gary Posted December 9, 2001 Share Posted December 9, 2001 When the weather clears up I fancy a blast round a track. What's the best way into this, I don't want to spend a fortune and I really don't want to have do loads of mods to the car to comply with some of the regulations I've heard about ie. fitting a battery cut off switch etc. Having never done this before, can anyone offer any advice? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stanton Posted December 9, 2001 Share Posted December 9, 2001 Do you want racing or non-competitive track days If its racing - then you'll need cut off switch, flame retardent overalls, racing licence, some financial investment into your car to make it competitive and comply with MSA requirements. There's the WSCC Speed Series for hillclimbs and sprints, 750MC Kit Car Challenge and The BARC Westfield Championship just 3 of many you can enter. Sprint entry fees are about £65 to £75. Entry to circuit racing about £140. for each event. Or is it just some track fun In which case - that ain't racing and is not allowed at 99.9% of track days - these are organised by several commercial companies. The WSCC also organise track days in 2001 there was Mallory and Cadwell - final arrangements are underway for 2002 - details will be in the club magazine. Prices start from about £85 to £150+ per track day. Trackdays are non-competitive fun events, timing is not allowed and at events you need a crash helmet, all limbs must be covered, oil catch tank and one or two other mods dependant upon organisers rules. You won't be winning any garlands here You can have racing or trackdays - its make your mind up time. I do a couple of trackdays a year and compete in the WSCC Speed Series usually at 10 to 12 events a year in my road-going Westfield. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordy Posted December 11, 2001 Share Posted December 11, 2001 Hi Mark, I too am interested in Racing in the WSCC speed series (when i get my Westie that is - currently looking) - Anyway, you mention that you need a licsense - how do you go about getting one of these??? - Also what does a set of flame retardent overalls cost??? and where to buy them?? Also where does the battery killer switch have to be fitted - somewhere accessable no doubt - on dash?? Thanks very much for any help. cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 11, 2001 Share Posted December 11, 2001 Non race National B licence is £27-50 from the RACMSA. No medical required. Flameproofs can be had from Demon Tweeks. I personally would avoid Proban in favour of a 3 layer nomex suit. Around £250 will see you in an OMP suit similar to mine. A crash helmet is also required, and scrutineers can be quite fussy about helmet condition, so get a new one if the one you already have is even slightly chipped anywhere. Don't ever skimp on brain safety, so don't go asking for a cheap option............ My kill switch is mounted on the passenger side of the dash. I have seen many mounted on the scuttle near the windscreen pillar. If your crank/cam breather is not routed back into your inlet manifold, you will nedd a catch tank of at least 1 litre capacity. You will also need a sticker to tell the marshalls which way to turn your ingition key (not kill switch) to the off position. Don't forget a beam breaker, which is a flat piece of metal, mounted vertically at the front of the car, which is for timing purposes. It must be black in colour, and there are a set of minimum dimensions in the blue book, which you will get with your licence. Your tyres must be from "List 1A" (if you want to run in the road going class) which is also in the blue book. I'm sure theres more, but some-one else will be along if I've missed anything. Look forward to seeing you out there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterg Posted December 11, 2001 Share Posted December 11, 2001 You need a National non-race 'B' licence to compete in hillclimbs and sprints such as the WSCC series - apply to the Motor Sports Association, see here for details...... http://www.ukmotorsport.com/racmsa/starting/licenses.html Overalls can be got for <£100 for Proban type (bit basic) or £200-300+ for Nomex (more comfortable and sexy) these can come from Demon Tweeks.... http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/ or Grand Prix Racewear..... http://www.grandpri.com/cgi-bin/grandpri.storefront Battery Master Switch should be visible and clearly marked as to which way is off All info about what overalls/helmet needed as well as other requirements (timer breaker on front, tyres allowed etc.) is contained in the Blue Book that you'll receive with your MSA license....good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stanton Posted December 11, 2001 Share Posted December 11, 2001 A battery cut off switch although advisable is not a mandatory requirement. Tom Green our comp Sec can send you a beginners guide - simply send an SAE and ask. See you on the track Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 11, 2001 Share Posted December 11, 2001 Non Race Nat B licence has gone up to £29.00........