[AMRC08R04] Winton 14-15 June 2008

[PVDA]

Seeing that the Round 3 thread is starting to discuss the next round it's time for a thread of it's own.

[speedraced04]

good idea this is me just subscribing to the thread...

[dumbrell_fan]

I will be up there.

[Trevor]

I won't

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by Big_Trev

I won't

I could say you wont be missed

But your wit and occasional good joke (most are just plain bad) is actually missed by a few of us.

[BFC]

i hate to say this....But i miss Big_Trev

[speedraced04]

so anyone heard anything about entries or any other news?

[Trevor]

Geez, thanks guys (blushing)

[richie17]

Looks like I'm being outsourced. I better try and keep my unofficial job.

There are 7 categories racing this weekend:

• ProtoSports
• Super TT
• PCC
• OZ BOSS
• Thunder Sports
• Australian Touring Cars
• Pirelli Gran Turismo

News.

Pirelli Gran Turismo
link

Pirelli Gran Turismo Championship set to heat up Winton Raceway
The Pirelli Gran Turismo Championship heads south this weekend to Victorias Winton Raceway, for round four of the sports GT based series. The marques of Lamborghini, Ferrari, Porsche and Maserati will see plenty of track time on Friday and Saturday before doing battle over three 17 lap sprint races on Sunday. With only 20 championship points separating the top 3 drivers as we near the half way mark of the series, this weekends racing is sure to be some of the best yet. I know Roger (Lago) and Jim (Manolios) wont be giving me any room this weekend,Championship leader Rod Wilson said. And with Ted Huglin in the Lambo Im certainly going to be kept busy, he added. In an effort to boost competitor numbers, promoter Trofeo Motorsport this week announced the formation of a new Sportsman class to the Championship. Aimed at a lower power-to-weight ratio than the existing GT cars already contesting the series, the Sportsman class will be open to European GT4 class type cars, selected ex-Performance Car category class cars and other volume manufactured sports cars with limited modifications. All sportsman cars will use Pirelli slick control tyres.

AMRC round 4 schedule here. (PDF page 10)

I will post more news as I get it.

[pete60]

By the look of the entries on Natsoft, this series should be quietly put down. Ther are two "touring cars " (well, one ex Supercar and an AU masquerading as a FPR BA) in the Super TT/Touring car combined field.

What happened to such a great concept??

[rms]

When you alienate your competitors, and want to charge exorbitant entry fees, they decline to play.

Wonder if the organisers will learn, or do they still believe "we REALLY know how to run a race meeting"

[PVDA]

It's difficult to attract entrants when former promotors do everything in thier power to discourage racers from playing.

Alegedly.

Or as GTR would say, If it really happened.

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by PVDA

It's difficult to attract entrants when former promotors do everything in thier power to discourage racers from playing.

Alegedly.

Or as GTR would say, If it really happened.

As a teacher of mine used to say, that's a reason, not an excuse. Plainly the current format is not attracting competitors. You can shout the merits of the current package, whether it be TV or tyres or whatever, from the roof tops but if competitors ain't enterring, then a new plan is needed, and soon.

Although I must say, Winton and Phillip Island hosting national meetings the same day is a tad nonsensical. Spectators and competitors (maybe there is not a lot of cross over but some competitors, or crew, or officials, might like to spectate the other meeting too) are being asked to chose, plus there are some at both meetings who would love to attend both. No matter who set the dates when, reason, not excuse also applies.

It has been suggested to me, allegedly, that a definition of insanity is to do the same thing a number of times and expect different results.

[dumbrell_fan]

What a lovely weekend in ATCC.....NOT.

None points race for the ATCC due to 2 cars showing up. Saillard went home Saturday night with diff problems, while Formosa did 1 race today then packed up and went home after lapping the field once (after they all got a handcap 1 lap start...running with SuperTT) then he almost managed to lap them again, rather than risking damageing the car he went home.

One wonders what the future holds for ATCC

[Reload]

Originally Posted by dumbrell_fan

What a lovely weekend in ATCC.....NOT.

None points race for the ATCC due to 2 cars showing up. Saillard went home Saturday night with diff problems, while Formosa did 1 race today then packed up and went home after lapping the field once (after they all got a handcap 1 lap start...running with SuperTT) then he almost managed to lap them again, rather than risking damageing the car he went home.

One wonders what the future holds for ATCC

One word......EMBARRASSING !!!

You may well have witnessed the last round of the series, if not then the last year of the series.

[inpitlane]

Originally Posted by lowgto

One word......EMBARRASSING !!!

You may well have witnessed the last round of the series, if not then the last year of the series.

Spoke to Mick Ronke at Winton and he says that the tracks and AASA remain totally committed to the AMRC. He does say however that there may be some changes in categories or style of meeting. BTW the Adelaide round in July is off due to track problems. Mick said that much of the problem of today was because he alleged that Rod Dale was warning people off, but if the AMRC and AASA thing was so much better and so desperately needed then no matter what anybody said "they would come", Mick said that Rod Dale and CAMS had declared war and they weren't backing down. He said CAMS was currently suing AASA for "passing off" the new AASA Australian Rally Championship as the CAMS one and that he and Bob were about to start their own proceedings to recover money that they claim is owed to them by Rod Dale and others.
But as lowgto said, today's event was embarrassing to say the least, and very disappointing for a lot of the people who have really supported the concept and are now wondering if they're doing the right thing.

