MSA have tripled the cost of UK racing licenses in 1 year

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MSA have tripled the cost of UK racing licenses in 1 year

#1

Post by PTRACER »

Get this...

Last year my National 'B' racing license was £64 to renew.

I have to renew it every three years or I lose it and have to take a course again. Now it's 2020 and they have increased the price hugely. It is now £155. And what is their justification? Oh yes, because the number of people holding licenses is decreasing, they saw it fit to triple the cost :roll: :roll: :roll:
Why are licence fees being adjusted?
• Motorsport UK is a not-for-profit membership organisation, and has no objective to make a
profit per se, but it aims to generate funds that can be reinvested into the sport.
• This is part of a wider investment strategy to create a sustainable future for motorsport, which
we cannot deliver with the current economic model.
• We are currently facing diminishing licence numbers and need to make changes to promote
the sport better to encourage participation at grass roots level.

• The new economic model will produce a fairer system - while most licence fees have received
an uplift, some are being removed altogether, for example Officials, to recognize their
important contribution to the sport. And Clubman’s grass roots licences are now free of
charge.
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#2

Post by DoubleFart »

How much is the ARDS test these days?

I'm still tempted to get a licence and car...
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#3

Post by Ian-S »

How much is an International C nowdays? I think that's the one I had.

It's the same everywhere I'm afraid, when participation drops prices will increase, our flying club fees have gone up this year by 20 ish %, not because the clubs costs have gone up but because the number of active members has gone down (they're dying off).
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#4

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Ian-S wrote: 4 years ago How much is an International C nowdays? I think that's the one I had.

It's the same everywhere I'm afraid, when participation drops prices will increase, our flying club fees have gone up this year by 20 ish %, not because the clubs costs have gone up but because the number of active members has gone down (they're dying off).
Strangely enough International C increase is minimal.... last year was 214 pounds and this year is 220. I guess the increase in prices is aimed at the category with most drivers affected.... obviously a lot less International C issued than National.

Of course with an International C the medical test costs are higher.... you have to have a full ECG, stricter annual medical and also eye tests

The problem for me is not so much the licence but the fact my helmet and suit are now out of sticker date and would need upgrading, not to mention even club racing now I think demands a HANS.... gone are the days of using a simple foam collar! And then there is the cost of entry fees now.

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#5

Post by Ian-S »

Wow it was the same medical for me back in the day as a national license, and most of the time my doctor didn't know what he was doing so just gave me a standard medical he would give any new patient lol.

Kinda glad I'm not involved anymore, sounds to me as if personal responsibility has been taken away in favour of bubblewrap mentality, it's funny actually, the aforemented flying clubs have done the polar opposite, I'm a member of two and the one that was just five lads getting together on a Sunday to fly in a farmers field for an hour or two has gone from being shits and giggles to so serious there is literally no fun in it now, the "pilots briefing" took longer than we actually flew for last week, and the super strict CAA approved BMFA affiliate club has gone from super strict to "policy is now you're your own person if you can't afford the fine don't do the crime we're not going to police the CAA pilot requirements and bubblewrap everything for you anymore" and they e basically said use common sense, abide by the ANO and the rest is up to you, whereas the "fun" club now required a pilot briefing, permission to take off/land, only fly in one circle direction, no fun allowed etc.
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#6

Post by Everso Biggyballies »

Ian-S wrote: 4 years ago Wow it was the same medical for me back in the day as a national license, and most of the time my doctor didn't know what he was doing so just gave me a standard medical he would give any new patient lol.
Yeah I suspect (haven't had a UK one for a long time now), but certainly medicals here until more recently were certainly not as specific as now.... more a case of can you breathe still, and yes you have a pulse, you didnt walk into the door so you can see fine, heres your med ticket. (and that will be $40 please!) :mrgreen:

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#7

Post by Ian-S »

£40 in my case lol.
I do know a friend needed a medical for a job and their Doctor tried to charge them £120 for it, so errr inflation eek.
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#8

Post by PTRACER »

DoubleFart wrote: 4 years ago How much is the ARDS test these days?

I'm still tempted to get a licence and car...
£300 for the test. Can't remember how much I paid, but maybe around the same amount.

Nowadays circuits like Silverstone offer half day or full day ARDS training. I didn't take any training, I just jumped straight in the car having driven on a racing circuit only once before for a few laps and had no problem with passing.
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#9

Post by PTRACER »

Ian-S wrote: 4 years agoIt's the same everywhere I'm afraid, when participation drops prices will increase, our flying club fees have gone up this year by 20 ish %, not because the clubs costs have gone up but because the number of active members has gone down (they're dying off).
I know HSCC race entry fees have doubled since I raced the championship and so have the car prices. Back then I would have said it was fairly good value for money, but now it's completely unsustainable. Plus just as was said above, you need a HANS device now, which are hundreds of pounds, plus you need to adapt your historic race car to be compatible with it, costing another few hundred in rollbar/chassis modifications.

Anyway back to my original point, nothing will encourage people into motorsports like tripling the cost of the initial license.
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#10

Post by Ian-S »

Yup, that about sums it up, the prices will go back down in a few years, but £155 seems a bit steep just to not loose the entitlement, it used to be if you held a race license in the last decade you didn't need to do the ARDS test, when di they stop that?
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#11

Post by PTRACER »

Ian-S wrote: 4 years ago Yup, that about sums it up, the prices will go back down in a few years, but £155 seems a bit steep just to not loose the entitlement, it used to be if you held a race license in the last decade you didn't need to do the ARDS test, when di they stop that?
No idea. It says on the 2019 renewal form that you can renew if you held a license at any time in 2016, 2017, 2018. The new form suggests you can renew if you held a license at any time, but I don't really know whether that means what it says.
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