Affordable Motor Sport

[Nuddy]

Affordable Motor Sport - joking right?
Well motorkhanas are pretty cheap and easy on the car. Not much needed to be done to the car and a MX-5 is great for motorkhana fun.
But if you have that 'need for speed' motorkhanas might not satisfy.
Next up the 'ladder' would be hillclimbs. $60 to $100 entry but only 6 to 10 seat time.
MX-5 Club track days only $160 if you enter early and you get at least 4 and maybe 6 sessions of 5 or 6 laps - excellent value and no extra for hiring a timing device.
CSCA Supersprints are next. The Austin Healey round at Wakefield was $190 including Dorian hire.
The MG round at SMSP North Circuit was $235 including Dorian hire.
The Morgan Owners round at SMSP extended circuit (4.5km) is $245 including Dorian hire.
Then there is the CAMS NSW Supersprint Series. Round 5 at SMSP South Circuit is $225 including Dorian hire.
Round 3 at SMSP North Circuit was $260 including Dorian hire.
Round 4 at SMSP GP Circuit was $290 including Dorian and carport hire.
For most supersprints and trackdays and even MX-5 Cup at Wakefield carports are free.

Ive heard it said that racing is expensive but MX-5 Cup is no so much.
The Cup rounds run by the MX-5 Club in conjunction with club trackdays are excellent value.
Wakefield, $230 with free timing and free carports.
Rounds at Wakefield with Motor Racing Australia are more expensive but still good value IMO.
$260 + Dorian hire, carports still free but must be prebooked.

Just today i had a look at Prodsports.
They have a event at Wakefield on 12th and 13th August with $390 entry fee and $130 for a carport (for 2 days).
Apparently you hire the Dorian direct from Lisa so i don't know what that costs. So it is $520 + Dorian for the 2 days or $260/day +Dorian.
There is a test and tune day at Wakefield on Friday 11th for $150 if you book online in advance so you can make it a 3 day event for $670 + Dorian Hire. That's less than I expected so I might look into doing that next year alongside MX-5 Cup.

[Magpie]

Depends or your reference point I guess as what is affordable... and what are the opportunity costs.

For me, the most affordable form of motorsport is general practice at Queensland Raceway. It helps when I live 10mins away, so stuff all travel distance.

Midweek Half Day $80
Midweek Full Day $120
Weekend Half Day $120
Weekend Full Day $160

Depending on the day it can be open track or at worse 4 groups with 15min sessions. Have been there with 3 groups and 20 min sessions. This translates into lots of laps on a full day, so heaps of seat time and testing time. However the timing loop is not turned on, so you have to use your own. Further it is always on the National.

For myself, I can go to Morgan Park quicker than Lakeside, hence why Lakeside is a 'special' trip for me.

Hill climbs, at least is SEQLD are generally over 2 days hence some form of accommodation/camping is required, so it is not just the entry fee that needs to be considered.

What I think is not affordable, but gives me the most satisfaction is attending WTAC. The cost of entry ($1,100), practice day ($500) and timer ($40) is small when compared to the costs a week off work, travel to Sydney (towing car) as well as accommodation/meals/incidentals/diesel, add in 120 ltrs of E85 for the track, control tyres, pads/rotors and general setup, costs really begin to add up. BUT, the experience of being in the pits and part of WTAC is worth every penny!

[bruce]

If you have a good income everything is reasonable. Otherwise you could buy a lot of food with those amounts.

[jezman]

All those costs are very reasonable considering the infrastructure and running costs of the good circuits and facilities we use and enjoy so much !!
I think we forget that sometimes.
As an example the Ringwood Park hillclimb circuit is an amazing facility for a small club like The MG Newcastle Club to have, and you get a great day out for $80 !!! Come on, that''s good value .................................
For entry level motor sport it's value for money .......................

[hmd]

Affordable Motorsport is an oxymoron

[Nuddy]

10 minutes to a roadrace track would be wonderful. I'm 10 minutes from Awaba dirt track and 45 minutes from Ringwood Park which is just a hillclimb and khanacross currently. Hopefully early in 2018 we should see Circuit Italia running at ringwood.
I'm 2 hours from Eastern Creek and 4 hours from Goulburn. Wakefield has Speed off the Streets/test & tune day for $150 on weedays if you book online in advance. I did one a while back. Only about 45 cars, split into 3 groups for 20 minute sessions. DIY timing with a phone app. Great value for seat time, over 2 hours on the track. I could hzve done the whole day for $150 +fuel on track and to and from, say $250, running on road tyres and driving down in the morning and home in the evening. I'm too old for that, maybe 50 years ago. I choose to spend another $130 on 2 nights in Goulburn.
I need to look up costs for SMSP south circuit for weekdays.

