Up for Debate for Canadian Formula 1200. We want your opinion

[kylekosir]

Since the leave of Formula BMW America's, and Honda bringing in engines for the Formula Ford series other national series has come and gone. Since alot of these lower level series has had there time in the sport and try and remain spec as well as have a cost to it.

A simple budget comparison on running for a team-

Canadian Formula 1200- $21,000

Canadian Formula Ford- $100,000

Formula BMW America's- $275,000
* Based on Canadian Funds

Since Canadian Formula 1200 uses a spec engine, transmission, and front beam should they move the engine size up to either a supercharged or water cooled engine. Or should they keep the rules the same to help keep the cost down.

Lets here your opinion

[kylekosir]

Also please answer the following questions

1. Do you think Formula BMW is to big a step for a young karter to make his career move in a car that already has slicks and wings?

2. Should Formula 1200 bump up the engine size or even start adding forced induction?

3. What is your opinion on a reasonable cost to start you open wheel career up the ladder?

4. What series would you pick and why? Or if you and your son or daughter had to pick

[duke_toaster]

Right, I would never get in to single seaters myself, but anyway.

1 - I don't know enough about Americas FBMW, but not necessarily for European FBMW. Depends on the individual driver.
2 - I would have thought that slicks and wings would be the first thing to be done, if structurally possible on the car. Cars without them are not that relevant to modern single seaters in this day and age (for example, the decline of FFord).
3 - No idea.
4 - I don't know enough about series in the Americas, but would probably suggest slicks and wings in some form.

[ptclaus98]

Is that F1200 budget for a full year?

[kylekosir]

Yes thats an F1200 budget for the season, running with a team that rxlcuding travel for youself and damage.

F1200 used to have a series called Super Vee, that had slickes and wings and water cooled engines. then it died out

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by kylekosir

Also please answer the following questions

1. Do you think Formula BMW is to big a step for a young karter to make his career move in a car that already has slicks and wings?

2. Should Formula 1200 bump up the engine size or even start adding forced induction?

3. What is your opinion on a reasonable cost to start you open wheel career up the ladder?

4. What series would you pick and why? Or if you and your son or daughter had to pick

In answer to your first question it doesn't matter because Formula BMW is dead in North America and isn't coming back.

It was a series with a lot of bling and show but ultimately was a sledgehammer to crack a peanut. Overpriced and overhyped and worked in the go go years of 2005 and 2006, but not now in the "real world".

I've never heard of F1200 but looks like a FVee series. Ultimately that depends on who owns those cars and why they are racing them. I imagine most of the people racing those cars do it for fun, not career aspirations so they probably don't think adding more costs will work for them. Everyone I have ever known that runs a Vee does it because they can have open wheel fun with few costs and maintenance issues and can enjoy themselves. It's not a step on the open wheel career ladder.

What is my opinion on a reasonable cost to start your career? Well it has been estimated that it takes $10-$20 million to get into F1 paid for by someone. I think my recommendation is to decide what you want first. If you don't have a rich dad, your own wealth or business connections I think there are two options for a north american.

One is start racing stock cars, as there is little money in open wheel racing and high costs. Nascar and it's feeder series are about the only motorsport in the USA now with good value for sponsors and for the ability for a driver to make a living. You look at guys like Jon Fogarty, John Edwards, Conor Daly and others that have invested major time and effort and in some cases tons of money in junior open wheel careers only to be left with not a lot of options and ultimately like everyone else would likely have to find a way into Nascar somehow.

And the second is scrape together what you can and do some open wheel formula racing, enough to get you started at a known racing school as an instructor. Most good instructors will use those connections to pick up wealthy amateurs looking for solid guys that can share a GT or sportcar seat and also coach them at the same time.

Canadian Formula Ford is dead by the way and you can spend $100k on the Ontario Formula Ford Challenge but that isn't necessary.

