Holly Birkett 6 Hour Relay Race - 30 October, 2010

[OldSinger]

To quote HairyDJ from the marshall Birkett thread:

Top entertainment from the Hillman Imps - not the most obvious choice for some drifting / power slides!

[JohnD]

750 tropy racers? Frazer Nashes?
Dammit, I can remember Birketts when there were teams of BENTLEYS, inc. Mother Gun!

The complete results - and I mean complete; entry list, scratch and handicap positions every half hour, lap times by team and overall, best laps in team and individual oder; it's a statistitians dream - are on http://www.750mc.co.uk/images/upload...ur%20Relay.pdf

John

[Tim the Grey]

Alas, John, no more...

[John Turner]

Well, what about a Holly Birkett for Pre 60 teams only? I can come up with loads of ideas for races and meetings to compensate for our slack calendar.

[Tim the Grey]

Not as daft as it sounds, John, once the new South Circuit Pits are finished!

You could have Birkett Ancient and Modern, on the same day!

[grantp]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Not as daft as it sounds, John, once the new South Circuit Pits are finished!

You could have Birkett Ancient and Modern, on the same day!

Hehe.

And with a bit of preparation you could allow mixed 'ancient and modern' teams to participate on different circuits so long as they were not on both circuits at the same time.

That should make for complete confusion and would surely make the event about as unique as any event could be.

Actually, could they be on the same part of the track for some of the time? Some racing on the 'long' circuit and some on the 'short'? Would require fewer marshals than running two circuits .....

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by grantp

Actually, could they be on the same part of the track for some of the time? Some racing on the 'long' circuit and some on the 'short'? Would require fewer marshals than running two circuits .....

No need to do a handicap then, 'cos there wouldn't be any finishers. I have this vision of a scrapyard blocking the track. I think that we are entering the realms of the 'Lighter side'.

[brands]

Looking back at my gallery of the 2005 event I'm saddened how the variety of historic cars running has fallen. Having said that it was good to see this years cars running on the Bridge GP circuit with the chance to watch/shoot from various positions around the track.

Nice selection of photos John.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by John Turner

No need to do a handicap then, 'cos there wouldn't be any finishers. I have this vision of a scrapyard blocking the track. I think that we are entering the realms of the 'Lighter side'.

Maybe we are, John, maybe we are.

Of course next year there will, I believe, be a hotel (or building site) blocking the track but I suppose that doesn't count in the discussion really.

On the other hand we could have a thread about the authenticity of 'historic' tracks .... or lack if it and whether the new variants are part of the reason for the apparently reduced numbers of meetings and competitors running older cars, particularly pre-WWII.

Whilst tracks like Silverstone were not active at the time the cars were created, as far as I am aware, they became active at a time when pre-war racers would have represented a quite significant proportion of the nation's racing 'stock'. Presumably the selection of which runways to use and where to place the straw bales was, to some extent, influenced by that. Thus the tracks were suitable. A modern track with artificial chicanes to slow things down may be a less endearing proposition even for one-of-a-kind events that tradionally attracted a broad mix of bolides.

Of course such an opinion may be more one of perception than reality.

[Tim the Grey]

Originally Posted by grantp

Hehe.

And with a bit of preparation you could allow mixed 'ancient and modern' teams to participate on different circuits so long as they were not on both circuits at the same time.

That should make for complete confusion and would surely make the event about as unique as any event could be.

Actually, could they be on the same part of the track for some of the time? Some racing on the 'long' circuit and some on the 'short'? Would require fewer marshals than running two circuits .....

Traffic Light systems???
Brilliant idea. If only they hadn't done Figure 8 Banger Racing already...

[JohnD]

I think that a 'historic' (small 'h' please) or even better 'classic', Birkett is a great idea!
Not sure about the same day - the prospect of racing on the 'Bridge' (Old GP circuit) is great plus. Two simultaneous races would need to use the Club and Southern circuits, and be less enjoyable.
And is it necessary to start up a new series? The British Motor Heritage Four Hour Relay race is held under MGCC supervision at Snetterton. Apart from the duration, its regulations mirror those of the Birkett: http://www.mgcc.co.uk/images/motorsp...nettl_2010.pdf

John

[eamonn ledwidge]

Great idea, John - cars or drivers??

Originally Posted by John Turner

Well, what about a Holly Birkett for Pre 60 teams only? I can come up with loads of ideas for races and meetings to compensate for our slack calendar.

[simonb87]

JohnD

The MGCC race sounds good but the HSCC weren't invited........

Presumably the full grid was obtained, so no need for other historics.

[grantp]

Originally Posted by JohnD

I think that a 'historic' (small 'h' please) or even better 'classic', Birkett is a great idea!
Not sure about the same day - the prospect of racing on the 'Bridge' (Old GP circuit) is great plus. Two simultaneous races would need to use the Club and Southern circuits, and be less enjoyable.

I had heard that the 'Bridge' circuit will be no more, 2010 being the last use of it before some concrete development consigns further discussion of its availability to the realms of fantasy.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by grantp

That should make for complete confusion and would surely make the event about as unique as any event could be.

You forget the Pomeroy.

[JohnD]

Originally Posted by grantp

I had heard that the 'Bridge' circuit will be no more, 2010 being the last use of it before some concrete development consigns further discussion of its availability to the realms of fantasy.

What???!!! Not another Donington debacle in the pipeline? I heard that one of the reasons Damon Hill became president was to forestall a plan to build houses on land inside the perimeter, but outside the Silverstonetrack, Residential houses! With the history of Brands in miond, that is like turkeys voting for Christmas.

Can you say any more, perhaps in a new thread?

John

[grantp]

Originally Posted by JohnD

What???!!! Not another Donington debacle in the pipeline? I heard that one of the reasons Damon Hill became president was to forestall a plan to build houses on land inside the perimeter, but outside the Silverstonetrack, Residential houses! With the history of Brands in miond, that is like turkeys voting for Christmas.

Can you say any more, perhaps in a new thread?

John

I think it was mentioned earlier in this thread or maybe one of the other Birket threads and I seem to recall that the longer term plans indicated as much when the circuit revisions were announced last winter.

Whatever the plan is it looks like the historically memorable parts of the circuit (Woodcote in its day, now the exciting Bridge though it has only been around for a few years, and a few other bits that have been altered over time) are steadily being obliterated.

[simonb87]

Off topic, but it would be a great shame to lose this circuit which seems to be well liked by all - drivers and spectators - personally I think this is the best of the Silverstone tracks. The National circuit isn't much fun in a low powered car and the new GP circuit probably isn't viable for club racing.

[John Turner]

Originally Posted by eamonn ledwidge

Great idea, John - cars or drivers??

Could be either, or both ...... but no, the cars; we need to keep younger drivers interested.