Pirelli Marenello challenge @ Combe 29/8

[ooo-arr27]

Dissapointingly, only 5 cars (2 x 360's and 3 x 355's) in both of the races at Combe on monday - just wondering why really? It was only two seasons ago that this championship was attracting 25 to 30 cars. where have they all gone?? anyone??

[Grandslammer]

Combining the Ferrari Challenge with the Classic grid over say 1 race of 30 mins might have made it more interesting for the Spectators and Marshals ,(wonder how many times No6 Classic would have been lapped ? ). I know there is Championship regulations and all that to consider though. Any how well done to those Drivers who did turn up to Race.

[ooo-arr27]

absolutley Grandslammer - the drivers who did take part put on a good show. Hope the situation can be sorted for next season, cause appart from looking gorgeous, Ferrari championships usually give some excellent racing.

[CombeMarshal]

#6 was seriously slow!
They should have left the pace car out there for the race too!!

I don't think the Classic Ferrari's race in a championship, but I could be wrong (some one told me once before I was, but they were wrong!!)

Lee

[gixxer]

Well i'm gonna say it the BRSCC should be flaming ashamed of themselves in running a race for 5 bloody cars,i'm a staunch supporter of castle combe and feel that this crap really let the circuit down and i belive by some of the comments from people behind me will be losing customers because of it!!

Just cause its a ferrari does not mean it has a right to race which turned into a total farce....for the first time i left the circuit before the last two races in disgust as i could not and would not sit through 15 mins of rubbish!!!

Its about time championships that cannot muster more that a dozen cars should be chopped and forgotton!

What started as good meeting was spoilt by three races that should have been just one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OOOOOOOO blood is still boiling!

[CombeMarshal]

Originally Posted by gixxer

Well i'm gonna say it the BRSCC should be flaming ashamed of themselves in running a race for 5 bloody cars,i'm a staunch supporter of castle combe and feel that this crap really let the circuit down and i belive by some of the comments from people behind me will be losing customers because of it!!

Just cause its a ferrari does not mean it has a right to race which turned into a total farce....for the first time i left the circuit before the last two races in disgust as i could not and would not sit through 15 mins of rubbish!!!

Its about time championships that cannot muster more that a dozen cars should be chopped and forgotton!

What started as good meeting was spoilt by three races that should have been just one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OOOOOOOO blood is still boiling!

Dam, you missed the young Female Streaker then!!!

Lee

[devon kev]

I agree 2 uninteresting races but at least it gave us marshals a 40 minute break

[ooo-arr27]

I don't know if any of you guys were marshalling at Tower, but thoses who were, were definately making the most of the sun!!
I get to Tower corner at eight in the morning - I video everything, right through to the final lap of the final race (sad I know, but I've got stuff that no one else has!) - the two Pirelli races were the first I have not filmed for 4 seasons!!
Gixxer is correct in what he says, the BRSCC need to have a series cull / consolodation period in order to save themselves!

[Alfaholic]

When the Ferraris ran at Snetterton in July this year, there were 8 starters in race 1 and 7 in race 2 with 5 finishers in both races, and I thought it was bad then!!

Lee, if the very slow #6 classic Ferrari was the same Dino that was at Snetterton, then he was just as slow then - being lapped every 3 laps or so! This may have been due in part to the fastest car being a 365 GTB4/C (Daytona) being driven by British GT driver Oliver Bryant.

[soper]

Ferrari races are not a BRSCC championships, they are organised by the FOC, and I suspect that the FOC buy the grids from BRSCC when they guest at BRSCC races, so the content of the ferrari races is somewhat beyond the control of BRSCC, they are contracted to supply race slots and have little control thereafter. This has worked OK in the past, Ferrari races were fairly strong until this year - it seems that the well minted drivers barging their 360's into all the other cars switched off a lot drivers, and with the 355's unable to compete with the 360's the 355 drivers also gave up. Then all the 360's migrated to BGT and Britcar.

I would suspect that they will not be asked back to Castle Combe unless they can guarantee better grids

[Grandslammer]

Originally Posted by ooo-arr27

I don't know if any of you guys were marshalling at Tower, but thoses who were, were definately making the most of the sun!!
I get to Tower corner at eight in the morning - I video everything, right through to the final lap of the final race (sad I know, but I've got stuff that no one else has!)

Hope you haven't got any incriminating footage of us Marshals I was at 'Bobbies',was I "safe" there?

[ooo-arr27]

You would have been fairly safe up at Bobbies, Grandslammer. It was your colleages at Tower who should worry. If I pass you details of my bank account, could you pass it onto them - I think a tenner each should keep them safe for a few weeks
It will be a shame to loose the Ferrari's, but if the FOC cannot get a decent grid together and continue to do so, it seems this series is doomed
Because they run as a 'Challenge', rather than a 'Championship', is this why the 5 cars were allowed to take the start? Am I right in thinking that with a championship it is specified that you have to have a certain number of cars to take the start, where as a challenge could in theory run a single car???
Could someone clear this up for me .

[Ian Sowman]

Not really. You can lose championship status if your grids don't average above a certain number of cars, but this doesn't impact on specific races - very often final instructions say that if there are less than 12 entries (say) races will be amalgamated, however.

[CombeMarshal]

I was told after the meeting that when they go to there next race (think it's at Brands or Silverstone!) if they can't make a 20 car grid they will be going home!

Alfaholic, I'm sure it would have been the same Ferrari, even though he tried to keep well out of the way the difference in speed was dangerous in my opinion

[gixxer]

Too right lee but in all honesty the circuit should have made the organisers put both ferrari races together and just given them one race,nobody will have any interest in just five cars circulating for 20 mins.

[josvandeperre]

The Club has indeed been forced to drop the PMFC next year due to lack of entries - not many people want to race old 355's however cheap they are and the 360 is just too expensive - so those who can afford it go straight for British GT or similar - there was a slightly disappointing entry for the Classic race at Combe this year but yet again I understand it was a good race - so we're going to concentrate on the Classic series which effectively gets back to the roots of the PMFC 20 years ago when the aim was for members to turn up and race their road cars

To lose the PMFC is a shame but in many ways its part of the fall-out of the increasing professionalisation of motor sport - in this case exemplified by the factory producing dedicated relatively affordable slick shod race cars whose use is not really compatible with a club series

[josvandeperre]

The Silverstone races have now been cancelled and the rounds at the Brands A1GP races have been rolled into the GT race but the Classic should be ok on the saturday with about 25-30 entries

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by josvandeperre

The Club has indeed been forced to drop the PMFC next year due to lack of entries - not many people want to race old 355's however cheap they are and the 360 is just too expensive - so those who can afford it go straight for British GT or similar - there was a slightly disappointing entry for the Classic race at Combe this year but yet again I understand it was a good race - so we're going to concentrate on the Classic series which effectively gets back to the roots of the PMFC 20 years ago when the aim was for members to turn up and race their road cars

To lose the PMFC is a shame but in many ways its part of the fall-out of the increasing professionalisation of motor sport - in this case exemplified by the factory producing dedicated relatively affordable slick shod race cars whose use is not really compatible with a club series

Yes its a same about the PMFC as most petrolheads love to watch a ferrari being raced,but it still remains a FACT the race should never had happend 5 cars was a disgrace.
But on the other hand i applaud the club for taking the measure and dropping the championship next year its still a little too late and the classic's will need something to attract drivers to want to race their cars and hopefully these older cars will have the grids that used grace the country's tracks 5 or 6 years ago.