MGB: How many events per year.

Next year I'm planning to spend some money improving the A for club race events, hillclimbs, etc.
I have just fitted a new sway bar and over the christams break will be fitting firm bushes.
I was wondering what is the number of events you competed in last year.

How many events do you do.

We generally run 6 events a year. This year only 4.

First event was a Autokhana at Kwinana Motorplex. 6 around the cones etc and 3 drags. Was the 7th placed MG with 17 MG,s behind me. Very pleased for a first time out.
Of to the Meelup hillclimb tomorrow (Sunday) First hill climb for me and have put the original diff back in for that and with the 5 speed will have plenty of gears to play with. I made up a lock for reverse yesterday as I tried to put it in reverse during the drags.
Have 2 more events lined up.
Weekend after next, Sir Jack Brabham is coming over to a event at Caversham, the site of the 1957(I think) Australian Grand Prix that he won. Suburbia is getting very close to the venue and they may name the area Brabham. Nice mark of respect for the old boy. Autokhana type event there.
December 8 is a track day for Historics at Barbagallo Raceway. , its called the Vintage Stampede. Ca'nt wait for that, feel a bit like a kid with the first car and a new drivers licence . A real mixture of Mustang,s Falcon GT,s to Mini,s to Model A,s and we are fortunate to have a roaring straight 8 1937 Bugatti over this way also. She sounds beautiful
This is what I made this car for and it has worked out really good except I have put a scratch in the paint almost full length. (dont ask)

Scott, Please dont get me wrong, but why would you put so much effort into the cars for only 4-6 events per year.
Is it a series you run in or are there no other events close by.

Hi David... understood and a very good question. We could run many more weekends, but they would be NASA or SCCA that really don't offer vintage grids. We run with General Racing, HMSA, and CSRG. In all that would make about 8 or 9 weekends. Because of the number of cars entering GR and HMSA events, there is no guarantee that we are accepted. What I don't talk much about is my track time with my 125 shifter kart - more fun than I can possibly define unless you've experienced one. Apart from the very poor economic state of the USA (I'm a working class citizen) and the face that I'm a very serious family man, racing is second on my list of priorities. We also do many test days that I don't post. Quality vs quantity. Part of racing is the sorting process (which I love dearly). Its taken me 8 years to get our car to where they are, and believe me, once my family is more grown up, I will be on the track many more weekends... I missed one of my favorite races at ThunderHill last weekend to be with my daughter and her school in Washington DC... It was one of the most rewarding weeks i've ever spent with my little sweet heart. There will always be race grids, but you kids only grow up once.

Best always. (Dad)
aka - Skippy

DavidMGA1600 wrote:

Scott, Please dont get me wrong, but why would you put so much effort into the cars for only 4-6 events per year.
Is it a series you run in or are there no other events close by.

Scott,
The reason i asked the question is locally on the coast the most active event i can enter is the Mt Cotton Hillclimb, which is the track grew at. My dad and brother compete in an open wheel racing car. But a hillclimb is not as fun in an MGA as they can be slow up hill. So track circits and events are far and few between. When i had a quick look it was only about 5 events and was a bit disapointed.
I do prefer curcuits to hillclimbs. Here is a video to show what the hillclimb is all about. This isn't my dads car, but does similar times.[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVRehr8eAHc[/video].

Mate, I am trying to fill my calendar for next year and that will include 6 circuit events and hopefully 5 hillclimb events.

I am not sure you realise how expensive doing more than five or six circuit events a year would be (even with short events that is at least $1300 in tyres for me and then the real expense starts).

A MGA with the right gearing would be a great hill climb car. We have a few HC races in the NW but none in our area.
As Eric mentioned, race weekends are very pricey and tho I don't run many, I do get to race at a few world class tracks.

Below is a typical weekend.
Entry fees - $440
Test Day - $200
Tires - $1000 - I get 2 weekends out of a new set
Fuel - $125

Scott, you forgot beer in your price list!

It is not a good idea to assign a business metric to racing - unless you are a sponsor. I could never take the effort and expense and divide it by the number of events to determine a value. If that were the case, we would all be fools. The more racing you do, the more effort and expense. You gotta love it and when you do, the effort and expense is also fun.

Couldn't agree more Fred. Beer, wine and of course single malt scotch. After all I am Scots. Hoot Mon!

I think it depends on who is doing the work, if you're wealthy enough to write checks to get your car ready, then go as often as you can afford, but if you are turning th wrenchs and doing all the prep and you are serious, then 6 or more events per year makes this full time hobby. I done 6-7 SCCA national races and then the Runoffs ( 10 day event) 5 times, then I've done combination of nationals and regional races of 11 race seasons atleast twice, it was full time hobby, meaning most weekday evenings and most weekends were spent in the garage, it's all I did. When and if I chose to go vintage racing, I may do about 4 events a year, anything more, would just make it all like work again, been there, done that. It all really depends what you are racing and how much prep you put into it, I'm a prep freak, everything has to be just so-so, I spend enormous amounts of time on car prep.

My little small time events cost around $700 in fees plus you have club membership insurance etc. After the hill climb last Sunday I MUST have some of those sticky tyres $1000 to 1200 for them over here. Had a great day. Oldest and slowest but good fun. Eric you can always save your tyres by driving a bit slower!

In the scheme of things this sport is not too bad. Just try competitive yachting with a decent sized boat and watch the till empty quickly.

I did six events this year.
1. Afton alps Hill-climb in my son's '80 MGB V-6 with http://www.mnhealey.com/
2. Rendezvous at Ashland Wisconsin
3. Minnesota Austin Healey gymkhana
4. Mowog 5 with http://www.mnautox.com/forums/index.php
5. NCCC event with http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmClubDetail.Show?psCLUB_ID=153
6. Mowog 9 with http://www.mnautox.com/forums/

Next year?
At least that much........

I used to run 10 road-race events per year. After filling a few logbooks with the same 3 tracks, and being the only MGA out there, I decided this was nuts. Lots of fun, but nuts. When my son started racing with me, I decided to try a few different tracks each year. We meet all kinds of MG people, tell the same lies to different groups, and the logbooks look much different. Now 'we' do 4-5 per year, and 'we' spend way more $$ on transport costs, truck fuel, than on the race cars. Now my daughter wants to get her competition licence, so it will be even more expensive, but lots of fun. At one time, I figured that to move up each finishing position on track cost me at least $300 per weekend, so now we stay mid-pack, with different cars at each race. More beers in the cooler. I can see the cost of racing going through the roof. Some events I will not enter, just because the 'Organizer' or 'Promoter' keeps jacking the costs. As an aside, when I race my dirt-track sprinter (even though it is supposed to be an 'exhibition'), the costs are only about $200 per weekend! Very cheap, lots of track time. RZ

Depends upon what the days' take on the street corner is. :bouncing:

I'm only looking at doing very club level events. No state/national series. At least not the first year. :)
I will look into it more.
I just felt the more the better but i will have to check the costs.
I also need events i can drive to and back from as I dont have a trailer.

Thanks for the comments.

[quote=DavidMGA1600]
I also need events i can drive to and back from as I dont have a trailer..[/quote]

Not until you fix that flat!