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Markgt3
99 posts
53 months
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It seems to me to be a good championship overall and the 24 hours is great apart from entry fee being far too expensive
Britcar is a sort of Pro Am championship IMO so between club level and Professional level
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Racing Rod
1,333 posts
136 months
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The 24 hr race is quite reasonable cost wise as you get nearly a whole seasons track time for under £4000 or thereabouts, dependent on when you book, that's less then two race weekends GT entry costs in the championship and thats for 4 hours !!
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Paul Dishman
2,053 posts
106 months
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Markgt3 said: It seems to me to be a good championship overall and the 24 hours is great apart from entry fee being far too expensive
Britcar is a sort of Pro Am championship IMO so between club level and Professional level The main reason that the 24 hour race fees have increased over the years is that Silverstone has massively increased the hire costs for the track and facilities and JT has no choice but to pass at least some of the costs on
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With these feet
3,706 posts
84 months
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Paul Dishman said: The main reason that the 24 hour race fees have increased over the years is that Silverstone has massively increased the hire costs for the track and facilities and JT has no choice but to pass at least some of the costs on But insisting on back-lit number-boards, stupid tabards and charging for decal sets all add to un-necessary costs.
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Paul Dishman
2,053 posts
106 months
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With these feet said: Paul Dishman said: The main reason that the 24 hour race fees have increased over the years is that Silverstone has massively increased the hire costs for the track and facilities and JT has no choice but to pass at least some of the costs on But insisting on back-lit number-boards, stupid tabards and charging for decal sets all add to un-necessary costs. Necessary costs I'd have said. The first two are MSA requirements and the third is standard practice in many race championships
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With these feet
3,706 posts
84 months
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Paul Dishman said: Necessary costs I'd have said. The first two are MSA requirements and the third is standard practice in many race championships I couldnt find anything that insists on £400+ light boards in the regs, only that the timekeepers have to be able to read the numbers. I remember using some light absorbing boards back in 2003 and didnt need to be wired in. Personally i find the tabards are overkill. Its not safety - pitlanes are dangerous and I refuse to wear a flammable plastic coat over £700 worth of triple layer suit just so "someone can see me". If its how to tell crew from tv then give them different coloured arm bands. Plus theres nothing like enting a pitlane where everybody else looks the bloody same! The cost of the entry fee should cover any number of decals you should need.
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Graham
14,171 posts
153 months
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latest msa mag popped through the door and the blue book contains some additions for endurance racing. 6.2.4.1(iii) It is recommended that all personnel wear high vis jacket/vest approved by the organisers 12.2.11 Reflective identification numbers must be displayed in three places: on the forward and each side of the car. The side numbers must be adequately illuminated and displayed on a flat vertical surface.. Now these are new additions from jan 2013 so dont exist currently ( other than 12.2.11 which is an update) note high vis is recommended, and numbers must be adequately lit... so high vis not mas requirement nor is back lit numbers. I hate wearing the daft high vis there is plenty of light in the pitlane, they are not fire retardant and you look like a t  t, arm band would be much better.. the back lit number do look great and make it much easier for the spectators, but christ they are expensive, and you can make them visible with a couple of number plate lights, thts what we do on our spa MGB and it works fine...and cost about a tenner a side..
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Markgt3
99 posts
53 months
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Paul Dishman said: The main reason that the 24 hour race fees have increased over the years is that Silverstone has massively increased the hire costs for the track and facilities and JT has no choice but to pass at least some of the costs on Fair enough It would be nice if class 3 and 4 cars had cheaper entrys as they are usually running on much tighter budgets It is a great race so cant fault it TBH apart from the 4pm start which makes it a long day
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Stuart Thompson
264 posts
32 months
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With these feet
3,706 posts
84 months
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Do Le Mans as a privateer.... one of the longest weeks of my life. Travel to circuit Sat 10 hours in total Set up pits Sunday - off to the town for a beer! YAY Scrutineering monday - off to the town for a beer! YAY Drivers seats and checking car tues - You guessed it - last chance to get to the town for a beer! 2 test sessions Wednesday ending midnight. No issues so out by 1.30 2 test sessions Thursday ending midnight. Drain fluids etc for following day. Leave about 1.30am 8.30 start, Strip and rebuild car - replace engine,uprights etc etc set-up, Friday - still at circuit 12pm Saturday 6.30 leave for track - warm-up 9.30. Check car over and fix any issues. Midday car goes on the grid, nerves start then! This particular year the fuel tank decided to leak so we had to split the engine from the tub and replace a faulty seal, bloody LeMans fuel additives! joined the grid from the pitlane with 15 mins to spare.. Race starts at 4pm (up 9 1/2 hrs dirty and sweaty already!) 2 gearbox cassette changes, 1 driveshaft, a battery and oil warning light on after 2 hours - later.. finishes 4pm sunday, pack up pits and put car in transporter. Off for steak and chips in the Corral at 1am monday morning. (up for over 42 hours now - totally fecked) 8.30 monday drive the 7.5tonner home. Sleep. That is a hard week. All that beer.  So Britcar 24 is a test, but not quite so bad as Le Mans!
