I've always been a fan of motorsport, but never given any credence to the possibility that I may be able to actually compete it in.  That was until I met a guy called Dave Beardsley.  Dave joined the company where I was working and we immediately became firm friends.  Dave it transpired raced a triumph Spitfire in the 750 Motor Club Road Sports race series, and indeed was class champion in the year that we met. Dave filled me in on the approximate costs of racing in club motorsport and it became apparent that competing is not beyond the financial means of mere mortals.  Sure it would be expensive but not impossible, thus a passion was born.

Incidentally Dave and I are still firm friends and He and I often attend track days and race meetings together.

So how do we get on track?

To go racing you need 3 things!

1. A National B race Licence
2. Personal protective gear (An MSA approved helmet, fireproof overalls, gloves, boots, balaclava etc)
3. A racing car

Step 1.  Is acquire a National B Race licence.  Anyone can apply for a race licence, but you must first pass a medical which is performed by your GP.  In addition, a written test and a driving assessment is performed at one of a number of race schools run at many of the major circuits.  This written and driving assessment is known as the "ARDS test"  when you successfully complete all these requirements you can apply to the RAC Motor Sports Association (RACMSA) for a National B licence which entitles you to race in most club motorsport in the UK.

The first step in acquiring a licence is to get the Go Racing pack from the MSA.

I passed my ARDS test at Silverstone and acquired my licence in August 2002

Step 2. Is get the protective gear.   This will typically cost about £800-£1200 and you should spend as much as you can afford.  However £1200 is a big wedge of cash so I have had a list of the required bits available whenever I've been asked "what would you like for Christmas" for the last couple of years.  So I've slowly acquired most of the stuff as Christmas or Birthday presents.  however one of the biggest costs is the 3 layer fireproof Nomex race suit,  and I must thank my mum who bought mine for me.  She basically said "I want you wrapped in the best protective gear..... here's a cheque  go and get the right gear".  Thanks Mum.

Step 3.  Now you need a car to drive.  I've spent a long time looking at how to finance a racing car (which will typically cost 10-15 thousand pounds (eeek!)).  I did consider borrowing some cash to buy a car  but was advised that "you shouldn't race anything you can't afford to lose". Hmmmm

Also you need to decide which car to drive, there are 50+ different track racing formula run in the UK.  Which you compete in is largely a function of your available budget and your interest.  However for me the choice was fairly simple,  Tim Pell has produced the Genesis Evo which races in the 750 Motor Club RGB (Road Going Bike Engined cars) Series. 

I've been and watched a few 750MC meetings, and always been impressed by the camaraderie in the paddock, but unfortunately the Genesis Evo is beyond my means (or so I believed) and I elected to race a Fisher Fury in the 750MC RGB series.

At around this time I had a pivotal meeting with a guy called Tim Hoverd who is good friend and fellow Kit Car builder from near Cambridge.  Tim and I had both built road cars (in fact Tim has built two)  and we've both done several track days.

The main thrust of the conversation was that in the increasingly regulated and congested environment of the public highway, it was becoming more and more difficult to enjoy our high performance kit cars. So we take them to track days to explore their high speed handling characteristics,  unfortunately track days are also highly regulated and overtaking manoeuvres are very strictly controlled, also they tend to be populated by drivers and cars of hugely variable capabilities.  So after you've done a few track days you become increasingly frustrated.  It seems we'd both come to the same conclusion..... "lets go racing."

Tim had also plumped for a Fisher Fury and we spent a very pleasurable day tyre kicking and test driving Furies at the The Kit Car Workshop, and were looking forward to doing parallel Fury builds for the 2004 season.  It was also around this time that I came to the solution to my financing problems  If I'm not going to drive my road going Genesis then why don't I sell it to finance the racer. It will break my heart to sell it but it's the only way to get on the racetrack.

Tim's build site for his Fireblade powered Fury is here at Tim's Fury Build Pages

It was about now that I had a great stroke of luck.

I rang Tim Pell after the last race of the season, to ask him what was the absolute minimum he could sell me a Genesis Evo for.  I'd just buy the components and put them together myself over a couple of years to spread the cost.  To my surprise Tim offered me his spare chassis at a very good price.  The chassis is already fitted with most of the suspension, steering and drive train, but it needs and engine, instruments, brakes and exhaust.

This was chassis no 1,  and was the development platform for the first 2 years racing. Tim's has since redesigned the chassis to aid more rapid production, but fundamentally it is the same as this years model.  Certainly the suspension geometry and drive train are the same.

So next year hopefully, I'll be out racing in the 750 MC RGB series in my own Genesis Evo  and against Tim too!  This site will be regularly updated with my progress towards that goal.