[Nuddy]

All those costs are very reasonable considering the infrastructure and running costs of the good circuits and facilities we use and enjoy so much !!
I think we forget that sometimes.
As an example the Ringwood Park hillclimb circuit is an amazing facility for a small club like The MG Newcastle Club to have, and you get a great day out for $80 !!! Come on, that''s good value .................................
For entry level motor sport it's value for money .......................

Absolutely! And we must acknowledge the efforts and foresight of the early members of MG Newcastle and the efforts of the current volunteers.

[RS2000]

The host clubs for CSCA supersprints usually just cover costs, or make a small profit, and that's using volunteer labour for all officials & flaggies.
They run the risk of a loss if entry numbers don't meet expectation.

I wish some of these new tracks, supposedly on the way, would get built. Then motorsport in NSW might get cheaper.

[Nuddy]

But if you are looking for seat time you only get 5 to 8 minutes in a day hillclimbing.
Say $10/minute.
MX-5 club day at Wakefield for $160 for nearly an hour (7 x 8 = 56 minutes, less than $3/minute.
Wakefield speed off the streets for $150 for 8x20 = 160 minutes, less than $1/minute.

[noobee]

I get zero minutes seat time Paul,but I get to talk all day!
Mick

[Nuddy]

The host clubs for CSCA supersprints usually just cover costs, or make a small profit, and that's using volunteer labour for all officials & flaggies.
They run the risk of a loss if entry numbers don't meet expectation.

I wish some of these new tracks, supposedly on the way, would get built. Then motorsport in NSW might get cheaper.

Yes, interesting that CSCA supersprints are more affordable than the State supersprints
Do they have to pay officials? What about the carport charges?
I noted that CSCA sell door numbers at cost.

[1600Dave]

Value for money, try the ARDC private practice days.

Usually on a Friday, under $200 and plenty of track time on the (usually) SMSP GP circuit. Even cheaper if you join ARDC.

As an official myself, I haven't come across any meets where you get paid ! Even V8 supercars / F1 run pretty much totally on volunteer power. I'm happy if I get some perks like free camping or a T-shirt.

[StillIC]

There is no way I would volunteer my time at a professional event run by a profitable business for the benefit of those who own, run and are employed by that business. I wonder why no worker's union has raised a concern about this.

Club run events, on the other hand, survive on volunteer labour and I have volunteered my time for such events (when I had some)!

[1600Dave]

It's a difficult one though - where to draw the line as to what constitutes "profitable business" ?

There are club events (easy to categorise), then you have FoSC, etc (not a club, but not a "business"), next step up would be the likes of Yeehah Motorsport, the guys that arrange Challenge Bathurst / 6 hour (not sure how you would classify them), then obviously the "big" organisers (V8 supercars, etc).

As an example, I'm entered for the regularity component of Challenge Bathurst and flag marshalling for the supersprint component of the same event. $1500 entry fee for the regularity. I'm going as part of a big group of both competitors and volunteers - our group are providing up to 50 volunteers for the event. Just a rough guess, but I would imagine there will be 100 - 200 volunteers needed each day for the whole 4 days. Flag marchalls alone would be near 100. Pay each of these, and the event becomes either uneconomical or I would be paying a lot more than $1500 (well, more to the point, I wouldn;t as it would be out of my reach financially)

It is becoming more difficult for organisers to get volunteers nowadays, and as a result are providing more "incentives" - for example last Challenge Bathurst we received shirts, cap, jacket, free camping, 3 free meals a day, and a lap with one of the V8 Suopercar Experience companies.

So yeah, no easy answer to the "should officials be paid" question !

[StillIC]

It doesn't seem difficult to me. It is clear cut:

FoSc is an incorporated club. Like every other car club i know of. The Pres, Vice Pres, Secretary etc. do not draw a wage.

Yeehaw Events is a private company (Pty Ltd). It makes a profit, I can only assume.