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macgtech
604 posts
28 months
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Racing Rod said: The 24 hr race is quite reasonable cost wise as you get nearly a whole seasons track time for under £4000 or thereabouts, dependent on when you book, that's less then two race weekends GT entry costs in the championship and thats for 4 hours !! I would say it needs to be compared against comparable races, such as Barcelona 24 and the Dubai 24
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hazy
849 posts
137 months
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macgtech said: I would say it needs to be compared against comparable races, such as Barcelona 24 and the Dubai 24 Barcelona is massively cheaper than Britcar, eu 4500 INCLUDING fuel this year (I think it was only eu3500 with fuel last year) My team (Intersport) will be doing both races again this year. This year is my first in Britcar in the Production cup (No 9 BMW) and I am really enjoying it, Endurance racing is a proper team sport moreso than Sprint racing, and if the spectators had timing boards their experience would be greatly enhanced. I did GT Cup last year, but as great as the organization, hospitality and people who run it are, it seems to have died on its arse this year with grids of about 10 cars 
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hazy
849 posts
137 months
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Britcar 24 DEFFO needs to start earlier too IMO, 4pm is too late I think, cant touch a drop of beer from PM Friday to 4:01pm Sunday??? Pah, thats not my idea of racing 
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macgtech
604 posts
28 months
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hazy said: Barcelona is massively cheaper than Britcar, eu 4500 INCLUDING fuel this year (I think it was only eu3500 with fuel last year) My team (Intersport) will be doing both races again this year. This year is my first in Britcar in the Production cup (No 9 BMW) and I am really enjoying it, Endurance racing is a proper team sport moreso than Sprint racing, and if the spectators had timing boards their experience would be greatly enhanced. I did GT Cup last year, but as great as the organization, hospitality and people who run it are, it seems to have died on its arse this year with grids of about 10 cars The timing seems to have been raised by many people here. Maybe in future the link to the live timing online could be simplified and included in the program for people to watch on their smart phones? If this was publicised it may attract more people in.
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Northern Munkee
4,033 posts
69 months
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For the fan experience, certainly for endurance racing, live timing via LAN, WAN or 3G, really is a minimum these days.
If I can get live timing on an iPhone at most kart tracks, then it really ought not to be a stretch UK circuits. Piggy back Brian's comms audio as it is already in the garages, and the smartphone headphone experience improves the wind swept train station tannoy of circuit pa systems at the same time.
Then all you need is to introduce Brian to Twitter, then spectators, teams, & drivers can converse with the comms box, to ask questions of guests, pass info, and to the colour comms, or give commentators (something else to talk about) during racing. And lo & behold you're also "interactive", spectators feel closer to the action & the show. And it should all be about getting spectators "over there" as close to the centre of the competitor action as possible. And virally you're already creating another conduit to your fans and an on web community at the same time. It's a virtuous circle. I'd say that's basically RadioLeMans model.
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hazy
849 posts
137 months
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macgtech said: The timing seems to have been raised by many people here. Maybe in future the link to the live timing online could be simplified and included in the program for people to watch on their smart phones? If this was publicised it may attract more people in. In the programme for the Brands night race last November they printed a barcode that took your smart phone straight to live timing. The biggest problem with most race circuits in the UK is that the mobile signal is normally too s te to make a call let alone get decent 3G, the tracks need to make broadband available FOC to paying spectators and paying race teams IMO. The idea about getting Brian involved with the fans and a radio Lemans type set up is a great one, Britcar really could pave the way for club racing to appeal to a much wider audience, without it costing them a fortune.
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Graham
14,171 posts
153 months
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There is Bt open one wifi available at Silverstone, so the basic tools needed to set something fan wise up is available
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macgtech
604 posts
28 months
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Northern Munkee said: For the fan experience, certainly for endurance racing, live timing via LAN, WAN or 3G, really is a minimum these days.
If I can get live timing on an iPhone at most kart tracks, then it really ought not to be a stretch UK circuits. Piggy back Brian's comms audio as it is already in the garages, and the smartphone headphone experience improves the wind swept train station tannoy of circuit pa systems at the same time.
Then all you need is to introduce Brian to Twitter, then spectators, teams, & drivers can converse with the comms box, to ask questions of guests, pass info, and to the colour comms, or give commentators (something else to talk about) during racing. And lo & behold you're also "interactive", spectators feel closer to the action & the show. And it should all be about getting spectators "over there" as close to the centre of the competitor action as possible. And virally you're already creating another conduit to your fans and an on web community at the same time. It's a virtuous circle. I'd say that's basically RadioLeMans model. It all sounds good!!
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Ash 996 GT2
3,376 posts
110 months
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Marketing, pure and simple.
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Stevie Borowik
213 posts
52 months
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Ash 996 GT2 said: Marketing, pure and simple. I tell everyone I talk to about motorsport how good the access to garages and the quality of the racing is!! People need to try it and like me would be hooked on Britcar its really easy to keep track even at Snetterton with the timing screens such a small ammount of data so I had no issues. Still weather like se had last year at the 24hr should go in its favour again and there was resonable crowds in november ;-)
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