VIC 6 Hour Relay set to return to its roots

[storyline]

Whispers around the traps indicate that this years Winton MSCA Six Hour Relay will be the last organised by the MSCA (Marque Sports Car Association). Falling numbers, rising costs and criticism of some of the current organising group has seen the MSCA decide 2005 will be the lat year they will be organisationally involved in the event.

However - all is not lost as it appears that AROCA (Vic) are preparing themselves to step into the breach and take over responsibility for the event - but with a number of major changes to the event.

Firs, and possibily the best change, will see the Relay revert back to a CLub Level event instead of the Open Race it has become - this means that the once a year competitors will no longer be required to obtain and maintain a CAMS C3 licence - something the event has, it appears, been struggling with for some time (the cost to competitors to firstly obtain this licence and then maintain it has been citeed as one of the reasons numbers have been dropping.

Secondly - cost containment. This will be done in a very simply and effective manner - the event becomes a AASA event and not a CAMS event. Similar insuracnce cover (for that read almost identical cover) at a much much lower rate together with an organisation that is willing to HELP and ASSIST the competitor instead of simply putting barriers in their way all the time,

AROCA plan, according to my sources, to run the event around the same time of the year as the present event - let's just hope that the NSW chapter see sense and stop the clashes with with that states Relay event.

Further whispers - although not as yet confirmed - are that the Relay will join up with similar events in South Australia and Tasmania to form a Relay Series although how this will work has yete to be decided - however it can only help CLUB level motorsport if such a series were to be developed.

(Now watch CAMS suddenly instigate their own Club Level Series to try and circumvent this move).

[JABWOA]

And yet, AFIK, there are no club level _race_ meetings being held (with one notable exception.)

[XW GT]

Hi Storyline,

Your AASA bias is showing again.

[Dirk]

Bring back the Winton 24 Hour Race, them were the good old days. A really fun event!

[Uncle Cranker]

Originally Posted by Dirk

Bring back the Winton 24 Hour Race, them were the good old days. A really fun event!

No please don't.

Although I must admit working at the 'Tank' during the night was fun. Especially watching the cars spin coming through the 'flip-flop'.

Head-light, tail-light, head-light, tail-light, head-light, tail-light

[storyline]

XW - there is no AASA bias at all. If you look at the nitty-gritty CAMS do appear to have abandoned club level motor RACING. They pay lip service to supporting the clubs but all they do is push their V8 series, National and State level series only - as I have mentioned before - the days of the Wakefield open race meetings, the Champion of Winton, Amaroo Park Club races (well Amaroo has gone..) have all but disappeared.

But, again as I said before - don't shoot the messenger - I understand that all of this information was on display - basically as I reported it and received it - at Sandown last Sunday and has been talked about within AROCA, Vic for a while now.

As one competitor put it to me - to race once a year in the Six Hour Relay, it now costs him around $1,000 to have the medical, renew licences etc - and this for what is supposed to be a CLUB event (OK it can be argued that the bar has been raised - but the competitors are the ones making these claims - not me).

So - AASA bias? No - if AASA were to have gone down this road I think you will find people will get stuck into them just as much.

[silver 2]

Storytime, you continue to be very loose with numbers-- $1000 to maintain a licence and do medical??? reality less than 1/2 that .Your point still applies -- however how would you ensure sufficient competence before letting loose on a race track.Other competitors hope to live thru their fun too!

[storyline]

The umbers are what were quoted to me by compeetitors (and I very clearly stated that).

Competence - I don;t think anyone is envisaging letting a complete novice on the track - far from it. But CAMS allow club members to partake in pseudo racing (Super Sprints) which are essentially a mini-race in a road car.

My understanding is that the cars MUST have the basics - roll cage, fire extinguisher etc - much as the entries 15 or so years ago had to have before clubs such as POrsche started entering the event and raising the stakes to astronomical levels.