Track racing a water-cooled Dub is a massive hoot, and actually it might not cost as much as you first imagined. We got a chance to chat to one of our customers, top track preparation specialists Saxon Motorsport in Cranbrook, Kent, to get the lowdown of what’s involved…

Established in 2000 Saxon specialise in the design, build, preparation, maintenance and development of circuit racing, track day and rally vehicles – and with experience gained both on and off the track, they’re the people to go to when it comes to creating a fast, grippy Dub for weekend circuit shenanigans.

 

Top man Mark Lloyd-Jones has a passion for making VW race cars and not only builds them, but spends his weekends racing them around the track as well, giving him a unique insight into what works and what doesn’t. “I’ve been racing VWs for over 20 years and what I’ve learnt from the track I’ve been able to pass on to customers and translate into the cars we build.”

And if you thought that getting yourself behind the wheel of a Veedub tarmac terrorist is likely to bust your bank balance, Mark has a bit of a revelation when it comes to potential costs. “The Production GTI Championship, for example, is specifically for Mk2 Golfs and because the series is based on touring car regulations from the 1980s, there are rules about what you can do in the way of modifications, which keeps costs in check. Cars have to use the standard 8 or 16v engines, gearboxes, brakes and suspension – and while some tweaks are allowed, such as fitting different brake pads and stiffer dampers, there’s only so much you can do, hence why it’s such a good introduction to budget racing.” And because Mark prepared last year’s winning car, driven by Simon Hill, he knows what he’s talking about.

 

A ready to go Golf Mk2 race car for this kind of series would cost about £4,000 to build and about the same if buying secondhand, reckons Mark, with a typical season’s racing costing £3,500 in the way of fuel and entry fees. With the Production GTI Championships visiting top UK circuits such as Rockingham, Silverstone and Brands, that’s one heck of a lot of fun for not very much money. Best of all, the cars can also be used on the road – with many competitors driving to the races at the weekend, thrashing around the track, then driving to work in the same car Monday morning. Eat your heart out Formula 1!

 

At the other end of the spectrum, some of the more serious race cars Mark prepares are £20,000-£30,000. “The blue Club GTi car in the pictures, for expample, has a Honda Civic manifold and S2000 throttle body and weighs just 900kg and that’s pushing 200bhp with the standard engine.”

 

So where can you find out more, and what’s the best way get your weekend octane fix on track? A good place to start is talking to a specialist like Saxon (01580 720845), then check out the Production GTi Championships. You’ll need to get a spurt on though because the 2014 season kicks off at Snetterton on April 20^th.

Ian