Phillip Island Classic 2008

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

I have also seen some recent examples in NSW where the organising committees "Volunteer Fluid Hydration Activity" was sub-optimal. This lack of consideration for those doing a job of work out in the heat is just pathetic.

The purchase and distribution of a few boxes of bottled water etc is not rocket science....ask the Chief Flag or Trackside Chief to organise it if it is too hard!!

The number of times I have seen people absolutely stuff-up the organisation of a drink run are legion...oftentimes, they are called off/abandoned...then people sit around dry as a bone whilst a long clean-up or recovery happens

There were three of those occasions at PI, two of them within the space of about 3/4 races, where there was ample oppourtunities for a person to walk a lap of the track to hand out bottles. Maybe if the people who spent time in RC actually spent time on a point in the sun, they would know how much we look forward to these runs.

Mick

Mick

[inpitlane]

Originally Posted by bludvl_x19

I'm not sure who is responsible, but either way, it isnt good enough for the volunteers, who drove from Melbourne each day, and gave up a weekend of work in my case, to be treated like that.

Mick

The comment that I have just made does not represent the views of TenTenths, VTF, VHRR, VMC or any other organisation. They are soley the views of the poster.

Absolutely unacceptable. As James Moffat said while we were watching the PI Historic story during the show. "How much must they make on entry fees alone with over 500 entries."
Once again the people who are in the most dangerous positions, work the longest hours and make the whole damn thing possible are treated like ****.
I will make contact with both groups and CAMS (if that is anybody actually working there over the next few days rather than living it up at the Grand Prix) and try to find out what the hell's going on.
You guys are just too damn keen for your own good sometimes, I'd've walked and said here you flag the meeting.
Knowing the form of certain people involved in the running of the meeting I shouldn't be surprised.

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by inpitlane

Absolutely unacceptable. As James Moffat said while we were watching the PI Historic story during the show. "How much must they make on entry fees alone with over 500 entries."
Once again the people who are in the most dangerous positions, work the longest hours and make the whole damn thing possible are treated like ****.
I will make contact with both groups and CAMS (if that is anybody actually working there over the next few days rather than living it up at the Grand Prix) and try to find out what the hell's going on.
You guys are just too damn keen for your own good sometimes, I'd've walked and said here you flag the meeting.
Knowing the form of certain people involved in the running of the meeting I shouldn't be surprised.

Good luck on the CAM$ front, if I was working there, I know where I'd be, and it would involve turning on the office answering machine

I think our problem is that the cars and the racing that we see at that meeting are awesome, making it a highly desirable meeting to go to, regardless (to a point) of the treatment we get.

Offtopic, how much of the show is on the podcast this week? Not being able to get C31 makes seeing it hard, and I would like to see the coverage you had.

Mick

[LYNX]

Out of curiosity how do the organisers find the marshalls for an event? At the point of request couldn't an acceptable package be negotiated i.e. drinks and refreshments, possibly a cooler at each station? Or thermos for the cold, wet days?

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by LYNX

Out of curiosity how do the organisers find the marshalls for an event? At the point of request couldn't an acceptable package be negotiated i.e. drinks and refreshments, possibly a cooler at each station? Or thermos for the cold, wet days?

It's all about using the various club who offer their services.

For the Flaggies, contact the VFT
For the Fireies, contact VFRT or RACESAFE
For Medical, contact RACESAFE or TMA
Recovery are usually a circuit based deal, same with the pit lane marshalls.

Mick

[LYNX]

Maybe they need to form a cooperative?

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by LYNX

Maybe they need to form a cooperative?

I think that it may have been tried already, but I haven't been around for long enough to be sure. Can anyone else confirm/deny?

Mick

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by DAVID PATERSON

Hi David,

Why would the Group C Association boycott VHRR & HSRCA meetings and what do they propose to do instead. FoSC? V8SA? CAMS Nationals? AASA? State racing?

The boycotts started 18 months ago when some of the ex members of the Group C Assoc in Victoria joined the VHRR and formed a good working relationship with the committee.

They are pushing for split grids, the Group C boys don't like getting beaten by Group A cars with smaller engines. About 4-5 years ago when I was a member of the Assoc. a rich banana bender with a good collection of cars openly refused to compete against Group A cars and even promised to withdraw his many entries at QR one weekend if the categories were combined in even just one race over the weekend. Personally, I can't see how this can benefit the categories or even take any steps towards obtaining split grids. Unless you can get 40 plus cars on a grid, no organiser is going to contemplate splitting the grid and having 10-12 in each race.

My favourite statement... "let's just go racing". I don't care if they be Group A or Group C, let's put on a show and have some fun. The results can be split by having a race within a race, just as they were divided in to classes in their respective categories. Promote it as Group A over and under 2 litre and Group C over and under 2 litre and have 4 races in one.

What do they (the Group C Assoc) do instead? Nine cars at Winton last year..whoopee! A race meeting where unless you were a member of the Group C Assoc, you didn't seem to get an entry form. Is this good for the category??? Don't get me wrong, I like Winton, the circuit and the staff are great.

