CAMS Cancels National Formula Ford Series!!!

[scuderus]

Unfortunate about FF,

But I would have thought that getting people into the national class of AUS F3 would be a better option than another new start up class such as F4.

[Trevor]

Just read of Facebook that AASA might take over the FF category and work with the category management to keep the National Series going, good on you AASA and Winton

[GTRMagic]

So... what are we missing?

[Trevor]

I had a hint of it earlier today

[GTRMagic]

What is FIA Formula 4?

Sounds like F3's replacement...

The FIA Formula 4 Spec

Nice that they plan 7-8 events per season, with 21-24 races per season for the princely sum of E100,000 per annum

UK FF to become FIA F4?

Is the answer really to go from karting to wings & slicks for the first step?

[GTRMagic]

[Jacal]

http://formulaford.org.au/news/tabid...-presence.aspx

Formula ford Australia to run the national championship see link above

[Jacal]

now lest look at some of the recent history as I understand it.

Duratec motors were instigated at the request of a motor company whose funding had been decreasing. Part of this was an incentive package to have cars converted over from running kent cars.

As part of the change over Kent cars were no longer eligible to compete at national level.

At the same time the national championship management was taken over by a private management company of which there were three representatives on the board, a manufacturer representative (large passenger cars not single seaters), a marketing representative (with ties to above), a competitor representative with long ties to the category.

The incentive package,
cars built before 2000 were not eligible for conversion
a motor was now single source supply not free to build as previously.
Motors were offered at the reduced rate of $13k (the parent car could be bought from a dealer for $15k), admittedly it had a control intake manifold and ECU.
Not much in terms of sponsorship funding was given in the way of prizemoney, press support, television money, etc, it mainly covered administration costs.

The national championship remained on the V8 Supercar bill and has continued to focus on that, rightly those that are pursuing a path in Australia need to compete in front of these teams at least for some of the year however this does have some downsides,
- entry fees are in the region of $3k per round (7 x 3 = $21k for entry fees)
- championship entry fees are extra
- a portion of this was for TV money paid to the production company - when did you last see a round on the main telecast? Now this may have changed I haven't checked in the last couple of years but
- a portion of this money was for the mandatory use of a marquee supplied by the promoter as part of the marketing image of v8supercars so no individual tents, etc allowed.
- Following this series around means the say in where you go is limited so yes travel can be expensive when there is car transport, team crew, parents, accommodation, meals, and you could go from Townsville to Tasmania to Perth to Sydney to Melbourne. one anecdotal figure I heard for transporting a car was a diesel bill of $3k just for one transporter to and from one round and a two week round trip for the crew member who has to be paid, fed, housed the whole time.
- Testing, prep services, etc the bill can quite easily get up to $200k to be competitive for a year. There are not that many people who can pay for this and without TV coverage there is no incentive for a sponsor. - When did you last see anything other than V8's in any press other than specialist press?

I'll break it up here it's getting a bit long

[GTRMagic]

So Jacal, how is all of that V8Supercars' fault?

[GTRMagic]

[Jacal]

I'm not saying it is other than perhaps the tv money for moved or non existent coverage that irks me, I'm merely pointing out some of the history to this point. And how even cheap motorsport at the bottom end is not cheap, and consideration of the range of factors needs to be made. On the whole they haven't helped but they aren't necessarily to blame

If the second half of my post goes up there is a little bit in that but I need the other computer to stop doing its windows crash thing.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Jacal

I'm not saying it is other than perhaps the tv money for moved or non existent coverage that irks me, I'm merely pointing out some of the history to this point. And how even cheap motorsport at the bottom end is not cheap, and consideration of the range of factors needs to be made. On the whole they haven't helped but they aren't necessarily to blame

If the second half of my post goes up there is a little bit in that but I need the other computer to stop doing its windows crash thing.

I wasnt suggesting you were... merely clumsily tweaking the noses of the anti-V8SC brigade who like to blame the sky being grey and any other unrelated misfortune on that category. I look forward to your second installment.

Fundamentally, I think you are bang on with the true nature of the cost of operating a racing team at a national level. The simple answer is if you cannot afford to play, then you shouldnt play but it doesnt get to the centre of the issue.

Australia is a big country. It is possible to drive from a base in Sydney to each event in each state in this country, but for the most part, its more than a day's trip from Sydney to Townsville, Darwin, Perth... and a full day's trip from Sydney to Ipswich, Sandown or Phillip Island, to Adelaide...

Its not like the UK where the distance from top to bottom of their whole country is the about the same as the distance from Sydney to Melbourne.

I can recall some of the costs of FF engines back in the Kent days, with one or two wealthy fathers buying their sons those Quicksilver engines from overseas.. at almost $18k a pop... or the latest from Speedtech or Larners which cost less but still not cheap. The engine thing isnt the issue either.

