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What do we do next year (i.e. 2006)

Started by Paul Robertson, August 16, 2005, 00:22:43

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What should we do next year

Sprints only
3 (12.5%)
1 hour races
0 (0%)
2 hour races
13 (54.2%)
Double headers
8 (33.3%)

Total Members Voted: 17

Voting closed: August 16, 2005, 00:22:43

Dick Roberts

Hello

A comment from an observer.... Paul's topic and poll with 221 views 14 detailed replies and 17 votes has clearly been successful in generating a lot of material to help the club steer an optimum path to racing in the future.

While the debate has been focussed (unlike the historic 'cam shaft' forum splintered debates) I think it might be helpful if someone were to summarise the views-so-far because it's getting to be difficult to read the full mass of information and to make replies to points in the detail without the risk of confusion.

A summary (or even seperate strings of the key areas) could help to bring the full benefit from the input so far by giving a clear springboard for the next round of coments.

These forum debates are never a perfect solution but the (just an) idea I propose might make it easier to reach the best conclusion.

Best wishes - Dick Roberts

Richard hollis

Surely one of the main issues is this. look at a regular grid. Most drivers have been racing for over 3 years. Many for much longer. This indicates that the racing is good enough as it is and the club is friendly with a good social side. People do choose to just do the 24hr race and thats it due to money, time, family etc. Some drivers choose to do 1 or 2 sprints or enduros and not campaign the championships due to again money, time, family, etc. All these people are supporting us and should be praised for using their car even if its only once. So who's going to fill the remaining 10 grid slots? NEW DRIVERS

This year we've had Shaun and Ben regularly competing. Shaun with the SAS boys and is doing very well. Ben makes huge efforts to get the races (cars kept 100miles away etc) and is enjoying it. But is it easy to join our club? does anyone actually know we race 2cv's? If you bought a 2cv race car and came racing would you be competetive? and if not why come back if you're racing on your own, its boring.

Think back only 4 years ago, grids were oversubscribed. We (Matthew and me) started racing with people like Allan Glide, john parker, etc and we were slow because we didn't know what we were doing, but it didn't matter because you had a cracking race with others who were novices or those who had slow cars. If your a novice now who are you racing with?

Ok main point sorry - we need new members and like any club you have to find them, we (Matt and me)came through 2cvgb as many others have so we should still have a presence there. The club has money so lets spend it on attracting new members. The racing is good and the current format allows 2 championships and should please the majority. Look at legends and look more recently MX5. It was only Lydden last year i think that the MX5's had a token grid, less than us. Is it a co-incident that they have press/promotion people working for their championship. If there is demand for cars people who have chosen not to use their cars, they will sell them, look at the silly prices and the amount of cars for sale (eg. lots) before the first snetterton race when the 24hr recieved loads of hype.

Heres whats been done currently in my eyes as a member who doesn't know everything

Dick and yvette do a cracking job on the website, so its current and good, but he relies on people contributing articles as well which they don't do normally

Matt writes a cracking snail pace (i try to help), but its internal only. We could get it professionally printed and use this to send out

I write an article a month for 2cvgb (not printed any yet this year!, but thats due to the editor and will hopefully get it in the mag this month!)

5 race cars and some new banners were present at the world 2cv meeting in scotland and we had a exhibition and engine change race.

Wayne took his car and the banners to snetterton once again for a charity event

And maybe the club is promoted in other ways as well which am not aware of. Anyway is this enough? are we surprised at the lack of new members? could we do more?

I'll finish there sorry if its disjointed. Richard

Mick Storey

I would prefer to do sprints & enduros, but in the current format I cant afford it. If the "second race for £100" entry fee had not been lost in the small print of some of our combined race entry forms this year, more cars would have entered both races (mine would & I dont think Im alone). If we could get sprints as second races down in cost, my car would turn up more often. The social bit has got the family more interested now which helps a lot.

Will two hour races work? (how much are they, I assume the price on Pauls initial entry is a typo). I am concerned that the chance of ending up driving round by yourself for an hour at the end is too great, is this more like a track day?