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary Posted December 12, 2001 Author Share Posted December 12, 2001 So, like I said, loads of mods to car required and loads of cash to back them up. er. What about if just wanted to throw it round a circuit? I've seen collections of road cars etc on telly do this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 12, 2001 Share Posted December 12, 2001 You want track days then. Try Easytrack and Bookatrack, both have web-sites exactly where you'd expect them to be Also, the club track days are incredibly good value, I haven't missed one since 1997. With track days, you are correct in assuming that you do not require any mods (except for the aforementioned oil catch tank), but from a safety point of view, the risks on a track day are similar (if lower) than that at any other type of motorsport track event, so think carefully about how you approach it. If you don't have one, I strongly reccommend fitting an RAC spec roll bar, rather than just rely on the standard Westfield item, and buy the best helmet you can afford. Track days are addictive, so if you get bitten by the bug, you'll want to spend money........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary Posted December 12, 2001 Author Share Posted December 12, 2001 Thanks. So.. to recap. As long as I've got an oil catch tank, and a helmet, is that all I need, ie. a cut-off switch. What about noise.. as far as I understand it, I just have a 4 into 1 exhaust, I don't think it has any silencing material in it. Is a xflow noisy as far as noise restrictions go? What happens at a typical track day? What's the objective, if it's not a race? How long do they last, when's the next one. ...oh so many questions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick M Posted December 12, 2001 Share Posted December 12, 2001 Check out the websites below - they have FAQ sections : BookaTrack Easytrack Noise restrictions vary from circuit to circuit. Airfields, which are probably the best place to start if you've never done anything like this before, tend to be pretty relaxed about noise limits. As for the objective of a track day - well, quite simply, it's to have FUN !!! They're an ideal opportunity to let rip and learn the limits of you / your car without getting done for speeding or endangering others on the road. They do have rules but they're mostly based on common sense and are intended for safety reasons rather than the curtailment of fun. However, racing and timing are ABSOLUTELY, 100% NOT ALLOWED. They tend to last all day, starting with a driver's briefing, and may be broken down into sessions based on experience. The better companies usually have instructors available for a nominal charge as well. As for when the next one is, get a copy of CCC, Evo or Autocar and check out the track day diaries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 12, 2001 Share Posted December 12, 2001 Noise has never been an issue any any WSCC event. Castle Combe and Goodwood are favourites for not allowing excessive noise. Typically I would aim to be under 98db. Anything less than a 24" long by 6" diameter silencer will be marginal, and anything that has lost it's packing will more than likely be over. Kill switch is not compuilsory, but a good safety idea, and for £25 ish, it gives you another way to imobilise the car to prevent theft Track day objective is to enjoy yourself. You get 15 or 20 minute sessions, depending on how many gropups the day caters for. Ie 3 groups means 20 minute sessions, 4 groups means 15 minute sessions (as a general rule). Most days start at around 08.00 with a safety check and a talk about the rules. Track action usually starts at around 09.00, and goes on until 17.00, with an hour off for lunch. You are grouped according to experience so you needn't worry about being on track with a bunch of track day experts. You are not allowed to race, overtaking is normally controlled by the rules of the day. This means that generally you are asked to overtake on the left (or right) only, and to only do so once you have been acknowledged by the slower car. If the slower car moves out of the way or indicates, this is considered acknowledgement. You don't need to wait for a hand signal. Death defying outbraking manouvers into hairpins or any other bend will probably see you thrown out! You are NOT allowed to time yourself, or have anyone timing you from the pits or paddock. Timing will also see you thrown out. Getting thrown out for breaking the rules can also see you banned by the organisers from all future events too, so be sensible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted December 12, 2001 Share Posted December 12, 2001 ooohhh Afternoon Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick M Posted December 12, 2001 Share Posted December 12, 2001 Afternoon Mr B Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gary Posted December 12, 2001 Author Share Posted December 12, 2001 Mr B. Being the oracle on everything Westie, do you happen to know if WSCC track days have already been booked for 2002? If so, where are the venues/dates published? I assume, they move around the country, to cater for the likes of me living in leafy Kent. Thanks Mr G. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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