What to do with Street Racers

goz83

What is your opinion of street racers? Let them get on with it, or get them off the road?

There are plenty of youtube videos of these guys (and girls) risking their own lives and the lives of other road users. I see it often on the M50 and less often on national roads, but they don't seem to give a sh1t these days.

I've been known to cross the sharp end of a speed limit now and again, but this lark is just crazy. Makes you wonder how many deaths are caused by this carry on and I wonder should street racers have their license shredded in front of them and replaced with a hefty fine and impounding their cars?

challengemaster

Take a leaf from the americans book. Every fortnight or month, close down a section of motorway between two junctions at night for a few hours (for minimal disruption). Let them all come and play, charge maybe €5-10 entry so it's not a complete piss take, get it out of their system.

CiniO

Depends what you exactly mean?

If they are lads racing in traffic endangering other people then definitely this should be stopped.

If they are just racing between themselves on empty roads without any other traffic, or training vehicle control on big empty parkings, or possibly trying some rallying on bendy forrest roads without any other traffic - I can't see anything wrong with it.

endacl

challengemaster wrote: »

Take a leaf from the americans book. Every fortnight or month, close down a section of motorway between two junctions at night for a few hours (for minimal disruption). Let them all come and play, charge maybe €5-10 entry so it's not a complete piss take, get it out of their system.

That sounds to me like giving in to actingthebollixology.

Nah. Take the cars off them, crush the cars, send them the bill and a picture of the crushed car, so they know what it is they are paying for. If they complain, send them a picture of a road fatality, so they know what they're really paying for. Add enough points to the licence, to make them not want to make a single mistake for three years.

If they want to race, there are already facilities available, and its not like they don't have transport to get to Mondello or elsewhere.

endacl

CiniO wrote: »

Depends what you exactly mean?

If they are lads racing in traffic endangering other people then definitely this should be stopped.

If they are just racing between themselves on empty roads without any other traffic, or training vehicle control on big empty parkings, or possibly trying some rallying on bendy forrest roads without any other traffic - I can't see anything wrong with it.

How do they guarantee, and I mean absolutely guarantee, that there's nobody else out either walking, cycling, running, skating, or driving on those 'empty' roads...?

CiniO

endacl wrote: »

How do they guarantee, and I mean absolutely guarantee, that there's nobody else out either walking, cycling, running, skating, or driving on those 'empty' roads...?

That's their problem.

If there is absolutely no one, even if they might be doing something illegal they won't get prosecuted, because as there is no one, there won't be anyone to prosecute them.

I've spend a huge amount of time in very rural places, usually forest tracks and narrow forest roads, practicing vehicle control. This was usually during the winter with plenty of snow in the middle of the night.
You are hardly any likely to encounter any walkers, cyclists, runners or skaters in such conditions, and I never did.
But I've learned a lot about controlling vehicle.

And even though I'm over 30 now, I still keep doing it.

Also in my home city (in Poland) local supermarket has a huge parking, which is always completely empty at night, and in the winter when it's all covered in snow, there's plenty of drivers coming over to practice skidding and vehicle control over there.
It's far enough from any houses to inconveniance people by noise, and I can't remember anytime police bothering us for doing that.

thecomedian

CiniO wrote: »

That's their problem.

If there is absolutely no one, even if they might be doing something illegal they won't get prosecuted, because as there is no one, there won't be anyone to prosecute them.

I've spend a huge amount of time in very rural places, usually forest tracks and narrow forest roads, practicing vehicle control. This was usually during the winter with plenty of snow in the middle of the night.
You are hardly any likely to encounter any walkers, cyclists, runners or skaters in such conditions, and I never did.
But I've learned a lot about controlling vehicle.

And even though I'm over 30 now, I still keep doing it.

Also in my home city (in Poland) local supermarket has a huge parking, which is always completely empty at night, and in the winter when it's all covered in snow, there's plenty of drivers coming over to practice skidding and vehicle control over there.
It's far enough from any houses to inconveniance people by noise, and I can't remember anytime police bothering us for doing that.

