CSL Cup race series

[shimmy]

ok, so the rumours are flying around that there is the chance of a CSL series in 2009 as a support series in Dunlop Great and British....racing Fridays 6x2 times a year.

Two classes of CSL stock and then bolt on mods and remap

all cars to be road legal and registered

anybody up for it!

[Bravo73]

Are the cars going to have to be caged?

[shimmy]

no matter what you will need cage, harness, seats, xtinguisher and cut off

the rest will be rules to suit the series


but cages like thorneys dont have to riun the car insides

[Bravo73]

I figured as such.

As much as I would love to do it, I'm out. I can't afford to crash the car that I need to drive to work every day in.

[david]

there are already not much Csl around, might be difficult to run a challenge with only csl....

by memory 270 Csl units were directly oriented by bmw motorsport GmbH to competition versions, but never saw any on a specific challenge.

Some guys are racing with Csl in the Divinol cup un germany, that's about it I think

[E46ACS]

It's odd for a race series to start now for a model that went out of production some years ago (both E46 & CSL).

Race series are there to promote new/current models, not old models.

[glendog74]

As much as I would love to do it, I'm out. I can't afford to crash the car that I need to drive to work every day in.

Ditto... :smt005

[shimmy]

but the difference is that alot of CSL drivers are track day regulars and do want to race at some point.

Alot move onto Porsches and then Porsche Cup cars or E30/E36 racing, but as the value of CSls comes down there is less stopping CSLs being used for racing.

alot of the affordable race series are no current models but older race cars passed down and liek the Dunlop series some are for road legal models.

i think its a good idea as at least we are setting the rules and therefore the costs and competetiveness of the series

[Bravo73]

Off the top of my head, I reckon that the costs (for me) would be something like this:

- Removable Cage, extinguishers etc from Thorney's*: £2500
- 2nd hand Smart Car (as a daily driver): £3000
- 3 Sets of Cups (2 races per set, at a guess): £3000
- Pads & Discs: £1500
- Fuel, registrations etc etc: £2000

So, probably looking at £12k for the first year, and £6.5k for subsequent years. There would also be other costs involved with getting a National Race licence etc etc. (And this obviously doesn't include the potentially v.high costs if you were to get punted off into the armco.)

I'm beginning to warm to the idea but that is still a bit too dear for me at the moment.


How much do you reckon that it would cost you, shimmy?






* I'm presuming that if Thorney is promoting the series then TMS is going to offer a 'CSL Series' preparation service.

[david]

Track days are for fun and pleasure and you dont drive to the limits (well personnaly), race againts Mr X or time is more risks to get car werck playing with the limits, you can damage your car on your own and much more chance to get it junked by a racer... racing is racing and personnaly I can't imagine getting my Csl on a race to risky...

I've raced for 7 years on a volkswagens challenge, okay can't compare a Bmw Csl vs a Volkswagen race car price, but, I've never been a weekend without at least a car comming out with scratches and even worse.. and its a lot of money, whatever you finally race with.

just have a look at a Porsche cup race, how many cars are damaged even before the end of the first lap.

we'll see, but you better have a lot of money undercover to have a season done I would say.

[shimmy]

it will cost more than trackdays (and i darent add up how much 14 track days per year cost me)

i think the advantage of two classes is that a stock CSL will only need a cage, seat, harness, extinguisher and cut off to take part. I guess that could be as low as £3-4k. Obviously alot of that is saleable afterwards. You will need helmet (better one than you have probably) plus race suit and shoes.

So say £5k to set up the car.

I already have a daily drive but my guess is if you buy a Smart you will save enough on fuel and depreciation to make it cost very little extra, maybe just the tax and insurance.

As for the series the biggest cost will be tyres and bangs. Cant do much about bags unless we just introduce a level of non contact in the series rather that do or die, but not easy really. Tyres will be different. If we run 19 inch Cups in stock and Hoosiers in Modded class then it will be pricey, probably a set of fronts every race weekend and rears ever two. If we ran 18in Dunlops it will be cheaper but not in the CSL spirit IMHO.

Best cost saving is to remove carbon interior bits to save on damage costs, and possibly replace bumper with fibreglass so CF bumper is saved.

Would be great fun though and better than all those subscriptions to CLIMAX channels.

Dont forget those that have businesses can right come off with sponsorship and soime can raise maybe a little sponsorship. Might be able to get some help form BMW or a dealer (parts at cost or discount)

Thorney is looking at it this weekend and by Monday he might have an idea of how it looks.

[shimmy]

an idea might to stable the cars with one of 4 specialists to make that competative as well,

Thorney, Simpsons, BMSport + one other

[houlbt]

Good luck to this idea as I'm all for more BMW based racing but I just dont' think it's likely to take off....

CSL's are a limited production run vehicle. Many owners wouldn't dream of taking their car out into the arena of motorsport. If they do it's because they are one of the few who don't care or not fully aware of just how much panel damage they will incur.

Even it's it's light damage the car will get beaten up and to return it to anything like the condition it was before the accident costs real money. With a dedicated race car you get it repaired and resprayed on the cheap and the finish looks perfect from six foot away but not so up close.

[cslbecks]

Hence why i would never consider "racing" my CSL - there is a world of difference between doing regular track days/Ring trips etc and actual racing. That said, for those willing to turn their pride and joys into race cars, i would certainly enjoy watching the series unfold.

[englebert]

I also personally think nothing will come of it.