Background

So when the opportunity to get involved with a new race series came up, with the lowest possible costs, I got stuck in before the maths put me off. Here's a brief FAQ list for the race series.

• How did all this start?
  The precursor for this began with Andrew Walsh looking for a cheap, rear wheel drive car for hiring at the CarLimits.com airfield days. One car was suggested (by me) that fitted the bill and that was the BMW E30 - the 3 series from the late 80's. Later, Andrew was thinking about at getting back into racing and after discussing his options with some SELOC members, BMW racing appeared attractive. Many SELOC members, especially those with track day experience were interested in taking part in a low cost motorsport and very quickly the idea developed into a proper race series. Ian Coburn took on the job of doing the regs and we ended up with a series designed by SELOC and run by SEMSEC.

• Why BMW's?
  The E30 is old enough to be cheap to buy and sufficiently well engineered to have lasted well. It's rear wheel drive and 'tail happy' handling appeals to the large numbers of Lotus Elise owners within SELOC.

• What models are allowed?
  Two E30 models are permitted in the regulations, the 318i and 320i. These two models have a very similar power to weight ratio and so provide a wide range of low cost cars. No engine tuning is permitted and the 318i must use the M40 engine, which prohibits the more powerful 318iS.

• When does it start?
  The RaceSpeed SELOC Challenge starts in April 2004. If several cars are ready for racing by September 2003 then they will be able to race as a seperate class in an existing series.

• Where's the racing?
  There are 10 rounds in the series (see calendar). Eight races will be at Lydden Hill near Canterbury in Kent with one race at Croix-en-Ternois, France and another at Brands Hatch. Furthermore, SELOC Challenge cars are an invited class in the prestigious Kumho BMW Championship which gives the opportunity to attend many more races.

• Can I join in?
  In order to compete you must be an active member of SELOC as at 17th April 2003. There are 20 grid slots available. If the series becomes sufficiently over-subscribed then there is the possibility for a second series to be run under the same regulations. For more details on applying for a grid slot visit the SELOC forums.

• How much will it cost?
  Costs for the car itself typically range from £100-1000. Costs for preparing the car with the necessary safety equipment and racing parts are expected to start from £1600 for the parts themselves. Labour costs for fitting these parts range from £200 for only the roll cage to £2000 for everything. The original target costs were £3k for everything you need to go racing and this is achievable for the DIY mechanic.

fourwheels racing © 10-Aug-2003