Isle of Wight Car Club are running a sort of informal traveller series this year for members who want to take part in sprints. I haven't got the cash to take it seriously, but funds permitting (ie. buying a proper helmet and overalls) I'd like to give one a go at some point this year in addition to the autosolos.

The provisional calendar is:

Goodwood Regis Sprint
Farnborough Dimanche Sprint
Abingdon Carnival
Dorchester Clay Pigeon Sprint
Elmoor Sprint Royale

So I'm thinking perhaps Eelmoor is one to aim for as it's a way away and one of the cheaper events to enter. I've watched plenty of videos of the course and it seems reasonable. I'll try and hitch a lift to one or two of the others just to get a feel for the day if I can.

Thoughts, anyone who's competed at any of the above? (I'm looking at you, Rob... )

Goodwood you would love , your car wont have the power for your first event there to be scary , that only comes once you and car are capable of a 105sec run , so you could simply enjoy the day.
Abingdon is a two course event , five runs in total over each course. Entries are split into two groups , one group doing what is called the BENTLEY course in the morning . Then a lunch break , after which the other group do the BENTLEY and you do what is called the ABINGDON course.
BENTLEY is a point and squirt 1st 2nd 3rd gear coned course for most.
ABINGDON is a nice fast curvey course with a coned chiocane , sort of half a race circuit really. You'd be busy all day and get 10 runs total including practices.

Never been to DORCHESTER

RUSHMORE(Dimanche) and EELMOOR are within 1 mile of each other , both cheap and both run by FDMC (MattD is competition sec) Both are about 1 mile lengths and basically an odd figure of 8 course BUT huge fun.
Go for it --- you'll love it

Cheers Rob - what's on your calendar for the year? Will you be at Goodwood? I'll try and get a lift up to one that you're doing with someone who's competing - be good to catch up and see your car in action.

The car just needs cosmetic stuff so that's no big worry, but I need to find the £500 odd for the protective clothing during the course of this year...

I'll enter the BOGNOR REGIS Sprint at GOODWOOD but there's no certainty of me being there. If I get a date for my hip operation before that date then that's it ------- no motorsport for me for 3 months after that , very frustrating but can't plan anything until the hip's sorted . I did drive my road car 8 weeks after the last op' 15yrs ago BUT driving in anger's another matter , so likely to take 3mths getting healed/fit.

Rob, what do you do for a tow point on the Stylus? The regs suggest each car should have one and obviously there isn't one "from the factory". Is it actually needed?

You've got two choices.
Where the ''A'' frame extends to bolt through the fibreglass ''D'' pieces left and right of the very front body/radiator area ----- drill a hole through the outside body inline with that ''A'' frame extended flat steel plate (I did mine on the driver's side). Then a hoop can be bolted onto that flat bolted piece , using the same nuts/bolts. The hoop should be about 50/70mm's diameter/3mm thick with a leg off from it around 30mm's wide and long enough to reach those A frame bolts in the D piece.
OR , in my case I have a flipfront , so I've attached a tow strap by looping harness strapping/old one , around the rightside lower 25x50mm chassis tube at the very end THEN velcro stuck with SIKAFLEX on the front underside valence supports the loop of strapping --- bonnet can be opened without issues , if when the strapping is fitted , it only just reaches tightly . Obviously then it just hangs slack when the flipfront is opened.
If your mobile has a photo big screen , I could send pics . Just PM if you want to do that.

PM incoming!