On a public road you're asking for trouble. All it takes is for one person to be out and their life and yours is ruined forever.

Guy:Incognito

So we're letting the aul lads down the country have a few pints and drive home because sure the roads are empty anyway and also saying its ok for these lads to go rallying at night because sure arent the roads empty. Maybe let the kids loose too to practice street luge, sure arnt the roads empty anyway.

dodderangler

I done it and was big into jap cars.
Biggest problem was there was nowhere for us to race them. I never done it in traffic or anywhere but used to meet up in ballyfermot in industrial estates on Sundays when there was no other cars about.
Breaking the law. Yes
But we had nowhere else to go.
Motocross lads have tracks for their bikes.
Super bikes have tracks.
But what about performance cars?
We had nowhere but mondello and its expensive. Very expensive.
I'd have gladly payed 10-20 quid to race on a closed road for one night a week or one every fortnight.
Gave it all up because I had nowhere to race my car or let it loose.
I do agree though that there is a lot of irresponsible idiots in performance cars that make the cars look really bad and are causing crashes and deaths every year. But most lads I knew that had them respected their cars and other road users. Just idiots giving them bad names.

dodderangler

Also I think another part should be added to the poll.
How bout give them a track or straight 1/4 mile strip to race and charge them to use it every sat and Sunday or fortnight?

Guy:Incognito

dodderangler wrote: »

Also I think another part should be added to the poll.
How bout give them a track or straight 1/4 mile strip to race and charge them to use it every sat and Sunday or fortnight?

Give them? How about they go buy or build one?
The world doesnt owe people a place to race their cars and obviously no one thinks its worth the outlay to provide the service at a price you think is ok.

dodderangler

Guy:Incognito wrote: »

Give them? How about they go buy or build one?
The world doesnt owe people a place to race their cars and obviously no one thinks its worth the outlay to provide the service.

Hold on.
I've heard of plenty of places around Ireland were young lads that skateboard or rollerblade got petitions signed by public and parks were built. Naas I think are building or gonna build one.
Surely same can be done to keep young lads from racing and killing each other on main roads.

Dartz

Noise complaints from NIMBY's will nix everything. And anything

wandatowell

From a practical point of view wouldn't there have to be some insurance paid for by the council if they were to close off roads?

toastedpickles

dodderangler wrote: »

Hold on.
I've heard of plenty of places around Ireland were young lads that skateboard or rollerblade got petitions signed by public and parks were built. Naas I think are building or gonna build one.
Surely same can be done to keep young lads from racing and killing each other on main roads.

I was one of the guys spearheading that and it never happened, kept getting told "we're looking for a suitable location" when we basically handed them loads of places on a silver platter

In an ideal world people would petition to have something like that made, get it made and all is well, but you'l always have people who want to kick up a fuss because

The cars are too noisy
It attracts unwanted company to their great area
There's no need for it
And so on

Zambia

You can't stop this behaviour , you can still try and limit it. Impounding of cars for hoon offences are common here. Cars can be impounded for 30 days to 90 days and even forfeited to the state.

All costs are charged to the driver.

We still have hoon driving but the offenders know the risks. No matter what you build or implement there are always those who abuse the public road.

darragh o meara

dodderangler wrote: »

Hold on.
I've heard of plenty of places around Ireland were young lads that skateboard or rollerblade got petitions signed by public and parks were built. Naas I think are building or gonna build one.
Surely same can be done to keep young lads from racing and killing each other on main roads.

Skateboarding and Bmx very rarely kills people, in fact I've never heard of someone been killed on either!! Whereas cars can kill, also where do you think a council will get insurance to let lads race around this race track??