They boycotted PI and Sandown, both of which are on their club championship calendar, is that the move of a clever group?

[David Towe]

Re the flaggies and recovery etc. what ever happened to the OZ army policy of 2 cans per man per day? Surely water/soft drink is cheap enough to make plentifull throughout the day and then allow for the aforementioned 2 cans at the end of each day. They do a great job and without them we don't get to race and the paying public doesn't get to watch.

[Group'C']

.
As an organiser of race meetings in Tassie we supply lunch (usually a salad roll, cake, fruit, juice and a little choclate) for all officials including announcers, and ambo's.

During the day if hot we do up to 3 drinks runs of 600ml bottled cold water, Bottled water is cheap! we have a fridge on site and it doesnt take much to organise a vehicle to deliver it

At the end of the day all officials get a free drink and a snag or burger.

you just have to remember that with out them the meeting doesnt go ahead!!

At special meetings (Baskerville Raceway 50th Anniversary & Hobart Sporting Car Club 50th year) we have commemrative medallions struck and hand them to all officials, compeditors and any one involved in the race meeting.

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by David Towe

Re the flaggies and recovery etc. what ever happened to the OZ army policy of 2 cans per man per day? Surely water/soft drink is cheap enough to make plentifull throughout the day and then allow for the aforementioned 2 cans at the end of each day. They do a great job and without them we don't get to race and the paying public doesn't get to watch.

This meeting on the weekend was the first real meeting that I have attended that didn't have a get together at the end of the day/weekend. I see it as an important part of the weekend, you get to socialise with officials that you wouldn't otherwise see, and you can swap lies with each other. The cans are symbolic of the organisers' appreciation of the service that you have provided them over the weekend, without which they would not have been able to conduct the meeting.

Mick

[Bullett]

Originally Posted by Group'C'

.
As an organiser of race meetings in Tassie we supply lunch (usually a salad roll, cake, fruit, juice and a little choclate) for all officials including announcers, and ambo's.

During the day if hot we do up to 3 drinks runs of 600ml bottled cold water, Bottled water is cheap! we have a fridge on site and it doesnt take much to organise a vehicle to deliver it

At the end of the day all officials get a free drink and a snag or burger.

you just have to remember that with out them the meeting doesnt go ahead!!

That's pretty much exactly what happens at the Sandown Historics/state round run by MGCC. Id say it's what many in Australia do?

[Bullett]

Originally Posted by David Towe

The boycotts started 18 months ago when some of the ex members of the Group C Assoc in Victoria joined the VHRR and formed a good working relationship with the committee.

They are pushing for split grids, the Group C boys don't like getting beaten by Group A cars with smaller engines. About 4-5 years ago when I was a member of the Assoc. a rich banana bender with a good collection of cars openly refused to compete against Group A cars and even promised to withdraw his many entries at QR one weekend if the categories were combined in even just one race over the weekend. Personally, I can't see how this can benefit the categories or even take any steps towards obtaining split grids. Unless you can get 40 plus cars on a grid, no organiser is going to contemplate splitting the grid and having 10-12 in each race.

My favourite statement... "let's just go racing". I don't care if they be Group A or Group C, let's put on a show and have some fun. The results can be split by having a race within a race, just as they were divided in to classes in their respective categories. Promote it as Group A over and under 2 litre and Group C over and under 2 litre and have 4 races in one.

What do they (the Group C Assoc) do instead? Nine cars at Winton last year..whoopee! A race meeting where unless you were a member of the Group C Assoc, you didn't seem to get an entry form. Is this good for the category??? Don't get me wrong, I like Winton, the circuit and the staff are great.

They boycotted PI and Sandown, both of which are on their club championship calendar, is that the move of a clever group?

I knew of some divide but f*** didn't think it was that bad! Sounds like what's best for the category to grow! The Group C guys can't complain that much Stubber in his A9X was a top 5 consistently so they can be up there!

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by bludvl_x19

It's all about using the various club who offer their services.

For the Flaggies, contact the VFT
For the Fireies, contact VFRT or RACESAFE
For Medical, contact RACESAFE or TMA
Recovery are usually a circuit based deal, same with the pit lane marshalls.

Mick

Thats for Victoria...one of Australia's smallest states, but you could still fit a couple of Englands in the space

There are other organisations all over Australia..but.. a lot of Officials have no allegiances or affiliations whatsoever apart from their Officials Licence (if they have one )

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by Bullett

The Group C guys can't complain that much Stubber in his A9X was a top 5 consistently so they can be up there!

Fancy that, a carburetted Group C A9X that can beat a turbo Sierra with an ECU and 15 years more development in a straight line, Hmmm???

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by David Towe

Fancy that, a carburetted Group C A9X that can beat a turbo Sierra with an ECU and 15 years more development in a straight line, Hmmm???

Dave....time to Shhhhhhh up

[DAVID PATERSON]

A Group C A9X should have about 450hp and weigh over 1200kg. A Group A Sierra should have up to 600hp and weigh 1050kg. Who's a better driver, Paul Stubber or Bob Tweedie?

