So You Want To Give It A Try?
A large number of people that watch motor sport think to themselves “I could do better than that”, but that is usually about as far as it gets. There are a small percentage of those people though, that do actually say to themselves “I could do better than that and I am going to”.
_14.JPG) In the whole of the UK, there are approximately 15000 RACMSA (Royal Automobile Club Motor Sports Association) Race Licence Holders. There are many forms of this Licence depending on what type of motor sport you want to become involved in, but for all, you have to follow roughly the same procedure. Before you apply for a licence though, I would strongly suggest trying out your chosen path first. There are many many racing schools for bikes, cars and rallying. It would be a shame to go to the expense of the licence and then find it really isn’t for you. We have seen in the past individuals who go as far as getting the licence, the car and all the gear and then on their first event, scare themselves so much that they never go near it again. So, book into a school for a taster. Then, if you’re mad enough to want to carry on……..
You need to apply for a ‘Go Racing’ pack from the RACMSA. Within this pack you will find a Video that shows you the process of what you are about to do. There is booklet that accompanies the video and details of various racing schools that you can attend. There is also the application form required for the licence and a form for your Doctor to complete when you go for your medical. An initial medical is mandatory and anyone over 50 has to have a medical each year as an ECG is performed. For anyone below this age, whilst not mandatory, the RAC recommend a medical every other year.
A racing licence is not just a permit. You do have to pass a test to obtain one. Although relatively straightforward, the test concerns motor racing issues and is nothing like the road car test. You will have to sit a written test on such things as what each of the marshals flags means (see separate article). Start line procedures. Procedures for entering/exiting the pits and general track protocol. Once the written test is over, it’s out on to the circuit for a driving test. This is only to assess your driving capabilities. Do not try and impress the instructor with how fast you can go, but more with how smooth you are with the controls and how aware of your surroundings you are. He is only there to see how competent you are. Unless you have absolutely no concept of what is required to drive performance cars, you will pass. You will then, in no uncertain terms, be informed that you are not a racing driver. Merely a licence holder and it will take a lot of practice to become a racing driver. If you follow the track-racing route, you will be issued with a ‘National B’ race licence. This will allow you to compete in most circuit disciplines in this country. As a novice, you will have to carry a novice racing driver badge on your car. This is denoted with a black ‘X’ on a yellow background and it informs other competitors that you are a novice. Don’t let this worry you, even Mr Schumacher had to have one of these at some point! After an incident free run of races, this can then be removed.
 By this point, you will have decided which route you want to take. Saloon cars or single seaters, modern or historic. If you don’t already know anyone in motor racing, make it your business to get to know people. Part of starting in any sport, is to ask questions and do your homework. This becomes even more imperative in motor sport due to the amounts of money you will be investing. For example, if you are choosing the single seater route, let’s say Formula Ford, find out which cars are competitive and which should be avoided. Add to this, which of these cars have a good spares market as some might require special construction of parts, which can prove costly. Get to know all the people that can and will supply parts for your car and find out the costs for these parts to help you establish what kind of annual budget you will require. If you are going to look at a car and have never done so before, take someone who knows. Whilst most cars are exceptional pieces of machinery, some really are “mutton dressed as lamb” and to the untrained eye, whilst appearing a great deal, can have all kinds of unforeseen evils. The last thing you want to do is be sold a race car that is supposedly ready to go, only to find it needs and engine build or a new gearbox. So beware. Look at the overall package also. Many people selling cars will have a comprehensive spares package that will go with the car including spare wheels and tyres, spare suspension components and spare bodywork. Some might even throw in the trailer to transport it. Shop around. You might see a number of cars advertised as ‘rollers’. These are basically complete cars without the engine. If an individual is replacing a car, they may decide that they have a strong engine that they don’t want to sell, so they will keep the engine and sell everything else. Depending on age and past performances, a typical Formula Ford 1600cc Kent race engine has a value of anything from £1000 to £3000. If buying a ‘roller’, bear this in mind. One final consideration when judging the pricing of a race car is its pedigree. A car that has had a successful history will always command a better price to one that is unknown. It is similar to having a service history on a road car.