As someone who has had more than his share of fast cars over the years and spent many years rallying, I learned very quickly that racing cars in public places is extremely dangerous and the most stupid thing anyone could do. One chap I know told me before that he had spent thousands doing up his type r civic with this that and everything and a beautiful car it was too. When I asked him why he had out so much into the engine his reply was to "race other lads". I then asked him about safety mods he had made to the car and he told me "Stuff like that only slows you down" That same lad now drives an almight beast of a yoke nowadays..... An electric wheelchair!! And all because he hit an unexpected bump in the road in one if his races and careered off the road and straight into the path of an innocent woman on her way home from the shops with her 2 year old daughter in the back. Now there are 2 lives ruined, yet man who is paralysed from above the waist, can't do anything for himself and a girl who was injured and will probably relive that crash everytime she sits into her car.

Racing on the roads is so dangerous that anyone caught at it should be instantly put off the road and their ars crushed.. Zero tolerance is the only option for this kind if behaviour plain and simple.

Rallying, drifting, hot rod racing and track racing all cater for people's need for speed in a well controlled environment with very high safety standards. It's not gonna make you death proof but you have a hell of a lot more chances of surviving a 125 mph head on collision with a wall in a rally car than in a road car and I myself am living proof of this. Yes in the past few years we have lost some great rally drivers and navigators in Europe from accidents but how many more are killed from "racing" on public roads? A hell of a lot more thats for sure!!

Someone posted earlier that they should have a place to drive their modified cars to their full potential ( or something to that effect ) why should you?? So you can endanger yourself and others?? Just because a road looks empty doesn't mean that it is.... If you have a need for speed then buy a rally car, hot rod or racing car and spend your money on that!! At least you'll be able to drive that to the best of your ability and should it all go horribly wrong which it sometimes does, you may even live to see another day. Plus to get a licence for most of these forms of motorsport you need to do a days instruction where you'll learn the basics of car control and set you up with the basics. How many people with big Bhp cars would know how to handle it if it suddenly decided to take off? I know when my first big Bhp took off at speed I very nearly lost it ( and I had a few years rallying behind me too )

My final words are:

KEEP THE RACE IN ITS PLACE

endacl

dodderangler wrote: »

Hold on.
I've heard of plenty of places around Ireland were young lads that skateboard or rollerblade got petitions signed by public and parks were built. Naas I think are building or gonna build one.
Surely same can be done to keep young lads from racing and killing each other on main roads.

There's a world of difference between a public amenity for kids and a track for adults. And you know that.

cpoh1

What To Do With Street Racers?

Take their fast and the furious DVD's off them.

djimi

CiniO wrote: »

You are hardly any likely to encounter any walkers, cyclists, runners or skaters in such conditions, and I never did.

It only takes one, and eventually you will meet one. Buts that an acceptable risk to take I suppose, because youve had your fun, and thats all that matters.

cpoh1

How many people are dying on the roads every year because of street racing or fooling around on the roads?

How many are aged between 18-25? How many are male? How many are driving "boy racer" cars?

Although the RSA focus predominantly on this demographic and aligns 90% of their road safety campaigns on this target audience, the stats for road fatalities show a different story.

We have bigger problems on our roads that needs immediate addressing - poor conditions and deesign of the roads (a major factor in road fatalities), regulation of our learner permit drivers, drink driving, older drivers and policing of poor driving behaviour and not just revenue earners like tax and speeding by the gardai.

Viper_JB

darragh o meara wrote: »

KEEP THE RACE IN ITS PLACE

Great post, my opening and closing statement, MAKE MORE RACE PLACES !

They'd make a fortune and at least let them get it out of their systems in a controlled environment.

djimi

Viper_JB wrote: »

They'd make a fortune and at least let them get it out of their systems in a controlled environment.

Theres a track day in Mondello most bank holiday weekends where you can go and race the bollox out of your car to your hearts content.

YbFocus

Viper_JB wrote: »

Great post, my opening and closing statement, MAKE MORE RACE PLACES !

They'd make a fortune and at least let them get it out of their systems in a controlled environment.

Mondello is currently hanging on by the skin of its teeth, they can go do track days regularly if they want but they don't.
More tracks will mean that they'll close each other from lack of business!
A lot of iti think is got to do with being seen racing about the place or whatever.

