Racing/testing at Mondello Park

Bugatti

I completed the Mondello Racing School a few weeks back and unsurprisingly I loved it! Anyways I've been toying around with the idea of buying/renting a race car. I think it'd be either a Vee, Stryker or Global GT Lights that I'd try and get. But its so expensive that I dont want to just rush into it without knowing if I'd actually be able to compete. I'd like to try and test one first!

I see Mondello have a car testing day in July. Would I be able to hire one of the above cars and take part in that test? In terms of motorsport licence and equipment, what would I require? Also anyone know roughly how much it'd cost to rent a car for a test?

Or if people have any other suggestions for getting involved I'm open to ideas!!

recyclebin

I'm nearly sure you need a motorsport licence to do any testing. You do for the Vee anyway. The licence involves a day long course that costs around €250. The licence itself will then be €40.

Once you have these you could get a lend of overalls and helmet for a test day. There are guys that will rent cars for test days and races.

There is testing on today in Mondello and racing on all this weekend if you wanted to drop down and talk to people.

I race Vees. There are a few to rent or buy on the Formula Vee website.

http://formulavee.ie/?page_id=16

recyclebin

We should create a sticky in this forum about how to get into motorsport to help out all the guys that are interested but do not know where to start.

Maybe a mod could do it.

djimi

recyclebin wrote: »

I'm nearly sure you need a motorsport licence to do any testing. You do for the Vee anyway. The licence involves a day long course that costs around €250. The licence itself will then be €40.

Do you have to have a car to get a racing license, or can you hire one on the day? Id never use it but Id love to have the license anyway!

Drummerboy08

You do your test in a Mondello car so you dont need your own. You do need to renew your licence every year to keep it current tho, think its €80 per year at the minute.

recyclebin

Forgot to mention you need a medical cert from your doctor to get the licence so that's probably another €50.

The medical cert is only valid for two years.

djimi

Hmmm, if I have a space few hundred quid I might do it for the craic!

Rather tempted by one of those Formula Vee cars actually. My chonic lack of mechanical skills though would render the car useless the first time it needed an oil change...

recyclebin

I recently moved to, and work in Mayo where I've no where to store or work on the Vee so I pay a guy to run me for the year. He stores the car and brings it to the tracks and fixes it when I crash or break it!

Get's expensive if you pay someone to run you but at least you get to concentrate on the racing.

ScumLord

Is the Irish racing license a european one? Or does each country have it's own license that only works in the country of origin?

My mother lives in Spain and I'm wondering could I go for the license there and use it throughout Europe, or is that a whole other level of licensing?

ScumLord

LIGHTNING wrote: »

No its an Irish one until you get enough race finished to upgrade to an International one. You can race in the UK as the events are normally run under MI rules.

I kind of suspected. It's not like the Irish one is expensive for what you get anyway, I was just wondering.

djimi

What kind of money would you be looking at to have someone look after a car for you out of interest? And in general, what kind of ballpark figure do they cost to keep them going?

antodeco

I'm sure if there were 2 or 3 people interested, we could all put some.money in and try get a little team going? I'd definitely be interested in that!

Got my race experience voucher last week, so have to book it and get the goo back for racing

Zcott

antodeco wrote: »

I'm sure if there were 2 or 3 people interested, we could all put some.money in and try get a little team going? I'd definitely be interested in that!

Got my race experience voucher last week, so have to book it and get the goo back for racing

I have one of those vouchers as well that needs used up...boards race meeting?

antodeco

I've to ring them tomorrow to see when the next free date is. It's only for the Level 1!

swarlb

ScumLord wrote: »

Is the Irish racing license a european one? Or does each country have it's own license that only works in the country of origin?

My mother lives in Spain and I'm wondering could I go for the license there and use it throughout Europe, or is that a whole other level of licensing?

An Irish racing licence is sanctioned by the FIA which is a worldwide governing body. Any event, anywhere, that is run under FIA rules, will, and has to, accept an FIA issued licence.
You only need an International licence if the event is run as an International event, as opposed to a National event. Your average car race is usually run under National rules, professional events, such as the WTTC would be run to an International standard.
I've raced all over Europe on an Irish National A licence. There has never been an issue where it has been refused.
Each country has its own governing body MI for Ireland, MSA for the UK and so on.

antodeco

Zcott wrote: »

I have one of those vouchers as well that needs used up...boards race meeting?

