SPEED Series - What are you waiting for....
Discussion
It seems the club racing fraternity continually bemoan the lack of opportunities for cost effective racing and yet here we have a well run, cost effective, competitive, and professional series open to club racers with bike engined cars providing 90 min races, yet the current lack of commitment and interest is quite astounding.
The guys at BESCR put an awful lot of effort into getting us into the SPEED series, at a cost that is less than a third of that of the FIA CN cars that headline the series, however despite this the grids are still not at capacity.
I for one certainly do not go racing for the crowds or the pundits, what I do it for is the competition and the camaraderie. But, and this is a big but, for any of us to have at least a chance to enjoy the cars we all spend so much time and money on then we must recognise that, unless we properly support the people and the organisations that strive to bring us those opportunities, we simply won’t have a place to do so. Many may cite the fees as a barrier but at Oulton Park last weekend entrants paid the fees but just didn’t turn up!!! Please bear in mind it’s not just the competitors that this affects as even the marshals were voicing their discontent with the turn out.
If a series can’t so much as break even because we don’t turn up then they won’t continue to be there for us. If this was about preventing your local village shop, school, sports facility from closing I’d be prepared to bet you’d get involved… Many of us run our own businesses so this simple commercial imperative should not be lost on us.
This note is not meant as a rant, and if it comes across as such then I apologise as it’s meant as a call for us all to work together to secure the future of the sport we love so much…
So come on all those with a car in the workshop or garage, what are you waiting for ???
The guys at BESCR put an awful lot of effort into getting us into the SPEED series, at a cost that is less than a third of that of the FIA CN cars that headline the series, however despite this the grids are still not at capacity.
I for one certainly do not go racing for the crowds or the pundits, what I do it for is the competition and the camaraderie. But, and this is a big but, for any of us to have at least a chance to enjoy the cars we all spend so much time and money on then we must recognise that, unless we properly support the people and the organisations that strive to bring us those opportunities, we simply won’t have a place to do so. Many may cite the fees as a barrier but at Oulton Park last weekend entrants paid the fees but just didn’t turn up!!! Please bear in mind it’s not just the competitors that this affects as even the marshals were voicing their discontent with the turn out.
If a series can’t so much as break even because we don’t turn up then they won’t continue to be there for us. If this was about preventing your local village shop, school, sports facility from closing I’d be prepared to bet you’d get involved… Many of us run our own businesses so this simple commercial imperative should not be lost on us.
This note is not meant as a rant, and if it comes across as such then I apologise as it’s meant as a call for us all to work together to secure the future of the sport we love so much…
So come on all those with a car in the workshop or garage, what are you waiting for ???
Playing devils advocate perhaps its indicative of the fact there are simply too many series spreading enthusiasm and money too thinly between them all. Particularly at a time when finance is thin for the majority of people there are perhaps simply too many options for competitors and simply creating endless new series is not the right answer. It will need a proactive input from the powers that be and the organising clubs to make it work.
Best of luck with the series.
Best of luck with the series.
I think your comments are far from those of a devil’s advocate, they're 100% accurate as we do have too many series and championships in existence. As a counter however, SPEED as far as I'm aware is the only series specifically in existence to provide a route to LMP2 and P1 drivers looking at the Le Mans Series. Drivers of the calibre of Sam Hancock and Warren Hughes are a testament to this opportunity as they contine to be involved.
Clearly it's a difficult balancing act for circuit owners to ensure there is sufficient variety of events on the programme to generate gate receipts and race fees but that needs to be balanced against the realistic chance for a burgeoning series to actually survive more than 2 seasons, which seems all too rare these days.
FPA has managed something like 13 years despite a host of "competing" single seater categories so it can be done.
Clearly the economic climate has a part to play in this equation but we must properly plan for the longer term, in the way companies like BP surely are now, to ensure stability and survival for a reduced number of series and championships.
Clearly it's a difficult balancing act for circuit owners to ensure there is sufficient variety of events on the programme to generate gate receipts and race fees but that needs to be balanced against the realistic chance for a burgeoning series to actually survive more than 2 seasons, which seems all too rare these days.
