How much contact is there generally in non-contact stock rods (not the silly baby stuff)? I've only been to a couple of meetings at my local tracks (Standlake and Grimley) and seen contact penalised much more rigorously than it would be in say stock hatch circuit racing, I think last time I went only one of the non-contact cars had any substansial contact, which is less than similar circuit racing series often have and the perpetrator was promptly sent home.
I'm trying to find something to run a bio-ethanol car in, because we have a large source of possible funding if we can find something nominally green to do with it. A historic circuit racing and road rally car is out of the question because the MSA seem exceptionally slow off the mark and clueless about it, with an estimate of 18 months before they get round to drawing up a specificaion for E85 (which is a pre-requisite before it can be used other than as a single source control fuel). There is a possibility of running a car we're building for international stage rallying on bio-ethanol, but the practicality of transporting the fuel and effectively rendering the car unable to do anything in this country is unappealing.
Would be interesting to see what stock car event organisers would think to allowing a bio-ethanol car to compete, which would be pretty similar in performance to conventional petrol cars anyway and, unlike the MSA seem to think, would provide no real safety risk or huge technical challenge. Short distance oval racing would fit the bill perfectly in many ways, not using a lot of fuel, so reducing the issue of obtaining and storing pump E85 (rather than buying barrels of racing E85 at £2.70/litre) and local with entry fees lower than spectator tickets.
Well you've got a racing Mini, have raced in Juniors and are now going to race in SaxMax? That is considerably more than most children are able to do due to financial restrictions, it is a lot of money, whether you're spoilt or not is another question.
My kart (not me, as these are a year after I stopped driving):
I raced dirt & pavement oval karts for 13 years, with about 50 race wins, a couple local track championships, and a national Top-4 season finish. One of the best times of my life.
I race Rotax Max Senior!
Doing the Dutch, and European Rotax Max championships.
From my team's website (www.tkp.nl , I'm the webmaster aswell lol):
First laps at the age of 6 at Indoor-karting Berlikum (Holland). At the beginning of 2001, first racing lessons at Alnone racing school, ran by Bas Kaligis in Lelystad. Kart: Kombikart Honda Cadet.
First race in August 2001 (last place).
First podium (third) in June 2002 in Venray.
First won race: KNAF NK, 20th of October 2002 at De Landsard, Eindhoven
Chrono Honda Cadet 2002: 5th
KNAF Honda Cadet 2002: 5th
Chrono Honda Cadet '03: Dutch Champion
KNAF Honda Cadet '03: Dutch Champion
Switch to Rotax Minimax at the end of 2003. Kart: Energy, Rotax Max
Chrono Wintercup 2003-2004: 3rd
Chrono Rotax Max Challenge 2004: 7th
Chrono Wintercup 2004-2005: 3rd
Chrono Rotax Max Challenge 2005: 5th
Switch to Rotax Max Junior at the end of 2005. Kart: Energy Kinetic, Rotax Max
Chrono Wintercup 2005-2006: 9de
Chrono Rotax Max Challenge 2006: 11th with a lot of bad luck
KNAF Dutch Rotax Max championship: 3rd
Switch to Intrepid, Rotax Max Junior
Chrono Rotax Max Challenge 2007: Dutch Champion
Rotax Euro Challenge 2007: 9th
Rotax Max World Finals 2007: 4th
Switch to Rotax Max Senior at the end of 2007. Kart: Intrepid Cruiser 2008
Chrono Rotax Max Challenge 2008: 7th
KNAF Dutch Championship: 8th
Rotax Max Euro Challenge 2008: 15th
Formula Ford test at Zandvoort
This year was unbelievably unlucky for me.. Driven a total of 12 races, only finished the first one without any bad luck. All of the other ones there was atleast SOMETHING going on (either someone crashed into me, or my engine broke down, loose exhaust, etc...)
Next year will be good though! Also Rotax Senior with Team TKP Intrepid.
No, you just enter the race, like with any other championship. If you've got the budget, the car (or the drive) and the time then you can enter pretty much anything you like.
i was invited to alot of formula klasses like formula ford, formula renault 2.0, superkarts and some karting brands but you always ( unless you are schumacher ) have to bring money.
@solidum:
i've heard about you a few times! good luck with the racing! and if you need a backup driver.... call me
I take part in a championship. No invitation. Hamilton takes part in a championship. No invitation. Lots of people take part in championships. Without invitation.
(note: I am not comparing myself to Hamilton in any way. For starters I'm not as rubbish under pressure :P)
Well some series have regulations that stop people just entering out of no where. They require qualification through various licence stipulations.
But essentially you can in theory buy your way into any class. It's not THAT simple of course, but the fragmentation of motorsport has meant many classes and series have had to have a somewhat open door policy
You can get in just about anywhere in motorsprt if you have a sufficient amount of money/ fame.
The championship organisers dont 'invite' you, if you have the required racing liscense and enough money you can enter entirely yourself, or wait for your (hopefully) impressive skills to catch a team bosses attention and get you a test/ drive with a team.
Or if the team is desperate, present them with a fairly large check and you will be in, although these types are known as 'pay drivers' and have an infamous reputation for being rather crap, especially in F1, where there used to be a lot of pay drivers, but now as F1 is fully professional we dont get to see things like Piquet beating the crap out of Eliseo Salazar because he crashed him, which is a shame, some of these people were so bad it made them entertaining.
Hah, from what I've seen it takes no pressure to make you spin out of a comfortable lead.
Then again I'm no better, even Silverstone Sid in his ambulance makes better starts than me.
Never have had the chance, looks like a fairly fun track though.
Nice shots Gills.
That kind of thing looks like a great laugh, I guess until you throw trees and errant spectators into the equation.
I did a Classic regularity rally (nothing high speed of course, unless you were late for the lunch stop.) with my dad in a Mk.1 Mini (with me as Co-driver obviously), in which we came 2nd out of 2 in our class!
Engine was making all kinds of nasty knocking noises afterwards, and the oil pressure only got up when you revved the engine, crankshaft bearings didn't look too happy when we pulled them out later.
I am in a junior rally academy where they do a series of tests and you go through 6 levels. Once you have completed all of these you earn a scholarship and a possible drive in a rally team.
It's not in a car park it is on an airfield with various obstacles which test your car control and it is certainly not slow. I have been sideways at 90 there in the rain and at the other end of the airstrip it is very gravelly meaning big slides.
The laydown chassis are especially odd 
Also Rotax Senior with Team TKP Intrepid.
) have to bring money.
