Is there any historic racing that draws large spectator crowds?

[john ruston]

Best of luck Alan.

80 people will confirm they want to do it and max 15 turn up.

Excuses will be brilliant. Ask Claire

[Greg Cozier]

The event would likely be the end of November and cars would be away for a maximum of six weeks depending on shipping schedules.

Cost for the whole package (flights, hotels, car shipping, entry fees) would likely be around &3,000 for a two-week holiday. That price would come down if it was run as a single long weekend which looks more likely.

It would be run an a proper race circuit but a hillclimb on closed public roads could happen as well.

[Alan Crook]

Originally Posted by john ruston

Best of luck Alan.

Nothing to do with me John ?? Nice that you are wishing me best of luck !!!!

[Alan Crook]

Greg, are you planning on running this event at Vaucluse Raceway, if so how many cars can you have per race. Has the circuit actually been used for circuit racing before ??

[Greg Cozier]

Originally Posted by Alan Crook

Greg, are you planning on running this event at Vaucluse Raceway, if so how many cars can you have per race. Has the circuit actually been used for circuit racing before ??

Hi Alan.

No Vaucluse Raceway is a rallycross track and not smooth enough.

Bushy Park is being redeveloped and I'm considering creating a Barbados Rally Carnival - like festival for historic race cars.

[johngee]

Originally Posted by john ruston

80 people will confirm they want to do it and max 15 turn up.

Excuses will be brilliant. Ask Claire

[Al Weyman]

Build a bit of flexibility in the rules as well as they vary greatly over here from club to club, CSCC although popular are just a tad too loose IMHO and HSCC are the opposite requiring later (post 66) cars to be road registered and road legal (why??) a compromise has to be sought to make the event more appealable to a larger cache of drivers.

I think the problem with Claires race was the sheer distance, when people started weighing up the costs of doing 6 hours racing and the survivability of their fragile historic mounts that struggle to do a 20 minute sprint it put them off. I think it will do better now newer cars are the norm.

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by Greg Cozier

Cost for the whole package (flights, hotels, car shipping, entry fees) would likely be around &3,000 for a two-week holiday. That price would come down if it was run as a single long weekend which looks more likely.

Not sure what the currency is there... if it's GBP, it's very good value... but if it's USD or even BBD, it's even better !

Anyway, I'm off to Barbados myself next week for a vacation... fantastic place !

[Greg Cozier]

Originally Posted by davyboy

Not sure what the currency is there... if it's GBP, it's very good value... but if it's USD or even BBD, it's even better !

Anyway, I'm off to Barbados myself next week for a vacation... fantastic place !

Please contact me when you're here on celphone 233 0896. I need some help in understanding the UK historic racing scene, nothing a grog or ten couldn't accomplish.

[morninggents]

Agree entirely with Al. A bit of flexibility with the rules and it's something that CTCRC, HRSR and App K historic saloons could all get excited about. Presumably there would be some interest from the US also.

JR you are just an old cynic. Al is right about 6 hours being too long for pre-66 cars at clubman level. I'm sure there could be good interest for a Barbados festival of racing but there would have to be plenty of track time to justify that sort of expense and no whiff of 'lining pockets' as per some racing here and in Europe (and I'm not talking of Claire/John here).

[terence]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Build a bit of flexibility in the rules as well as they vary greatly over here from club to club, CSCC although popular are just a tad too loose IMHO and HSCC are the opposite requiring later (post 66) cars to be road registered and road legal (why??) a compromise has to be sought to make the event more appealable to a larger cache of drivers.

I think the problem with Claires race was the sheer distance, when people started weighing up the costs of doing 6 hours racing and the survivability of their fragile historic mounts that struggle to do a 20 minute sprint it put them off. I think it will do better now newer cars are the norm.

So,why did so many originally register an interest ?

[Greg Cozier]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Build a bit of flexibility in the rules as well as they vary greatly over here from club to club, CSCC although popular are just a tad too loose IMHO and HSCC are the opposite requiring later (post 66) cars to be road registered and road legal (why??) a compromise has to be sought to make the event more appealable to a larger cache of drivers.

.

I agree. Our historic regs are literal interpretations of period FIA regs without proof of use in period and a few practical allowances.

In Cat 3 (75 - 81) we allow different engines from the same manufacturer and later cylinder heads. We also allow Ford Type E gearboxes in any car in Cat 1 (pre - 68) and 2 (68 to 74) and type 9 gearboxes in any Cat 3 car. Lots of Japanese cars here and they all had crap gearboxes.