Victor Meldrew

challengemaster wrote: »

Take a leaf from the americans book. Every fortnight or month, close down a section of motorway between two junctions at night for a few hours (for minimal disruption). Let them all come and play, charge maybe €5-10 entry so it's not a complete piss take, get it out of their system.

I remember driving back from Donegal 12 years ago, a Motorcycle Rally had just ended and bikers were heading back to various bits of the country.

The way bikes over took me was hair raising. I'm no expert, but you are not meant to steer a bike with your feet whilst overtaking on a Donegal boreen.

And that is the issue, I've seen the same thing around car rallies (donegal again...) where every idiot with a fart-can exhaust and a sticker of the 'ring on his tailgate acts the eegit. you are concentrating the carnage coming to and going from these events.

cpoh1

YbFocus wrote: »

Mondello is currently hanging on by the skin of its teeth, they can go do track days regularly if they want but they don't.
More tracks will mean that they'll close each other from lack of business!
A lot of iti think is got to do with being seen racing about the place or whatever.

Its got more to do with the cost and location of tracks. Mondello is around 3times more expensive than far superior tracks in the uk for half and full day passes. Combine that with getting there (at least 2 hours from Galway/limerick/Cork/Kerry - all big car community areas) and its not an attractive option. Rosegreen and Watergrasshill are not worth driving around in anything but a kart.


So no its got nothing to do with being "seen racing" :rolleyes:

conor2469

They should just spend a few hundred on a ****box and go multivenue auto testing.
It is a nice budget motorsport option; It is safe, improves driving skill and looks alot more entertaining than dragging a type R Civic down a dead straight dual carraigeway at 2am.

Taylor365

YbFocus wrote: »

Mondello is currently hanging on by the skin of its teeth, they can go do track days regularly if they want but they don't.
More tracks will mean that they'll close each other from lack of business!
A lot of iti think is got to do with being seen racing about the place or whatever.

More like taking a turn too sharp and oil being forced to one side of the engine, starving the other side and hello detonation!

I'd be too paranoid to race around Mondello. A straight track would be nice.

Always wondered would it A) Be feasible and Be possible (Insurance, safety, law).

Wibbs

djimi wrote: »

It only takes one, and eventually you will meet one.

Yep. Way back in the day when I was 18 I was hooning it up on one such forest road. I was 18 so, y'know. Thought I was Fangio, as you do. Anyway I came across this crest in the road and something told me slow down. I've no idea why as I'd not spared the horses up to that. Lucky I did as on the other side of that crest was a couple with two young kids on their bikes and the kids weren't exactly in the verge. I would have mowed them down if I hadn't backed off. Cold sweats time and I drove home at five miles an hour. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Now as this was back in the day, my car had 90Bhp on a very good day with a wind behind it, which is tiny power these days. Some yokes young drivers are in these days would have that in the starter motor Plus traffic volume was noticeably lower back then.

cpoh1 wrote: »

How many people are dying on the roads every year because of street racing or fooling around on the roads?

How many are aged between 18-25? How many are male? How many are driving "boy racer" cars?

Although the RSA focus predominantly on this demographic and aligns 90% of their road safety campaigns on this target audience, the stats for road fatalities show a different story.

+1. While the "boy racers" are an obvious target and meme in the public mind, I can't recall a single horrible fatality on the news where an example of the boy racer type car was involved. Never saw Scooby turbos or Type R's or Evos etc. Clearly this type of car does end up in the stats like in darragh o meara's example above, but I'd bet the farm it's a small percentage and most of the time it's an ordinary everyday family type car involved.

Wibbs

Taylor365 wrote: »

More like taking a turn too sharp and oil being forced to one side of the engine, starving the other side and hello detonation!

Baffled sump sorts that.

Drummerboy08

Are we talking about the middle aged driver in a 5 series weaving in and out of traffic racing a clock to get home on a Friday evening, or a young fella in a Civic?