What series would I pick? Well there are many choices and it all depends on what you are setting out to achieve? IMHO, in the USA and Canada, I think the best thing is to start with a good racing school based series with a lot of coaching and see how that goes. And if you can't cut the mustard in that or if the drive and ambition isn't there then you have saved yourself a lot of money. There is really no point on spending hundreds of thousands on a kid that doesn't have the interest, ambition or talent. So best to start with the school based series and work up from there.

[kylekosir]

Im the Marketing & PR Director for the Canadian Formula 1200 (Vee) series. Last season we had about 7 rookies race with us and used us for a stepping stone to the career ladder. Alex Ellis was the most recent rookie who then went to FBMW and now Jim Russel Formula 3. Ashley Taws went to CASCAR and CCTCS (Castrol Canadian Touring Car Series) I myself aha I'm to old (21 next week) But I have been successful in grabbing big sponsors. I just do it for fun and enjoy the sport. I do agree with you in terms of FBMW being all show and very little go. It is over priced. In Europe FRenualt seems to be the place to do it. But I haven't had much experience with that.

Any Advice you would give me to let the younger drivers know what they need to move up from our series besides money, contacts, and so on?
Kyle

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by kylekosir

Im the Marketing & PR Director for the Canadian Formula 1200 (Vee) series. Last season we had about 7 rookies race with us and used us for a stepping stone to the career ladder. Alex Ellis was the most recent rookie who then went to FBMW and now Jim Russel Formula 3. Ashley Taws went to CASCAR and CCTCS (Castrol Canadian Touring Car Series) I myself aha I'm to old (21 next week) But I have been successful in grabbing big sponsors. I just do it for fun and enjoy the sport. I do agree with you in terms of FBMW being all show and very little go. It is over priced. In Europe FRenualt seems to be the place to do it. But I haven't had much experience with that.

Any Advice you would give me to let the younger drivers know what they need to move up from our series besides money, contacts, and so on?
Kyle

Again a lot of it really depends on the person, what their goals are in what they want to accomplish in the sport.

I would say the biggest weakness I have seen with all drivers with career ambitions is lack of coaching and instruction. It's been staggering the number of guys I have met that don't understand basic vehicle dynamics and they might have some intuitive sense in how to drive, but they can't describe what they are doing or why they are doing it.

A lot of pundits out there blat on and on about testing, test, test! But testing is pointless unless you have someone watching you. Totally waste of time for you to be pounding around on track without any outside help. Data traces are great but again you have to have a person who can help translate that and it's not always an engineer/mechanic as they may be able to set up a car this way or that, but they don't know driving in most cases.

A few other elements:

Fitness: you can never be fit enough, it's a never ending battle I find.

Communication: I have made hired in the past not so much that I can drive, but that I can actually stand in front of a crowd of people and talk for a few minutes and make a presentation. Public speaking abilities are great, but also learning about personal verbal and nonverbal communication is important as well, as drivers have to work with team owners, mechanics, etc.

Presentation: A shirt and tie is overkill many times, but I always have nice clothes including that with the appropriate sponsor/manufacturer branded on them and my gear is always clean and good looking.

It's who you know: I think if I could go back and do it again, I'd never be shy about making contacts as you never know who or what could come from it.

Books could be written about all this for sure.

[F1 Prospects]

Originally Posted by mountainstar

Books could be written about all this for sure.

Actually, I highly recommend reading "Race To Win" by Derek Daly. It is a great read for the aspiring race car driver and solid advice.

I second the suggestion about racing in a good school series. Skip Barber has a great development program and racing series you should check out. That series will gain you both exposure and guidance in racecraft and will come in handy for your next step which, in North America would probably be in an F2000 series.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by F1 Prospects

Actually, I highly recommend reading "Race To Win" by Derek Daly. It is a great read for the aspiring race car driver and solid advice.

I second the suggestion about racing in a good school series. Skip Barber has a great development program and racing series you should check out. That series will gain you both exposure and guidance in racecraft and will come in handy for your next step which, in North America would probably be in an F2000 series.

Yeah I have that book and I'd say it's a good one. "Drive to Win" by Carroll Smith is probably another one that is highly recommended. I think knowledge is power and I always talk to as many people as possible or source out what info I can.