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Although I must say, Winton and Phillip Island hosting national meetings the same day is a tad nonsensical. Spectators and competitors (maybe there is not a lot of cross over but some competitors, or crew, or officials, might like to spectate the other meeting too) are being asked to chose, plus there are some at both meetings who would love to attend both. No matter who set the dates when, reason, not excuse also applies.

I agree with you there Falc.

Although it's not much of a help the AMRC calendar was publicly released well in advance of the Nationals one but getting a date at PI is a take it or leave it affair so they wouldn't have had much choice either.

What's it going to be like now that a third series has been allowed with it's first event in NSW in mid July and CAMS sanctioned as well. Me thinks the promotors of the Nationals would be unimpressed with CAMS on this one. Is CAMS in such a way financially that it will sanction anything without considering it's existing customer base??

As for the Winton AMRC Round the Future Racers, running under Thundersports, once again put on some good racing and were the highlight of the weekend.

[inpitlane]

Originally Posted by PVDA

I agree with you there Falc.

Me thinks the promotors of the Nationals would be unimpressed with CAMS on this one. Is CAMS in such a way financially that it will sanction anything without considering it's existing customer base??

The promoters of the Nationals are I'm told, furious. The big question is who and how much is this thing being subsidised by? The organisers Rod Dale and Co. are offering entry with TV for just $480 I believe, they'd need to get close to 100 entries just to cover the TV.
Also where are they going to run next year in Victoria? Phillip Island costs a fortune and are CAMS going to sacrifice the State series or the historics in order to run a round at Sandown? or is this going to be totally a NSW thing? If so, greetings to the people behind the NSW State Series.
If CAMS is subsidising this "Independent" series, then it shows the lies they've told the Victorian State Series and other states no doubt, saying that they just can't afford to help them any further.

[greenracer]

Where were these low entry fees when rod dale & co ran amrs .Fees of eight hundred dollars or round about I believe were being charged at the start of the series in the beginning.I believe these high entry fees and the inequity of the number of racing laps between the classes with preference given to the classes rod dale & co had a vested interest in ,was the beginning of the end for that management.Its very hard to get those people disheartened about this situation back on side.As an aside take the state series entries out of the entry list turn up at Phillip Island and their turn up was not much better.

[Uncle Cranker]

Originally Posted by greenracer

Where were these low entry fees when rod dale & co ran amrs .Fees of eight hundred dollars or round about I believe were being charged at the start of the series in the beginning.I believe these high entry fees and the inequity of the number of racing laps between the classes with preference given to the classes rod dale & co had a vested interest in ,was the beginning of the end for that management.Its very hard to get those people disheartened about this situation back on side.As an aside take the state series entries out of the entry list turn up at Phillip Island and their turn up was not much better.

A little more sanity to the discussion.

Sources tell me that a grand was closer to the mark for a lot of the AMRS last year, but even then, entry fees were alleged to have varied within classes, depending on who you were mates with.

Almost as bad as when your workforce reads each others AWA's.


If the $480 entry for the new Dale/Wilmington series is to be believed, the 50 - 60 cars they get, will return them between 25 & 30 K.

Hardly enough to pay for track hire, and a permit: let alone an ambulance or even trivial things, like a bag lunch & drink for the officials....

And don't forget what happened at Oran Park on the Friday of the Shannons series.

Not enough officials = broken open wheelers.


I for one will be watching with interest across the remainder of 2008 as the (soon to be) three barely viable National Series battle it out.


Again I state, (and agree wholeheartedly with Brett) State racing WILL be the poorer.

[Crash Test]

Originally Posted by greenracer

Where were these low entry fees when rod dale & co ran amrs .Fees of eight hundred dollars or round about I believe were being charged at the start of the series in the beginning.I believe these high entry fees and the inequity of the number of racing laps between the classes with preference given to the classes rod dale & co had a vested interest in ,was the beginning of the end for that management.Its very hard to get those people disheartened about this situation back on side.As an aside take the state series entries out of the entry list turn up at Phillip Island and their turn up was not much better.

Hrmmm.... but it is alledged that these rip off merchants of seasons past are getting in the ears of the AMRC competitors and telling them not to compete in that series... but then if they are such shoddy merchants, why would these competitors listen to them and up stumps for their series again?

Regardless of anything, what can whoever is running the AMRC do to save what they are currently doing? Incredibly small fields at QR, scaping the barrell to put together 3 depleted fields ar Winton... where are all of these competitors that are always just waiting in the wings?

[greenracer]

We ran our car for first time in 24 months after having a serious discussion with rod dale over entry fees and how the race program was organized.The team at Winton contacted us saying that had they taken over the series and would we consider running again.We had run in the vmrc in the meantime.

[wishbone]

i understand that the new dale/willmington series is a one day meeting only. so its $480 for one day..

[Dirk]

I would love to live in a world where $480 for one day of racing was a cheap entry fee hahaha