I do quite a lot of mileage, at all times of the day and it's very rare I witness two modified cars being raced.

I tend to see more experienced drivers in normal run of the mill cars performing very silly and dangerous manouvers on roads, which imo is a more serious problem.

Of the 5 fatalities on Irish roads this weekend (that I know of) only 2 were in their twenties. One was a 4 year old girl, and the others were in their 50's. RIP to those involved.

To say it's young people causing carnage on our roads and young people only is simply passing the buck. The standard of driving I see from people who should really know better is shocking, and this is a much bigger issue we need to face before we look at a very small number of "racers".

By the way, a Track day in Mondello usually costs less than two hundred quid, so if you do want to drive your car hard, it's hardly expensive. It's widely regarded as one of three best circuits in the UK and Ireland, it's fairly central to everywhere and is rum professionally. Stop using a few quid as an excuse to not to do it, it isn't expensive.

djimi

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

I do quite a lot of mileage, at all times of the day and it's very rare I witness two modified cars being raced.

I agree with you that you dont see too many cars actually racing (Ive seen it a few times but its not exactly common). What I do get quite a bit though is dickheads who see my Integra and assume that I want to race them. I had one prat overtake me going through a village by going past me the wrong way around a roundabout, then cutting in right in front of me and blasting off down the road. You get lads in ****box Starlets etc running up your arse the whole time. I presume its the car that attracts them, and obviously they do get a race of someone if they are prepared to keep trying it. These are the kind of idiots that need to taken off the road.

cpoh1

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

By the way, a Track day in Mondello usually costs less than two hundred quid, so if you do want to drive your car hard, it's hardly expensive. It's widely regarded as one of three best circuits in the UK and Ireland, it's fairly central to everywhere and is rum professionally. Stop using a few quid as an excuse to not to do it, it isn't expensive.

Drummerboy the only thing i would take issue with is the comment about Mondello above.

Mondello is not cheap compared to the top UK tracks - Donnington, Castlecombe and Snedderton were all under £100 when I used them a long while ago addmittedly. Ive gone to half a dozen private track days over the years in mondello and they were all over €300 for a full day. If the price has dropped as you say thats definitely a good thing.

My point is that there are comparable and better tracks all readily located within 30mins of the big cities in the uk. If you really want to do a track day and have a car thats not suitable or economical for doing a 4 hour round trip then it makes a huge difference. It was two tanks of fuel getting up and down to mondello alone in my skyline before I trailored it the last few times. Its just not easily accessable for people down south and out west.

Drummerboy08

A full days driving on an open day is usually under €200, think it's €185. A half day is €100.

It's all well and good comparing us to the UK too but remember that Ireland doesn't have the demand or race series to allow a number of tracks survive.

There are two very good tracks in this country, Kirkistown and Mondello, both do track days and both are within a reasonable driving distance.

From taking a very quick look online, most trackdays in the UK start from £200 upwards. Yes there would probably be one closer to you than Mondello, but there is also a much larger demand for it over there.

I'm all for having another circuit in Ireland, but it's been looked at before by big investors and it just can't be made work.

Unfortunately without moving to the UK, you'll have to grin and bear it.

Henry Ford III

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

A full days driving on an open day is usually under €200, think it's €185. A half day is €100.

It's all well and good comparing us to the UK too but remember that Ireland doesn't have the demand or race series to allow a number of tracks survive.

There are two very good tracks in this country, Kirkistown and Mondello, both do track days and both are within a reasonable driving distance.

From taking a very quick look online, most trackdays in the UK start from £200 upwards. Yes there would probably be one closer to you than Mondello, but there is also a much larger demand for it over there.

I'm all for having another circuit in Ireland, but it's been looked at before by big investors and it just can't be made work.

Unfortunately without moving to the UK, you'll have to grin and bear it.

