[Ethan Hunt]

I have created this thread to talk about all things motorsports. Be it racing, preparation of vehicles for racing or anything else related in any capacity.

I know there is a F1 thread here but I haven't noticed any threads on other motorsports.

Are there any fans on other disciplines of motorsport or any race drivers for that mater.

I'm in the process of getting my competitors license.


I've been to a variety of different racing over the years. Moto GP, Formula One, British super bikes, World Superbikes, Formula Renault, Drifitng and Arrive & drive events. Watching amateurs and pros alike racing around various tracks. There must be other fans of racing here on RVF.


Any motorsport racing venue anyone would recommend visiting?


I've been to Silverstone, Donnington Park, Oulton Park, Castle Combe, Thruxton, Goodwood and Sepang circuits throughout the years.

Over the upcoming years I have plans to watch Le Mans, Indy 500, Daytona 500 and visit more tracks around the world.

Most enjoyable race I watched so far was probably Silverstone Moto GP 2017.

Videos are the two racing events I attended in 2017.

[Moto]

You should hit up a Supercross race. The season just started.

I've raced dirtbikes, but currently ride sportbikes. I've driven a shifter kart around a track a time or two.

[H1N1]

Man I LOVE MotoGP. I grew up watching it with my dad. I was never supposed to get a motorbike, just one of those things my family never wanted me to do. They never gave me many rules or anything as a kid, so I've always held off. But whenever I am at my parents and the MotoGP is on, dad and I will sit and watch it, and just be in awe of these guys - they have serious balls, the way they take the corners, and the way they are practically touching each other whilst averaging well over 100mph. F1 leaves me completely cold - I couldn't be less interested, either in the sport or the people involved. MotoGP is where the real outlaws are.

[Ethan Hunt]

(01-29-2018 04:53 PM)Moto Wrote:  

You should hit up a Supercross race. The season just started.

I've raced dirtbikes, but currently ride sportbikes. I've driven a shifter kart around a track a time or two.

Had friends involved with this. Quite common entry level for motorbike racing in the UK

[Ethan Hunt]

(01-29-2018 05:22 PM)H1N1 Wrote:  

Man I LOVE MotoGP. I grew up watching it with my dad. I was never supposed to get a motorbike, just one of those things my family never wanted me to do. They never gave me many rules or anything as a kid, so I've always held off. But whenever I am at my parents and the MotoGP is on, dad and I will sit and watch it, and just be in awe of these guys - they have serious balls, the way they take the corners, and the way they are practically touching each other whilst averaging well over 100mph. F1 leaves me completely cold - I couldn't be less interested, either in the sport or the people involved. MotoGP is where the real outlaws are.

I mostly go with my dad too. He a big bike fan. Had an R1 for a while, very fast bike.

[Deuce Anna Half]

I came up watching drag racing, NHRA and IHRA. Used to road trip with my dad to races all up and down the east coast and my uncles used to race Sportsman and Pro Stock class. Then I started watching LMPs, GTs and all that stuff.

I definitely want to go to the F1 races in Austin and Monaco, the 24 Hours of Daytona and LeMans, and the Bathurst 1000.

[Veloce]

CBR650 here. New rider. Already I kind of wish I would have gotten a CBR1000RR...maybe it's better I not have that power at my fingertips

Next ride I want a cruiser though so I can do long distance. Even just a few hours on the CBR leaves me pretty uncomfortable. Harley or Bonneville would be sweet. After that a touring bike like a Tiger.

About 45 minutes outside of Vegas is the turnoff for Valley of Fire. It's a pretty gorgeous ride, highly recommend it:



Weekends can get a little crowded so go midweek. Lots of great canyon runs and straightaways to cut loose.

[Truth Tiger]

Great thread. I'm a big fan of amateur motorsports - one of my businesses is in the area of vehicle preparation. If you have questions about vehicle preparation, driver development, etc I prefer to answer by PM (to vetted members). I recommend to cut ones teeth in autocross / autoslalom / gymkhana before getting deep into track driving. With higher speed comes greater risk.

NASA (National Auto Sport Association) has a good HPDE program (high performance driving experience). You can also compete for prizes (money and tires) as you advance to the Time Trial level. Hooked On Driving is also popular / well-respected.

SCCA has Track Night in America which is a good introductory program. However, I intensely dislike the politics and special-interests bias in SCCA so limit my interaction with that organization. As a newb it probably won't be much of a factor but when you get more competitive / successful it could be.

Look on MotorsportsReg.com for all kinds of events you can register for. Some are marquee-specific (like Porsche Club of America), many are open to all makes.

The Ross Bentley driving series of books are great, Autocross to Win, etc. Carroll Smith made an iconic series including 'Engineer to Win', 'Tune to Win', and more. A bit dated in some ways but good common sense advice.

Go to local car clubs, races, cars & coffees and express interest, a willingness to help on cars and to learn. If you can demonstrate competence you'll always be welcome. This is often easier at autocrosses vs track days as there's usually more camaraderie in the former.

Invest in a quality helmet sooner than later, loaner helmets are nasty and won't feel like your own. You don't need a full racing suit unless you're going for a track school / competition license.

Please do your best to keep the racing for a safe environment. As Peter Parker was told 'with great power comes great responsibility.' I had to learn through multiple (solo vehicle and one multi-car) accidents plus countless 'oh shit' moments that pushing the limits on public streets is fucking stupid and makes every racer look like a menace.

Save it for the track. Resist the urge to drag race. You don't have anything to prove on the street. If you think you do, look up videos of people getting killed in cars, or by cars.

Motorsports is an awesome hobby, an incredible career for a lucky few, and a great way to forge solid friendships. Respect the rules of the road and push the limits where it's safer and sanctioned to do so. You'll savor the experience that much more!

[ShotgunUppercuts]

Cool thread. I was in the middle of building a race car (drag racer) but i decided to put that on hold . For tickets to the goodwood fos ,how much are we talkibg about for those who have been? I really want to go.

[Poker]

Like H1N1, I was practically raised on MotoGP, my family are huge fans of the sport. The way those guys bomb into corners, knee and sometimes elbow scraping along the tarmac at such speeds, fairings touching, is staggering.

Though I was a big Max Biaggi fan when I was younger, I have always been a huge fan of Valentino Rossi. It would be great if he could clinch a 10th world title.

The battle that Valentino Rossi and Casey Stoner had for 1st at Laguna Seca back in 2008 is one of the greatest battles ever seen in Motogp

[DirectDanger]

How did I miss this thread?

Count me in on the MotoGP bandwagon. I only started watching 2 seasons ago and man has it been exciting. Now that I know who all of the riders are and understand their strengths, personalities, histories, etc... it has added so much to the experience of each race.

For those of you interested in MotoGP but don't know the recent history of the current riders a great starting point is the movie Hitting the Apex (2015). You can stream it for free if you have Amazon Prime.

The Thailand test starts today. Will be interesting to see how it goes since there has never been a MotoGP race there yet.

[louiebeans]

(01-30-2018 09:46 PM)Veloce Wrote:  

About 45 minutes outside of Vegas is the turnoff for Valley of Fire. It's a pretty gorgeous ride, highly recommend it:



Weekends can get a little crowded so go midweek. Lots of great canyon runs and straightaways to cut loose.

That looks amazing. The scenery would be worth the drive even if the roads were straight and boring. Where I live we have mountain roads similar to that but they have trees surrounding both sides and are tighter.