Kent as the main Festival in 2004

[Redracer77]

With Formula BMW, Formula Renault and Formula Crash... I mean Zip I personally can't see Zetecs being around next season. As far as I am concerned they will not even have a championship as they have not been given a slot on the Toca package or the GT and F3. I could be wrong but I don't think they have? F/BMW could be the nail in the coffin...

This leads me to suggest what a couple of people have suggested on this forum and that is to promote a fully Kent Festival for 2004. This event should never die. I would like my kids to be able to say that they would like to race in the festival in years to come like I did for the first time this year (I crashed in heat 2...doh - I don't have any kids at the mo but you never know!!!!) I would be willing to market and sponsor the event if we got enough interest. We could easily get 150 cars to enter but we can't dilute the market with lots of different mini festivals all over the place. Brands needs to be something that we all aspire too. If you have too many then the Brands festival will just become "another" race and another expence. I raced this year because it was "the" Festival. I think the Combe race and the W/H have a place but it needs to be planned. I would be willing to put up a £6k prize fund for a main festival . If we upped the race entry fee to £250 then we could pay for TV coverage as well.....

What do you think?

[Dutch chap]

I have no idea about the financing, but having marshalled my 10th Festival in a row, I felt I have been to a very nice meeting this year, but it was not the Festival as it has been, just a very nice meeting. And that is just for these 10 years. I’m told it has been a lot better before that, talking about 200+ entrants. Since the change to Zetecs it got worse and worse. We know there must be hundreds of Kents in the UK and in Europe (and the rest of the world). If someone would promote a full Kent Festival for 2004 and on, I think it would (or at least could) be a success. But just coming up with the money (and that’s you, not me is not enough. You’ll have to promote it, discuss it with the BRSCC, the European FF clubs, MSA(?) and I certainly wish you good luck with it, because like you, I’d absolutely like to see the revival of the FFF.

[4thgear]

If we upped the race entry fee to £250 then we could pay for TV coverage as well.....

Why not just up it too £300 and get a celeb to present a trophy? actually im sure all the racers have fat wallets and have lots of spare cash up it to £400 and pay the brscc extra for such a good job.!!!

think the point im manking is that some racers are struggling with racing at the current prices. any highers would cut numbers.

imo your either a racer who is a company director? or have no idea about grass roots.

[goughy]

You are right Chris that Kent’s will go form strength to strength and deservedly so. It as an affordable way to learn single seaters. I think ff1600 is perfect for this as you can establish at a lower cost if you have what it takes out of the limelight, where as many people who jump out of karts straight into top flight competition can run the risk of the fact they may crash and burn as so much is expected of them. Without racing in Kent’s I would never be in the position I am now, so I would always recommend it to any driver. That’s why Ian is going to race in the NW series in 2004, rather than jumping straight into a Zetec.

Zetecs won't die though. The series is now being promoted by the same team responsible for turning the VW Racing champs into a success. It will be on the F3/GT package. I also believe, as Joey Foster has proved, that you can win on a modest budget. If you don’t have £100,000+ what else can you race in a fully blown national series with the prestige the National Formula Ford Series has. I believe along with Kent’s, Zetecs will flourish, and the Festival needs the Zetec’s to maintain its ‘Festival’ prestige. I agree that with some good promotion the Kent festival could become something very special. As you suggested pay a little more, and you could get TV sorted etc, which will only help promote the formula.

The only thing that worries me is that Kent’s are a brilliant club formula and that we may risk turning it into a big budget formula, forcing the backbone of the formula, club drivers, to the back of the grid. I’m sure that won’t happen, but the bigger the carrot, the more people will spend to reach it.

Final thought, everyone says Zetecs are dying, but they are comparing it to the glory days where it was the only series to do. They still had 46 cars at this years Festival. Also there are too many teams involved, with several new cars being launched and too many involved want it to succeed, for it to die overnight. I hope I’m right otherwise I might be going around by myself next year!

[medler]

I agree with much of what Goughy says, Kents are a great formula for clubs racing, but TV coverage, national series etc might push out the club racers as the cost of being competitive goes up. I know that the Zetec final wasn’t what could be considered a classic, that’s not the take anything away from Joey or the other drivers. But Zetecs still can produce classic racing as anybody who watched the Championship could testify.
Formula Ford still has a lot going for it, but talk of its demise can’t help when drivers are trying to decide which formula to race in. Hopefully with this new marketing team, the success of Joey Foster and many other drivers who have been competitive this year in the national series on budgets far smaller than needed for BMW or Renault will help.

[jadlamracing]

Why don't we organise our own kent festival ourselves?
There are enough guys out there i am sure could do it ?
If redracer57 has the money!!!!!!!!

[Redracer77]

4th Gear you are correct on only one account - I am a company director but I also do know a lot about grass roots racing. I am also involved in the MIA as well as a sponsor to a number of "up and coming drivers" one of which will be David Wandless next season. I even pitched to Colin North at Teng Tools to back Stuart Gough in Zetec FF so I am involved a lot (Stu has he mention that to you yet!).

I think you missed my point. The idea of getting more promotion would mean ultimately that more drivers would enter. A £250 entry fee would not just go to pay for TV but would allow for more track time. The more people you have and the more races you would get - Heats, Qtr Finals, Semi Finals and Final. That could be 4 races with TV coverage for an extra £50.....But I don't understand grass roots do I so an idea of 4 races for just over £60 a race is a **** idea. Maybe you should drive up to Knockhill for a 10 min qualifing and a 10 lap race for £195....

[goughy]

Chris, I have just sent you a PM.

[JEB]

The Walter Hayes Trophy at Silverstone on 8-9th is an ideal concept for FF1600. This meeting has been designed for and around FF1600. It is not designed to replace 'the' Festival - far from it. But gives everyone with a 1600 the chance to race in heats, semis and a final.

I know the BRDC hope for 60 cars - three heats of 20 - and places are still available.

A TV deal is still possible for this meeting - and the promotion to competitors has been good through a variety of brochures and leaflets.

Cars of all ages have entered - just like the good old Festival days. People are racing because they want to - not because they can win. Isn't that what it is all about?

[Redracer77]

I am sure the Festival will be even better next year. Even if we have a full grid of Zetecs next year we should still work on getting a big FF1600 event on the same weekend. An idea could be to have all regional series having their last round at the Brands Festival... You could score points for the Festival and also your home championship?

Jadlam I think you are right in running our own festival but we need to work with our organising commitee as well (BRSCC).

Could be a good end of season get together. Lots of racing at a cost effect price.

[Triple J Motorsport]

Doesn't already exist called the Carnival??!!

John

[Triple J Motorsport]

I heard an idea being thrown about for a duratec engine and single chassis for FF....what a mistake that would be!!

John

[JNWRF01]

John - duratec - yes (hence why no new 04 chassis from V-D Mygale) - all new car from VD for the new engine 05...apparently...

Not heard of single chassis - wouldn't ford have to fund that??

[sceptic]

Originally posted by Redracer57
With Formula BMW, Formula Renault and Formula Crash... I mean Zip I personally can't see Zetecs being around next season. As far as I am concerned they will not even have a championship as they have not been given a slot on the Toca package or the GT and F3. I could be wrong but I don't think they have? F/BMW could be the nail in the coffin...

It will be on the F3 packagte next year.