I'm off to Mondello tomorrow for the race experience. You book yours yet?

Zcott

antodeco wrote: »

I'm off to Mondello tomorrow for the race experience. You book yours yet?

Not yet, but it'll probably be in the next few weeks. How often are they run?

antodeco

Zcott wrote: »

Not yet, but it'll probably be in the next few weeks. How often are they run?

I'm not sure, but I managed to get offered 2 places within 3 weeks of each other.

Timmaay

You don't need a licence to test up in Kirkistown? I'm toying with the idea of renting a Sheane for the testing day at the end of August up there.

Zcott

antodeco wrote: »

I'm not sure, but I managed to get offered 2 places within 3 weeks of each other.

How'd you get on?

BarryM3

I'm pretty sure you don't need a race license to test at Mondello

Call Mondello on 045-860200 to be sure

swarlb

BarryM3 wrote: »

I'm pretty sure you don't need a race license to test at Mondello

Call Mondello on 045-860200 to be sure

Maybe I'm missing something here, but why would you want to test a racing car, but not want a license. Would the point not be to race the car ???

Drummerboy08

swarlb wrote: »

Maybe I'm missing something here, but why would you want to test a racing car, but not want a license. Would the point not be to race the car ???

I think the point is to get a day in a proper race car to find out if its for you or not.

Drummerboy08

LIGHTNING wrote: »

If you do the license day you get to drive a race prepped Mazda 3, while its no rocket ship it gives you the right idea.

Yeah but I'd rather spend 300 quid on a test day and get a full day out of it than on the license day and get 15 minutes in a mazda.

Granted the test day will cost more when rental/fuel etc is factored in.

Good result at the weekend btw!

BarryM3

swarlb wrote: »

Maybe I'm missing something here, but why would you want to test a racing car, but not want a license. Would the point not be to race the car ???

OP asked did you need a race licence to test a car. Was merely answering that question..

Timmaay

BarryM3 wrote: »

OP asked did you need a race licence to test a car. Was merely answering that question..

Yeh what I was told was that I'd need an msi licence if I'm to part take in any of the test days for racing cars in mondello, but up north it's different rules. I don't want to race this year.

antodeco

Zcott wrote: »

How'd you get on?

Driving the Mazda 3 was poss easy. Managed to overtake everyone by the end of the laps.

The Sheane annoyed me. Couldn't get the gears right. So annoyed from it. I'd love to go back and just drive the Sheanes for a few laps on their own.

Zcott

I've mine booked for the 31st August, can't wait!

antodeco

LIGHTNING wrote: »

You panicked! The gear linkage on the schools cars is one of the nicest actions I have used in a race car. Ray in the garage did a cracking job as the original shifting action wasn`t great. I always tell my students to take there time with the shift it should just be a flick of the wrist.

Ah it was my fault! Just couldn't get it. I left disappointed (in myself) from it, because in the lap I did get it right, I caught up on loads of people.

challengemaster

antodeco wrote: »

Driving the Mazda 3 was poss easy. Managed to overtake everyone by the end of the laps.

The Sheane annoyed me. Couldn't get the gears right. So annoyed from it. I'd love to go back and just drive the Sheanes for a few laps on their own.

You're not alone! Found them finnicky myself when I did it a few years ago.

the culture of deference

yea me too, i did clubman a few years ago, the 4th to 3rd gear change into the chicane was a pain, 3rd and 5th were too close.

anyone interested in going to the uk next year to do an F1 drive?

the culture of deference

LIGHTNING wrote: »

You lads have been spoiled with DSG gearboxes and paddle shifts :pac: I`d hate to see you drive a car where you have to heal-toe to change gear

Heel toe is easy compared to shifting on upper right hand side where 3rd and 5th are 5 mm apart :pac:

Zcott

Just back from doing a race experience, some craic! The Mazdas were very easy, but the Sheenes were a bit trickier. Locked the rears a few times and once had a good 360 over the gravel at the chicane. Worth doing!