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by David Towe

Re the flaggies and recovery etc. what ever happened to the OZ army policy of 2 cans per man per day? Surely water/soft drink is cheap enough to make plentifull throughout the day and then allow for the aforementioned 2 cans at the end of each day. They do a great job and without them we don't get to race and the paying public doesn't get to watch.

Dave...Its "2 cans per day, perhaps"...obviously, some are taking "perhaps" to mean "let em do without"

How many ways can you spell pathetic??

[cavvy]

Originally Posted by DAVID PATERSON

A Group C A9X should have about 450hp and weigh over 1200kg. A Group A Sierra should have up to 600hp and weigh 1050kg. Who's a better driver, Paul Stubber or Bob Tweedie?

As Stubbers crew crawled under the Bob Jane ZL1 & discussed the rear end with the cars restoration & maintenance guru Miles Johnson, I asked a few questions:
- the Camaro is on its way back from NZ
- the ex Negus HDT A9X has just arrived back from the US
- historic politics suck !!!

As for driving ability ... seen Paul at PI in everything from an EH (is it a S4) thru the ex Harvs A9X, now the Lola - mind you he was on the money in a sprintcar.

Stubber is a racer !!!!

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by DAVID PATERSON

A Group C A9X should have about 450hp and weigh over 1200kg. A Group A Sierra should have up to 600hp and weigh 1050kg. Who's a better driver, Paul Stubber or Bob Tweedie?

I think everyone would agree (except Mr. Tweedie) that Stubber is a far better racer, me included. Are the numbers right? Can a carburetted A9X come onto the main straight at the same speed and blow a Sierra into the weeds?

How about the racing between Rusty French and Jamie Larner on Saturday, how entertaining was that!

[johnh875]

Fantastic weekend, sorry to hear of (and see some of) the misfortunes but I'm sure most had a great time. I saw the < 3L startline crash from a distance, never a good thing & shades of the Grp C/A last year. I took a heap of mainly blurry photos - when I sort some decent ones out I will put them online.

I think the real challenge is what Ian Tate was talking about on IPL on Tuesday night - having to drop categories. Unless I'm mistaken the late-era openwheelers were dropped for F5000 and was there another lot in a similar boat? A real challenge to fit everything in, and then we have the UK racers saying they want longer races not sprints!

Re the Torana surely more than 450hp would be the go these days, and cover some/most of the gap?

[johnny yuma]

2006 and Peter Brock did 1:46.6 in A9X and Ashwood 1:45.54 in Nissan--both faster than Tweedie's 1:47.22,and faster than Stubber's 2007 time in the A9X of 1:47.53. Go figure.Tweedie is without doubt a highly skilled driver,but 600 bhp in his Sierra---I don't think so !!!

[Bullett]

Originally Posted by johnh875

Fantastic weekend, sorry to hear of (and see some of) the misfortunes but I'm sure most had a great time. I saw the < 3L startline crash from a distance, never a good thing & shades of the Grp C/A last year. I took a heap of mainly blurry photos - when I sort some decent ones out I will put them online.

I think the real challenge is what Ian Tate was talking about on IPL on Tuesday night - having to drop categories. Unless I'm mistaken the late-era openwheelers were dropped for F5000 and was there another lot in a similar boat? A real challenge to fit everything in, and then we have the UK racers saying they want longer races not sprints!

Re the Torana surely more than 450hp would be the go these days, and cover some/most of the gap?

The losers this year were the Atlantics mainly, the RT4's etc. that made way for Formula Junior...

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by johnh875

Fantastic weekend, sorry to hear of (and see some of) the misfortunes but I'm sure most had a great time. I saw the < 3L startline crash from a distance, never a good thing & shades of the Grp C/A last year. I took a heap of mainly blurry photos - when I sort some decent ones out I will put them online.

I think the real challenge is what Ian Tate was talking about on IPL on Tuesday night - having to drop categories. Unless I'm mistaken the late-era openwheelers were dropped for F5000 and was there another lot in a similar boat? A real challenge to fit everything in, and then we have the UK racers saying they want longer races not sprints!

The meeting has to expand to four days or more

Either that, or run more of the same throughout the year

[Carter-Nelson]

Hi,
I have just completed stripping the front of the Mustang and the damage is minimal. We will be ready for Calder in April and are looking foward to Oran Park. The bingle was unfortunate but accidents happen; I was upset to see both Mike and David's cars knocked out but encouraged at David and his teams determination to put the car back on the grid on Sunday. David, after seeing it all happen up close, you should be very proud of what you and your team acheived.

As for the rest of the weekend, it was fantastic. I cannot put in words how great it is to race with the other Group A/C guys that were there on the weekend. All credit goes to the great drives by Bob, Rod, David and Roger to be in front and to Mike, Norm, Gary, and Gavin for giving room and not banging panels when we were so close.

I'd like to thank all the flag & fire marshels, recovery crews, medical teams scrutineers, field marshals and anyone else I've missed. I didn't see or hear of any 'officious officials' only helpful and engaging individuals that are essential to the success of any race meeting. Thanks Girls and Guys!

I hope all the spectatotors had a great time and that the rumours don't eventuate for PI 2009.

Regards,
Nev