RIP Fosters Box

[Keith Kehoe]

Those of you who are regulars at Oulton Park will probably be interested to know that as the Fosters circuit is not planned to be used next season, The Observer's box at Fosters was demolished today.The armco and tyre walls surrounding it are due to be removed during the week.

[Dave Brand]

No Fosters circuit next year - that's bad news! Does the demolition of the box mean that they are abandoning Fosters altogether, or are they planning a new super-box? Are they removing all the Armco & tyre walls; if so, where will the fire truck park - relocate to Cascades?

So many questions...

[Keith Kehoe]

Yes Dave they are going to remove all the armco & tyre wall. The plan at the moment is to relocate the fire truck to Cascades, but this may change.

[diz]

No Fosters, oh poo.
That's kyboshed my idea of a Formula Ford "Festival type event" in the summer months, which had to be Fosters for short lap times, close racing and lending itself perfectly to a knockout type event.

Also hope that Island doesn't come into regular usage - none of the Formula Ford boys like it. That is except for good old blue nose, who probably claims it is his favourite layout just be stubbornly different.

What would the problem be with running without marshalling prescence where the current box was? Could it be covered flagwise from Cascades with a sort of straight on marshals post ahead of where you would turn 90 right and track marshals situated there and on the bank where you would turn left to go down Lakeside.
Or even build a Rocket style truck tyre fortress near where the now absent box was.

Who is going to start an online petition to save our Fosters?

[SRPhoto]

Very sad news!

Several very happy days had there during the last several years!

[Mike Kelly 1]

R.I.P. the Fosters box and layout ! We had so many happy times together!

[chezza]

Its very sad the the box has gone, although I've not marshalled that post, the legends are best on the short circuit, the longer ones just space them out.

[Hepatic]

Gutted, i had one of the most entertaining meetings there last year with guys including XR Challenge and the supermightymegadooper minis. If you ran the short config you have to have people where the box was, Putting everyone behind the barrier "head on" as they approach the right turn would just give drivers a target its got virtually no runoff which may have been a factor too, but as Chezza says some of the smaller championships give you the best racing on the short circuit inc caterhams, minis, legends and them funny single seater things powered by ford

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by diz

That's kyboshed my idea of a Formula Ford "Festival type event" in the summer months, which had to be Fosters for short lap times, close racing and lending itself perfectly to a knockout type event.

Looks like you'll have to run it at Anglesey...

...National & Club circuits running concurrently - now there's a thought! Pre-90s on one circuit, post-89s on the other & swap round at half-time!

[JimW]

It is the loss of the Fosters circuit which makes me sad.

So much of club racing gets worse as the circuit gets longer.

Jim

[Matthews Dad]

Have to agree that it would be shame if the fosters circuit is no longer used as a spectator (pre marshalling) it was the best circuit to see all the action

I have not marshalled the Fosters Box area but can see that it was in the direct line of fire having seen several incidents where the cars struck the armco / tyres just in front of the box

but it does limit the circuit configurations

what other changes are planned for OP over the winter?

[Shelagh]

So, Bill's flag box damage will remain a one off?

That's the box he keeps his flags in and it was hurt at Fosters by an out of control Fiesta, I believe.

[Justin Moran]

I would've liked to have marshalled there just once but now thats going to have to remain a dream, I suppose the circuit charges the same for whichever layout is used and for time on track most opt for the full circuit. Sad day.

[Paul Newns]

The loss of Fosters is a serious blow to club racing at Oulton. It often kept the slower or less well supported classes bunched up and improved the reacing.

I couldn't agree with Diz more. If we aren't using the Fosters circuit then we need to use the full circuit. The Island hairpin is a complete waste of the best part of the track, Island/Shell.

Yes, we could flag Fosters using Cascades and Knicker In, but the difficulty is providing incident cover. Anyone going trackside would be exposed to on-coming traffic for a long time, no matter which direction they approached from.

The Fosters box has taken a number of serious hits over the years and I wouldn't want to be in a sanctuary made just of truck tyres and earth.

On another point, with there being fewer marshals these days, providing cover for the longer circuits is harder. We need 5 extra Post Chiefs; 7 more flaggies; and quite a few extra incident marshals to cover the full circuit rather than Fosters.

[flying muppet]

Are we sure that the Fosters circuit won't be used next year???

I understood that the post was being removed because of the number of heavy impacts (some head on) into the post itself, and because the job can be done nearly as well from the Knickerbrook advance post - if you've ever been there it gives you a great view of the Fosters bend.

If you think about it, many cars were being damaged hitting the wall that was there to protect the marshals; if the marshals don't need to be there, why have the tyre wall...

[Catchpole]

Can I just knock all this talk on the head!

Foster's box has gone, on the reccomendation of the MSA.

The box which is used as Knicker Brook advance will now be used as the Fosters post, the Fosters Circuit lives on!

[brsccnw]

I think you will find that Fosters circuit is still going to be used.

[Nadine J Lewis]

So where does the fire truck end up?

[bluebeard]

Originally Posted by Catchpole

Can I just knock all this talk on the head!

Foster's box has gone, on the reccomendation of the MSA.

Ok we can understand that...

The box which is used as Knicker Brook advance will now be used as the Fosters post, the Fosters Circuit lives on!

Shame that box is in the wrong place!

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by flying muppet

If you think about it, many cars were being damaged hitting the wall that was there to protect the marshals;

It was rumoured a few years ago that a certain Fiesta driver had hit so many times that he left a toolbox behind the tyre wall...

...but the drivers who were really trying went behind the box!

[Hepatic]

Will have to wait and see, maybe there will be an update in the next NW news letter about it..?

[Mike Kelly 1]

Originally Posted by MarshalGirl

So where does the fire truck end up?

We have two choices, either at Hill Top (for the Fosters layout) or at Cascades (Island and International layouts). Both positions have good and bad points but as normal, we'll work round them just as we did when the tree and banking near Deer Leap was removed. We then joined the back of the pack from the gap at Lodge ready for the race start. We can discuss this at the training day in February along with Rescue Units and Race Control.

[Keith Kehoe]

Unfortunetly I was given misinformation,The Fosters circuit will be used next season. I now regret starting this thread & would like to apologise to everybody for giving out information without getting my facts right first. I especially would like to apologise to MSV,Brscc.Barc & diz who have been caused many problems by this misinformation. I can assure you this thread was started with the best of intentions & no malice was intentended.

[Hepatic]

I'm sure none was taken Keith, but does still raise the question of redeploying marshals to cover the corner. I'm sure the training day will reveal all

[Justin Moran]

Maybe they are just moving it backwards to alow for run off or even moving it to the inside of the bend????? Not likely I know but a few possibilities?