Z club speed championship

ben240z

ben240z

Club Member
Hows this for an idea. A speed championship held over the course of 1 year. Events will consist of drag race, hillclimb, sprint and autotest. That way there is less chance of picking up damage to the cars from racing contact. Also the costs would be kept down to reasonable amounts. Say there were 4 rounds of the drag race challange. Add to that 4 hillclimbs/sprints and then say 4 autotests. (The autotests I think would have to be set as a Z club only affair as the gates are normally too small for a Z to go through) You then compete in the events throughout the year (but you must do at least 2 of each event) and your best 3 scores count from each discipline towards championship places at the end of the year. Classes could be split easily enough IE modified production (blue book specs) road going modified (restricted to certain mods and tyres and must be road legal) and standard prodution (as it came off the production line).
There would be a registration fee payable to the club to cover the cost of the class trophies (whatever they may be)
lets see how many people would be interested and then if there is enough I will produce the full regs. heres hoping ben
 
Maybe interesting for some but not for others, personally I am only interested in the Z drag race challenge and not hillclimbs sprints etc.. so if it were made mandatory to compete in the other tests I wouldnt bother. Maybe we could make a different group for people who want to compete in all the autotests you describe and keep a category free for those that just want to participate in just the Z drag challenge.
 
I'd be up for it.
Would get my ass kicked trying to get a lardy 300ZX up a hill, but game for giving it a shot :D
 
I'm presuming for sprints, hill climbs etc. that you would need a competition licence and would officially enter a National or Local event? The Drag Challenge is completely open to all on production of a driving licence and is not run on a competitive race basis (yeah, right....). With a competion licence, there would be some suitable classes for some Zs, but it would not be open to all.

Announcement to follow in the next mag, but there are some significant rule changes fo rnext year's Drag Challenge which opens up the possibility of success for all, regardless of horsepower and bank balance. Watch this space...
 
yes you would need a comp licence and then run in whatever events you want to. Other clubs do it on a regular basis IE triumph, ferrari, aston martin, scimitar,mg, lotus and thats just a few. It would involve a bit of money and time and you never know it might involve a bit of fun as well. It would certainly draw attention to the Z club as a sports car club.
 
Whats about a Navagational Rally round. This can be held on public roads with a normal licence and will be more about the intelligence of the driver rather than outright power.
 
I will stand corrected on this one but I think you need a comp licence and also Police and Local Authority approval for a rally of any sort on public roads. You can get away with 12 car events, "treasure hunts" or "road safety rallies" if you're careful.
 
Derek Sulley said:
I will stand corrected on this one but I think you need a comp licence and also Police and Local Authority approval for a rally of any sort on public roads. You can get away with 12 car events, "treasure hunts" or "road safety rallies" if you're careful.
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A Navagational Rally and Treasure hunt are the smae things, as long as its not a timed event your OK. Its normally more of a fun thing so may not be a good idea for this as if you turn it into a competition then different legal rules apply. Porsche Club GB do it every year and it was a great laugh.
 
Would love to have a go at hill climbing,dont know wot class my 260 would be in as it aint normal,just sold my 240 which would have been good for the job
 
For info!

12 car rally, treasure hunt or navigation event has to be organised through a MSA affiliated club, and the route approved by the local route liaison officer for the MSA. Then you can get the necessary permit or "waiver of permit".

If you want to branch out to more significant road rallies, a "non race" competition licence costs the princely sum of £33 and you can even apply on line! You would also need to be a member of an "invited club" for the particular event.

The other thing that you need, more than a fast car, is a competent NAVIGATOR!:rolleyes:
 
300zxmarcus said:
more about the intelligence of the driver rather than outright power.
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That's me out then
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Ben, tempting idea but I think the regs may put off all but the serious competitor. I would need to know more about mods and expense.

As Mike says the drag challenge just requires a road car and there is little chance of body damage (car or driver). Track days are similar because they are untimed, officially.
 
Right a brief outline of sprints and hillclimbs, etc. for the uninitiated.

Sprints require a Non race competition licence as already stated at about £33. You can compete in a completely unmodified road car if you wish. You compete against the clock and usually on your own-at places like Goodwood it is normal to run 4 cars at a time but separated by 30 seconds or so . It is therefore less dangerous than a track day 'cause if you go off you only have yourself to blame.

Venues vary from North Weald- a bit less interesting than somewhere like Brands but cheaper and with less to hit, to circuits like Lydden and Brands which are more expense, difficult to get an entry for and have nasty Armco to hit but do allow you to have a thrash around a circuit.

Hill climbs are basically a sprint where the finish is higher than the start. The problem is usually the adjacent scenery which is again all too easy to hit.

Autotests.
I am assuming we would be talking grass and not tarmac which can wreck tyres and transmissions. For this you have a nice large flat field with a load of cones which you have to drive around in a set route in the shortest possible time-of course this is easier said than done when you are in the middle of handbrake turning around a cone trying to remember which way to go next.

12 cars and scatter rallies are held on public roads and differ mainly in that a 12 car runs to a prescribed route where the scatter has no set route. Both rely on a number of clues to points on a map.

For sprints I may be able to arrange an invite to North Weald as the Motor Club I belong to organises a couple there each year.

To organise autotests and 12 cars the club needs to be affiliated to the MSA (used to be but don't know if this is still the case.) Once affiiated you apply for the requisite permits draft some regs and away you go. And yes you do have to have the permits to protect the drivers and club from possible prosecution.

Both 12 cars and autotests only require a club membership card so no competition licence is required.

If anyone wants to know more or has any specific questions ask, and I will try and answer them.
 
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I'd be up for anything like this, I'll be doing the Drag Challenge anyway but I'd support any other comp's aswell (preferable low risk but..) :)
 
Ok a little more info on sprinting re costs

Apart from the cost of the licence you will need an approved set of fireproof overalls and an approved crash helmet. These need care in selecting as they have to be to the correct standards. You don't have to spend a fortune, it should be possible to kit yourself out for £150 or less and they will last several seasons at least.

Entry fees will be between about £45 for a venue like North Weald to up to approx £120 for somewhere like Brands (mostly down to hire cost differences) There will also be the costs for petrol etc getting to the venue.

The car will need to be in good condition with nothing loose. The battery will need to be secure and you may need to mark the negative terminal with tape.

If you enter road going classes you will need to produce MOT and insurance docs and it obviously needs to be taxed.

The car will be sound checked so very load exhausts could be a problem.

Tyres need to be in good condition and from the appropriate list for road going.

Modifications to the car may alter the class it runs in but there is usually a class to suit pretty much anything.

Again any specific questions please ask
 
im up for the drag challenge, is there a section for women drivers ( just got to learn to wheel spin first lol):) :Z32:
 
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