Lydden hill is always the entry fee bargain of the year and the track suits the cars, to manage costs I think this should always be part of any calendar.

If we go for two hour races I will do some, but I prefer the action in the sprints.  Can we speak to BARC about discounts at multi race meetings next year.

BARCs costing for double headers makes them prohibitively expensive for me (I seem to remember that they used to be a bargain).

I agree with Dick we need some analysis of the results & it needs to be on a "what if" basis. It sounds as if the enduro format has most support, but a sprint races have a strong following. If we can get sprints for £100 on the same weekend as a 1hr enduro, would that change things?

Paul Robertson

No mick the price is correct at this years rates

rod stead

A newcomer to the club writes .......

I joined the club solely to do the 24 hour race.
I had not interest in sprinting the car or even doing other endurance races.

I intended to continue racing endurance sportscars as well, doing the old Centurian challenge series. 75 minutes with a driver change - it was excellent racing & good VFM.
But this series has bitten the dust, replaced by 4*30minute races.
That just doesn't work for Graham & I, so we've left the series.
We'd return to something similar, but not a sprint based series.

The 24 hour race was such good fun that we'd like to more endurance races in our 2CV, so I'm totally in favour of going all endurance.
If the calendar works for 2006, I'll sign up for as many of them as I can manage, but see below.

Sprint races?
Like them, like them a lot, but I've got a single seater for the thrill, thanks.
The 2CV just doesn't do it for me over a short distance.

Aubrey raised a good point about dates.

My family have already taken Feb half term, 10 days at Easter, 4 weeks in the summer & October half term - it's a standard requirement for those of us with growing families.
I've already paid for daughter, son & wife to go away at the end of May so I can do the 24 hour race!
Don't chance the date Paul, not for 2006!

On top of that, Graham & I work extensively overseas, so our availability is limited.
And with that availability, I'd rather do an enduro event than a sprint because I get more miles & smiles for the time spent.
The financial equation works better as well.

FYI, I do "arrive & drive" in an FF2000 for £300 per race - that's preparation of the car, delivery to/from the track, storage, shared mechanic - is a 2CV significantly cheaper?

We also need to make an easy series to join as other series do.
With FF2000, for example, you can hire a car to try a race or 2.
Once you are in, this is the friendliest club around.
But we need to get more through the door, so to speak.

I'm putting my money where my mouth is regarding new members.
I saw the post from a student wanting some help to go endurance racing, so I'm lending them a spare car we have plus any parts they need from our stock.

Simon Leith

OK, I am new to all this and don't have the experience/knowledge of you lot...but...I can see all sides of the story. I think this: if you are commited to the series, you will find a way to get the money and the time to race in it. I work most weekends through the summer and have a 2 and a 4 year old, but, if I race next year in the series, I will find a way to make every race. The problem is this....to go to Cadwell for the weekend to race in a 15 minute sprint would in real terms cost not £15 per minute/lap, but double that.....at least! Plus, one is away from their family for an entire weekend for 15 minutes of racing.

I am not sure what the answer is but this is definatey an issue. Personally, as an infrequent driver this year, I would be more encouraged to race next year if there were either double headers every weekend or a sprint and endurance of most of the weekends even if the enduro was only an hour. This would allow drivers to get more time on track for their money, or share the cost of the travel/transportation with another driver.

Not sure if this helps but as an outsider, it's my opinion.

Simon

Derek Coghill

It's different costs for everyone if you do it like that, Simon; for example, we had an 8 hour drive each way to get to Silverstone. The majority of drivers are in the south, so it makes sense for the races to be there or thereabouts, and the geographically-challenged amongst us will just have to deal with that.

I thoroughly enjoyed Silverstone (I think Graham did too); the format worked well and it was fun. I'd be in favour of maintaining the status quo - to go entirely to endurance races would, I think, marginalise us.

On a slightly different tack, I'm sure that I read recently that Castle Combe have gone independent (as in not affiliated to any particular club). Could we possibly get a multi-race weekend from this? Just an idea.