There's an evening session later on today in Cadwell Park for STG£39.00

I've done a few airfield track days, open pit lane, full day for STG£100 at weekendws, and even less midweek.

goz83

Some interesting replies. Just to be clear, i am not talking about a single vehicle weaving through traffic, or speeding on "empty" public roads, which has its own risks. I am talking about street racers. You know....the 2am on the N4 type and especially the lunatics racing eachother on the motorways. In April, i was driving Dublin to Cavan to look at a car and i witnessed a colt and starlet flying past me. I was on the limit myself. The fool in the starlet just missed running into the back of a clio as he tried and failed to undertake the colt. Close call.

I drive a jap car myself but i dont feel a need to race it. Spirited driving sometimes, sure....but nothing to risk anyones life. When i removed the silly over sized spoiler that came with the car, i got less offers to race it :rolleyes:

Edit: €200 for mondello? That is expensive. Thank christ i dont have racing in my blood. Lots of cinema trips there

challengemaster

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

It's all well and good comparing us to the UK too but remember that Ireland doesn't have the demand or race series to allow a number of tracks survive.

I honestly don't think that's true. I think there's less "demand" because of the price. All the people on different modified car sites, and formerly octane didn't all vanish overnight. A staggering amount of people go to caseys drift days or drag days in tullow, and the main reason is because its cheap. There's also a number of drift events held in watergrasshill and pallas karting. Again, I'd imagine the reason for using those venues is price. The demand is there IMO.

You can sing it from the trees until you die from breathlessness, but couple €200 with the other costs to get to/from the track, other expenses like new pads/discs/other wear/tear... you're heading above 4-500 for the day. It's not cheap, and it's certainly not enticing. Particularly when you're trying to encourage people away from going out some backroad which costs them nothing. I'd be willing to bet quite a few people saying suck it up have dodged paying cars motor tax at one point or another.

As for the "Why should anyone give you anything" brigade - as Zambia said, you can't stop this, you can only try control it. You want it off the roads? Provide some damn facilities. When it makes financial sense for someone to do the right thing, they will. There's no shortage of land in the country that could be used for tracks, apart from the fact nobody will get planning permission for any. Gotta love the Irish - Do as I say, not as I do...but NIMBY.

(entire post not aimed at you, db)

cpoh1

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

A full days driving on an open day is usually under €200, think it's €185. A half day is €100.

It's all well and good comparing us to the UK too but remember that Ireland doesn't have the demand or race series to allow a number of tracks survive.

There are two very good tracks in this country, Kirkistown and Mondello, both do track days and both are within a reasonable driving distance.

From taking a very quick look online, most trackdays in the UK start from £200 upwards. Yes there would probably be one closer to you than Mondello, but there is also a much larger demand for it over there.

I'm all for having another circuit in Ireland, but it's been looked at before by big investors and it just can't be made work.

Unfortunately without moving to the UK, you'll have to grin and bear it.

Im not looking for another track or even complaining about the current situation, just explaining why people in the west and south dont travel regularly a couple of hours each way to drive on track. Kirkistown is worse again and would take someone from munster nearly 4 hours to get there. The age im at with kids and work driving is way down my list of priorities these days

goz83 wrote: »

Some interesting replies. Just to be clear, i am not talking about a single vehicle weaving through traffic, or speeding on "empty" public roads, which has its own risks. I am talking about street racers. You know....the 2am on the N4 type and especially the lunatics racing eachother on the motorways. In April, i was driving Dublin to Cavan to look at a car and i witnessed a colt and starlet flying past me. I was on the limit myself. The fool in the starlet just missed running into the back of a clio as he tried and failed to undertake the colt. Close call.

I drive a jap car myself but i dont feel a need to race it. Spirited driving sometimes, sure....but nothing to risk anyones life. When i removed the silly over sized spoiler that came with the car, i got less offers to race it :rolleyes:

Edit: €200 for mondello? That is expensive. Thank christ i dont have racing in my blood. Lots of cinema trips there

Again, how many fatalities are we seeing annually from this? Bigger things to worry about imo.

goz83

cpoh1 wrote: »

Again, how many fatalities are we seeing annually from this? Bigger things to worry about imo.

