Q for the curcuit racing boys

[damo1]

Myself and one of the boys at work are looking at getting a race/track bike and having a punt in some racing events next year.

Im loving the sound of the NE stuff some of you guys are running in and would be a great time to spend with some of the other boof heads around here.

Right questions are these.

*What sort of costs (roughly)would a season cost you just running the NSW events.Excluding crashs

*Tyres do you get a season out of a set Slicks/supersport

*entry fees per event,is the one hour a more expensive weekend

*is there a prob with alternate weekends one bike being raced by different riders

*Do you have to have a MA race licence or do you just get by with a club one

I think thats it

Cheers

[RUSS M8]

Well, this is a streetfighter forum, but coz I love you Damo I'll throw a few things up.

My racing this year on the 1994 YZF600 was good money wise, no crashes, no mech. failures. So costs were something like this. (bear in mind I am a D grade gumby on a nearly stock 600 racing mid pack only).

Tyres, 3 X soft comp. fronts and 2 X med. compound rears. Aprox $1200
Fuel (bike), fill the tank for each meeting. Aprox $200
Brakes, 1 set of front brake pads. Aprox $100
Entry fees, 8 X race meetings + 2 X track days. Aprox $1500
Fuel (ute), 7 X race meetings + 2 X track days. Aprox $350
Club Fee, 1 year. $55
MA Licence, 1 year. $255

Can't think of anything else right now.... that's about $3,700. That is if you already have a bike, stands, warmers, tools, ute ect.
I actually spent more on the bike, different gearing options, different compound pads and different discs ect ect. But, this gives you an idea. Oh yeah, only 7 rounds on ute fuel coz I got a lift to Round 2 :)

And, there are plenty of people racing NE with tape over the lights and stuff like that, you can do it as cheap or as expensive as you like, but, it is not as cheap as some other weekend hobbies.... :)

[RUSS M8]

Oh, and to answer your specific questions...


quote:Originally posted by damo1

*What sort of costs (roughly)would a season cost you just running the NSW events.Excluding crashs
SEE ABOVE

*Tyres do you get a season out of a set Slicks/supersport
FOR ME, APROX 3 DAYS FROM A SOFT FRONT SLICK, 4 FROM A MED. REAR.

*entry fees per event,is the one hour a more expensive weekend
VARY BETWEEN $110 FOR WAKEFIELD CLUB ROUND TO $220ish FOR ECRRS @ EC
1 HOUR WAS A XMAS PRESENT FROM PCRA, ONLY $50 ENTRY!

*is there a prob with alternate weekends one bike being raced by different riders
NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE

*Do you have to have a MA race licence or do you just get by with a club one
YOU MUST JOIN A CLUB, THEN GET AND MA LICENCE

I think thats it
THANK F%&K FOR THAT....

[devo]

No Russ it may not be cheep but it beats collecting stamps [xx(]:D

[Deano]

tyres i think will be one of the biggest costs depending as russ said your speed, riding technique and power.

i did a pi trackday last week on my 7/11 track bike and wasn't going as quick as others out there and started the day with new slicks, soft front med rear.

the rear slick has about 20% left on the right side but this will do a broardford day (left hand track) and then that tyre will be about rooted, i should get about 4 days out of the front. if you are leaving black lines out of most corners then don't expect you tyres to last that long.

[devo]

Mate tyres can last a season I used mine on the 1100 all year , just got to keep up the correct pressure and my bike spat out 150 hp so hope that helps

[TurboKat]

I'm a bit suss on the wear rate of the Bridgestones, my mate Dave only got 2 trackdays out of his rear on a ZX6 & he's a real lightweight bloke, I couldn't believe how much Deano's wore in just 1 day at P.I.
I've used a set of Michelin Slicks for 6 trackdays & they'd done half a trackday before I got 'em. My current Mich's were secondhand (about 10% wear) when I got 'em & I've done 2 race meetings on 'em & going by the current wear, I'll get at least half a season/4-5 trackdays out of them.
A bloke I race against put a new set of Pirelli slicks on recently & has done a full Sat. practice day & 2 race meetings & they're hardly scuffed.
Based on Dave & Deano's experience, I'd never buy a new set of Bridgies, although neither of them complained about the grip & both knocked about 5 seconds off their P.B.s using them. Maybe that's the compromise, big grip = high wear?

[Chris41]

Trouble is Damo, racing, it can be like a drug it becomes not a question of how much I can afford but how much do I need to spend. It's a sport that can consume you. but don't want to sound negative there is hardly a better way to spend a weekend than racing with the PCRA. Top people to race against and good mates, you can find your own level to race at and blokes to race with. The first dummy grid and race start is one of the best events in my life. The feeling after hard close race with a good clean opponent, win or lose, is a fair dinkum high when you get back to the pits it doesn't get any better than that.
Chris

[TurboKat]

Amen Chris, I couldn't have put it better. Even if you're dicing for last place, as long as you're dicing with someone you can trust it's the worlds biggest buzz & if you haven't tried it, you haven't lived. The Drag <s>Queens</s> racers don't know what they're missing.