FPA has managed something like 13 years despite a host of "competing" single seater categories so it can be done.
Clearly the economic climate has a part to play in this equation but we must properly plan for the longer term, in the way companies like BP surely are now, to ensure stability and survival for a reduced number of series and championships.
if anyone wants to get involved I have a Norma M20 Evo for sale.
www.dicklovett.co.uk under KTM Used cars.
www.dicklovett.co.uk under KTM Used cars.
It's always useful to know that cars are available to be used in the series. Can I suggest you also advertise it on the SPEED website.
Unfortunatly the issue is not the lack of cars, as the organisers are well aware of enough of them in the hands of owners and manufacturers to fill the grid, they're just not using them.
Unfortunatly the issue is not the lack of cars, as the organisers are well aware of enough of them in the hands of owners and manufacturers to fill the grid, they're just not using them.
As the other class C car running at Oulton I totally agree with young Triplet, where are you all?
So far, we have run in all of the rounds so far this season and it gives a huge amount of track time at a relativley low cost for bike engined cars.
Also for a two driver car it allows us sensible track time while still sharing the car and costs.
These cars are more than capable of running for 90 minutes as has been proven throughout the season which I know was the concern of many people.
At the start of the season there were a resonable number of Class C cars that were going to compete but they all seem to have just not turned up, why?
The Silverstone event in September will give nearly 5 hours of track time, this works out as £3.43/minute, not bad value IMHO.
So far, we have run in all of the rounds so far this season and it gives a huge amount of track time at a relativley low cost for bike engined cars.
Also for a two driver car it allows us sensible track time while still sharing the car and costs.
These cars are more than capable of running for 90 minutes as has been proven throughout the season which I know was the concern of many people.
At the start of the season there were a resonable number of Class C cars that were going to compete but they all seem to have just not turned up, why?
The Silverstone event in September will give nearly 5 hours of track time, this works out as £3.43/minute, not bad value IMHO.
triplets3racing said:
Please bear in mind it’s not just the competitors that this affects as even the marshals were voicing their discontent with the turn out.
I was down to marshal at Oulton last Saturday. When I saw that there was a three-hour SPEED "race" on the programme I sent my apologies & went to Mallory on Sunday instead. Looks like I made the right decision - many of the marshals who did Oulton on Saturday are now saying that they will never again marshal a SPEED event. As far as I'm concerned, SPEED is just taking up track time which could be much better used by better-supported, entertaining racing. Sorry if that offends, but seven cars droning round for three hours is not my idea of fun!Dave Brand said:
triplets3racing said:
Please bear in mind it’s not just the competitors that this affects as even the marshals were voicing their discontent with the turn out.
I was down to marshal at Oulton last Saturday. When I saw that there was a three-hour SPEED "race" on the programme I sent my apologies & went to Mallory on Sunday instead. Looks like I made the right decision - many of the marshals who did Oulton on Saturday are now saying that they will never again marshal a SPEED event. As far as I'm concerned, SPEED is just taking up track time which could be much better used by better-supported, entertaining racing. Sorry if that offends, but seven cars droning round for three hours is not my idea of fun!I don't know the answer but I'll speculate anyway! Maybe the cars are expensive to buy; maybe the entry fees are high (they might be good vfm in terms of track time but might still be a high oulay);the endurance nature of the series does not suit everybody & means that you have to have a team to help with refuelling etc; maybe the cars are just too quick for some people.
Probably a combination of all of the above.
Perhaps SPEED should merge with the Open Sports Car Series (& James Tucker's ambitions to have an LMP2 type category within Britcar) to have a series of 40 minute races for one or two drivers. Could also incorporate seperate Sports 2000 & K-Sports 1600 Clubmans classes & maybe the series would grow.
Probably a combination of all of the above.
Perhaps SPEED should merge with the Open Sports Car Series (& James Tucker's ambitions to have an LMP2 type category within Britcar) to have a series of 40 minute races for one or two drivers. Could also incorporate seperate Sports 2000 & K-Sports 1600 Clubmans classes & maybe the series would grow.
Prawn said:
I appreciate all the comments regarding the lack of entries in this series, however the point is why?