But the thread is not about other things, it's about this. Lesser issues need discussing too, otherwise boards would only be a forum about the economy and war etc.

cpoh1

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Where are you getting the 400/500 figure from? Pads/Disks? What are you driving a BTCC car? If you are not a clown you can drive to the track do some driving and drive your car home. Make sure you car is in good condition before you do it and you will be fine.

In fairness my costs when i drove to mondello:
Entry for full day: ~€300 (varied depending on numbers)
Fuel including drive up and down: €200
Oil change after: €80

THat didnt include a set of racing pads (mintex m1155's) which lasted around 5 days, or the wear on tyres. Plus you had grub for the day too. This all comes to around €600 for a track day, hardly something you would do monthly now is it?

LIGHTNING wrote: »

We don't have the sheer numbers in this country to have a large number of tracks. And as for Mondello being a rip off try racing over in the UK and see how much the race entries are! Then come back to me about costs!

Open track days and race days are completely different things. Completely agree with you on the noise pollution thing though.

knifey_spoonie

I really don't think Mondello is that expensive when you consider the quality of the facilities you are getting. You have some of the best facilities in UK/Ireland. You go to a trackday you have 8-10 marshals who have to be paid, plus all of the other costs involved in operating to FIA standards, which a lot of tracks in the UK don't operate to.

You also have to consider the fact we have a very small pool of people who are going to use the track so in order to keep it open they have to charge what they charge. They can't charge less and hope for more people as they is not enough people to make that business strategy work.

Also remember that most of the uk tracks are built around old RAF bases, this provided a cheap paved area to start with, where we don't have such a luxury, if we want another track it would have to be built from zero.

I also don't think its fair to compare Mondello to Tullow, you cant compare a fia approved circuit to a multi surface glorified farm track come drag strip. While tullow is great and i see its point, i wouldn't like to have an off there.

Also Motorsport isin't cheap, nor was it ever billed as cheap. Its expensive but in my mind its good value, I've left the track at 80-100MPH and never been injured apart from a bruised ego. TBH if you can't afford the 100 for some track time i don't particularly be on track with the car you have brought to the track day.

cpoh1

LIGHTNING wrote: »

I did a number of days (granted I didn't pay entry) and the car was stock and didn't need any work afterwards the tyres and brakes were fine. Now if your car isn't up to it or you are using very soft compounds you wont need to spend much on bits and bobs. I am not saying its cheap but its not mad money in fact considering how much people spend on drink on a weekend is not far off the cost of track day!

I dont know about you but ive only ever spent €600 on a night out once before, it was in vegas and I cant remember any of it :pac:

Without getting pedantic or dragging things off topic, a set of high temp pads and decent tyres are all key requirements of any track car that doesnt weigh less than 600kgs. Sure you can get away with it but do you really want to?

The key thing here though is that we dont have a track to service the whole of the west and south of the country without serious travel.

Viper_JB

I dunno from a boy racer perspective surely the 300 for the day and what ever on top of that to commute would be prohibitively expensive?

If you wanted to get them off of the main roads it would have to be a cheap and easy to access alternative - but that raises a whole host of other issues, but probably couldn't be realistically done cheaply in this country, with insurance and safety issues. I still think it would help on the roads - if they could get it out on a track.

TouchingVirus

It's €185 for the day, I was only there last Friday doing a morning of training/baby's first track day :pac: It was €300 in the boom years.

Drummerboy08

I've never spent more than the entry cost and fuel to get there in a track day.

If you're roasting a set of pads and tyres in a day then yore doing it wrong - I got three weekends racing out of a set of tyres and pads and still both have plenty of life in them.

djimi

Viper_JB wrote: »

If you wanted to get them off of the main roads it would have to be a cheap and easy to access alternative - but that raises a whole host of other issues, but probably couldn't be realistically done cheaply in this country, with insurance and safety issues. I still think it would help on the roads - if they could get it out on a track.

