The Merit of T-Cars (formerly Next Best BTCC driver)

[Tim Wilkinson]

Isn't the budget for Saxmax likely to be just a fraction of that for T-Cars? (or Ginettas, or high-level karting) And a step closer to touring cars, too - so what benefits does T-cars offer over that? Genuine question, curious as to how T-cars will survive now there's a proper competitor for the 14-17 circuit racers.

[McKay]

Who has a Scalextric team?

[lucianobacheta]

Teej you obviously do not know how much money competing in ginettas and sax max costs, having already raced junior ginetta, and currently racing t cars and karts, i think i do know how much money we are spending, and guess what, a season in ginettas is only cheaper than t cars because ginettas do less rounds, per round it is just as expensive. As with karting, to be quick, you have to test, to test you need a team out, tyres, engines, (hired if you doing jica about £300) test fee, travel money, and thats before you get to a race.

All championships have their ups and downs just look at btcc a couple of years ago, did everyone start saying its crap because of the small grids??? Didnt think so.

[DSM]

Originally Posted by lucianobacheta

Teej you obviously do not know how much money competing in ginettas and sax max costs, having already raced junior ginetta, and currently racing t cars and karts, i think i do know how much money we are spending, and guess what, a season in ginettas is only cheaper than t cars because ginettas do less rounds, per round it is just as expensive. As with karting, to be quick, you have to test, to test you need a team out, tyres, engines, (hired if you doing jica about £300) test fee, travel money, and thats before you get to a race.

All championships have their ups and downs just look at btcc a couple of years ago, did everyone start saying its crap because of the small grids??? Didnt think so.

If I were you, I'd leave it, you're just making it look worse.

The fact is that you CAN do JICA for much less than £20K (Can I have my 'T' Car drive now, please?) And you can do an awful lot of other, more worthwhile, series than 'T' cars for way less than £40K.

You seem to make the mistake of thinking that you need a 'team' to go racing, when, and it's been the same for years, dedicated sons and fathers can go racing and win at many levels without that sort of outlay, just by putting the hard work in. If you had to have that sort of cash grids would be very small!

From all you've said, and I don't have a clue who you are, you sound just like the spoiled kids alluded to earlier. Apologies if I'm wrong

[Tim Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by lucianobacheta

Teej you obviously do not know how much money competing in ginettas and sax max costs, having already raced junior ginetta, and currently racing t cars and karts, i think i do know how much money we are spending, and guess what, a season in ginettas is only cheaper than t cars because ginettas do less rounds, per round it is just as expensive. As with karting, to be quick, you have to test, to test you need a team out, tyres, engines, (hired if you doing jica about £300) test fee, travel money, and thats before you get to a race.

What I meant was that SaxMax costs a fraction of a T-Car, Ginetta or international kart campaign. I'm not comparing T-cars to Ginettas (and know nothing of karts), i'm trying to get an idea of how T-cars is likely to stack up against a low-budget competitor series.... above /\ you are comparing what I consider to be like for like, and ommitting SaxMax entirely.

As I understand it a SaxMax budget is similar to running a stock hatch, which in turn is aimed right at the lowest financial rung of club motorsport. So running a car around that level, yes, I do know how much it costs. And it's way short of a t-car budget where buying the car alone would keep me on track with mine for several years, before I'd even consider running costs!

All championships have their ups and downs just look at btcc a couple of years ago, did everyone start saying its crap because of the small grids??? Didnt think so.

Yes, they did. I stopped watching it for a bit because the racing wasn't a spectacle anymore. I think many others did the same. Out of curiosity, how many can T-Cars start, at Brands Indy for example? Are there enforced reduced grid sizes?

[lucianobacheta]

Go and find the winner of jica super 1 and jica world champion and ask them how much they spent. Im not saying you can't do it for under 20k but you wont be competitive. Im not spending 40k in tcars, im just saying theres no reason to spend more than that.

The reason i am in teams is because my dad has to work to pay for my racing, he cant be my mechanic and work at the same time.

Oh and also mr DSM, i dont know who you are either, but i think more people that actually know about racing know who i am.

The money you pay for a t car, you get back when you sell it, so it should not be taken into consideration.

Alot of people enjoy calling kids that race spoilt, if we were so spoilt, what do you think would motivate us to do well in our races, if we have everything whats the point, we can just have a laugh and ask daddy for some money, cant we?

What you read in the press about how much it costs to do a season in any championship isnt always true, having spoken to quite a few front runners in saxmax, they are also spending upto 25. There is no testing restriction in saxmax, unlike tcars.

Thanks,

The really spoilt t car driver that you think is rubbish.

