The What does it cost? page gives you an idea of what the budget was to get a car and driver on the road for the BRSCC MX-5 Championship. However… never underestimate what it actually costs. You’ll probably exceed your budget to go racing!
Here’s a few things that weren’t factored in when the race budget was prepared.
Item | Additional cost |
Tyres – you’ll need to factor in three sets of tyres for the season. Two sets of dry, and one set of wet. That’s £368 per set, and only available from the approved supplier MOT Motorsport. | £1,000 |
A data logger – you’ll need one of these, incorporating front and rear cameras. Using the software, you can compare your laps, or compare laps with another driver to see how where you are gaining or losing time. We went for the Video VBOX Lite from Racelogic who throw in a useful, free half day training on how to use the software. And if you’re involved in any “racing incidents”, the stewards will be asking for the SD card from your data logger and reviewing the footage with you. (It’s like going to the headmaster…) | £1,500 |
Underwear ! – OK… one set of racing underwear isn’t ideal if you’re doing a day of testing and two days of qualifying and racing. You’re probably going to need one or two additional sets if you’re aware of personal hygiene and body odour. I went for Sparco long johns and top from Demon Tweeks. | £100 per set |
Engine rebuild – You never know what kind of MX-5 you’ve bought until it’s out on track. Quite a bit of work had to be done to bring mine up to speed. | £2,000 |
Damage – Shit happens…. Sometimes, it’s your own fault, and sometimes it’s just unavoidable. Fortunately, I have a great bodywork sponsor, Car Magic, car body repair specialists in Chesham/Berkhamsted. So, this has been really helpful and saved me quite a bit of cash. If you haven’t got a sponsor and you want to keep your car looking good, then you’ll need to budget for new wings, panels and respray over the season. Or just leave it looking battered, and save the cash! | £2,000 |
Test days – What they don’t tell you when you sign up for the BRSCC, is that if you want to test the car at the circuit on the Friday before the race meeting, it’s going to cost you extra. IT’s way more expensive than a regular track day, and varies according to the circuit. | £200 – £300 per test day. |