[Edited on 23/1/17 by daniel mason]
Javelin, the trackday organiser, run a sprint series
http://www.javelinsprintdays.co.uk/sprint/
Basically you self certify your car is safe, they look it over in scrutineering and you wear a crash helmet (motorsport or bike) and that's it.
Minimum of 6 runs and normally more.
Fantastic events and certainly something you lot should have a go at. So no MSA compliance, buy a £5 license to compete on the day, no
overalls/gloves/boots & Bike helmets just like a track day. Stick the supplied numbers on and off you go...
All you keen trackday guys should give this a go.
Looks really good. Any more idea on the class structure than the website gives? Just wondering what classes as high, medium and low power in class f.
Cadwell 22 oct looks good for me
I'm in F1 with a turbo Exocet and a R500 Caterham. So unless you are at that level on slicks you need to look at F2 or F3
The class F cars in this years series were not very quick at all last year. A decent driver in a well sorted kit would be competative
Apart from the last round Daniel....
I still maintain a decent driver in a kit car would win that series hands down.
quote:
Originally posted by jeffw
I'm in F1 with a turbo Exocet and a R500 Caterham. So unless you are at that level on slicks you need to look at F2 or F3
Just go for it.youll really enjoy it I can guarantee! If you can peddle a bit you'll be as quick as anything there unless a Jedi or oms turns up!
quote:
Originally posted by daniel mason
I still maintain a decent driver in a kit car would win that series hands down.
I'm tempted to have a try at Snetterton.
Any idea what class my car would end up in Jeff or Dan?
I'd think class S gaz otherwise you'll destroy everyone.unfortunately class S cannot compete for the championship.i think I ruined that for
everyone last year
[Edited on 23/1/17 by daniel mason]
I'm not sure about that mate.
Cars alright but still got a ham fisted driver to flap round in it.
I'm not worried about championships and stuff. Just a bit of fun.
I would assume F1 Gaz
Just looked on the website and F1 looks like the one for me Jeff. I hadn't realised they'd updated the page. Last time I looked I had no
idea what was going on.
Guess I better get the car washed sometime over the next 2 months.
I'm going to have a crack at it this year but seeing as i'm between kits it'll be in the Clio.
quote:
Originally posted by gaz_gaz
Just looked on the website and F1 looks like the one for me Jeff. I hadn't realised they'd updated the page. Last time I looked I had no idea what was going on.
Guess I better get the car washed sometime over the next 2 months.
quote:
All you keen trackday guys should give this a go.
I just don't get sprinting. I can not for the life of me understand the folks spending such vast amounts of cash on
their machines to do so little time on track. Do you not enjoy driving? I do realise it can be a cheap entry level form of motorsport, but so many
seem to get stuck there and don't appear to progress? It's a social day out, okay it does cost a couple of hundred by the time you have commuted but you do get a rush when doing well.
Track days you buzz around and get the feel for the car, sprinting you just have to get it right from the moment you spin your wheels on takeoff - not
to much mind you!
As much as i enjoy track days they don't give me the same buzz of sprints / hillclimbs.
Yes track days are better value, but having to push as hard as you dare and trying to beat the clock = massive adrenaline rush that i just don't
think you can get on a trackday.
I usually do trackdays with a bunch of pals so I do appreciate the social side of things. And I could see why dawdling round a track on your own can
lack appeal.. so don't do it.
I usually share the track with at least a couple of mates and we are giving it max to stay with each other. Taking turns in front to see who can keep
up.. I hate being on track by my self, love chasing a car and seeing it move around, see the flames smell the fumes! The way I see it, it's a
great way to improve your driving skill, that is lacking in sprinting. There's simply not enough seat time.
Im in a strange situation at the moment.
For the last few years I have been doing trackdays with at least one other mate and sometimes several. It seems 2016 was the year to sell up. The four
people I do trackdays all sold their cars leaving me to go it alone.
Im not going to sell up yet as I will be just buy something else but do envy you lot with track day buddies.
