MSV F3 Cup website is online

[Simon Davey]

The new MSV F3 Cup website is now online at http://www.f3cup.co.uk/

The first event in the MSV F3 Cup takes place next weekend on the new Snetterton 300 circuit. Qualifying is on Saturday afternoon, with two races on Sunday.

Simon Davey
MSV F3 Cup Administrator

[Malcolm E Lacey]

Hi Simon
Looks good, but short on drivers' profiles?
Is there an entry list anywhere for Snetterton?
Hope to be there!
Regards

[andrewc]

That is probably the fault of drivers not submitting details!

[andrewc]

A few more names added now...

[Malcolm E Lacey]

Yes, I saw that. Based on hope or entry list for the weekend? All will be revealed this weekend. Not bad if that number appear. I'll be pleased.

[andrewc]

I had a sneak preview of the entry list and it was promising.

[kipper]

Originally Posted by Malcolm E Lacey

Yes, I saw that. Based on hope or entry list for the weekend? All will be revealed this weekend. Not bad if that number appear. I'll be pleased.

16 cars are listed on the entry list published on MSVR's website.

http://www.msvracing.co.uk/media/136...20%20march.pdf

[Malcolm E Lacey]

Pleased with that! Thanks for the link.

[REALIST]

Anyone know where this is going?

There's been talk of them allowing later than '04 cars in but nothing firm. The UK seems light years behind other club series in this, the Germans are moving to 08 cars next year but the UK stays with 04 at the latest.

All I can find is a bulletin about allowing Mono cars in, which seems to make no sense to me, I guess they are getting a bit desperate about the low numbers on the grid?

[JohnMiller]

I am sure positive initiatives will be announced by MSV soon

[andrewc]

Jeremy Timms, by finishing 8th and 9th overall at Spa, with a field of over 40 F3 and Formula Renaults, showed that a Mono2000 car could be pretty competitive.

My understanding about setting the cut off at 2004 was that was when the Mercedes Engine was opened up to customer teams, rather than just a select few teams. Was the Mercedes lump such a game changer?

[JohnMiller]

Not really.

[Mike Sheraton]

they don't want to let in cars that are too modern probably due to a couple of factors.
1. It could price many competitors out of the series due to lack of competitiveness compared to some newer cars, meaning that they would suddenly be off the pace.

2. It is a club series afterall and I think having a cut off date at 2004 allows numerous 'club' competitors to race at 'club' rates...

[REALIST]

Originally Posted by Mike Sheraton

they don't want to let in cars that are too modern probably due to a couple of factors.
1. It could price many competitors out of the series due to lack of competitiveness compared to some newer cars, meaning that they would suddenly be off the pace.

2. It is a club series afterall and I think having a cut off date at 2004 allows numerous 'club' competitors to race at 'club' rates...

Can't agree with that. Fact is that some competitors are already off the pace, and there aren't 'many' to be off it!

As for your second point, 'numerous' competitors aren't racing are they? And given that cars up to 04 are few and getting fewer the series will be all but dead if they don't allow later cars.

Unless the idea is to merge with Mono?

[dasc04]

Mike,

I see your points but there are issues and arguements against them.

1. It could price many competitors out of the series due to lack of competitiveness compared to some newer cars, meaning that they would suddenly be off the pace.

- Arron Steale won a race at Spa and was a matter of tenths away from the leaders in the other race in an 04 car against two F3-07's. It's wrong to expect that someone getting into an F3-07 from an F3-04 is going to suddenly find 1 or 2 seconds. If you look at the results from British F3 in 2006 to 2008 the difference between the International class (running newer) and the National Class was not considerably different.

- All due respect to the competitors in the series but there are a number of them (relitively speaking as the series is not particuarly thriving) that are already off of the pace of the front. I think it would be wrong for the guys out there who may have accepted that they would struggle for a win to think that a newer car would change that. No particular need to go and buy a new car if you have an older one. But if they don't open it to newer cars then it's hard for newcomers to get involved and boost the grids. Then the series dwindles, gets merged with some other single series and then gets "lost" on the monoposto or similar championship.

2. It is a club series afterall and I think having a cut off date at 2004 allows numerous 'club' competitors to race at 'club' rates...

- At the end of this year German ATS F3 championship upgrades to 08 cars and there should be a number of 05/06/07's becoming available at prices that won't be much more than some of the 04's were/are sold at recently. Once the car is purchased there is nothing to say that if you had a newer 07 car that it would cost anymore to run than anyone in an '04. Arguably it could be cheaper as parts are more readily available and spare stocks are still around in Germany and other places.

[Simon Davey]

Originally Posted by REALIST

Anyone know where this is going?

Actually Peter, you do, because we have had several phone conversations in the last four weeks during which I explained to you that MSVR will be making an announcement this month about how they propose to further develop the MSV F3 Cup Series.

Since in our conversations you expressed positive interest in the series, I was surprised to read some of the opinions you have written in this thread.

Regards

Simon Davey
MSV F3 Cup Administrator

[strider]

I'm quite sure that MSV wouldn't have taken the Series on board unless they had every intention of making a success of it and equally sure that they will.