Masters - Mallory Park - Cancelled

[Lancsbreaker]

Originally Posted by andy97

Can someone tell me how the contracts work between the circuits & the clubs please? So, when a meeting is cancelled, as this one has been, are the club still committed to paying out certain sums depending on how late the cancellation?

Interesting point....I note that Javelin are now promoting a "last-minute" trackday at Mallory on the 7th........quite good value at £99 for OPL - not that I have any connection with them - but you wonder if the circuit get a better payment from a trackday than a poorly supported race-day

[Al Weyman]

Thats tempting

[terence]

Originally Posted by Lancsbreaker

Interesting point....I note that Javelin are now promoting a "last-minute" trackday at Mallory on the 7th........quite good value at £99 for OPL - not that I have any connection with them - but you wonder if the circuit get a better payment from a trackday than a poorly supported race-day

Track days are generally very good business wise Richard.Might be why there are so many organisers.

[Al Weyman]

I think its spreading, I have just heard two days before the cut off the two races I was going to enter my 70 Camaro in at Thruxton have been amalgamated, I am not a happy bunny to be honest. Fair enough after the cut off but bit strong of BARC to pull this on us before the cut off when we have just had a double header last weekend. Still I guess smoking noisy trucks are more important than the lowly likes of us Historic racers.

[midgetman]

Al, you've answered your own question...."I was GOING to enter".

I've been free with my criticism of organisers in the past, but even *I* can't expect them to have ESP or second sight. How do they know you are going to enter? As for two days before the entries close, then you should be thankful you still had the choice and weren't presented with a fait accompli. Bet if it was after you'd put your entry in you'd be moaning about amalgamations!

We complain about calendar congestion, but the best way around it is to enter good and early for the events we want to support. That way it will become clear which events the market wants to support and which can be cancelled. Then gradually natural selection will take place and calendar congestion will ease.

[Al Weyman]

No you read that wrong Max sorry let me more specific. I DID enter in fact still have on Monday by Monday evening I was told the races have been amalgamated so have now had to withdraw one entry. If there is a cut off on the Wednesday why is it not correct to part with my cash as late as the Monday before that, dont understand your thinking there to be honest. Also did you miss my point about a double header at Pembrey last weekend. I know for a fact several cars have failed there including sadly the Brooklyn Seirra which has took damage so how are guys expected to enter before they know if they will have a car or not, we aint F1 teams you know also i only got my car clutch fixed and confirmed OK at the weekend so no sense in entering early the crap season I have had so far. I will stress if the amagamation happened on thursday when the entry situation was clear I wouldnt have a problem with it. Anyhow be that as may it just highlights that we all have a problem here.

[pomracer]

I think that maybe we need to look at why some of the 'commercial' organisations got so much support in the first place.

I started racing with the HSCC, followed by AMOC - great fun all of it. I then saw the light in terms of running a Appendix K car , opportunties to race in Europe, long distance races etc etc , so went down that route.

Carol Spagg clearly saw that there was a demand for her product which she called Gentleman Drivers and I would say that it was very successful. It certainly suited me back then , with five or six races per season here and in Europe, 2 hours duration (most races ) 2 drivers etc etc etc etc ....It was great for me. Nice mix of cars, sensible driving, good fun.
.

I continued after Masters took it over, but over a period of time I think that it started to change and the general commercial approach started to niggle me , and I don't think that I was alone in that respect. Furthermore, what had started as a friendly approach to scrutineering turned in to , IMO, a lax approach , eventually followed by published regulations allowing electronic ignition and so on - not my cup of tea

In my humble opinion, GTSCC has taken over where Carol left off with the original GD

I might be wrong, but were not some of the clubs slow to see the demand for this sort of racing? If they had been a bit quicker off the mark, perhaps we would not be where we are now? If the 'commercial' operator knows what drivers want and can deliver, people will follow.
The HSCC responded ( a tad late maybe, but they did respond) so we saw the intoduction of the Guards Trophy, 3 hr at Snett etc .
Having said all of this, I am not sure we can blame the clubs
Many series of championships have been created by people in the past who simply 'got' the mood and what drivers wanted at the time. The difference is that they probably did not make any money out of it.

Latterly I admit to being a bit of a tart when it came to cherry picking races I wanted to do. Having sold the car and now building up something else (different and not eligible for GD or GTSCC) I will be going back to some club racing, but will continue to cherry pick races/events here and in Europe to do for fun , because that is why I race.

[Derwent Motorsp]

I agree that the one make clubs and also the VSCC have really missed out on this. They could have been doing what the commercial guys are doing and that would make their events more viable and even bring entry fees down for members.
I'm a member of the MGCC and I've been trying to get them to run more "historic" races but they seem to want to stick with the "modsports" regs they have had for years despite falling grids. Strangely there are more FIA MG Bs being built each year but the actual MG club leaves it to others to run races for them.
We've seen what happened to the Jaguar club with race meetings, AMOC seem to be struggling and the VSCC is not getting the grids they did as many of their cars have gone over to Legends or invites to show pice events.

[GrahamH]

My view is that the clubs (i.e. organisations run by and for members) are on the whole getting it right, and doing well as a result. Certainly HSCC and CSCC seem to have good grids on a consistent basis.

