Track days versus racing...?

[chris bailey]

Hello everyone!

This is a subject that's probably been raised before, but here goes anyhow..!

At the opening race of our 2009 season, the Sports 2000 Racing Club (www.sports2000-srcc.com) welcomed two new members who've switched from track days in 911 Porsches. Both commented on how much money they were saving. Having spent a couple of track days shaking down a Sports 2000, it's also clear that any 911 short of a GT2 is way slower than our Ford Pinto-powered racers over a complete lap. Indeed, on an associated US forum, there's a lovely article about the relative speed of a Sports 2000 Lola vs a Ferrari Enzo. I'll let you guess which delivered the better track experience...? So, if a completely rebuilt, race-ready Sports 2000 can be yours for £15k, and a less perfect example for £12 to £13k, does that make sense, even if you only track day it? Any thoughts....?

Rollo Tomasi - Swift DB2/5 Sports 2000 #36

[Alex Laidlaw]

I suspect you'll have difficulty in getting a Sports 2000 car into a typical track day, they usually require a full array of lights (including indicators) and normally cars are meant to be 'road worthy', which I think is intended to keep it to road cars and modified production cars (which are far more complicated and expensive to run than a car designed for racing).

[chris bailey]

Fair point Alex, re the lack of lights and indicators. Having said that, we've not had a problem. The cars are, after all, enclosed wheels, which seems to be the main requirement. And you're right. The cost to adapt a road car to any sort of track spec can be quite high, and you still end up with something that's not out-and-out quick (and it's still a road car)!

Rollo

p.s Sports 2000 is on the support programme for the A1GP event at Brands Hatch. Worth going for a look?

[zac510]

The thing that would make it difficult for some is storing it, transporting it to the track (own a trailer or tow car?) and space to maintain it.

[Adam43]

This is a normal track day, so it obviously isn't a hard and fast rule.

[Dex]

In terms of VFM then I think racing can never beat trackdays in terms of track time/distance for the money spent (in general)

Obviously, if your track day car is a £1million carbon Zonda, then you're going to be able to do a lot of seasons of stock hatch for the money....


But you can have great fun on a track day in a relatively standard car, for very little money, and getting upwards of 150 track miles in a day.

[chris bailey]

Obviously, if your track day car is a £1million carbon Zonda, then you're going to be able to do a lot of seasons of stock hatch for the money....


I think this is the point I'm trying to make. I was astonished at the number of extreme road cars (GT3/Ferrari/Noble/Astons) that were being eaten alive by our (relatively) cheap and cheerful Sports 2000. Most of their owners would wander over to have a look at our Tiga and leave, scratching their heads! On the other hand, I met a couple of young guys with a lightly modded VW Jetta at Donington, who were having a ball for very sensible money.

I am, of course, unashamedly plugging Sports 2000 for what it is. If you want a real racing car that you can track-day and/or race against (non-looney) opposition at the best UK circuits, without selling your soul to the Devil, it's a very good choice. I drive a diesel Mondeo (with towbar) on the road. My licence is never at risk, and I get 50 mpg. The racer lives in the garage, and gives me massive thrills on the track. Bear in mind that at the Britcar 24 hr race last year, our Pinto S2000's were only 6 seconds a lap slower than the quickest full-race Mosler around the GP circuit (2:03.00 vs 1:57.00).

Rollo