[damo1]

quote:Originally posted by RUSS M8

And, there are plenty of people racing NE with tape over the lights and stuff like that, you can do it as cheap or as expensive as you like, but, it is not as cheap as some other weekend hobbies.... :)


So does that mean i could run the blade [?]

And would the mods ive done be a problem ie sssa/rear wheel width/17in front wheel/gixer seat unit/flat bars
or is it run what you brung
or is there a class i could run in with it.

Cheers for the feed back to guys;)

[RUSS M8]

Check the other forum mate, she is close to a racer :)

[traviss]

Racing against a clock is one thing passing the guy in front of you is another.. Try a club like Hartwell in Victoria they may have a class that suit your machine and Im sure there are similar club racing in other states..www.hartwellmcc.org its fun they have a novice class.. There are rules about wiring brakes and catch bottles for oil and coolant ,Sharp edges removed and all glass they will put your bike through a scrutineering inspection you have to learn the flags and racers edicate and no deep scratches on helmets etc Most the guys in this sort of racing help you learn the ropes and bike set up and I really had a ball
Good luck and take a pair of clean undies with you ,your going to need them when the fast guys catch up to you and pass you like your standing still ..

[damo1]

quote:Originally posted by traviss

Racing against a clock is one thing passing the guy in front of you is another.. Try a club like Hartwell in Victoria they may have a class that suit your machine and Im sure there are similar club racing in other states..www.hartwellmcc.org its fun they have a novice class.. There are rules about wiring brakes and catch bottles for oil and coolant ,Sharp edges removed and all glass they will put your bike through a scrutineering inspection you have to learn the flags and racers edicate and no deep scratches on helmets etc Most the guys in this sort of racing help you learn the ropes and bike set up and I really had a ball
Good luck and take a pair of clean undies with you ,your going to need them when the fast guys catch up to you and pass you like your standing still ..




Cheers for the info Traviss;)

Im in NSW and im actually trying to work through my probs at the moment with the guys from the PCRA cheers anyway:D

Oh and buy the way i aint worried about the quick guys

[maggot1300]

hmm glad someone else posted this cause i've been wondering about it myself :D

any blokes in melbourne doing the race thingy or know of any old shitter track bikes gettin sold (preferably a 1000 cause 100kg rider aint to nimble on a 600...)

[TurboKat]

Race season's over for this year Maggot, there'll be a couple of us doing the Interclub series & the Vic. Roadrace Champ's next year.
Interclub series has 3 rounds at Broadford, 1 @ P.I & 1 @ Winton.
VRRC has 1 round each at the above tracks.
Quite a few of us do trackdays as well, P.I. on 4th Jan. is the next one.

[maggot1300]

yeah I know there are a couple of days at the island in Jan but i'll be over in Europe until Feb. Kinda figured that this season was done but I figure I should start looking for a bike now so if the chance comes up next year (hell even the one after that) I should be sorted cause the way i work it'll take a while before im ready.

[traviss]

quote:Originally posted by turbokat

Race season's over for this year Maggot, there'll be a couple of us doing the Interclub series & the Vic. Roadrace Champ's next year.
Interclub series has 3 rounds at Broadford, 1 @ P.I & 1 @ Winton.
VRRC has 1 round each at the above tracks.
Quite a few of us do trackdays as well, P.I. on 4th Jan. is the next one.
How often do you do ride days at broadford or winton Ive heard they do a weekend package for $200 at broadford I like these smaller tracks more corners and they come around faster .

[TurboKat]

I've only been to Wintonia once on a bike & didn't really get along with it, I'll give it another go & try harder to like it. I think it's only $100 for a Friday free practice day & they have separate car & bike groups only (they put Karts in with bikes - that can be interesting)
Booster is not far from there, he goes a bit more often & seems to like the place, he is a bit strange though...
Deano & myself do Broadford a bit, & we'll be going a bit more now to get some practice in for the upcoming season. Being only an hour & a bit away it's the easiest/cheapest/quickest to get to & I personally love that track.
Champignons Ride Days do Broadford for $135 which gives you slow, medium & Kawasaki groups or you can do a private practice day most weekends for $115 but it's only up to 400cc & over 400cc groups so there'll be fast guys/racers passing you here & there but don't let that worry you, most of 'em know what they're doing.
P.I. is outrageously expensive at $220 nowdays but it's the best racetrack in the country by a mile if you get off on REALLY high speed (200+) corners so it's worth a splurge every now & then.
Champ's also do trackdays at Calder but the track surface is absolutely fucked & blokes I've spoken to who've done days there reckon you need a Motard because of all the bumps & cracks so I'm not falling over myself to try it out.

[dinorider]

read your post on the pcra site.I run 3 bikes in the pcra,2 in new era and 1 in period 5 125.average cost per meet is 140 bucks entry and whoever enters the bike must race it otherwise u can nominate a rider so there is no problem entering alternately so long as the person entered for that meet races that meet.also there is a 10 dollar charge for each extra bike.extra entry tickets for freinds are 5 bucks.slicks may not last a whole season but sticky street tyres will.we race at wankfield,oran park and the creek.biggest cost other than your bike is 1 piece leathers,back protector,gloves,helmet,boots and the cheapest part ambulance cover available from hcf for around 30 bucks a year.

[damo1]

Cheers Dino already got all my riding gear so thats no dramas.