What is stopping people from entering ?
Surely that's an easy one to work out!! Drivers, like spectators, want some excitement at a reasonable cost, ......... A trackday would be more exciting than the boredom of following another 5 cars round for 3 hours, it would be far cheaper, and would give far more track time for the money spent. To give the series the premier time slot at any circuit, certainly ensures that the amount of money taken on the gate will be extremely small. What is stopping people from entering ?
the format needs changing to attract in more guys who want to race quick cars - but without the huge expense of VdeV/Speed.. I mean, is it a pro series for training wannabe Le Mans drivers or good club racing for people who have decent levels of experience/want something faster?
When I looked at moving into the VdeV for 2009 - the car costs seems OK (if you work on the basis of two of you sharing) but the control fuel was going to make it very expensive - and the race entries again were massive. OK you get a lot of track time - but does that really matter? Most people are limited in what they can afford - and whether its a 1hr race or 6hr really makes little difference. A 1hr enduro even - with a full grid - has to better than what you currently have.
If the costs came down, I would be keen to field a car.
When I looked at moving into the VdeV for 2009 - the car costs seems OK (if you work on the basis of two of you sharing) but the control fuel was going to make it very expensive - and the race entries again were massive. OK you get a lot of track time - but does that really matter? Most people are limited in what they can afford - and whether its a 1hr race or 6hr really makes little difference. A 1hr enduro even - with a full grid - has to better than what you currently have.
If the costs came down, I would be keen to field a car.
I never thought I'd see a post on Pistonheads from people thinking that it was ever possible to go too fast!!
The Speed series offers outsanding VFM compared to other distance-based events such as the Magnificent Sevens, for example.
You can get a Radical Prosport for £12k - that's Caterham money - and they are no more expensive to run.
You only need 2 drivers with 2 helpers, you do over twice as much driving in a weekend than 20 minute events with a lower cost per track minute, so what is there not to like about this series?
Radical aren't interested in allowing Prosports to race in their series so this is the perfect place to use them.
I've never been hit by someone in an endurance event - I've rarely not been hit by someone when racing either a Caterham or a single seater - so this cost tends not to apply.
It would be a shame if this series fails, but maybe not enough racers "get" what endurance racing is all about because it's a much more challenging than sprint races.
The Speed series offers outsanding VFM compared to other distance-based events such as the Magnificent Sevens, for example.
You can get a Radical Prosport for £12k - that's Caterham money - and they are no more expensive to run.
You only need 2 drivers with 2 helpers, you do over twice as much driving in a weekend than 20 minute events with a lower cost per track minute, so what is there not to like about this series?
Radical aren't interested in allowing Prosports to race in their series so this is the perfect place to use them.
I've never been hit by someone in an endurance event - I've rarely not been hit by someone when racing either a Caterham or a single seater - so this cost tends not to apply.
It would be a shame if this series fails, but maybe not enough racers "get" what endurance racing is all about because it's a much more challenging than sprint races.
Our selling point has always been offering spares/technical support at our rounds; hence why we're getting 45 cars out at Brands Hatch next weekend, and 40+ for the European series. One small point Rod; Prosports are always welcome! We had quite a few at Combe, and will have nine in action at Brands. Indeed, even the MD Phil's son James Abbott races one...
Then you just don't get the skill of endurance racing because there's much more too it than driving your nuts off for 20 mins - in the SPEED series you have to do it for at least 45!
Racing your nuts off for 20 mins is OK, but it often ends in tears & expense -
spent the previous 5 seasons racing single seaters so have first hand experience of being hit by other drivers suffering from the red mist.
With endurance racing, you have the time to do it in a more considered way - you also have to spend time with your team ensuring that you don't break down!
It's an altogether more engaging sport to participate in - I just wish more people "got it".
Racing your nuts off for 20 mins is OK, but it often ends in tears & expense -
spent the previous 5 seasons racing single seaters so have first hand experience of being hit by other drivers suffering from the red mist.
With endurance racing, you have the time to do it in a more considered way - you also have to spend time with your team ensuring that you don't break down!
It's an altogether more engaging sport to participate in - I just wish more people "got it".
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