Bodywork is as per FIA group 2 with 50mm wheel arch extensions in Cat 2/3 and lexan windows and fibreglass bonnet/boot in all categories.

[Greg Cozier]

Originally Posted by morninggents

I'm sure there could be good interest for a Barbados festival of racing but there would have to be plenty of track time to justify that sort of expense and no whiff of 'lining pockets' as per some racing here and in Europe (and I'm not talking of Claire/John here).

Schedule I'm considering would be:

Thursday - arrival and meet&greet party
Friday - scrutiny and official welcome party
Saturday - track testing in afternoon (due to party night before)
Sunday - Hill climb (on long course maybe 4Km), 4 runs each, prizegiving party after
Thursday - briefing meeting for race meet, party after
Saturday - qualifying
Sunday - racing, three 7-lap/15Km races each class and handicap at the end.
Monday - prize-giving party
Tuesday - go home.

Since the days of Alec Poole, Wizzo Williams, Derek McMahon, Gordon Spice, Dave Brodie, Richard Longman et al we've had a social reputation to maintain!

[Al Weyman]

Originally Posted by terence bower

So,why did so many originally register an interest ?

Well I could ask you the same question Terry but as I said in my post once people have weighed up the odds of finishing in some of the older cars I think they had second thoughts, I know at the end of the day its good value and all that but if you only get to run for an hour or so and do half a seasons expenses in one event its not much fun.

[Al Weyman]

Even the USA Historics that Cliff runs in are vastly different than FIA and I may say in many cases more sensible, for example the Fords can use the plentiful 302 and don't have to use the rare and expensive 289, they can fit a Hollinger Box or similar, they can fit aftermarket heads and many other cost effective allowances.

Also Greg I thought the idea was a holiday, if I went that far I would want to chill out for a couple of weeks.

[morninggents]

Certainly a few more chill out days would be welcome to rest after the racing and partying.
Would you also be looking for sports and GT cars? If so, presumably in different races. Single seaters?

[Greg Cozier]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Would you also be looking for sports and GT cars? If so, presumably in different races. Single seaters?

It is likely that only 30 cars could be invited, 40 at the very most. I'd prefer to concentrate those numbers in saloons, especially since locally we'd only be able to field cat 3 cars. If I could get ten UK/EU saloon entries in each category I'd be happy for a first attempt, especially considering the different cubic capacity groups.

[morninggents]

Does that mean you would not be interested in anything pre-75?

As a matter of interest is the proposed redevelopment of Bushy Park going ahead?

[Moosehead]

I'd be interested in such an event.

Back in 2006 at the Silverstone Classic I saw a sign that said 'Race your car at Daytona' (in 2007)..............so over the winter I stripped my hillclimb & sprint Mustang, took my ARDS test, did 5 races and marshalled a meeting to get my 6 signatures for a Nat A licence and loaded my car on a boat to American in November. The CSCC had organised a week long 'holiday' to go with the weekend of racing and we then stayed on for another week to keep the missus happy.

Was a great experience and I'd love to do something similiar again but I do need enough notice to gather funds.....................

[jhh911]

Well the Formula Ford 2000 guys were invited to Phoenix Park last year to race between the oak trees for the Dublin Grand Prix and 60,000 spectators turned up to watch.So I am sure if we get the same package i.e ,brilliant hospitality,free entry,and travel money we could be persuaded to race between palm trees for the Barbados Grand Prix

[Greg Cozier]

Originally Posted by morninggents

Does that mean you would not be interested in anything pre-75?

As a matter of interest is the proposed redevelopment of Bushy Park going ahead?

Three categories: pre-68, 68-74, 75-81.

Yes, hence my inquiry.

[morninggents]

Good, in both respects.

Presumably you are looking at 2014?

[GORDON STREETER]

The last time I was in Barbados Bushy Park looked like the roads in my area in the UK (FULL OF POTHOLES) !

[morninggents]

I've never been to Barbados, nor any of the Windies for that matter, so that's why a week of sunshine and racing in November next year would be of interest. Need to sort the pennies out!

Note to JR if he's lurking - at this stage it's only an 'interest'.

[zefarelly]

BoT

THe only place I've ever noticed a decent crowd watching was at OPGC a few years ago . . . which to my mind can only suggest I wasn't trying hard enough . . . . Goodwood is a great example of never ever noticing anyone . . .unless they're on the track waving a flag or waving a sign from the pit wall.