Budgets?

Hi Guys and Gals,

I would love to start racing in the minitwins sometime soon, I have done a few trackdays before and I'm hooked! (Big Grin Factor!)

What I want to ask is, what sort of cost is involved in participating in a season?

I have been to a few BEMSEE meets this year to come and watch, this made me want to do it even more!

Any information would be much appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

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Not sure about minitwins, I asked a racer in a series I was watching whilst pickying up his bike from the gravel and he budgets £5k a year, not including buying the race bike in the first place

I'm starting racing Minitwins next March and already I've spent £2.5K. That's just buying the bike and a few other bits and pieces. Once you factor in around £1700 entry fees, £1500 petrol, £1000 for tyres, £600 for protective equipment and £1000 for practise days a conservative estimate puts a years racing at £5-6K not including buying the bike.

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Originally Posted by tranx

I'm starting racing Minitwins next March and already I've spent £2.5K. That's just buying the bike and a few other bits and pieces. Once you factor in around £1700 entry fees, £1500 petrol, £1000 for tyres, £600 for protective equipment and £1000 for practise days a conservative estimate puts a years racing at £5-6K not including buying the bike.

Then the potentialy/likely mechanical repairs expected when a bike is on its limits.....then if you drop it during a race you have a whole new level of cost.

Originally Posted by graemepaterson

Then the potentialy/likely mechanical repairs expected when a bike is on its limits.....then if you drop it during a race you have a whole new level of cost.

Shhhhhh! You'l wake the gremlins up.

Originally Posted by tranx

I'm starting racing Minitwins next March and already I've spent £2.5K. That's just buying the bike and a few other bits and pieces. Once you factor in around £1700 entry fees, £1500 petrol, £1000 for tyres, £600 for protective equipment and £1000 for practise days a conservative estimate puts a years racing at £5-6K not including buying the bike.

I think your tyre budget is unrealistic ... you need to at least double that if you want to be in any way competitive I reckon ...

You have nothing in the 'maintenance' field (chains, sprockets, oil, filters, pads, dyno time etc etc) .. a set of race pads are £80ea and you will need a few sets of them during the year ...

You haven’t stated a ‘crash kitty’ either … (this can get very big very quickly ... it doesn't even have to be 'your fault'!!)

I think being realistic you could double your estimate quite easily … without doing anything special

Oh and if you don't have transport and a genny already, you need to factor them in too ..

I can't help with the budget question but I do know than when ever you work out a budget you should just DOUBLE your final figure as it will always be closure to that than your original figure.

Reminds me of the old racing quote:

How do you make a million from racing? Start with 2

A friend of mine raced a few rounds in the minitwins last year and he has now had to give it up because he's getting married next year (poor chap ). He's got a converted Mercedes Sprinter van/bike (SV650)/spares all up for grabs, so if you're interested I can find out how much he wants to let it go for. His name is "Bully" incase some of you racers may know him.

I know i didnt do minitwins but i did a season with bemsee regardless and straigh up costs were £200 entry fees plus £100 for the test day time 10 which is 3k. Then i did 10 sets of tyres at £185 a pop plus a set of wets so thats another 2k. Somwhere in the region of 60 litres of fuel a meeting another £600. sundries such as oil, brake fluid etc at £75 a meeting another £750.

There you have a budget of
£5250 without factoring in the cost of getting to each meeting which i put at about £80 a time plus crash funds and you are at around 8k allready.

Then you have set up costs as a rookie for things you need but might not have yet.

Genny 200-400
warmers 150 250
transponder 160 SH or 250 new
basic spares for the bike which should include forks for a minitwin imo 1k
ACU training day 250


Do you see how it soon adds up to quite a monumental amount of money? This isnt meant to scare you off it as imo there is nothing better but dont go into things with your eyes shut.

Budget 10k and if you come out with change then you have more to spend next year
.

This of course assumes you all ready have a bike ready to race if not assume 2k to race prep a road bike to what I would call acceptable.

For the record i rekon on spending close to 13k this year not takingt into account the 4k i spent on a caravan or the 2.5k i spent on another engine rebuild