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Post by norm on Nov 10, 2008 14:15:58 GMT
Interested to see what everyone thinks. If enough people vote we could always send a summary to Wheelspin?
Comments welcome.
Norm
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Post by norm on Nov 10, 2008 14:20:03 GMT
Before anyone asks, when it says "If money is that tight, go to the Sports & Saloons" what I mean is that anyone can enter the S&S and spend as much or as little as they want. You don't have to run a hot-Ford or Lambo to be out racing in the S&S.
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Post by brakedisc on Nov 10, 2008 19:05:40 GMT
I haven't voted because whatever happens I will not be involved. That said I would suggest that the best thing for any regional series is to align with a national class so that when you feel up to it you can expand your horizons and try other circuits.
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Post by Heinicke on Nov 18, 2008 2:13:21 GMT
If you want to further your career in motorsport, go South. Live in Milton Keynes and you'll be in easy striking distance for all major circuits, sell your soul to the Devil and work from nothing, prove your talents. Oli Mortimer has done well by doing a national series recently and look at the others, some bypassed the SMRC to get where they are now, Susie Stoddart is one!
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Post by jxr242 on Nov 18, 2008 15:11:56 GMT
Richard - what has your post got to do with this thread
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Post by norm on Nov 18, 2008 15:17:36 GMT
If your vote is "Introduce something else", and you have something in mind, then please feel free to leave a note saying what you'd like to see.
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Post by Heinicke on Nov 18, 2008 18:04:51 GMT
Richard - what has your post got to do with this thread You are right! It was late, I had a bad journey home, missing connections and very little legroom between London and Edinburgh, I was tired. I read it as "A new race for up and coming young' uns, what type?" I am sorry!
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Post by jxr242 on Nov 18, 2008 18:27:11 GMT
No need to apologise - just looked like you were heading off on one of your rants !
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Post by Heinicke on Nov 18, 2008 19:37:43 GMT
How about, like brakedisc suggested: a Ford Championship, classes with capacities etc.
The XR2s are great for racing in so they could be in their own class along with the STs and Si classes. Another for modified standard Fords, Escorts, Sierras like my old blue Fiesta or John Nathans Escort etc. Then maybe a classic class for Cortinas and Mk 1s and 2 Escorts and the premiere class, unlimited Cosworths or turbo'd cars. Battles all down the grid. Possibly with 20+ entries.
It'd give people more than one race and championship to run in. It'd maybe also allow the s+s to even out again.
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Post by macphersonstrut on Nov 24, 2008 0:21:57 GMT
We already have a popular starter championship for XR's and ST's, we already have a championship for modified Saloons like Focuses (or is that Foci !!) and Fiestas, we already have a Classic Saloon and Sports Cars Championship for older Escorts and Cortinas so why on earth would we want to have another for the rest of the Ford range. Formula Granada here we come !!! Brakedisc said we should align ourselves with a national class which is quite correct, he mentioned nothing about a Ford Championship. Well Formula Ford, Legends and Minis are a pretty good start. This year saw an increase in interest in most classes in Scotland and increased entries overall so it looks like we are bucking the national trend. The MSA are looking to reduce the number of championships so it sounds like a great idea to launch another one for cars that already run in 3 different ones. So yet another bonkers idea from the king of bonkers ideas.
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Post by Heinicke on Nov 24, 2008 16:28:28 GMT
We need a Formula Libre race again, it attracts the crowds and maybe, just maybe, we could get a few of the F1 cars to race?
We need a flagship championship again. People have the cars but they don't have a class to race them in. Big hairy sportscars and/or Formula cars.
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Post by brakedisc on Nov 24, 2008 19:20:52 GMT
Scared to say anything in case McPhersonstrut treats me as he has treated others.
"So yet another bonkers idea from the king of bonkers ideas". Please read his previous threads to see what I am talking about.
By the nature of his posts he is very pleased with the way racing in Scotland is structured and run. Yes numbers are up, but I for one am not keen on some of the competitors and their mates that have turned up at Knockhill because no one else will have them.
The SMRC and all they do must be applauded but let us face the harsh facts, for a country that has done so much in motorsport, a single circuit, with their own local classes is not much to blow your trumpet about. If it were not for the efforts of ICR, Graham Brunton, Ally Hunter and a couple of others with business interests linked to Knockhill what would entries be like? If you are aiming for the top, do as Richard has suggested and head south. I would also ask who of the current crop of professional drivers have begun their careers here never mind raced here regularly?
My personal feeling is that more should done to encourage newcomers, showing them that the local club run a tight ship where regulations are stable, costs are reasonable and that if you take the plunge you will have good fun and will enjoy yourself. Then if you want to do more you can move into a national championship (using the same car ) and participate in races down south. That is not happening at the moment. For those that do not know XR2s are to different regs down south, Legends are slightly different and the FF1600s in Scotland limited to cars built before 1992. The Minis are different as well. In the classics you have better options but in the saloons/sport area you are stuck with regional championships. A 20k ST is not what I would call an entry level formula.
I and my team are looking at our options for the coming season and we would love to do something other than sit at 56mph up and down the M6 but there is very little challenging about a one circuit championship. Done that one many times.
Richards dream of libre is unlikely because of lots of issues but the main one being the unsuitability of the circuit to allow anything current, be it sportscar or single seater to stretch its legs. The sportscar series that IF Motorsport tried to start looked promising but the costs were prohibitive even if you only raced locally.
For a country to have a vibrant race culture they need more than one circuit, more than 6 meetings and organising groups with vision supported by past champions willing to put something back.
Do we have that?
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Post by aland on Nov 24, 2008 19:26:52 GMT
IMO we dont need a headline series, atm all the series have equal billing which works well
as for another series joining there isnt enough space in the timetable as it is, any more and you may as well make it a weekender with qually on sat and racing all day sunday. after all it is a long day for those of us that are not within a 20 minute drive of the track
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Post by Heinicke on Nov 24, 2008 19:39:51 GMT
If Motorsport have moved to Snetterton, there aren't enough takers around here but apparently people have the cars and they want to race, they're stuck hillclimbing.
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Post by Blair on Nov 24, 2008 20:16:56 GMT
Dont ya reckon this is going a wee bit off topic - it's about entry level series! I'm glad though to see the option I voted for - the XR2 Champs become a Fiesta Champs is the most popular one amongst members here, for it's the no brainer idea to me at least! It lets those of us on limited budgets run an XR2 whilst catering for those who prefer to go the ST route and as seen this year lets those guys with ST's race at circuits in England - I think for those of us who will still be doing XR2's next year this is something for everyone to aspire to in the longer term.
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