DISCLAIMER
I am an entrant in the 2019 Want2Race competition. This article is in no way connected to that entry.
TLDR
If you want to find out my tips for the competition, skip ahead.
What is the Ginetta Want2Race Competition?
The Want2Race driving competition, sometimes known as W2R, is a driving competition aimed squarely at novice racing drivers or those new to motorsports. It operates as a Scholarship meaning that the Want2Race Champion goes on to be supported by Ginetta and the Want2Race team over their next years racing.
In it’s current form, the Want2Race driver competition consists of 3 different stages including a final which takes place over 3 days at Blyton Park, Ginetta’s private circuit.
Want2Race Prizes
Let’s face it, if you’re going to enter a competition you want to know there’s going to be a pretty decent prize for the winner. This is even more of a consideration when the entry fee is a little more than the £2 you’ll splash on Lotto every week.
So what does Want2Race offer? How does a fully funded seat in the next GRDC (Ginetta Racing Drivers Club) season grab you? If that’s not peaked your interest, consider that this isn’t just a weekend jaunt, W2R also provide expert driver coaching from their pool of race drivers at a variety of different circuits too and all in the prize pit it worth in excess of £30,000.
About The Cars
While the Want2Race driving competition might only be open to those without a serious motorsports background, don’t let this fool you into thinking you’re going to be pootling round in a granny car.
With the exception of the racing simulator and kart entry phases, all of the driving is done in race prepared Ginetta G40 race cars and these small machines are perfectly formed. Speaking from experience they have great handling characteristics despite running on road tyres and will hang on for dear life through even the most demanding high speed corners.
The 1,999cc engine puts out 200bhp and 190Nm of torque giving the G40 a fantastic power to weight ratio, allowing it to hit 60mph in 5.5 seconds. Combine this with full FIA approved roll cage among other safety kit and these cars really are little racing rockets.
the Ginetta G40 is also kitted our with 2 way intercom and a vbox data logger which also captures video, you can see an example of that in my post about Stage 2.
Who Runs The W2R Competition
Until very recently the Want2Race competition was operated independently with close ties to BookATrack and Ginetta themselves. Want2race as a company was recently acquired by the LNT Group which also owns Ginetta.
The Competition Stages
The Want2Race driver competition is split into 3 distinct stages a qualifying round followed by an assessment and the final which is run over 3 days.
Stage 1
Stage 1 of the competition sees competitors take to the track in one of three ways:
- simulator
- kart
- track day
Each comes with its own price tag and inevitably the track day qualification method is the most expensive but I must say, the experience is worth the money regardless of whether you choose to actually enter the competition or not. This was the route I chose and attended a Want 2 Race Drive Day at Donington Park, a circuit which I've always loved watching motorsports on and have experienced through passenger laps in a Clio Cup car.
During this stage your basic driving ability will be assessed, can you handle the car, do you understand racing lines and so forth. Naturally I don't know the exact criteria as I'm not an instructor or judge but you get the idea and it's pretty much the same for the other formats as far as I know, demonstrate a basic competency here and you're good for stage 2.
Stage 2
Stage 2 starts to get a little more serious, held at Blyton Park qualifying drivers are invited to take part in a further driving assessment over two 20 minute sessions. Ginetta's team of ARDS instructors are once again on hand to judge drivers performance but with more scrutiny than the previous round and this time, there is one golden rule "if you spin, you're in the bin".
As mentioned earlier it starts to get more serious, you'll be pushed to drive the G40 harder and harder, later braking, harder acceleration and if you can't control the car at this point then it's the end of your challenge for this season.
Stage 3
The third and final stage of the Want2Race amateur racing driver competition is once again held at Blyton Park with those successful in stage 2 invited back from one last bite of the cherry. The final of the competition is held over 3 days with drivers invited to one of the first two days to compete for place on the final day.
This is where things get really tough, not only are you out if you spin but you're also expected to be pushing at every stage of the day from your first lap to your last and more so you're expected to be straight on it from the word go. The first 2 days again consist of two 20 minute on track sessions with the second day being made up of a series of shoot outs, whittling down the entrants through the day until a winner is declared after a final head to head.
DO Racing's Top Tips
- Get sim time before a track day
- This will help you learn the track and make the most of your day
- Don't over drive, it's not about lap times
- Build progressively up to a faster lap
- Listen to your instructors
- They've been doing this much longer than you
- Get some race boots
- These will help you feel the pedals
- Get some race gloves
- Sweaty hands help no one
- The days can be long, stay fed & hydrated
- You need to be alert every time you go on track
I hope these tips help you, whether in the W2R competition or in any form of circuit driving, obviously there's more to racing than this but hopefully these serve as a starter for 10.
