Oulton Park Fosters RIP?

[flying muppet]

With most fixture lists from organising clubs more or less firmed up now, it looks as if every meeting at Oulton this year will be either on the full 'GP' circuit or the Island loop layout.

Is the absence of the Fosters circuit due to pressure from competitors, or maybe a new MSV policy?

Anyone in the know?

[graeme]

I quite like it - only raced it for the first time last year. Perhaps it's the starting grid only being 26? I'm all for using the International Circuit (Island Bend ) but I know that has problems of it's own - more marshals, more practice time required. I get a bit bored of the Island Circuit...

[MikeM]

Not sure on this Andy, it's been like this on previous years and then changed again. I like all three in their own way so I hope we get a good mix.

We look like FF's might get bigger grids this year so Graeme's point on starting numbers could be useful to us.

[flying muppet]

Graeme's point about marshals is also extremely valid - perhaps, Mike, you'll be helping out after your races!

[MikeM]

I knew I should have bought orange race overalls!

[Mark Mitchell]

Island configuration is pants IMHO!

Full circuit is great.........so's Fosters too!

I think the organisers will struggle to man the full track with marshals and we will end up doing it "Donny Style" - i.e. The Observer will flag as well or the Flaggie will Observe as well........two incident marshals per post.

[graeme]

Originally Posted by graeme

I get a bit bored of the Island Circuit...

...though to be fair, it's the circuit which favours me most, as it has the lowest average speed.

[Mackmot]

What if the competitors from the second to last race of the day helped marshall for the first race of the day. Then the last race for the second race then the first race for the third race and so on?

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Mackmot

What if the competitors from the second to last race of the day helped marshall for the first race of the day. Then the last race for the second race then the first race for the third race and so on?

I won't presume to answer for the competitors, but I suspect that many of them have plenty to do between practice & racing!

Logistically, it would be a nightmare. You'd have to get people to & from posts, & somebody would have the job of sorting allocations out so that manning levels at each post remained constant.

I think it has been said in another thread, that MSA rules wouldn't allow a driver to marshal (note, only one 'l'!) at a meeting at which he was driving.

[Mackmot]

ok fair enough

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Mark Mitchell

Island configuration is pants IMHO!

Full circuit is great.........so's Fosters too!

I like the Island configuration - Island is one of my favourite posts, but then Shell is probably the best post of the lot! Fosters is a good post as well - scary at times, but fun.

So, for me, it doesn't matter which circuit is being used. I likes 'em all. The only drawback to the Fosters circuit is than the short lap times mean that there's often not much time to deal with an incident before they are round again - good training for Anglesey, though!

[bluebeard]

Hmmmmmmmm just using mostly full circuit & island eh? thats really scary with regard to marshals numbers! hope this has been taken into consderation

[blue nose]

Fosters is my favourite but the powers that be do not know what they are doing until it is done,so we may race on it this year......

[Redracer77]

I never used to like Fosters as it seemed like you were short changed when given that circuit but once I raced on it I really enjoy it. Charging down the avenue and down to fosters was so important to a good lap as most people used to brake far too late and that would mean they were slow all the way up clay hill to druids which would kill your lap time.

As a Championship based at Oulton Park and Anglesey I would like to see NWFF use all 3 circuits at least once. The Island Circuit is my least fav and I think it will suit the new "Zetec" conversions.

[Mondeo Man33]

Rumour has it that the cost of hiring any circuit configuration at Oulton has now been levelled out, whereas previously there was a price increase from Fosters through to International. Does this explain why this year's meetings seem to be on the 'long' circuits? It ought not to...

[flying muppet]

I think that's exactly the reason ...

[Asp]

After today's racing (on the International Circuit) I feel compelled to resurrect this thread.
Today's races on the whole were good - it's just we didn't see them often. Staying as a pack is great - but when they only come round once every 2 minutes it also gets very boring. Putting some of these races on a shorter circuit would be so much better.
Also, as predicted in this thread, marshalling levels are struggling - meetings are being run with a combined flag/observer on many posts, which is far from ideal.
And a final point is that the commentary was unable to make the race exciting. No criticism of Mr Cookson or Sprocket - they just can't see most of the circuit. It's very difficult to comment on the racing when you can't see it. If we are going to race on the longer circuits, can we please add some CCTV onto the blind spots - or even just a third commentary box towards Island that would only be used on long circuit meetings?

[Mondeo Man33]

Totally agreed. The Fosters circuit has always encouraged good, close racing, and can even transform races with low numbers of cars into something worth watching.

I can understand that, perhaps, from a driver's point of view the full circuit is preferred over Fosters. I can't, however, defend the Island circuit which IMO is boring to drive and is far less entertaining to marshal/spectate than Fosters. Lest we forget, the Fosters circuit is now the only way that drivers can attack Knickerbrook in its proper form.

This definitely needs to be sorted for next year, I wouldn't marshal the full circuit all year round as it just isn't interesting to do so.

It would be good to have some drivers' views on this- do you want to drive the full circuit all the time or do you like variety? And also, who decided to run all of this year's meetings on the 'long' circuits?

[Redracer77]

As a driver I like the challenge of the full circuit but I also like the speed of the Fosters circuit. Cascades is really good fun on the Fosters.

I only know 2 drivers who like the Island circuit.....

North West Formula Ford should have 2 races on each circuit

[Asp]

I've had another thought, something that Richard mentioned in the commentary yesterday - meetings split between circuits.
Sprocket suggester jokingly we could have 3 circuits over a day - that would be a bit too difficult, but Mallory can rotate between the oval and using the hairpin - why can't Oulton? There would be some logistic problems, and moving from Fosters all the way up International may be a bit difficult - but it would certainly be possible going from Fosters to Island (take Fosters marshals and split them between Island and Hill Top, and put some Cascades marshals at Lakeside). For instance the Legends meeting earlier this year - Legends and 2CVs would be much better on Fosters, but the rest of the package put on a good show on the Island circuit. Possible?

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by Asp

I've had another thought, something that Richard mentioned in the commentary yesterday - meetings split between circuits.

We were discussing this at Druids yesterday (couldn't hear the commentary, so we can claim 'simultaneous invention!) & came up with the same solution. Two of the best posts, Fosters & Island, in one day - yes please!