.jpg) At this point, you will have been looking at what Championship you would like to compete in. Do you want to do a national championship which will involve travelling the country every couple of weeks or would you prefer a local championship that might compete on a couple of local circuits. There are many championships to choose from and you can enter more than one. A lot of this will depend on your budget. Motoring clubs control championships. So once you have chosen a championship, you must join the relevant club. For example, the North West Formula Ford Championship is controlled and run by the BRSCC (British Racing and Sports Car Club). Membership is annual and you must join as a ‘Racing’ member.
So, you’ve got your Licence. You’ve found a good race car and decided to get it. You’ve decided on a Championship and joined the relevant club. So what is left? You need some racing kit. This is the one thing that people always try to save money on, whilst it is the one thing of most importance, your safety. Always buy a good helmet. Always buy a good set of overalls. A good race helmet can be obtained from any stockist from £250 upward and a set of overalls from £200 upward. Never mail order them. Even if it proves to be a long drive to your nearest stockist, always go and try them on. Although standard sizes apply, they have to feel right. Some people like them baggy, some tight and a helmet must always be tried because everybody’s head is different. Other items you will need include:
A fireproof set of racing boots/shoes
A fireproof set of racing gloves
A fireproof Balaclava for under your helmet
And fireproof underwear for underneath your overalls
Remember when choosing these items to check for legality. Most overalls today are made from fireproof Nomex and involve 3 layers being stitched together. A cheaper alternative is an overall made from Proban, but this would not be allowed in most circuit disciplines. Helmets too have a shelf life, so make sure you have an up-to-date version. An expiry sticker on the inside of the helmet denotes this. That’s not to say that your helmet will be useless after a couple of years. If it is still in good condition, then a Scrutineer will re-sticker it for you to extend its useable life.
 Now you really are all ready to go and you are gearing up for your first race. Everything is in place, you have checked your new car over completely and everything appears fine. You have all your spares ready and all you want to do is race. Great, but you have never ever driven this car before and even though you may be the greatest driver ever to race a car, you still don’t know how this car is going to feel. If you take it straight to a race meeting, you will find it a very humbling experience. Apart from trying to get used to the car, you will have all the pressures of your first race. SO GO TESTING. Before you even think of racing, at least do a couple of test days. As an example, a test day at Oulton Park will cost you £190 and it will be money well spent. You can take your time to find out about the car. Find any little problems that only appear once the car is under load on the track and it will help you to get into your little routines. Which side of the car are you going to get in? Do you put your helmet on in the car or before you get in? Do you tighten your own belts or get someone else to do them? Although this may seem silly and of no significance now, it will make all the difference on a race day, to your mood and attitude, in the car. Many drivers have little routines they go through to prepare for a race. Some like to sit in the car for a good 30 minutes before they are due on the track, others jump straight in with minutes to spare. It is all a part of getting into the ‘racing mode’ and if your routine is broken, it can affect your race. So, find your routine on a test day. Other routines involve checks on the car. A full nut and bolt check. A fluid check. Tyre pressures and wheel nuts. Security of bodywork. Find and order for checking these on a test day and stick to it. The last thing you want is to forget something like the wheel nuts and have a wheel come off during a race!!!!
Now, there is another article entitled ‘A Typical Race Day’, which will tell you of the procedure for a race day, but assuming you are already there, just remember one thing above all else. ENJOY IT. Motor racing really is a sport of extreme highs and lows and it really is character testing stuff. If only we had a pound for every time someone said they have had enough and then they are back for the next race. It is expensive in terms of a hobby. It is time consuming and if things are not going well, it can be very draining, both physically and mentally. If you are not enjoying it, these feelings only intensify and this is not the best state to be in when driving a racing car at high speed requires so much concentration. So walk away. Even if you only take a break for a few months. On the positive side. Although it can be expensive, time consuming and draining, it has to be one the greatest experiences you will ever know, racing a racing car. You feel completely elevated. Adrenalin is pulsing through you. You are racing inches from each other at speeds in excess of 130mph. You have an audience of a few thousand watching your every move. You are constantly thinking about how to pass the car in front. After the race you are bouncing around the paddock with the biggest smile on your face. You are still smiling the day after and you get to do this as often as you like. Great.
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