This is where sprinting becomes appealing but I will still be doing it on my own. It just gives the day some structure and context.
I have considered proposing a car share to one of my mates and going into circuit racing, there are a few series which are set up for this cheap form
of racing. I just don't have the time to commit to a season.
A little off topic, soz. No need to get the violin out by the way. Im still happy improving the car and smashing out some pretty good laps.
In my experience sprinting is a lot more friendly than track days, with the advantage being if you stuff your car it can only be your fault 
It costs a bit, maybe £600 or so for suit, boots gloves and bash hat and I suspect you may needs a HANS as well but once you start it is addictive,
grabbing even a couple of milliseconds is satisfying.
Trackdays are great but you are never on it 100% as there are other cars around and, while you and your mates feel like heroes, you don't
actually know who is fastest. Sprinting is driven by the clock, nothing more nothing less. When the light goes green there is nowhere to hide, you
can't say "that bloke in the Clio wouldn't let me pass" or any other excuse....you are as good (or bad) as the time on the
sheet.
I get circuit racing but I can't afford to do it at the level I would want to plus I certainly can't afford to sweep the car into a box of
bits after being involved in someone else's accident so I sprint.
If you try it you'll soon find how addictive it is, regardless of the amount of trackday. Think quality not quantity.
quote:
Originally posted by mark chandler
In my experience sprinting is a lot more friendly than track days, with the advantage being if you stuff your car it can only be your fault
It costs a bit, maybe £600 or so for suit, boots gloves and bash hat and I suspect you may needs a HANS as well but once you start it is addictive, grabbing even a couple of milliseconds is satisfying.
9 - Safety Equipment
9.1 – All participants are required to have their arms and legs covered when in the vehicle, flameproof overalls are mandatory for single seater
vehicles but strongly recommended for all participants. We recommend participants avoid wearing synthetic fabrics where possible.
9.2 – Harnesses must be fitted according to the manufacturer’s instructions and must be in a good, safe condition. Harnesses must be worn correctly by
the driver.
9.3 – Helmets must be suitable for the activity and in a good, safe condition. Helmets with protruding chins are not permitted.
9.4 – Drivers of any open top/removably roof vehicles are permitted to wear full face helmets only and must have a visor.
So no for this series, however it is your body, your wife and your children that will suffer if you have a big off....
Decent leathers are fine, I recon a HANS and decent harness is worthwhile
I liked doing trackdays when I started out but I wasn't the fastest and was always worried about hitting someone else or them hitting me.
As soon as I got into sprinting and hillclimbing i felt I really found my feet and could push the car far harder than I ever did on track.and the buzz
you get from doing 100mph up a 10'wide hill is absolutely epic!
While i do agree with Andy in the fact that circuit racing would be better.i personally don't have the finances to circuit race a single
seater,and I wouldn't want to race something which lacked the performance
[Edited on 23/1/17 by daniel mason]
quote:
Originally posted by bi22le
quote:
Do you need all the suit, HANS amd jazz if you enter this Javelin sprint series?
I have boots and gloves but use jeans and a bike jacket for track days. Also my harness I'd well out of date.
No is the simple answer. You need the same level of equipment as a trackday as a minimum. I would advise that you get the rest as it isn't that expensive as there are bargains out there, you don't even need in-date harness for road-going classes in MSA sprints.
Andy D - 23/1/17 at 10:47 PMquote:
While i do agree with Andy in the fact that circuit racing would be better.i personally don't have the finances to circuit race a single seater,and I wouldn't want to race something which lacked the performance
I kid you not Dan.. some of the trackdays I've done with mates have been so close to racing.. who says you cant give 100% on a trackday? At the end of the day we know who is fastest.. there's no need for a clock. That's where I am I suppose.. I see trrackdays as being much closer to racing than sprinting, so why would I want to pootle round (part of) a circuit on my own?
