British Rallycross Championship 2017

[Hickey]

I guess with Easter where it is this year, then that causes problems. Seems a pretty stupid rule

[ebby]

Apologies I am wrong... There will be no other testing or practice at Championship [World/EuroRX] venues in the 56 days before the Championship Competition at that venue except for a national championship, duly entered on the National Sporting Calendar of the ASN. Championship Competitors and Drivers may take part in other Competitions duly entered on the FIA International Sporting Calendar or on the National Sporting Calendar of an ASN member of the FIA.

So as Lydden is round 2 of a national championship British RX, World/EuroRX drivers can compete even though it's within 56 days.

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[geordiecriag101]

Just a few more reasons for lack of extra entries be that the World RX is due in Portugal 4 days after the British RX round, also as the Euro RX not going to Lydden this year then there is no advantage to any of those teams getting extra running in. Either way its a pity there not a few more.

[Stephen H]

Anyone know the on the gate price. Not sure why but Lydden have made it so complicated to find out the cost of spectating the last year or so.

I know its £15 in advance for an adult with a £3 booking fee, but cannot find anywhere that shows the on the gate price.

Think it would be simple to enough to post the price somewhere?

Thanks

[ebby]

Also any ideas when the online tickets get emailed to us??

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[Hickey]

They have uploaded a press release stating that the event starts at 9am and that it is 20 quid on the door

[Stephen H]

Originally Posted by Hickey

They have uploaded a press release stating that the event starts at 9am and that it is 20 quid on the door

Thanks

[chunder]

Blimey, that's gone up a few quid in recent years.

[BertMk2]

No Grint tomorrow - the Mitsubishi has done a head gasket (and presumably that's done other damage). Shame, I was looking forward to seeing that.

[ebby]

Anyone else bought online advance tickets for Lydden tomorrow? The only email I have is a paypal receipt... no email ticket or barcode or PDF ticket. Tried ringing the circuit today and the office was closed, hoping to avoid an argument on the gate tomorrow!

[Pozi]

Originally Posted by ebby

Anyone else bought online advance tickets for Lydden tomorrow? The only email I have is a paypal receipt... no email ticket or barcode or PDF ticket. Tried ringing the circuit today and the office was closed, hoping to avoid an argument on the gate tomorrow!

I have and my tickets were emailed immediately after purchase, from previous experience I have never had to wait for tickets to be sent. Have you checked your junk mail folder?

[ebby]

Thanks Pozi will check again

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[Minicross424]

Okay well back from my first meeting at Lydden for quite a while so bear with me!
Full credit to marshalls (and track staff) as ever, not an easy day I am sure what with the start lights going wrong a fair bit and moving cars coming towards you!
I guess we should be pleased the Dorans rent out supercars otherwise the class would be on its knees right now.
The Supernationals were my best formula today, it did take a long time to get through heats, I would almost say there are one too many formulas at present.
Right, I am sorry this has to be said, the public toilets in the car park today were an utter disgrace.
I don't know why the blocks are currently shut but I can forgive that, maybe upgrading? A notice explaining would have been nice.
But by mid-afternoon, the Porta-Loos were in a horrific state. No water at the basins blocked human waste to the brim.
I never saw anyone attending them that may explain the problem but I assure you I attend a fair few stock car tracks and have never had toilets that bad.
You can't complain about losing the WRX if the basics are not even right.

[BertMk2]

I'd agree with that Tris - some great racing and it was good to see that S1600, MINIs and Hot Hatch were all in together (otherwise that would have been several very thin grids). I though Scott had done enough for the win but it looked like the DS3 was dying towards the end (being the only LD car that hadn't been on fire at some point I was expecting flames!). Ovenden was unlucky not to win the Supernationals too - he was well clear when the rear left corner gave way and pitched him into a spin and the gravel (and that car sounds amazing!).

