended up being a hairpin! I drove by sight for the rest of that stage. It is amazing how much quicker you can drive by pacenotes. However, when they go wrong, look out!! Cheers, Andrew:)