Doctor Derek Doctors - 23/1/17 at 10:53 PMI'm booked in for Snettetton, interested to see how the Javelin series works. I'm the only class S car booked in so far by the looks of it.
Since I've started competing in sprints and hillclimbs, trackdays have just become incredibly dull. I used to think they were ace but without proper competition it's just driving round in circles.
[Edited on 23/1/17 by Doctor Derek Doctors]
daniel mason - 23/1/17 at 11:24 PMAgain it's all personal choice. Even if I was allowed a single seater on a track day (which I'm not) I'd be stuck in traffic all day as the performance difference is just on another level.
I would love to race,and learn how to properly overtake and proper race craft.but I just don't have the finances. The only way for me to get out In a very fast car,and to go as quick is to sprint
jeffw - 24/1/17 at 07:10 AMquote:
Originally posted by Andy D
I kid you not Dan.. some of the trackdays I've done with mates have been so close to racing.. who says you cant give 100% on a trackday? At the end of the day we know who is fastest.. there's no need for a clock. That's where I am I suppose.. I see trrackdays as being much closer to racing than sprinting, so why would I want to pootle round (part of) a circuit on my own?
But trackdays are not racing, you are only allowed to overtake by consent, no overtaking in braking areas or corners so if you are 'racing' on a trackday you're breaking the TDOs rules.
Andy D - 24/1/17 at 10:38 AMquote:
But trackdays are not racing, you are only allowed to overtake by consent, no overtaking in braking areas or corners so if you are 'racing' on a trackday you're breaking the TDOs rules.
Ha ha, I wondered who'd try and pull that particular chestnut from the bag!
Each to their own though, I know I won't win this race.
daniel mason - 24/1/17 at 11:43 AMI think Jeff meant that to give it 100% on a track day.like you say you do.would mean diving up the inside under braking etc which would be against the rules.
You obviously can go 100% some of the time but I sprinting you have to go 100% all the time or you'll be at the back end of the class.
I like both.and if I ever went back to a 7 or a radical again I'd probably do a few track days myself
jeffw - 24/1/17 at 02:25 PMAndy, if you are happy being fastest in a small pool of your mates, happy days. If you want to compare yourself against the great and the good.....come sprinting
daniel mason - 24/1/17 at 02:43 PMAndy can peddle a car Jeff. And his son certainly can
Andy D - 24/1/17 at 03:03 PMHa ha, ... resisting the urge to bite...
bi22le - 24/1/17 at 10:12 PMWell I quite fancy it. I don't think 2017 is going to be the year though. Due to me biting of more than I can chew and not having time to swallow it all ill be lucky to drive the car before summer.
I would like to tune the changes im making this year and get along to spectate a couple of events before doing one. Maybe I'll make 2017s mission to prepare to sprint in 2018!
Jon Ison - 24/1/17 at 10:28 PMAnother lurker here, looked at the regs when announced, may give it a whirl
daniel mason - 24/1/17 at 10:34 PMYou'll love it jon. Let me know which ones you do and I'll enter one and have a catch up
Jon Ison - 24/1/17 at 11:17 PMI would need to treat myself to a set of tyres, I look what's about from time to time 2nd hand, what's the current must haves?
daniel mason - 24/1/17 at 11:55 PMSlicks for us.not sure if your allowed slicks in other classes
jeffw - 25/1/17 at 06:30 AMF1 is allowed slicks (and non E marked tyres). All other classes are Road Legal tyres as far as I'm aware (A1 might be slicks as well)
jelly head - 25/1/17 at 08:16 AMDan; bit off topic but how do you find running a single seater?
Would you recommend it vs say a seven or tin top?
What are the running costs like, do they take much maintenance?
Thanks
daniel mason - 25/1/17 at 09:52 AMGrand total of zero maintainance cost on the jedi.
That would be my choice.i you can find one with an older R1 they seem to be very cheap and reliable.obviously it won't quite have the pace of a modern 1000cc car. But I did well in mine considering it had around 140bhp. It set some great times and beat some very exotic cars along the way.
