Track days have become hugely popular over the last few years. The idea is simple: take your car along to a circuit, or an airfield, and spend the day driving the way you can’t (or at least shouldn’t!) on the public highway. Thousands of people in all sorts of cars use track days to fuel their need for speed.
Lotus-on-Track (LoT) is a non-profit-making track day club for Lotus enthusiasts. LoT is the UK’s largest track day club, with over 1250 members who attended over 90 events in 2006, both in the UK and abroad. It has earned a well-deserved reputation for providing safe, good value and sociable track days.
After a while, most track day regulars start to think about going racing, and the post-day banter often revolves around relative performances (or lack of!). However track days are non-competitive (timing is not allowed), so a lot of track dayers dream about making the move into “proper” motorsport.
In response to members’ desire to race, LoT have created an MSA-affiliated club, LoTRDC (Lotus-on-Track Racing Drivers Club). Its aim is to provide a friendly, safe and financially viable race series for those wishing to progress from track days to racing. This is the Lotus-on-Track Elise Trophy, which is being launched in 2007 in conjunction with MSVR, the competition arm of Motor Sport Vision.
Several members of the LoTRDC committee have already been involved in setting up a race series. In 2003 a group of Lotus enthusiasts, who wanted to go racing, but at the time were a bit nervous about racing their Lotuses, set up a very successful “budget” series racing E30 BMWs, the SELOC Production BMW series, which is still going strong today.
Each round of the Elise Trophy will consist of two races, one class-based and one handicapped. A good spread of cars (Lotus Elises & derivatives - Exiges/340Rs/Vauxhall VX220s) between classes should make for some interesting racing, with close battles throughout the field. While there will be a few people lining up on the grid for the first time in March, there are plenty of experienced racers in the field, and you can be sure that some of the psychological battles have already started!
Interest in the Elise Trophy has been phenomenal, with over 50 drivers already accepted and plenty of others keeping a keen eye on proceedings, with a view to racing in the future. The good news is that this means full grids at a number of circuits, with the promise of plenty of action. The Lotus community is very excited about the series, and the first race at Brands Hatch in March 2007, supported by Lotus Cars, is expected to be a huge event in the Lotus enthusiast’s calendar.
The 2007 calendar looks really exciting, with races at top UK circuits including Brands Hatch, Silverstone, Oulton Park, Donington Park, Castle Combe and Snetterton, plus a trip to one of the best circuits in the world, Spa Francorchamps.
So how much does it cost to race a Lotus? LoTRDC are hoping to keep the costs down as much as possible, and if your car is already properly prepared for track days, getting it ready to race may cost less than you think. Minimum safety equipment comprises:• safety cage relevant to class;• plumbed-in fire extinguisher;• battery cut-off switch;• safety harness.Novice racers will also need to obtain a National B race licence from the MSA, as well as some essential clothing (race suit etc.).
Yokohama are supporting the Elise Trophy in 2007, and a number of other well known companies in the Lotus/Motorsport community have been quick to take some of the available series-wide sponsorship opportunities.
Want to know more? Visit www.lotrdc.com, where you can also sign up for the newsletter.
