Race your Midas

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Race your Midas

Postby ACourtney » Fri Jan 16, 2015 9:18 pm

The main reason why nobody has raced a Midas on the circuits of Great Britain has been the lack of a category that would allow us in.
The kit car racing regulations have been written around Lotus 7 replicas. Historic racing series have decided that historic cars were made before 1969 and even "Classic sports cars" were made before 1981 (when coincidentally BL closed the MG factory at Abingdon).

However, the Classic Sports Car Club has a series for "Future Classics - Catering for Sports, Saloons and GT cars (with doors) from the 1970s and 1980s."
So that is a category for just about anything built between 1970 and 1989, except Lotus 7 replicas and other track oriented sports cars.

During my visit to Autosport International last Friday I spoke to David Smitheram, the Director of the CSCC, and asked whether any Midas built between those dates would be eligible. He wanted to discuss it with the series co-ordinator, Nigel Gribbens, first and I'm pleased to say that he contacted me today to say that any Midas built before the end of 1989 would be welcome.

Quoting directly from the CSCC website:
"The class structure is based on engine capacity to encourage competitive racing through the field and give everyone something to race for.
Cars are battling all down the field and provide great entertainment – spectators can watch their favourite “retros” being driven in spectacular fashion! Driving Standards are strictly policed."

So while a Midas is never going to be the fastest thing out there, you might at least stand a good chance in the upto 1600cc class, especially when you consider what else might be in the sub 1600cc class.

"Following the standard CSCC series format the races are run over forty minutes and include a mandatory pit-stop, so that two drivers may share a car and costs.
Two drivers may enter as a team in two cars in order to keep costs down even further for people who don't want to do and pay for more than a 20 minute race or share their car."

In other words, you have a number of ways of approaching the race. One car shared between two drivers halves the costs directly. Two cars and two drivers running as a relay team, reducing wear and tear on each car.
Or even one driver driving one car for forty minutes and making a pit stop (when they will have to get out of their car, run around it and get back in).

Anyone interested should first read the general series regulations - http://www.classicsportscarclub.co.uk/s ... ions_0.pdf

And then contact Nigel Gribbens: nigel@classicsportscarclub.co.uk

I must admit I find the prospect of racing a Midas very interesting, I'm tempted to dust off my old overalls (okay, I know I would need to buy new ones to meet the current regs, but you get the idea ;) )
I wonder what would be faster, a Mk2 or a Mk3 ?
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Re: Race your Midas

Postby Stuart » Fri Jan 16, 2015 9:40 pm

Interesting.

MK2 fastest for sure.
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Re: Race your Midas

Postby kelvink » Fri Jan 16, 2015 10:35 pm

Excellent! I really like the team thing too 8-)

I think this could well be for me anyone else interested ???????
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Re: Race your Midas

Postby DavidL » Fri Jan 16, 2015 11:32 pm

If I remember correctly, a Mark 2 is lighter than a Mark 3, so for a given engine spec, I'd also expect the Mark 2 to be faster (assuming equal braking performance too).

Would aerodynamics come into it?
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Re: Race your Midas

Postby kelvink » Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:16 pm

Just to wet people's appetites hopefully I thought I'd post a video here of some old racing Minis .....

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=864618643596449
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Re: Race your Midas

Postby benofbrum » Tue Feb 03, 2015 12:25 am

Great video, Kelvin. beats formula 1
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Re: Race your Midas

Postby Geoff Butcher » Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:13 pm

A 3-2-3 side by side grid and they failed to run into one another! How different from today...
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Re: Race your Midas

Postby DavidL » Tue Feb 03, 2015 9:43 pm

Geoff Butcher wrote:A 3-2-3 side by side grid and they failed to run into one another! How different from today...

Reminds me of ANY traffic light controlled crossing in Saudi Arabia... :D
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Re: Race your Midas

Postby kelvink » Sun Feb 08, 2015 9:04 am

It seems that at last year's Donnington Complete Kit Car Show there was a couple of these races going on and I had actually been watching it. It was one of the aspects to the show that had made the trip from Dorset all the more worth while in my book as the racing in this had made really good watching. It was a good mix of cars which had clearly a pit stop included and as it turned out this had allowed teams of two drivers take part in shared cars. It seems to me to be an ideal opportunity to do some proper racing that seems to be friendly, fun and relatively safe too at not too bad a price which to my mind gives a really good value for the pound per fun factor.

Soooooo here's a bit more on what's involved if you haven't had a look at the website and read up on this particular series...

The Classic Sports Car Club organises friendly club racing with an emphasis on great value for money and high driving standards. We drive at the best circuits in the UK and abroad. Whether you are a racing novice or you have experience with another racing club, you shouldn’t need convincing that racing cars on a track with other enthusiasts is one of the most exciting pastimes you might ever do.

