British/Belgian Champs Lydden Hill 4th&5th April

[Rallycrossfreak]

The jokerlap is important for drivers by having less (big) damage after the first corner.
You have to make a race strategy.

It's easy like that !
and that means more drivers in the finals and more spectacle for public at the end of the day.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by HrRACING

Why not happy? The ERC will be all joker laps very soon, and this is surly going to spread into all the national championships.

Makes it very interestering as a driver...

Interesting as a driver - dull as a spectator. It takes away a lot of the spectacle.

Originally Posted by Rallycrossfreak

.. that means more drivers in the finals and more spectacle for public at the end of the day.

More drivers but less action.

I've only seen the joker lap "live" at Lydden and I have to say I don't like it as a concept. From what I've seen of the joker laps at other circuits (on dvd and the net) they have the same effect as Lydden - breaking up the racing and robbing the spectators of some great wheel to wheel racing.

[Hickey]

I thought the joker lap at Kerlabo really added something to the track, cos it was too tight and had no overtaking spots. Lydden doesnt need one, and if it is to have one, don't have it on the first corner (like Nyirad) or first lap as that takes away some of the action. After the first lap, I think it can work quite well.

Still, really looking forward to the Easter weekend!

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Hickey

Still, really looking forward to the Easter weekend!

Oh yes.

[BOY BLUNDER]

Roll on the next 2 weeks i cant wait to av em on the old startline,euro style 5 across :-) see you all there come and say hello to the old startline crew.

BB....

[dcdesign]

Yes, we are working hard to get our car on the starting line, altough it will be just in time...

[Eddy V]

Work a bit harder!

Bert, is the Escort coming out again? Would be great.
And yes, I can't stand the joker lap either. Boring.

See you next week at Brands?

[mivec]

Originally Posted by dcdesign

Yes, we are working hard to get our car on the starting line, altough it will be just in time...

Wich car this is?

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Eddy V

Bert, is the Escort coming out again? Would be great.
And yes, I can't stand the joker lap either. Boring.

See you next week at Brands?

No plans for the Escort to be out at Easter currently - there will be more "do or die" drivers there and we don't want contact, Mk2 shells are getting expensive!

Hope to be at Brands next week (work might get in the way but I hope not!)

[Hog]

Just had the email come through saying this event will be 5 car abreast heats and they're using the joker lap.


I'm rather glad I can't make it. 5 car heats are another way of covering up that full 8 car grids are struggling to be made, and as for the total farce which is the joker lap it splits up an already depleted field into a tactiucal 200 metre dash to the line.

Startline Crew -1

[The Eye]

[QUOTE=BertMk2;2654755]Interesting as a driver - dull as a spectator.QUOTE]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2GOjDXOdgY&feature=related
Dull??? No way!!

[tbtstt]

I picked up the 2009 ERC DVD this week and, having watched the whole season back to back I can certainly see how the Joker Lap is useful on circuits like Holjes, where the track is narrow and passing can be tricky.

Watching the Lydden round on the DVD though the circuit seems vast in comparison to some of the Euro circuits and I would much rather see cars try and use the available track for overtakes rather than the Joker Lap.
Still, my opinion is that of a spectator, not a driver and, after all, it is their machinery out on the track, not mine!

Although the inclusion of the Joker in the UK round disappoints me a bit, I will still be going to the meet, I just hope the racing doesn't suffer too much and we still get some good duels up front.

[WJM]

Originally Posted by The Eye

One race out of 60+ that weekend. Other tracks don't even have one spectacular race anymore.

[Barrie]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

I picked up the 2009 ERC DVD this week and, having watched the whole season back to back I can certainly see how the Joker Lap is useful on circuits like Holjes, where the track is narrow and passing can be tricky.

Watching the Lydden round on the DVD though the circuit seems vast in comparison to some of the Euro circuits and I would much rather see cars try and use the available track for overtakes rather than the Joker Lap.
Still, my opinion is that of a spectator, not a driver and, after all, it is their machinery out on the track, not mine!

Although the inclusion of the Joker in the UK round disappoints me a bit, I will still be going to the meet, I just hope the racing doesn't suffer too much and we still get some good duels up front.

I'm very happy England got there ERC round back again, and if part of the deal was to build a joker section then so be it. Bit disappointed the governing bodies weren't flexible with the rules as we well no at Lydden overtaking can occur anywhere on the circuit what makes for great racing, apart from the Div 1 B final last year just about every other race the cars were very spread out till the last corner, not good.

[baldtom]

Originally Posted by Hog

Just had the email come through saying this event will be 5 car abreast heats and they're using the joker lap.


I'm rather glad I can't make it. 5 car heats are another way of covering up that full 8 car grids are struggling to be made, and as for the total farce which is the joker lap it splits up an already depleted field into a tactiucal 200 metre dash to the line.

Startline Crew -1

I thought that the heats were always 4 or 5 cars, and only the finals 8 cars..... or have I got the wrong end of the stick

With this meeting being the BRDA first round I must say I am surprised that the joker lap will be used..... does that meand it will be used for all BRDA rounds, or can a track just chose if and when they use a joker section for a BRDA round???

[205munchkin]

Well it sort of helps that LHMC run the British Championship, so they can decide when to use it themselves. There is no BRDA now.