Where is the passion for the class? The racers who sold their lives to get in there with an ok car, but with plenty of guts & determination to do well. Jason Bargwanna had a few benefactors helping him out in one year, dragging the car all over the country himself, always mindful that if the car got scratched, there may not be the next meeting to go to.

Are kids generally disinterested in motorsport as a career, or is the plan to go to Aussie Racing Cars because of the illusion that it would somehow be easier to compete and be competitive?

I still cant fathom how CAMS thinks FIA Formula 4 is going to be better in any of these regards.

[Jacal]

Windows wins, my two eloquent responses swallowed, will try again tomorrow

[bathurst]

Didn't like the idea a few years ago, but would it be better with a one make chassis to help cut costs. Do like the different chassis as each one goes better at different tracks.
And if v8 supercars decide to put a "feel good" round on tv. Make it Phillip island, awesome track for the FFs.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Jacal

Windows wins, my two eloquent responses swallowed, will try again tomorrow

Look forward to it.

[Rally Merc]

I dont have an answer to any of the questions of how to save FFord or how to reduce costs or how to provide a stepping stone category for future drivers.
I'm just glad to have been able to compete in the category in the early 90's with the Kent engine. The class had the same rules from state to national level so as a result, whichever state the national series was in, the field was bolstered up by state level competitors. Not uncommon for a field of 30 to 40 cars. Most of which were run/worked on and prepared by enthusiastic owner drivers.
Now with the higher level of professionalism in V8s, the lower categories have also lifted their levels of standards. Newer cars, bigger trucks, more team support, more data, shock technology etc. All this equals higher costs. The gen Ys believe they cant succeed without without all this backing.
All I know is that I got to run with the guys that are now at the top level of our sport (including Mr McConville) and got to run at the top level rounds including Sandown and Bathurst, all funded by my self on a mechanics wage

[bathurst]

Originally Posted by Jacal

http://formulaford.org.au/news/tabid...-presence.aspx

Formula ford Australia to run the national championship see link above

[Jacal]

Lets see some of the feedback I've heard
It's too expensive,
The cars are too hard to drive
There isn't anything in it for me, I'll go straight to the development series

My responses
1. If you really want it go find the money or prove that you are worth it with what you have. It certainly doesn't get any cheaper in Europe.
2. Does it get easier at the top of F1 or v8's
3. He's still there

Formula 4 waste of time, the purpose of f3 was to give local drivers a chance to race in something before going to Europe,how many have done that?

It will take 5-6 years to have a substantial field if left to its own devices, ff is that far along now,

Costs - cheaper hah, not likely.

If you have the money and want to go to f1 go to Europe, don't waste it here, I don't see any F1 teams in Sydney, Melbourne or bathurst

[Jacal]

Rally merc, thanks you've saved me time tomorrow rewriting half my response

[Rally Merc]

PS

Last weekend I had my first circuit race in nearly 15 years in a Hyundai Excel one make series at the SA championship at Mallala. I won 3 of the 5 races, the engine cost $400 from a local wrecking yard and used a bit more than a jerry can of fuel for the weekend.

Had a blast.

[Jacal]

Originally Posted by Jacal

If you have the money and want to go to f1 go to Europe, don't waste it here, I don't see any F1 teams in Sydney, Melbourne or bathurst

May not have been as clear as intended here and would hate to derail the point, include the word based, ie based in Sydney, Melbourne or Bathurst.

And a once a year observation is not enough to make an impression you need to be in their face.

[JackN]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/109217

Perhaps the same plan in Australia?

[GTRMagic]

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Rally Merc

I dont have an answer to any of the questions of how to save FFord or how to reduce costs or how to provide a stepping stone category for future drivers.
I'm just glad to have been able to compete in the category in the early 90's with the Kent engine. The class had the same rules from state to national level so as a result, whichever state the national series was in, the field was bolstered up by state level competitors. Not uncommon for a field of 30 to 40 cars. Most of which were run/worked on and prepared by enthusiastic owner drivers.
Now with the higher level of professionalism in V8s, the lower categories have also lifted their levels of standards. Newer cars, bigger trucks, more team support, more data, shock technology etc. All this equals higher costs. The gen Ys believe they cant succeed without without all this backing.
All I know is that I got to run with the guys that are now at the top level of our sport (including Mr McConville) and got to run at the top level rounds including Sandown and Bathurst, all funded by my self on a mechanics wage

So... where did this passion go... from the young guys coming through the sport now...

[twinwebbers]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

So... where did this passion go... from the young guys coming through the sport now...

<old man rant>
Everyone these days wants everything now. When we buy a first house we want 4 bedrooms 3 bathrooms; when we buy a TV its got to be a 50" led flat screen;

No one want's to run around mid field having a blast, they want the latest gear with the best tyres and engineers, but there are very few people who can afford it.
</old man rant>

So in short, its all about looking good not about having fun.