I know this idea has been brought up many times before; why not give them a field and a banger and let them drive to their hearts content, but as you say realistically its not going to happen (or at least not cheaply) when you take things like insurance/public liability into account.

I have it in my head that someone actually tried it in Dublin some years ago?

cpoh1

Drummerboy08 wrote: »

I've never spent more than the entry cost and fuel to get there in a track day.

If you're roasting a set of pads and tyres in a day then yore doing it wrong - I got three weekends racing out of a set of tyres and pads and still both have plenty of life in them.

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Yup that's what I said!

And thats not what I said! Nobody mentioned changing tyres and pads after every track, only oil (if you have any sympathy for your car).

I went through a set of m1155's after around 5-6 track days back quite a few years ago, I had a set of toyo proxies that went in less time. This was on an R32 GTR skyline weighing around 1700kgs and 380whp after mapping to Irish fuel. Mondello is a very technical track with lots of hard braking and is very heavy on tyres and brakes.

Now if I was driving a light car like a typeR or mx5 on standard pads and tyres im sure they'd be grand on a single day with plenty of stops to cools the brakes. Sure your top speeds and braking forces would be way lower.

Lets compare apples with apples here folks!

KamiKazi

dodderangler wrote: »

I done it and was big into jap cars.
Biggest problem was there was nowhere for us to race them. I never done it in traffic or anywhere but used to meet up in ballyfermot in industrial estates on Sundays when there was no other cars about.
Breaking the law. Yes
But we had nowhere else to go.
Motocross lads have tracks for their bikes.
Super bikes have tracks.
But what about performance cars?
We had nowhere but mondello and its expensive. Very expensive.
I'd have gladly payed 10-20 quid to race on a closed road for one night a week or one every fortnight.
Gave it all up because I had nowhere to race my car or let it loose.
I do agree though that there is a lot of irresponsible idiots in performance cars that make the cars look really bad and are causing crashes and deaths every year. But most lads I knew that had them respected their cars and other road users. Just idiots giving them bad names.

It's expensive because when Vin Diesel wannabes like yourself crash Mondello (or any track) need to have the right people on hand to:

1. Ensure your safety
2. Ensure the safety of everyone else on track.

:rolleyes:

Viper_JB

OSI wrote: »

You could open the track for free and chuck free tyres and brake parts at them all you liked, and you'd still have bellends pulling donuts on the motorways at 3 in the morning and rallying down back roads. It's just who they are. You just have to look at all the community schemes, football and basketball courts etc that are put into poorer areas to see how little affect they have. They work for 2 weeks before the lads get bored again and torch/break/vandalise them.

I know you're right but I WANT A TRACK IN CORK DAGNABIT! :mad:

cpoh1

OSI wrote: »

You could open the track for free and chuck free tyres and brake parts at them all you liked, and you'd still have bellends pulling donuts on the motorways at 3 in the morning and rallying down back roads. It's just who they are. You just have to look at all the community schemes, football and basketball courts etc that are put into poorer areas to see how little affect they have. They work for 2 weeks before the lads get bored again and torch/break/vandalise them.

Nobody has said otherwise that 100 tracks across the country will eliminate all fooling around on the roads.

Its not a problem either way.

cpoh1

LIGHTNING wrote: »

How so? The two guys that flew past me racing down the wrong way on the M50 late at night is certainly a problem.

These clowns think they can drive as they can do 200km/h on a straight road. Its when they exceed there talent limit and they fly off either hitting innocent people or damaging the motorways then its an issue.

How often are these fatalities? All i ever see on the news are the opposite of what you mentioned.

At the end of the day we are talking about a minority within a very small demographic who get up to this - meanwhile there are fatalities weekly with more fundamental issues that can be much more simply corrected.

Its a lot easier to point the finger at "boyracers" and "young fellas", it keeps the attention away frfom everyone else while they carry on with their own brand of sh*t driving.