So sick of everyone who doesnt know what they are talking about wingeing and moaning!!

[dcdesign]

Originally Posted by mivec

Wich car this is?

nr 155

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Barrie

I'm very happy England got there ERC round back again, and if part of the deal was to build a joker section then so be it. Bit disappointed the governing bodies weren't flexible with the rules as we well no at Lydden overtaking can occur anywhere on the circuit what makes for great racing, apart from the Div 1 B final last year just about every other race the cars were very spread out till the last corner, not good.

I agree with you word for word; its great Lydden got the ERC back and obviously, in order to do so, they had to comply with the ERC regulations.

Interestingly one of the Admin over on the RallycrossUK forum is talking about the Joker being used in the BRC as a part of the standardisation of the rules of rallycross. Although that strikes me as a good idea, so as to simplfy things for spectators and to make it easier for competitors to compete in both UK and Euro series, I guess that implies that we will eventually see Joker laps at all UK circuits?

[schanche]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

I agree with you word for word; its great Lydden got the ERC back and obviously, in order to do so, they had to comply with the ERC regulations.

Interestingly one of the Admin over on the RallycrossUK forum is talking about the Joker being used in the BRC as a part of the standardisation of the rules of rallycross. Although that strikes me as a good idea, so as to simplfy things for spectators and to make it easier for competitors to compete in both UK and Euro series, I guess that implies that we will eventually see Joker laps at all UK circuits?

I know there was talk of trying to bring the Joker into British events mainly the British Championships but from what I could make out the governing body wasn't to keen on the idea never one to adjust to change to quickley? maybe now they are considering the idea it would make sense to bring events in countries in line with each other but then that doesn't always happen.
Any new Country/Circuit that aplies for an ERC event has to make provisions for a joker section to be Included on the calender.The fact that a BRC round is using an ERC style event as a pre test to the big event in May could possibly bring more foreign competitiors over for testing and trying out the changes to the joker section could make this event one of the biggest BRC rounds ever! not seen since the Mid eighties when we reguarly had scandinavians over for the rounds. Just read elsewhere that Michael de Keersmaecker will be at lydden for the first round to test his focus with a Godfrey prepared engine!

It was about this time last year that everybody started moaning about changes to lydden having the joker lap at the track moving Barriers I guess we must all be getting bored and are just waitng for our next fix

[Hickey]

I dont really want to see the joker lap become commonplace in the BRC, but you make a fantastic point schanche, if the organisers are advertising this as the ideal shakedown pre-ERC, and alter the rules/regs to that effect, then we could benefit from the best and biggest field a British event has seen for decades. Which should benefit all involved. There is a niggling issue I have with hijacking a British event for the good of the ERC, but as a spectator, I actually don't care and cannot bloody wait for this!!!

C/D Finals in a British event??? Surely it's possible!

[chasing cars]

its a shame about the joker lap but needs must. Problem with it is its positioning, meaning very few races see any proper racing until after the last corner.I know origionally it was going to be going up the hill, maybe sometime in the future this could be reconcidered.

That aside sounds like its going to be a fantastic weekend, planning on camping so hope it warms up a bit.

[WJM]

Originally Posted by chasing cars

its a shame about the joker lap but needs must. Problem with it is its positioning, meaning very few races see any proper racing until after the last corner.I know origionally it was going to be going up the hill, maybe sometime in the future this could be reconcidered.

That aside sounds like its going to be a fantastic weekend, planning on camping so hope it warms up a bit.

That's the whole point of the joker lap. To facilitate passing without crashdamage and to make the start less important.

For proper racing the Lydden jokerlap is actually better than at other tracks. Last year it was often that cars on the right side pushed others in the jokerlap. Meaning those cars are from then on in a proper race.

[chasing cars]

Originally Posted by WJM

That's the whole point of the joker lap. To facilitate passing without crashdamage and to make the start less important.

sorry cant agree with that, i understand about the damage etc but surely the point of racing is to overtake those in front & to defend against those behind.How about we go the wole way & start cars at 30secs intervals so theres n contact at all,and call it rallying
Joking aside as a spectator i want to see cars together fighting for posituon. As a compromise maybe it should be joker lap during the heats when it ia all about time & no joker lap during the finals when its about position.This way the best cars make the finals & then it really comes down to the driver.

[StockHatch782]

Originally Posted by chasing cars

As a compromise maybe it should be joker lap during the heats when it ia all about time & no joker lap during the finals when its about position.This way the best cars make the finals & then it really comes down to the driver.

That actually sounds like a really good idea to me. It fits with the ethos of trying to be quick and stay out of trouble in the heats then going flat chat in the finals. I think it'd suit drivers and spectators alike.

[Hickey]

Originally Posted by StockHatch782

That actually sounds like a really good idea to me. It fits with the ethos of trying to be quick and stay out of trouble in the heats then going flat chat in the finals. I think it'd suit drivers and spectators alike.

I'd second that too. Think it's a really good idea. Especially as finals are one or two laps longer, gives more time to put pressure on, make the pass, so you don't need the joker as much. Right, who do we write to?

BTW, any chance of an interim entry list before the final one next week. Am pretty sure most of us on here are very anxious to know!