Masters has always struck me as much more expensive than I'd expect for "club" racing, and aimed at owners of relatively expensive cars - I have no problem with that, but it isn't for me.

If I were fortunate enough to have a car and budget suitable for Masters, then Mallory Park wouldn't appeal - it's not an exciting circuit, in my opinion. That, and the timing with HSCC Croft, Silverstone Classic etc. may be a factor in the cancellation.

This could be a simple case of market forces!

[Al Weyman]

This could be a simple case of market forces!

Undoubtably, too many chasing the same buck or drivers in this case.

[Captain Mainwaring]

Originally Posted by GrahamH

My view is that the clubs (i.e. organisations run by and for members) are on the whole getting it right, and doing well as a result. Certainly HSCC and CSCC seem to have good grids on a consistent basis.

Masters has always struck me as much more expensive than I'd expect for "club" racing, and aimed at owners of relatively expensive cars - I have no problem with that, but it isn't for me.

If I were fortunate enough to have a car and budget suitable for Masters, then Mallory Park wouldn't appeal - it's not an exciting circuit, in my opinion. That, and the timing with HSCC Croft, Silverstone Classic etc. may be a factor in the cancellation.

This could be a simple case of market forces!

Graham, I disagree with you on the Masters thing. I am a self-prepper with a knackered estate towcar, no motorhome and all my racing is financed from taxed income. I can only afford to race 3 or 4 times per year so when you work out the figures, Masters' makes perfect sense. My wife has somewhere to sit all day and surplus family and friends are always accomodated for lunch for a small extra cost. OK it's not a bargain of the century and I cannot affford anything in the brochures that are left on the tables but Ron makes me feel welcome despite my background and that's alright with me.
However I'm with you on the circuit status - I'm afraid to say I always pick out the circuits and meetings I like

[midgetman]

Derwent, I can't see how you equate "Historic" races with "club". With FIA MGBs costing the thick end of twenty grand and more compared to well under ten for the "mod sports" cars you disparage, the MGCC has an important role in producing affordable, entry level motor sort. My beef with the MGCC is just the opposite, especially that MG Live is drifting away from MGCC members. Please, more of the classes where you can take an old/new/indeterminate road car, stick in a cage and go race it.

Captain, you'll enjoy the Legendary Circuits series across Europe. Great tracks, well organised, hospitality on tap. Yes, slightly more expensive than UK races but top value for money.

No one is on a tighter budget than me, and in my last full season I did Monza, Zandvoort, the full Ring and Dijon. I've also done Spa and Ring GP in previous years. Superb value, all towed to behind a knackered estate car with the racer prepped in my front drive.

[PenelopePitstop]

No one is on a tighter budget than me

Are you sure, remeber I used your cast offs!

[Captain Mainwaring]

Originally Posted by midgetman

.......... all towed to behind a knackered estate car with the racer prepped in my front drive.

That's the spirit!

[SAMD]

Aaahh! the days I dreamed of having a driveway! And a shoe box to live in.

[GrahamH]

Captain - I'm pleased to meet another self-prepper with an estate car (or 17 year old 4x4 in my case)! Nice to know Masters is working for you.

Picking and choosing which events to do when on a budget makes perfect sense to me, it's definitely what I do too. Even living 30 miles away, I can't get excited about Mallory. Also Brands Indy isn't appealing when the travel costs / time are taken into account.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by SAMD

Aaahh! the days I dreamed of having a driveway! And a shoe box to live in.

Reckon for a majority of people nowadays it is a case of picking a few events each season and then hopefully a race at said meeting they and their car are eligible for. Personally, whether at a particular event I finish up entering a race run by one of the 'commercial organisations' or a 'club', that is of a lesser priority than good company, circuit, location, weather....

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by PenelopePitstop

Are you sure, remeber I used your cast offs!

That was in the days when I used to have a racing budget Today I've just got 32 quid from the scrappie for similar cast offs Need to make a profit these days, rather than sponsor someone else

OT - it's started raining and the 924 is leaking through the windscreen. Guess I won't need a budget for wets cos I'll never be able to race in the rain

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Reckon for a majority of people nowadays it is a case of picking a few events each season and then hopefully a race at said meeting they and their car are eligible for. Personally, whether at a particular event I finish up entering a race run by one of the 'commercial organisations' or a 'club', that is of a lesser priority than good company, circuit, location, weather....

Hear hear. It's not the ££££ cost but the value we get from it.

[Rudernst]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Hear hear. It's not the ££££ cost but the value we get from it.

my feelings entirely
I cherrypick the events that I enter and keep the cars that get me into these
I only enter the events that I enjoy, that migth be a certain track, a certain crowd or a rare opportunity to race a certain car competitively

Rudolf

[simon drabble]

Originally Posted by Rudernst

my feelings entirely
I cherrypick the events that I enter and keep the cars that get me into these
I only enter the events that I enjoy, that migth be a certain track, a certain crowd or a rare opportunity to race a certain car competitively

Rudolf

Yup - not much to disagree with that!!

[p261brm]

Originally Posted by delta

Also same weekend as HSCC Croft. As I keep on saying there is too much Historic racing,some thing is going to have to give.

At least someone else has spotted the problem, now it only needs clubs, organisers and circuit owner's etc to spot it as well...