Sprints at the BIG tracks in the South East?

[rossyl]

Hi,

I am getting started in my first year of sprinting and had really hoped to get on the larger tracks for a few sprints, however the dates for these seem few and far between. Am I just missing where they are advertised?

Silverstone has one event a year
Goodwood has two events a year

That's it. What about Brands Hatch?

Cheers
R

[df76]

Circuit hire costs are high, and that stops many events. There's about four sprints a year at Goodwood, and a few more in the SE. Have a look here to start:

http://twmc.org.uk/all-circuit-sprint-championship...

There's also three sprints at Castle Combe (Bristol MC and Bristol Pegasus).

[TimCrighton]

As above they are tricky to get to work on numbers for the larger circuits due to the circuit hire costs.

[Trev450]

Anglesey, Snetterton and Pembrey are also used for some rounds of the British Sprint Championship.

[carl_w]

Not quite the South East but BARC do two rounds at Rockingham and B19/TWMC/7Oaks/M&MC brought Lydden back last month after a long absence.

Last time (only time) I did Brands it was £185 for 1 practice and 2 timed runs of the Indy circuit and finished by lunchtime.

B19 also do a double-header at Snetterton (100 circuit) and two events at Hethel.

[grumpy52]

As others have said it's down to costs .
Sprints rarely have paying spectators to offset the cost of circuit hire .
Down here in the south east we have always had a problem attracting entrants from out of the area due to the time ,cost and distances involved.
Meeting sponsorship helps but as with all things this is more and more difficult to attract .
It's also much more difficult to get enough Marshall coverage at the "big" tracks . There are minimum numbers required for marshalls and other safety crews for any meetings to proceed. This is always a problem for the minor meetings especially if several venues have major events on at the same time .
I have done over 70 days on circuit duty in a year in the past .
Sprint meetings were always good fun and we were looked after well by the clubs and competitors.

[andrewcliffe]

Circuit hire is expensive - for racing its priced on a per minute basis, so if you have an hours tracktime (maybe 1 quali and 3 races at 15 mins each) at £ 125 per minute, thats £ 7500 that has to be paid for by a grid of 20 cars.

With sprinting you've got three or four cars on course split by 30 seconds or so, so the numbers get quite expensive quite quickly.

Spectators at £ 10 a time doesn't come close to covering it, and you don't get that many spectators that aren't part of someones race entourage at club level anyway.

[Drumroll]

andrewcliffe said:

Circuit hire is expensive - for racing its priced on a per minute basis, so if you have an hours tracktime (maybe 1 quali and 3 races at 15 mins each) at £ 125 per minute, thats £ 7500 that has to be paid for by a grid of 20 cars.

With sprinting you've got three or four cars on course split by 30 seconds or so, so the numbers get quite expensive quite quickly.

Spectators at £ 10 a time doesn't come close to covering it, and you don't get that many spectators that aren't part of someones race entourage at club level anyway.

Circuit hire is (expensive) a flat cost ( as in take it or leave it) how the clubs that hire it, choose to justify/charge their competitors is up to them. Spectator revenue goes to the circuits not the clubs.

[rossyl]

Thanks all

I guess that's the reality. Safety and upkeep probably result in many circuits being too expensive. I am a little surprised about Brands not being on a little more often, given that Silverstone is on there once.

[Trev450]

Siverstone only tends to use Stowe circuit for sprints afaik, and usually has other race meetings on the main circuit at the same time.

[eastlmark]

rossyl said:

Thanks all

I guess that's the reality. Safety and upkeep probably result in many circuits being too expensive. I am a little surprised about Brands not being on a little more often, given that Silverstone is on there once.

The Brands event used to be a shared day with SEMSEC racing in the afternoon hence the 2 clubs shared the cost. iirc though the race entry was only about £60 more than the sprint so I think the sprinters were subsidising the racers.

[df76]

Trev450 said:

Siverstone only tends to use Stowe circuit for sprints afaik, and usually has other race meetings on the main circuit at the same time.

Correct. MGCC hire the whole venue for their big event of the year, and the smaller Stowe circuit is used for the sprint.

[Jon39]

Not one of the current BIG tracks, but an enjoyable event in the south east that you may like to consider Ross, is the annual Crystal Palace sprint. Now a two day event, a good atmosphere and very popular so enter early.

It was once considered a BIG track.
This is the 1971 British Saloon Car Championship.
Hold on to your seat !

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cawBXWWgqCI

[Trev450]

Jon39 said:

This is the 1971 British Saloon Car Championship.
Hold on to your seat !
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cawBXWWgqCI

That was one hell of a race. Thanks for posting.

[Jon39]

Trev450 said:

Jon39 said:

This is the 1971 British Saloon Car Championship.
Hold on to your seat !
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cawBXWWgqCI

That was one hell of a race. Thanks for posting.

Glad you enjoyed it.
A dice at the front throughout the race, Gerry Marshall and Murray Walker. Perfect recipe.
Some of the best videos are not so easy to find. I came across it by chance.

I note from your profile page Trevor, that you are a big cheese in the sprint world. Congratulations.
My only claim to fame, is that I have held a hill climb class record for decades.
( I ought to add though, that the venue was only used once. - )

[rossyl]

Jon39 said:

Not one of the current BIG tracks, but an enjoyable event in the south east that you may like to consider Ross, is the annual Crystal Palace sprint. Now a two day event, a good atmosphere and very popular so enter early.

It was once considered a BIG track.
This is the 1971 British Saloon Car Championship.
Hold on to your seat !

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cawBXWWgqCI

Thanks very much, a bit disappointed I didn't organise myself in time to do this...looks great.

Thank you

[Trev450]

Jon39 said:

Trev450 said:

Jon39 said:

This is the 1971 British Saloon Car Championship.
Hold on to your seat !
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cawBXWWgqCI

That was one hell of a race. Thanks for posting.

Glad you enjoyed it.
A dice at the front throughout the race, Gerry Marshall and Murray Walker. Perfect recipe.
Some of the best videos are not so easy to find. I came across it by chance.

I note from your profile page Trevor, that you are a big cheese in the sprint world. Congratulations.
My only claim to fame, is that I have held a hill climb class record for decades.
( I ought to add though, that the venue was only used once. - )

I don't know about a big cheese, but thank you for the kind words anyway.

[Norfolkit]

carl_w said:

Not quite the South East but BARC do two rounds at Rockingham and B19/TWMC/7Oaks/M&MC brought Lydden back last month after a long absence.

Last time (only time) I did Brands it was £185 for 1 practice and 2 timed runs of the Indy circuit and finished by lunchtime.

B19 also do a double-header at Snetterton (100 circuit) and two events at Hethel.

Since they redeveloped it Hethel is a brilliant track to drive.

[jeffw]

Hethel, Blyton, Combe and Goodwood are all favourites of mine.

[Gc285]

Jon39 said:

Not one of the current BIG tracks, but an enjoyable event in the south east that you may like to consider Ross, is the annual Crystal Palace sprint. Now a two day event, a good atmosphere and very popular so enter early.

It was once considered a BIG track.
This is the 1971 British Saloon Car Championship.
Hold on to your seat !

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cawBXWWgqCI


EPIC