Some of the non-racing stuff was the usual Lydden shambolic show I'm afraid. Recovery trucks breaking down and being towed by a JCB - then being dumped in the middle of the circuit because it was taking too long to get sorted. By the end of the meeting there were abandoned cars all over the circuit as they couldn't be recovered quick enough with the remaining recovery vehicles. Only watering the loose at Paddock before the finals - why didn't they water Chessons as well? Might have prevented Godfreys demise. And the toilets - the permanent buildings in the car park have been dreadful for years so to see them closed at least offers the prospect that they might be being sorted out - however, the portaloos that were there today were far too few in number and they weren't cleaned or checked at all during the day and were beyond grim.

[ebby]

I thought I'd seen it all at Lydden. And then today. The usual start lights issue, commentary mic packing up, bogs situation... And then a JCB pulling a tow truck, Mad Mark doing rolling starts and Pat Doran with a watering can. Having been to BarcelonaRX a few weeks ago I have to say the British national scene and the WorldRX massively diverging.

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[CS1]

Originally Posted by ebby

Mad Mark doing rolling starts and Pat Doran with a watering can

Do tell more!

[ebby]

Think Mad Mark had a clutch problem so in one heat and at the first of several attempts to get the Supercar final going he was rolling when they got the start sequence going. Also Pat was out with a walkie talkie directing the track watering narrowly avoiding the water spray. I sat down for 5mins of the 20min lunch break, attacked an Easter egg, looked up towards the chicane and there's Pat with a watering can!!

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[geordiecriag101]

Yep got to say i fully agree with everyone else, at times it felt very much like amateur happy hour with sum of things that were going on. My biggest frustration was the time taken to clear broken cars, having 2 flat beds but only one forklift was never going to work.

Also what ever was going on with the start system needs looking at ASAP. If there was an ongoing problem, just ditch the lights and use a good old flag to get things going, it cant be that difficult.

Racing wise, again i agree with everyone else, the S1600 and Super Nationals were the best from the day, tho there is sumthing very odd with Ovenden's Clio as going round North Bend the inside front wheel was at least a few inches off the ground but the car looked like it twisting and flexing, maybe cause of his suspension failure?

With the Supercars, it really is starting to look depressing! were have they all Gone? Andy Grant? Simon Horton? Andy Scott? are they really that expensive too run / entry fees that high?

Also nice to see Dan Rooke's old AX getting a run out, plus great to see Dan still involved in the paddock being spotter for Oliver Bennett.

[Pozi]

Originally Posted by geordiecriag101

there is sumthing very odd with Ovenden's Clio as going round North Bend the inside front wheel was at least a few inches off the ground but the car looked like it twisting and flexing, maybe cause of his suspension failure?

That Clio has always gone round corners with the inside wheel floating in mid air, aside from the moment it broke it did not seem to slow him down, performance wise it is in a different class to the rest of the field.

[USRallycross]

First rallycross in the UK for about four years and agree pretty much with everyone else. Organization was at times painful. I think you could see the signs when practice started 15 mins late and with less than 70 cars they still ran past curfew......

Negatives
- removal of broken cars was a joke
- not enough entries
- struggle with the semi final concept when entries so thin
- start lights not working - prob if the same thing happens for WRX
- rules? since when are rolling starts allowed (Mad Mark)?

Positives
- fantastic crowd
- Super National and Super 1600's were fantastic and sounded right!
- it wasn't as cold as I was expecting

Overall though a good day out and excellent value for money given we got there at 8.30 and left past 6pm.

Re Supercars there are a few really top national drivers cars - Ollie, Kevin, Scott, Godfrey,etc. but we seem to have lost the clubman supercar drivers. Having run them they empty your bank account very quickly. Just feels like a normal low.

Look forward to coming to another round.

[chunder]

I feel sad when I see comments like this.

The Easter Lydden used to be an awesome meeting until only a few years ago. Always full of entries and often a few people running in new cars and a great old track to host it all.

I fear for Lydden as a venue for anything after reading all of this, seems either the Dorans have lost interest and heart after losing WRX or are simply too busy elsewhere to bother.

They do seem to do things last minute at times, which can work, but when you are doing it in front of paying customers that really is unacceptable and does not put them in a good light.

