This is true-honest!!!

[JimW]

Seems a pity to me that entries could not be accepted on the day, at least for events which are not "serious" championships. Here we all are bemoaning the lack of entries for some races. Perhaps a late fee of 10% should apply?

Wonder what the MSA would say was the reason for this? And could it be changed to something that the organisers could regulate in the SRs if they wanted to?

Regards

Jim

[Tim Falce]

Originally posted by Ian Fisher
Might do one or two BARC salonns rounds (is that the championship Uncle Eric is doing?)

Eric is doing the Southern Saloons and I will enter a few of the saloon and sports in my car. At the moment they are amalgamated due to lack of entries but at Silverstone Stowe and Lydden they are cheap races.

[Tracey]

If the Stewards could get agreement from all other competitors, I personally can't see a problem (other than perhaps insurance, which I'm clueless on) why extras can't join in on the day providing they can prove extenuating circumstances.

As for marshals, most of us try to plan in advance. However, sometimes when meetings get moved/cancelled we find we have a free day and turn up somewhere else. We try to help the chief marshals out with as much notice as possible, but for 99% of events, an extra pair of hads to assist would never be turned away as there are fewer marshals being spread wider as it is!

[StephenRae]

Most of you lot are missing the point. As most of us already know the purpose of a club meeting is to bolster the egos of those in charge, not to entertain the public with full grids and close racing.
How many marshalls are turned away because they arrived unexpectedly?
Oh...while I'm up here on the soapbox I wouldn't want to win a race because my competitors were hogtied by paperwork.

[Junior Senior]

Red tape, excessive paperwork,high expense and restrictive rules meaning common sense cannot be applied means that this once great sport is going down the tubes very quickly.
How many times do you hear dyed in the wool club racers and spectators yearn for "the good old days" of the 70's with large grids and invariably good racing.
Rant over.
I cannot be the only person on here that thinks the same, can i?

[EvilPumpkin]

Originally posted by StephenRae
Most of you lot are missing the point. As most of us already know the purpose of a club meeting is to bolster the egos of those in charge, not to entertain the public with full grids and close racing.
How many marshalls are turned away because they arrived unexpectedly?
Oh...while I'm up here on the soapbox I wouldn't want to win a race because my competitors were hogtied by paperwork.

If that's the only purpose of a club meeting, then why bother showing up at all?

Be careful how you have a go at the volunteers who make the racing possible - you may not like them, but if they're not there you don't race at all.

[StephenRae]

Originally posted by EvilPumpkin
If that's the only purpose of a club meeting, then why bother showing up at all?

Be careful how you have a go at the volunteers who make the racing possible - you may not like them, but if they're not there you don't race at all.

You are right of course. The grass roots volunteers are indispensable and much appreciated by me, but somewhere along the way as they attain a more elevated status, many seem to lose the plot. Obsessive adherance to the rule book becomes, to many, an end in itself.

This shouldn't become an 'us and them' conversation, I have heard your aguement that we couldn't race without them a thousand times.....officials would have a quiet old day if the racers didn't turn up!!

[Snapper Baz]

Here, Here SR!

[Peter Mallett]

Well I'm very disappointed. I registered for the Classic Group 1 Championship with the BARC in January. I hed to send the forms from Turkey. Now I want to enter for Mallory Park and they won't accept an entry without registration!. I return to the UK on Saturday night. The race is the 25th. Grids are down. Even if they haven't received my registration I can still do it before the event.

What is wrong with people?

But no, nada, zilch. I've also phoned them only to get a recorded message!

[EvilPumpkin]

Originally posted by StephenRae

This shouldn't become an 'us and them' conversation, I have heard your aguement that we couldn't race without them a thousand times.....officials would have a quiet old day if the racers didn't turn up!!

I wouldn't argue that there are quite a few in the organisational sector who seem to have lost the plot - but there's a big difference between that and saying that all meetings are run to bolster people's egos.

