That's right motor sports enthusiasts, the MTC2014 is happening and your state needs you!
The MTC2014 is held deep in Mexican territory, where the Battle of Wakefield will take place in Goulburn, NSW! We've got to jump the boarders, avoid the Mexican patrols
and storm Goulburn to secure the fastest lap times!
BriefingOur intelligence division has compiled the following information from spies within enemy territory.
MTC2014 thread -
http://www.mr2australia.com/mr2play/tm.aspx?m=90273Entry Fees -
http://www.ultimatetrackdaychallenge.com.au/?page_id=64Entry Forms -
http://www.ultimatetrackdaychallenge.com.au/?page_id=68Competition Format -
http://www.ultimatetrackdaychallenge.com.au/?page_id=61Event Schedule -
http://www.ultimatetrackdaychallenge.com.au/?page_id=46Course Outlines -
http://www.ultimatetrackdaychallenge.com.au/?page_id=66 BudgetWe've limited funds in the war chest and we need to get as many troops down as possible, so here is a rough budget on what you will need.
Fuel: $350 - 500.
Accommodation: $250 - $400.
Food/Drink: $100 - $300.
Entry Fees: $250 - $440
Total Funds: $950 - $1640
Now some of you might look at that figure and think, "Wow, I'm on a poor soldiers salary, how can I afford that?!". With some simple saving techniques. The event is 8 months away, if you can put away $80 - $200 into a jar each month, you'll be out there battling on the front lines!
You can reduce the costs further if you organise yourself as well. Prepare and pack all your food for the trip, it will save you a LOT of money! Fuel, wind down the boost or don't use as much loud pedal and you can get away with running 91 or 95 fuel along the highway, this will save you 10-15% per tank! Accommodation, sleep in your car on the way down (or bring a tent) and just stay in the cabins at Wakefield for 3 nights, you've just dropped your accommodation to $90!
Leading up to Xmas, hassle all relatives to sponsor your trip (ie: give you money instead of gifts), fuel money is a much better gift then undies or coffee cups!
Things Not In The BudgetThere are things not included in the budget as they are pretty much specific to each solder. This is mainly car preparation. Depending on what your have or haven't done to your car will depend on what else you will need to spend. Here are a couple of areas to look at covering with your car:
Full service - A full drain and replacement of coolant, oils and filters will ensure your car is ready for the journey into battle. You will probably spend around $200-300 doing this, but you will have no doubts that the 5 year old fuel filter you have is going to let you down. If you can afford the extra expense, some better quality brake pads will benefit your cars performance
Tires - You don't need to go out and buy $1500 worth of R888 semi slicks, you can get a lot of performance from tires like the Kumho KU36 or Federal 595 RS-R, both which are in the $150 - $200ea pricing and have sizes to suit your requirements. Even with some heavy abuse, you should easily be able to get 10000 - 15000km out of these tires even with track days, consider it an investment with positive returns :)
Safety Equipment - Helmet, clothing and a fire extinguisher. Helmets can range from $80 for a cheap open face to $200 for a basic enclosed helmet, you can spend significantly more as well, but that's up to you. I use the cheap $80 open face helmet as it's cooler and more comfortable. Clothing, you need clothing that will cover you from neck to ankle and wrist. Long sleeve shirts and jeans can cover this, or you can spend $100-120 on eBay and buy a cheap go kart suit (+5 bonus to ego). I bought a full go kart suit, boots and gloves from PPG on eBay for $220 shipped and it was a lot more comfortable to drive in compared to my old mechanics shirt and jeans. Fire extinguisher, if you don't have one in your car, WHY NOT?! These should be mandatory for road cars IMHO, but alas that isn't the case. Grab one from SuperTheifAuto or AutoBarn, they go for around $25-40 and could easily save your life or your pride and joy (or someone else's!).
The Backup Contingency - What to do when something goes wrong. Just like on the street, sometimes at the track your car can suffer a failure and leave you stranded. There are plenty of knowledgeable people at the event and you could probably source the parts to repair most basic things to get you home, but for something serious (rod through the block), consider putting ~$200 aside so you can store your car, fly/train home and retrieve it at a later date. Otherwise, I'm currently considering if we can get 3+ soldiers from Queensland to make the trip, I'll look at bringing down a car trailer and tow vehicle to help bring home any wounded.
Enlist today and prepare for the most fun of your life :)