Overall, the sooner both series combine the better.

Because watching the slow death of British rallycross from afar is not something I would ever want.

Sadly for too long now the sport is being held to ransom by a few people with massive ego's that are so utterly selfish and ignorant they cannot see the damage they have done or are doing. Some of them quit long ago, some of them are still involved, and nobody seems prepared to do anything about it other than blow their own trumpet, which just makes them look even more selfish and ignorant.

[tbtstt]

Originally Posted by Pozi

That Clio has always gone round corners with the inside wheel floating in mid air, aside from the moment it broke it did not seem to slow him down, performance wise it is in a different class to the rest of the field.

Yeah, as you say that Clio V6 has always done that: it's clearly a very stiff chassis with very soft suspension at the rear!

I have to echo the sentiments of those in here. There was some great racing yesterday... when they eventually got to race.

I possibly only had half the story, but I personally didn't agree with the decision to allow Mark Watson to "roll" into the final. As I understand it Heathcote was sitting in the dummy grid in a fully functional Supercar, where as Mark's car was clearly sick.

Still, despite the lower numbers, at least the majority of those cars in attendance were competitive and we got a pretty action packed Supercar final.

The Super Nationals were the standout class of the day for me as well. So good to see that Clio V6 out again and Ovenden seems to have really got to grips with it: can't believe he was denied victory again so close to the end of the day!

[Hickey]

I'd say that s1600 were the best for me even if there were only 5 of them. When I get a chance I will have a look at the lap times of the 2wd cars. I bet that they are a real mixed bag and that running them all in one class would work.

The side by side racing down the Dover Slope and up and down Hairy Hill (especially down), is some of the closest I have seen. They seem to have made the dirt mostly tarmac, which is a negative from a purist perspective , but it did mean that cars could overtake on the outside of the loose on the Dover slope. I haven't seen that for years.

The start system and car recovery was shambolic. But drivers don't help themselves. It's clear that there would be a ready to race light, then it goes off, then a gap, then the green light. Drivers had it at full chat before the ready to race even came on! Then the commentators say "oh that is a long hold" , without the first clue of what they are talking about. Then the whole audience thinks that the start system has failed. The start system only failed twice. In heat 1, race 3 and in the supercar final. All the other times it was silly drivers on full chat far too early then jumping the lights.

The Mad Mark situation was farcical too. In a wayit's great that they tried to help him out and get him racing (even at the cost of a Doran car!). In another way, it's a joke and a breach of the rules and shouldn't have happened!

For me though, the action on track made up for all these errors. It was a great day once the cars were actually racing. ,

[tbtstt]

According to Facebook (which is always an accurate source of information ), the Heathcote C4 wasn't capable of running the final. If that was the case then I retract my statement about allowing Mark Watson out.

[Hampton Caught]

Originally Posted by tbtstt

According to Facebook (which is always an accurate source of information ), the Heathcote C4 wasn't capable of running the final. If that was the case then I retract my statement about allowing Mark Watson out.

Steve, Nathan's C4 was one of several (LDM) Supercars to catch fire during the day so I would have been surprised to see it moving under its own power let alone racing again on Monday. Great shame!

As is often the way here, there's been a lot of negative comments about Monday's meeting. Here's a positive - although there were long delays between one heat finishing and the next starting early in the day, they'd got themselves better organised as the day went on. As cars were slowing down to head to the paddock, the next grid was forming up for the next race, which is how it should be. Especially important when there are so many races in the day - has a huge, cumulative affect on the timetable during the day.

Some great racing on Monday and I do hope Mad Mark gets the Xsara working reliably one day. It's a long journey for him to find the clutch is slipping badly.

Some of the Retro cars are awaiting parts, which in some cases ae becoming hard to find given the cars' ages, hence no 6R4s or James Harrold's Beetle, for instance. More cars are on the way, but amateur racers with small budgets who do it for fun find that the build process takes longer than is ideal. More cars are on the way!

Cheers, Steve