Mallala Konica's

[RaceTime]

Not surprisingly AVESCO/Mallala are conveniently creating a new category of car with the Konica V8 Supercar Series - they have decided that the V8 Supercar lap record at Mallala held by Mark Skaife does not appply to the Konica series - instead allocating a lap record from last years Konica round.

How much ore does AVESCO want to re-write the FIA/CAMS manual?

[Crash Test]

FIA/CAMS manual...huh?

Anyways RT, who has the lap record now?

PS- whats the go with GTP, does only the Nations Cup lap record count for all of the different levels in GTP? I always find it a bit annoying to find that Jim Richards is the lap record holder in GT Production in a Porsche...

[racer69]

I agree racetime, AVESCO probably won't stop until they have rewritten everything in Australian Motorsport, its like the past means nothing to 'em.

Whats next, in the SCS they will have different lap records for race 1 and race 2.

[RaceTime]

To answer both - Mark Skaife holds the V8 Supercar lap records there with a 1:08.8900 set in 1999 I think it was - in a Commodore VP.

For some reason they are claiming David Besnard with a 1:09.7627 set at last years Konica round is the record.

Sorry AVESCO - like it or not, both the Konica dn main V8 Supercars are the same category.

As to GTP - ProCar have a bit of a problem on their hands with their classifications. What is usually listed in results is the fastest class - but with the breakout of Nations Cup last year there was no official lap record for them - and fortunately/unfortunately (whichever way you look at it) Jim has tended to grab the record OR, as some circuits have done, they have carried over the old GTP Class A record ot Nations Cup. I'm in two nminds about doing that.

A similar problem a couple of years ago when F3 introduced a restrictor on the air intake - they wanted to forget all the old lap records and start from scratc because of the restrictor - well that is like saying with F1 in the reduction from 3.5 to 3 litre; the banishment of turbos etc - just because the specs change we don't alter the lap record!

Sports Sedans at Winton is another good example - the old lap record was set by Tony Edmonson in 1984 with a 58.8 - only ONCE i the past 15 years have any cars gone under that time - and then only in qualifying - no sports sedan since has got anywhere near the time in a race.

[Crash Test]

But is it really AVESCO's fault that CAMS has let them write their own rule book?

[RaceTime]

Originally posted by Crash Test
But is it really AVESCO's fault that CAMS has let them write their own rule book?

Whteher AVESCO ike it or not, their cars are Group 3A racing cars ie 3rd Category - Production Cars. This is a CAMS/FIA category and not one subject to AVESCO's intrpretation.

[Crash Test]

But what about all of this 'category managment' stuff, where they write their own rules?

[RaceTime]

In principle, I have no problem with 'category management' - the theory is a valid one - let those with the expertise manage their own category.

However, each category still fits into a specific FIA racing category - 1st - racing cars (Formula Holden, Ford, 2 and 3 etc); 2nd - Sports Cars (why HQ's are listed here I will never know ) and 3rd - Production based cars.

Each of these are then broken down into various sub categories.

Now no amount of twisting words can tell me that a Konica V8 Supercar is a different category to an SCS V8 Supercar...because IF they were, why hasn't anyone protested allowing the Konica guys to run with the SCS guys at certain meetings?

There is a problem with lap records which ahs never been solve, however - and that is classes (Group N, GTP/Nations cup etc). My own belief that ONLY classes listed in the CAMS manual should be recognised for ANY lap records at any circuit. Certainly - an organiser can maintian lap records within their own group (sprint meeting etc) but they should NEVER be considered Official Lap Records.

And, just to throw another spanner in the works, Lap Records are the perogative of the CIRCUIT owner and promoter NOT a category manager.

[Crash Test]

I hope you aren't knocking the Sports Car characteristics of HQs Mr Time

Anyways, the Qualifying order is Wills, Dumbrell, Simpson, Brede, Kelly, Ferrier, Wallis, Parsons, Harris, Noske, Heath etc etc...

[RaceTime]

Who? Me? Knock an HQ? No way...I am just trying to work out how they can say a cardboard box and a brick taped together could be a sports car

[Crash Test]

Now you've put Volvo drivers off side...

[RaceTime]

There is ONE big difference between an HQ driver and a Volvo driver....well two really.

When have you EVER seen an HQ driver do 30 km/h down the middle of a two lane main street?

And when have you EVER seen a hat driver driving an HQ?

[Crash Test]

I think the HQ bounces off the parked cars on either side of the road at 30 clicks, and as for hat, all i can see is a guy doing donuts, holding his baseball cap out the window

[Ray Singcar]

I agree with the Mallala new lap record. If you look at Simon Wills pole time it is unfair to compare to Skaifes record set on entirely different rubber..Its now Wills record on the current specs. Its like saying Will Davison isnt as quick as Cameron McConville was at Calder when Cam was in FF 28 years ago when the track was shorter and he was on slicks.

[RaceTime]

Ray,

You obviously aren't aware of how lap records are set - first there is NO new lap record yet - lap records are ONLY set in racing.

And just because a car uses new rubber - that is no reason to reject existing lap records and replace them with new ones...what happens next year? Do they all get thrown out around the country again?

[Ray Singcar]

I dont disagree with what you say..I just do not believe it is fair comparing Wills time aginst Skaifes when the goal posts were in a differnt position.

[RaceTime]

Why were they in a different position? Skaifes time was set in a VP for starters.

Do we discount the Winton Sports Sedan lap record just because Tony Edmonsons Alfa Romeo is now no longer eligible?

They were both VALID cars in the categories they raced in - therefore they are valid lap records. If Wills wants the lap record he has to race and, in that race, go faster than a V8 Supercar has previously gone round the track.