[DSM]

Originally Posted by lucianobacheta

Go and find the winner of jica super 1 and jica world champion and ask them how much they spent. Im not saying you can't do it for under 20k but you wont be competitive. Im not spending 40k in tcars, im just saying theres no reason to spend more than that.

The reason i am in teams is because my dad has to work to pay for my racing, he cant be my mechanic and work at the same time.

Oh and also mr DSM, i dont know who you are either, but i think more people that actually know about racing know who i am.

The money you pay for a t car, you get back when you sell it, so it should not be taken into consideration.

Alot of people enjoy calling kids that race spoilt, if we were so spoilt, what do you think would motivate us to do well in our races, if we have everything whats the point, we can just have a laugh and ask daddy for some money, cant we?

What you read in the press about how much it costs to do a season in any championship isnt always true, having spoken to quite a few front runners in saxmax, they are also spending upto 25. There is no testing restriction in saxmax, unlike tcars.

Thanks,

The really spoilt t car driver that you think is rubbish.

Well, Luciano, I think I know a bit about racing, but I'd never heard of you, that's all. Don't be touchy. And I never said you were rubbish, how could I judge? I doubt that you're any different to 100s of others, but time will tell.

Got to go now, been working all day and still got to prep our FR2000.

[Tuscan 6]

Luciano

You are fortunate that someone else is paying for your motorsport - the vast majority of race drivers (of any age) are not in that position. You may therefore encounter a certain amount of resentment. If I were you instead of defending how much or how little it costs, I would put my hand up and acknowledge just how lucky I was.

You are also incredibly fortunate that the MSA considers the series to be important to develop young drivers - that and the good Doctor has a son of the right age. Were it not for these factors the series, like any other with grids of 9 cars, would probably fold.

You might be the next Michael Schumacher, you might not. At the moment all we know is that you currently have the best results of a group of 9 similarly inexperienced drivers. The lack of benchmark makes it impossible to say anything more.

Finally you do yourself few favours with your last comment. Whether someone is interested in a particular series is entirely a matter of personal choice - just because someone has no interest in T Cars doesn't make them any less of a fan of motorsport. I have seen T Cars on Motors TV a couple of times - I watched for a little while but turned it off after seeing the race was influenced primarily by unforced errors, and there was little going on apart from this due to the very small grid. This errors are entirely understandable given the experience of the drivers, but it wasn't something I personally wanted to watch.

Good luck with the remaining rounds

[Daniel Laddiman]

Hello everybody.

I know it was sad but i googled my name and it came up with this thread. I would first of all like to thank you for considering me " a possible btcc star!"

How ever, I am quite surprised at some peoples comments on T cars being for kids with rich daddies! This is not the case, my father is a one man band builder and my mum is a nurse. I ran the 2005 T car season on £15k and I am quite sure you can't do a high level karting for less than that !!!!!

Second: Why are we all having a stab at each other? There are many ways to get up the motorsports ladder, depending on rthe route the individual would like to take. T cars was the first junior catagory and my personal feelings is that it still seems to be in the lead for entertaining racing. I have just finsihed doing 2 rounds of the Ginetta Junior championship, in which i had 2 5th places ( should have been a 3rd and 2nd but got fuel surge in the first race and then clipped the back of someone going 3 a breast through the jim clark esses at croft in the 2nd race) , a 7th when i started from the back of the grid (16th) was up to 6th at one point and a DNF when the water pump ceased and cooked the engine.

So all in all, I have had a short but very mixed racing career.

As was mentioned in an earlier post by dj choc ice , I am looking for sponsorship all the time, and was lucky enough to pick up some small sponsorship from CLARKS DIRECT - THE DELIVERY SPECIALISTS. (from norfolk) Thought i better just give em a little plug! hehe


Nice to speak to you all

Daniel Laddiman

[Paul Mac]

Luciano,
I do not want to get into a bunfight but who spent £25k in Saxmax this year?

You can build a car yourself for £5k with entries costing £2k for 10 rounds and tyres that cost £27.50 each and we used 6 all year so what the hell can you spend the money on?????

We have not seen one engine blowup and an angine and box from a breakers cost £100 you may spend £1k on a proffesional built one

Better still send me £10k and we will run you next year

[lucianobacheta]

Originally Posted by Paul Mac

Luciano,
I do not want to get into a bunfight but who spent £25k in Saxmax this year?

You can build a car yourself for £5k with entries costing £2k for 10 rounds and tyres that cost £27.50 each and we used 6 all year so what the hell can you spend the money on?????