It's not an "us and them" conversation. I'm simply pointing out that the voluntary sectory is getting smaller and smaller and the more times you make snide insulting and unconstructive comments, the more it's going to shrink. The problem is that the people who are going to get driven away are probably not the ones you're aiming the comments at.

If you really feel that all club meetings are run to bolster the egos of officials, then stop racing. Spend your hard earned money on something else.

Alterntively, if you're not already, then get involved in club organisation. Instead of complaining, try working to change things.

[Tracey]

I don't see egos at 750MC or MGCC meetings. I know several CofC's for 750MC, and there's not an ego between them - all thoroughly nice people, who just want good, clean racing.

[StephenRae]

Alterntively, if you're not already, then get involved in club organisation. Instead of complaining, try working to change things. [/B][/QUOTE]

I don't think they would have me.

E.P. My 'snide and insulting'..I prefer to think thought provoking, comments were specifically aimed at 'those in charge' I'm guessing that you are not a senior administrator of the sport but one of the rabble like me, if so let them speak for themselves

A small example of how the sport is run can be illustrated by the centralisation of FF1600 organisation, it may be a good thing in the long run, but the two officials I have most dealings with have been cut out of the loop, further lengthening the gap between us down here and them up there.

[EvilPumpkin]

Originally posted by StephenRae

I don't think they would have me.

How do you know until you try? It's easy to complain about things when you think everyone else should be doing them, isn't it.

Originally posted by StephenRae
E.P. My 'snide and insulting'..I prefer to think thought provoking, comments were specifically aimed at 'those in charge' I'm guessing that you are not a senior administrator of the sport but one of the rabble like me, if so let them speak for themselves

No I'm not a "senior adminstrator". But I know a few of them. And they're ordinary people like everyone else with lives outside of motorsport. And the reason they don't bother discussing things on the net is because they get sick and tired of seeing "thought provoking" comments such as the purpose of a club meeting is to bolster the egos of those in charge,. I guess it depends on what type of thought you're trying to provoke.

I wonder whether you'd consider it a thought provoking comment if I said something ridiculous like "of course all Formula Ford drivers are dangerous and have no concern for the safety of marshals". You wouldn't of course. You'd find it an insulting generalisation. And you'd be right to do so.

If you really believe that you're justified in making such sweeping statements and insulting the many good hardworking organisers just to get a cheap shot in at the few jobsworths, nothing I have to say is going to make any difference. Just spare me the complaints when the next time you go to a meeting, the jobsworths are the only ones left because all the good hardworking people had taken one insult too many.

Anyway, enough. This is derailing a perfectly good thread about late entries, for which I apologise.

[listernoble]

Perhaps this should be in a new thread?
I have seen this sort of targeted criticism taking place on other forums and it is not always constructive.
I don't know the answer but e mail is fast to send,and can be used for sniping by the sender, but can of course also be taken out of context by the reader.
Perhaps targets of the sender are not neccessarily members of the forum or perhaps may not even have a computer or an internet link,so are not able to see what is being posted about them.
Personally I think serious politics are best left outside the forum,and should be discussed by letter with the authority concerned.
this does not mean worries in general can't be aired but can be posted in a civiled and courteous manner.
Maybe I am just being too sensitive?
Lister

[Peter Mallett]

I think we're all being sensitive.

I'm also going to retract my previous input.

Claire from the BARC has accepted a faxed championship registration and is doing an entry for me. She's agreed to let me pay on the day.

So, all I need now is my eye test report and licence. Hmmm tricky!

[Snapper Baz]

This now brings back my first posting then-so if Peter is allowed to pay on the day (I know he's posted his entry off) then why can't others turn-up on the day and pay? It does sound like jobsworths sticking to red tape and nothing more. If I was stuck on a desert island and I found a bottle of water but the date on it said it was good until the previous day...would I drink it or die of thirst because of what it read?

[Peter Mallett]

It may be because I contacted them and so thay could make the effort on my behalf. In the case of your two racers they possibly hadn't forewarned anybody that they'd be there and were able to/willing to pay on the day.

Also I've been with the CSCC/BARC for a few years now and Claire knows me which is why I was piqued in the first place.