track day running cost

[ludo]

I currently have a BMW M3 E36 track day car and it's costing me quite a few quid everytime I am taking it out (around 10 times/year) so I am looking to compare running cost. It wont be a decision maker, but just to be aware...

Currently I am running on Yoko A048 at the cost of £600 for a set that typically last 4 track days.

Brake pads are around 150£ and last for 2-4 trackdays depending on the tracks.

Finally for fuel, I get around 8.5 mpg  

Ideally I would like to replace the M3 by a megablade/megabird injected and then move on to megabusa after a year or so. But then again I might go for a Zetec or a VX. My budget will be around £7.5k.

[JeffC]

some of the expenses on a megabusa.

track fees £180 (average)

fuel for westy per day   £85

3 sets of pads per year at  around £60 per set

3 sets of slicks 1 set of wets (2nd hand)  £10 - £25 per tyre (I know of people that can make 1 set of slicks last a full year )  

bec really needs oil change £60 every second / third track day

fuel to get to track £60 (23mpg towing)

I  worked this out earlier this year and reckon  I am doing around 16 track days per year and without any offs or major mechanical breakages the  cost will average out at  around £400 per track day      

must delete this before swmbo reads this      

[ChrisG]

Ive not run a fast tintop on track but I suspect my Locost R1 costs less than half the amount something heavier would cost.

A048s will cost half that amount for a set (~£80 per corner) and last twice as long.

Brake pads are no longer a consumer item - Ive had Pagid RS15s in mine for ~12 trackdays with still well over half left.

Fuel - track depending of course but I suspect I get about 12mpg on most tracks, generally use about 50-60L on a good dry trackday covering ~120-150 miles.

I wouldnt think the costs will be a lot more with a Zetec / Vx car to be honest, although the extra weight may mean brakes / tyres don't last quite as long.

Chris

[ludo]

thanks for the replies!

I am sure that the 3200lbs of the M3 don't help with pads life and tire wear!  

It will really be cheaper than the M3.

I never really looked into locost but I am not sure they can be registered here, but then again I could just not register the car and get a trailer to tow it to the track although I would miss driving it around home from time to time. Jeez, life can be so complicated sometimes  

[Pilot Pete]

If you can get a trailer I would go for that as well.

After a hard days driving in the westy, its much nicer and relaxing jumping in a big soft barge on the way home.

[slippy]

If you can get a trailer I would go for that as well.

After a hard days driving in the westy, its much nicer and relaxing jumping in a big soft barge on the way home.

Hell yeah especially if it's been p******** down all day like this years Yorkshire expearience  

[ludo]

comon guys, few thousands of you are coming to lemans every year and you can't drice 200m after a track day?? lol

[Lurksalot]

I  worked this out earlier this year and reckon  I am doing around 16 track days per year and without any offs or major mechanical breakages the  cost will average out at  around £400 per track day      

must delete this before swmbo reads this      

I think Jeffs about right with the costs but it does depend if you are able to cane it or not .

Some seem to cruise to a corner rather than brake IYSWIM and generally treat the car quite gently .

[ludo]

I would not put myself in the category of people who really look after the car on the track.  

What car would you recomand for track duty? It needs to be fuel injected after that it's pretty much open.

[JeffC]

QUOTE

Some seem to cruise to a corner rather than brake IYSWIM and generally treat the car quite gently

QUOTE

I would not put myself in the category of people who really look after the car on the track.

me either          

[ChrisG]

comon guys, few thousands of you are coming to lemans every year and you can't drice 200m after a track day?? lol

From that comment I'm guessing you've never driven a Locaterfield on the road before, let alone one set up predomently for the track?

Its one thing driving to Le Mans when you can take all day to get there and you're not planning on doing anything else for a few days, but driving 200 miles to a trackday, driving all day then driving home again is tiring enough in a tintop towing, I would say bordering on dangerous doing it all in a track prepped Westie!

Apart from anything else though, if you trailer you can take tools so are more likely to be able to fix any gremlins that try to spoil the day, you don't need to worry about the legality of the tyres on the drive home or how you'll get it home in the event of a mechanical fault or car/scenery interface (crash), and you have somewhere dry / warm to sit when it inevitably p1sses down during the event!

[ChrisG]

Some seem to cruise to a corner rather than brake IYSWIM and generally treat the car quite gently .

If that was inferring that my 12 trackdays / half a set of pads to Jeffs 3 sets per year indicates Im a cruiser, Id like to clarify that's not the case    

Pagids do cost twice as much but last an exceptionally long time though and give braking performance / feel equal or better than virtually anything else Ive tried. Jeff may also go through brakes a bit more often because he uses slicks.

[JeffC]

yep Im a believer in braking as hard as you can as late as you can and on slicks you can leave it fairly late    I run mintex  1166s and for me give the best stopping power from the pads Ive used, my 1144s lasted me a fair longer  while last year mind but didnt have the bite the 66s have. plus im stopping a heavy weight busa     and maybe from a higher speed        

[ChrisG]

Does your new car have a tuned busa in it Jeff? Although you'll have a higher top speed I guess you should also be turning in at higher speed therefore the amount of speed you need to shed shouldnt be a lot different, unless you're braking too much and going slower around the corners than you should be. That could explain the excessive brake wear

/joking

[JeffC]

sounds about right