Are you tired of watching?

[bramble]

How many of you out there have or are thinking about getting more involved than just watching motorsport? Is anyone thinking of racing their own car, becoming a marshal, journalist, engineer or anything else?

[Reynard]

I'm not tired of watching motor racing - I don't think I ever will be, but yes, I'm more than just a spectator :)

1) Day job: PhD researching aspects of FIA crash tests for F1 cars

2) Weekend job: motor racing photographer (Post 14)

3) Internet: webmaster for Kelvin Burt website

4) Writing: produces occasional articles on motor racing for student publications

[Amanda]

I love watching motorsport! However, like Reynard I am not just a spectator. I have several friends who race so go along to support them as often as possible. I also help run a website.

I would love to race myself so have sent off my application to Formula Woman. Keep your fingers crossed for me!:D

[V6.]

Originally posted by Reynard
I'm not tired of watching motor racing - I don't think I ever will be, but yes, I'm more than just a spectator :)

1) Day job: PhD researching aspects of FIA crash tests for F1 cars

2) Weekend job: motor racing photographer (Post 14)

3) Internet: webmaster for Kelvin Burt website

4) Writing: produces occasional articles on motor racing for student publications


Lucky bugga, sounds brilliant, also sounds like a lot of work.

[Claw]

I would love to race, but getting started would be a knightmare.

[Les]

I am the same - went beyond watching cars to watching friends.

Now run numerous websites for them.

[Claire]

Started off by just watching, then went along to support friends, made some new ones and now support them and as well as that last year I became a marshal, helped Amanda, Alan and Ann with the website and began to master the art of motorsport photography.
I would love to be more involved on a team level but wouldn't have the confidence to actually race, but I would enjoy the PR side of things.

[speedy king]

I've been an avid spectator, i aint tired however in the last two years i have started racing and this year is gonna be a biggin!! (in my wallet) Hopefully i can progress through the rankings, my fellow competitor and schooler has now moved in to T Cars so i hope to follow in her foot steps, if i can find the money, i also used to run web sites but i never had much time now i am taking my racing more seriously so i have landed a deal with Sim_Da_btcc_man to run my personal web site, cheers Sim!!

[touringlegend]

I have been watching the BTCC since Knockhill's rounds in 1998, and really in the past year I have went to even more meetings. Last year saw me attend two BTCC meetings, and about 5/6 club meetings at Knockhill, thanks to my season ticket.

I have great interest in the Scottish XR2's that I went to see last year, and having got to know a few drivers in the series they have convinced me to have a bash. Sometime later this year I will be sending off for my "Go racing starter pack" from the MSA, which sets me back £41. I must then get a medical which is a further £60, before I can apply to sit my ARDS test, to get my National Class B racing licence. That costs you £140, and if you pass it, you then have to shell out another £40 to get your licence certificates. Of course, I must then buy the race suit, helmets, gloves etc...which is probaly a couple hundred quid.

I would say thats probably somewhere between £500-£600 just to get all the necessary equipment!

Of course, then there's the Fiesta XR2 - which would be £2000+ at the going rates at the moment. I have the option of hiring a car from a team that runs several cars in the series, and they'd run it for me - this is probably the easiest option for me as they are experts with these cars.

I may not go into XR2's - Formula Fords are an option, but in Scotland the grids are tiny. I would ideally like to get enough money together to compete at British level in one of the single seater or tin top formula.

All in all you are talking a LOT of money, I just hope this job I applied for is offered to me, the wage with it was really good!

[speedy king]

You then have to get i think another 4 signatures on your license and you can move up a grade and compete at higher level, i found it very confusing at first. The MSA don't half know how to charge though!! As the last post said, just the licensing costs a bucket load!!

[Ann]

I used to just watch from my sofa - now I watch trackside whenever possible - far, far better option. It also allows me to combine my two favourite hobbies - fast cars & photography! And I could never bore of either!! :D

[thommo_fan]

i too will never tire of watching motor racing.
i would have loved to have been a racing driver, i still want to do some club racing when i'm older and have got some money, racing in the mighy mini series would be excellent one day.

the next best thing would be working for one of the btcc teams, i'm still working on this one.

[AussieV8]

I was eight when I started watchin Bathurst and when I got to 20 I started to do some club events. As a diehard fan of Mazda's especially rotaries I race in a RX3 10a rotary in my first race at Amaroo Park (RIP) in 1983. My mates and I are trying to put together a Mazda6 or a 323 SP20 in the show room class for this year. My collection of videos and books are priceless and some parts of reckage that I taxed when there was a smash and I was brave enough to jump the fence and get it. :D :) :p

[touring fan]

Since having the door seemingly held wide open then slammed shut in my face by what's meant to be a profesional company, I've decided to put my plans of a career in motorsport engineering on hold for a while. It seems the person who invited me to the interview was more open minded than the person who conducted it.

[Reynard]

That's always the way, isn't it? In fact, motorsport engineering is obscenely hard to get a foothold in - take it from me. I've done development work for Reynard and Arrows in the past but everything's come to no avail. Sometimes it makes me wonder why the hell I'm still in engineering at all.

OK, don't laugh, but I actually turned down a job at RML back at the tail end of 1998 as I didn't fancy relocating to Wellingborough and took up an offer from a satellite company of Ford instead. BIG mistake - I walked out after four months and the opportunity was gone. I am now back at university (Imperial College) studying for a PhD in composite materials and spent last year watching the ASCAR and thinking about what might have been...

Although now I'm starting to get decent work as a photographer, so perhaps I shouldn't be so bitter about missed opportunities on the engineering side of things. I've done work for Kelvin Burt, Darren Turner and Jason Plato amongst others and I have a couple of good contracts lined up for the coming season.

But as nothing in motor racing is ever certain, I'm not counting my chickens before they're hatched just yet, particularly since the paperwork isn't quite finalised... However, as a freelancer, I take anything that goes.