We have not seen one engine blowup and an angine and box from a breakers cost £100 you may spend £1k on a proffesional built one

Better still send me £10k and we will run you next year

Cant say who for obvious reasons and i certainly shouldnt and wouldnt spend that much but that much has been spent

[racer-gal]

Originally Posted by McKay

T-Cars is a joke, and so are most of these drivers. I don't think any will be the next big BTCC driver, as I reckon the series will have dissapeared within a few years, its so awful these days.

i am VERY angrey byu this comment!!!!

thats a load of rubbish! my brother does t-cars and my dad isn't rich atall! i think you should find out the facts before you go slating off a series!!!

[racer-gal]

Originally Posted by redgate

I tend to diagree with that statement, yes many drivers have money from thier parents to help them but surly if you had the money would you not do it at that young age???
Also many drivers even though are helped with money are still very quick and talented money just helps them get more experience alot quicker than some due to testing and driving a range of different cars,
again not all of the drivers have the money for example daniel laddiman is finding sponsorship wherever he can and is on a very tight budget yet he still manages to find himself on the podium, now this must mean he has a certain ability!
My last point is that i am sure that many young drivers do not 'just give up' motorsport is a very hard bussines to make a career out of due to the lack of sponsorship and support from the government etc and i can think of many junior drivers that won championships and races yet could not find a drive after the 'junior world' one name that comes to mind is jack timpany, he was quick but where is he now?

thank you redgate for the comment about daniel. as for jack t he took a year off to do his exams and he's done a few rounds in the radical enduro, including the races at the radical world cup.

racer-gal

[racer-gal]

Originally Posted by maximus

I doubt Al123 is Alex Brundle.

it is by the way!

[Al123]

wow there has been an aweful lot of slating going on while I have been away ,by the way i had my english teacher check this message and i put it in bold type so people of all ages will be able to read it. I would just like to say ,not to restart the fight, that there will always be talent in motorsport that gets over looked because in the end for those at the very top motor sport is a business. This is a fact of life unfair as it may seem so why try and dicriminate against people because of it. I recognise how lucky I am to be in my position and have so much respect for those who most probably had to work a hell of a lot harder than i did to start going racing however i still think that talent is talent and people shouldn't disregard drivers because money is on there side

[Al123]

lol cheers emma by the way everyone who claims to be a driver is not lieing . we found out that people are slating us and thought we would defend ourselves isn't that fair

[FIRE]

I would like to say: There are more roads to Rome...

[Al123]

Originally Posted by FIRE

I would like to say: There are more roads to Rome...

thanks for that I will bear it in mind

[Al123]

Originally Posted by FIRE

I would like to say: There are more roads to Rome...

what do you mean, as in there are more ways to get to formula 1 than just btcc i agree totally

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Al123

what do you mean, as in there are more ways to get to formula 1 than just btcc i agree totally

I mean there are more ways (Clio Cup, F. Ford, etc.) to become "the next big BTCC driver". Which way depends on interest and often available budget. Maybe you don't agree with the career choice of others but have at least respect for them.

[racer-gal]

Originally Posted by FIRE

I mean there are more ways (Clio Cup, F. Ford, etc.) to become "the next big BTCC driver". Which way depends on interest and often available budget. Maybe you don't agree with the career choice of others but have at least respect for them.

*claps* round of applause for FIRE!

thanks for that

racer-gal

[Daniel Laddiman]

I have heard through the racingdrivers grapevine where he is moving to, but have not yet spoken to him on MSN Messenger to get it from the horses mouth, or the racing drivers mouth in this case!!!!

As i said before, I have nowturned 16 and I am considering my options for the year ahead. Has anyone got any ideas. I am 2 minds whether to go forthe touring car route or the GT route, or maybe even going off to Australia and racing over there to try and get into the V8 Supercars.

Cheers

Dan

[maximus]

Originally Posted by racer-gal

it is by the way!

Well my apologies then, but I wasn't impressed with his first post.

[Spaced Invader]

Liam McMillan. White washed Sax Max which, on the occasions i saw it looked like it had a competitive field. i hear that there is so much interest in Sax Max next year they may have to have heats to get a final like Stock Hatch. T Cars is a good proving ground but its never taken off. i feel that Sax Max and J Ginettas is the way to go.

[Smokey 6 litre]

Originally Posted by Spaced Invader

T Cars is a good proving ground but its never taken off. i feel that Sax Max and J Ginettas is the way to go.

T-cars is too expensive, Sax Max and J Ginettas are the way forward. When learning to race you DONT need an expensive car with a spaceframe chassis, t-cars should be targeted as the step up from Sax Max.

I hoping that Sax Max next season is when im back home, i havent seen it yet and i really wan't to. 750mc has the right idea, just look at stock hatch, and sax max is a good continuation from that, i think it will provide more drivers than T-cars ever will.