Favourite Hillclimb?

[JimW]

Originally posted by Fireblade
. . . And talking of dogs. Why do Wiscombe allow dogs brought by punters in direct contravention of MSA rulings? Now an otter in the conditions I could understand.

The MSA don't ban animals at Race, Speed or Kart venues.

E.16.2 It is recommended that . . be not admitted. If they are present they must be securely in a vehicle when practice/competition is taking place. (shortened paraphrase).

If people did that then no problem. Taking woofles for a walk alongside the track is another matter.

Most venues do ban animals but few are very keen to police that. (See another thread for remarks about security staff and their problems).

Regards

Jim

[Woolley]

Lots of interesting points there. just to add a little more to the discussion on Shelsley:

The club run quite a variety of events, one evern being effectively for members only. The hill is heavily oversubscribed, I believe, for all of the available meetings thus time is set aside for club members who might not otherwise get the opportunity. There are also regularly classes for other clubs such as Ferraris, Morgans, motorbikes, etc.

I tend to suspect that even if there was the opportunity for additional weekends, and currently there isn't, attracting sufficient marshals for extra weekends could become a problem. The 'lesser' meetings (I'm sure there's a better word than that) attract fewer marshals than the National events anyway, and with two other venues using mostly the same core of people we are probably approaching the limit of the number of days they are prepared to turn out.

[Anuauto]

What about dogs brought to Wiscombe (and elsewhere) by British Hillclimb Champions who live in the midlands?

Wherever has there been any suggestion here that other venues dont use working parties?
Again, to enter an event (and thus take up an entry in an oversubsribed list that could have gone to someone else) but then refuse to run when others did (of all vehicle types), after the public have paid to get in, is indefensible and totally disgraceful - anywhere. Hello? planet earth?

[Fireblade]

Originally posted by JimW

If people did that then no problem. Taking woofles for a walk alongside the track is another matter.

Precisely the circumstance I refer to Jim. Thats what happened last time I was there.
And no, they werent competitors or relatives but general punters. I drew to attention of Steward and C of C.
There again it was nearly 4PM and the second class runs had't started so his mind was elsewhere.

[Jedi088]

It's always going to be a problem if you have a dry run in the morning and then it rains in the afternoon I certainly don't risk my car by pushing hard when I have no chance of improving on my previous time I might entertain the crowd with a little bit of opposite lock and wheelspin (unavoidable with a two stroke powered car ) here and there or if conditions are really bad not take my second run as there is no pressure to run unless you are a contender in the British championship with its two runoff system .

[Gizmo]

Originally posted by Anuauto
What about dogs brought to Wiscombe (and elsewhere) by British Hillclimb Champions who live in the midlands?

Wherever has there been any suggestion here that other venues dont use working parties?
Again, to enter an event (and thus take up an entry in an oversubsribed list that could have gone to someone else) but then refuse to run when others did (of all vehicle types), after the public have paid to get in, is indefensible and totally disgraceful - anywhere. Hello? planet earth?

Are you suggesting that there has been an instance of a dog being brought to an event at Wiscombe by someone in the midlands? If so I would suggest that you follow your own advice and see the post by Jimw regarding the regulation concerning such an occurrence. If the actions of the person concerned contravened such regulation did you report it to the officialdom present at the time? if not, why not? If you did, what was the outcome?

It is conceivable to conclude from your other comments that you are suggesting the following. That where there has been work carried out by volunteers, where a driver has received and paid for an entry that another didn`t get, that the public have paid money and that because someone else did run....a driver is obliged nay expected to run when he or she does not wish to for reasons of either damage to their car or themselves.
If that is indeed the `gist` of what you imply then I would say this to you,would you feel comfortable standing in the witness stand of a coroners court explaining your enforcement of such an obligation?......no, neither would I!

[hillclimber26]

This thread is a little off topic but oh well here goes....

If a competitor chooses not to run for a VALID reason then I would have no problem with this. A valid reason could be existing damage to car or injury/illness to driver, or conditions are bad enough to not take an unecessary risk of damaging your car or driver. Expensive cars cost lots to repair. Is it worth taking a big risk when you have nothing to gain?? I don't think that is indefensable. Some people may call it cowardly, but when there is little to gain, surely driver and car welfare becomes important.

We all know that entries are getting more oversubscibed and it may seen unfair to those who don't get entries to see drivers choose not to run, but perhaps they would do the same if in that situation. I suppose its down to the driver, but I don't think you can call it disgraceful or indefensable as you don't always know the full story behind the decision.

[listernoble]

I have just picked up this thread on wet conditions and whether to run or not.
Wiscombe was deadly in the wet with slippery moss down both sides of the narrow track ,this has now been improved with the recent re surfacing.
In Ginetta champs we run wet and dry times everywhere so there is a point in going out,but the other three speed champs I run in do not have this.
People pay to watch and we pay to run, so most of us reckon to get our money's worth and at least go out and have some track time to the best of our ability.
I was there when the Top 10 boys did not want to run in bad conditions,I suppose they did not see any point in going out and at the end of the day it is their's and their's only decision that is final.
Lister
PS we are trying to start a hillclimb and sprint section by contributing to this forum.

[Stuart Hill]

Originally posted by listernoble
PS we are trying to start a hillclimb and sprint section by contributing to this forum.

"We" being ?????

and feel free, myself and other hillclimb marshals will gladly contribute.

[JimW]

This is a sport and (at this level and for most people, a recreation). If you don't want to run; that is your decision and my maximum reactions are; Pity, I wanted to see that one and; Who?

If your withdrawal is someone else's pain; well you have to work out how you are going to deal with that.

Personally one of the reasons I stick to being a marshal, and don't think of driving, is that I know I would scare myself silly. So I don't go there. All credit to those who do, but I totally support anyone who has an eye to the conditions.

Regards

Jim

[Woolley]

I've seen you drive the unit, and it scares me silly too!

Seriously, is there any more entertainment value for the paying spectators if all the drivers are forced to run and just crawl up uncompetitvely instead? They're probably still at increased risk, and the day just becomes very long. There's no saying that many of the people who didn't get an entry would have wanted to drive in those conditions anyway.

I say, if you're willing to have a go and will put up with the risk, then have fun, and if you want to protect yourself and your car for the next meeting, that's fine too. Just make the commitment, and don't leave the marshals standing out in the rain wondering if anyone's coming out to play.