Castle Combe GT's

[Paul V]

Okay, the first meeting on Saturday didn't provide a brilliant race, but hopefully there will be an improvement over the next few races.
Some notes:-
The Stealth had engine problems and wasn't risked.

Mike Roberts, driver of the multi-colour Jade (Nissan v6) didn't practice/race as he unfortunately rolled his road car into a field on the way to the circuit (shaken but not hurt luckily).
The Trackstar Jade was brand new and was suffering from brake problems - It will get quicker.

Dave Green in the Daren/Mazda has moved up to class A this year with the introduction of a supercharger. Problems meant that he removed it for the race, but still finished second in class. Hopefully when it is working properly it will give him somewhere over 420bhp.

The black Radical SR3's are supposed to be entering for the season.

Lastly, Jermey Irwin in the Quest Rawlson, has swapped his engine from a Ford BD to a Lotus twincan as he has been suffering frm lots of broken gearboxes.
Result - DNF (broken gearbox).

[AndyF]

How many cars made the grid?

[Snapper Baz]

Paul V, your report there was certainly more interesting than the tiresome race!

[Paul V]

Originally posted by AndyF
How many cars made the grid?

I haven't got the exact numbers but it was between 15 & 20

[AndyF]

That's not too bad. Lets hope for a season with grids of that sort of size.

[Paul V]

The Easter Monday round was poorly supported and not an exciting race either, with no sign of the Stealth/Royale or the twin black Radicals. However Mike Roberts was back in the Jade/Nissan after his problems last time.

Dave Green had the supercharger back on, but was still not getting the lap times he deserves. :confused:

Last years champion Bob Light was out in a one off race in a Radical 1300, he was enjoying himself, but reckoned on needing to take a brave pill to really wring it out. During the race tho' he had a good dual with Saxon or Norman Lackford.

The Trackstar Jade of Tony Sinclair did a disappearing act in the race, leaving the Jade/Nissan to come home second, with the Daren/Mazda in third.

Post race scrutineering provided trouble for Mike Roberts - he failed the ride height test, and Paul Naimski in the Radical (4th) didn't have a functioning reverse.
(I have not seen a final results sheet, so I don't know if any penalties were applied.)

Jeremy Irwin went one better this time - he broke 3rd gear during practice.

[alfaman]

The GT race was a snore-a-thon.

I was at Quarry and I've never seen so many people looking so bored....

What is the circuit and the BRSCC going to do to try and beef up the entry?

During the presentations I heard the series sponsor Rupert? Crook appealing for people with GT cars in their garages to come and race them. Well if I had a GT car in my garage I would like to race it but I don't and that probably goes for 90%+ of the people there!

So what is the problem? Have the Jades scared people off because they think they'll be trounced? Is it purely economic? Or has people's racing interests turned elsewhere?

For a start I think the race should have been put down the programme because of the small entry.

I used to look forward to the GT races because of the variety of cars taking part but now that variety is in the likes of the Southern Sports and Saloons races run by the BARC or even the DDMC series which has the Jades and even the Stealth entered at Silverstone this weekend.

I think it's a real shame for Combe and the loyal spectators but they need to sort something before it gets down to single-figure entries.

[Snapper Baz]

Where are all the Prosport's then? I know a few have met their maker in the bank at Quarry Corner and a few have turned into different types over the last few seasons and what about all those types that appeared in Thundersports all those years ago??...perhaps some are now on the hills or sprinting???

[G Tanner]

A number of the Combe GT's were out in the Peterboro MC meeting at Silverstone today including the Jades and the Stealth so hopefully they'll be out for the May 5th meeting.

[darcym]

Could it be a car price problem. I am aware of a few people a little disheartened in the FF1600 race by the cost of the new 00+ spec cars that appear to be turning up, not everyone has the budget for these brand new spec cars, and as they are not designed for the FF1600 series a lot of people feel they have to poor in a lot of money to work twice as hard to keep up with these cars. There have been whispers of drivers going elsewhere if the rules on these cars where not sorted out. Perhaps this is the same with the jades as they seemed to rule last year, is their a big difference in cost ? can the other cars physically have a chance against them ?

[mattray]

I dont think people need to worry about these new spec 1600 cars about atleast not until they start winning by miles! anyway it looks like at Combe the people in these cars are doing their best not to win, maybe the marker boards at the chicanes make them too tight for these new spec wide Vandiemens.

A good driver in a 91-93 swift or Vandiemen will do just fine against these Oz style cars as long as they dont let the fact they look all new and fast get into their head! if you know what I mean.

Also wheel to wheel against a car the costs £100 per wishbone or £300 a wishbone I know which driver will back off first!

Keep having fun Darcym!!

Matt

[darcym]

ahh Matray, you raise a good point, and to be honest I don't care that much as I am not fighting the people who have the cars yet. However people racing the newer cars seem to keep up for say 5 laps, but drop off a little afterwards it just seems a little more effort to keep up with them for the full 10 laps, although I personaly wouldn't know.

I think the problem is down to the budject these cars can eat (so not everyone can keep up) and the un-arguable gain you get from these cars. Someone who has been driving well in class A can simpley take a kicking from an almost as good driver in far better machinery, with more advanced "stuff". I agree with what you say especially on the £100 wish bone V £300 however some people have bigger budgets and £100 is like loosing £1000 and losing £300 is like buying a round at the bar, you can't call people for that, but at the same time the rules are open to allow budgets to give you an advantage.

Apologies to all for going off topic, I just knew a few people where up set with the new spec FF1600 cars, where talking about going elsewhere. I thought this may have been the case with the Radicals for example in the GT's.