Regularly in the top 5 overall and some fastest overall times times as well.
Performance is astonishing
theduck - 25/1/17 at 01:28 PMquote:
Originally posted by jeffw
F1 is allowed slicks (and non E marked tyres). All other classes are Road Legal tyres as far as I'm aware (A1 might be slicks as well)
Regs seem to say you can run them in lower subclasses but may be moved up a subclass if you are deemed to be gaining an advantage by running non emarked tyres.
jeffw - 25/1/17 at 01:38 PMPretty sure if you turned up with A15 Avon Slicks you'd get moved. I'd stick with List 1b type tyres (R888, R888R, Avon ZZS etc) but you might get away with Avon ZZR in sprint compound or Kumho V70 in soft compound.
jelly head - 25/1/17 at 06:28 PMThanks for that Dan, i've been pondering a single seater for a while but wasn't sure how much effort it takes to run one.
Apart from scraping the crap of the tyres and putting fuel in it do you do much tinkering at events?
Is it just a matter of trial and error with setting up the wings or is it just maximum downforce everywhere?
I've seen a few 600s for sale and wondered if that might be a good starter class?
Sorry for the questions, just interested as i've always run tin tops.
daniel mason - 25/1/17 at 06:45 PMPm me for any info you need.
I mess around with damper settings between runs ifrom I'm not happy with it and sometimes adjust the front wing.i usually leave the rear wing when I've got it somewhere near and never ran at maximum wing angles as then drag plays a part.in ran much less wing than most but was faster through the speed traps at every event,even with the old r1 in the back.
Everyone else in class was 30- 40 bhp up on me but mine handled sweet as a nut.
Jon Ison - 25/1/17 at 11:08 PMquote:
Originally posted by jeffw
Pretty sure if you turned up with A15 Avon Slicks you'd get moved. I'd stick with List 1b type tyres (R888, R888R, Avon ZZS etc) but you might get away with Avon ZZR in sprint compound or Kumho V70 in soft compound.
Where could you be moved from F1? Getting more tempted but reading the regs I would guess/assume all F1 runners are on slicks?
jeffw - 26/1/17 at 06:59 AMYou'll not get moved from F1. I did one round last year at Snetterton and I think I was the only one of the kitcars on sprint slicks.
loggyboy - 26/1/17 at 07:55 AMWhat would count as minor modifications for the production classes? The wording is very vague.
Shame they are very north/mid country based.
jeffw - 26/1/17 at 07:57 AMPrimarily it is about performance. If you turn up in a Prod class and beat everyone by 5 secs with minor modifications you'll get moved. If you turn up with large wings and splitters but go 5 sec slower than a bog stock version they'll not care.
loggyboy - 26/1/17 at 08:45 AMquote:
Originally posted by jeffw
Primarily it is about performance. If you turn up in a Prod class and beat everyone by 5 secs with minor modifications you'll get moved. If you turn up with large wings and splitters but go 5 sec slower than a bog stock version they'll not care.
And thats fair, but you wouldnt want to be a sec faster on merit and moved in to a class where you were against more heavily modded and be several secs slower.
[Edited on 26-1-17 by loggyboy]
daniel mason - 26/1/17 at 09:08 AMAlthough the classes are not worded great.they work OK.
Obviously some cars can't be moved as they fit the description perfectly but others sometimes do
loggyboy - 26/1/17 at 09:15 AMMy main thought is suspension (as thats the only real mod ive done to mine).
Im sure basic uprated suspension would be minor, but would adjustable coilovers be minor or major, or is major things like adjusted pick up points etc, similar to sprint/autosolo regulations.
jeffw - 26/1/17 at 10:39 AMI wouldn't overthink it, they tend to be more flexible than the MSA.
Jon Ison - 3/2/17 at 04:35 PMI have just ordered 2 new rear wheels & 4 tyres, entry for rnd 2 booked.
jeffw - 3/2/17 at 06:15 PMWell done Jon, you'll have a blast