What makes the CSCC different from other racing clubs?
We are a club first and a business second. Our committee is made up of experienced racers and officials and ensures that we provide our club members with the best possible racing experience at sensible costs. Strictly enforced driving standards – no-one wants to spend money on panel repairs Beginner friendly with a new driver ‘buddy’ system to help you through your first race meeting. With the exception of the Special Saloons and Modsports Series we have longer 40 minute or one hour races with a mandatory pit stop and 20 to 30 minute qualifying/practice sessions on the same day. Entries may be either single drivers, two drivers sharing a single car or a two car team (all at the same race entry fee). An overall winners penalty helps reduce the likelihood of the same car dominating at every round. Freedom of choice when it comes to tyres (from the MSA list 1A or 1B) and some other modifications. We allow a “Taster” round where the registration fee will be waived for the first round.

How much will it cost?
Well, Motor Racing is never cheap, but the club makes the track time you receive great value. The initial equipment costs can be quite high, but once bought the ongoing costs can be very reasonable. We have members who race on a shoestring and may only compete in one or two rounds a year, sleeping in their car/tent/ van/aunties house with no testing time, whilst other members stay in hotels and have a race team to look after them. We embrace every type of racer, as long as they are here to have fun. If you have been taking part in trackdays or sprinting and hill climbing then the costs to race are not too dissimilar once you have actually bought the mandatory safety equipment for yourself and your car. The cheapest way of racing with us is to share a car with a friend and so sharing the costs. Choose the CSCC races meetings which take place nearest to you, drive your road legal car to the circuit, camp overnight, qualify and race and drive home again afterwards! Doing this may cost each driver as little as £250 per event even taking into account the race entry fee, petrol and a bacon roll or two.

Choice of car and car safety
Your choice of car is a very personal one and is likely to come down to budget, what you may already own or what you are interested In. Most choose to buy their car outright or share the car with a friend (halving the costs), but you can also rent a racing car on a race by race basis from a number of teams that race with the CSCC. Take a look at our different series and their simple regulations to see where a particular car may fit in. An existing race car is usually the cheapest way of starting out, with a selection of cars starting from just £2000. Contact the CSCC club office who may be able to advise you of a cars suitability and eligibility. Before thinking of how to make a car go faster you must first make sure it is safe for competition. The MSA Blue Book (which you will receive as part of your racing licence application) is your bible when it comes to the safety requirements of a racing car. In brief, to turn a road car into a racing car you will need to fit a fire extinguisher, racing seat, harnesses, roll cage, electrical cut off, relevant stickers (including a novice cross) and a transponder so that each racing lap you complete is counted and timed. After this it is generally accepted that improvements to the brakes, suspension, cooling, tyres and most importantly the drivers skills (!) should come before increasing power.

Driver safety
In addition to the safety equipment your car needs to have you must also invest in suitable clothing, again the MSA Blue Book is your guide here. The CSCC has a discount directory which is sent to members, helping them to save money on equipment. As a minimum you require a suitable MSA helmet, FIA fireproof overalls, gloves and boots. It is recommended that you also consider fireproof underwear, a HANS device and wrist restraints in open cars. Once bought, many of these items will last many years if well looked after.

Racing licence
To compete in a race you must hold a valid racing licence. To get one of these is both fun and straightforward. Visit the MSA website, purchase a ‘Go Racing’ pack for £95, take a medical, book an ‘ARDS’ course with a race circuit where you take (and hopefully pass) a practical and theory test and send off for your license (first years licence fee included). Your first racing licence will be a Race National B which is fine for all of the CSCC UK rounds. To be able to race with us in Belgium at our Spa Summer Classic event requires a Race National A licence; to get this requires you to gain six race signatures, by successfully racing in different events. A days marshalling also gains you a signature, is well recommended and saves you money. Alternatively, if you would like to get involved in the action but don’t fancy racing why not volunteer to marshal with us? It’s the closest you can get to the action without sitting in the drivers seat. Marshalling is for anybody who is interested in and wants to be involved in motorsport. You don’t need any special skills or qualifications to start, just common sense and a reasonably developed sense of self-preservation. You will have a great day out as one of the ‘Angels in Orange’ and even get some money towards your lunch.

Please contact the Classic Sports Car Club for any advice or help about how to get started.


So who else is interested? I'm going to go along to an event and take another look and have a chat with some of the entrants.
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Re: Race your Midas

Postby stevew » Wed Apr 15, 2015 2:32 pm

Sounds interesting, though know I'll be at least a year or 2 away from joining in something like this. I’m very keen to follow how making and fitting the roll-cage will be achieved as this is on my list of things to do (someday).
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