Tuscans at Thruxton
A dozen cars and dozens of rumours
Saturday's Tuscan race saw a grid full of drivers undecided about tyre choice. Intermittent rain had left the track wet with the possibility of a dry line emerging.
Those on wet tyres soon eeked out an advantage however with Phil Keen and David Mason heading off into the lead leaving Lee Caroline uncharacteristically lagging on his slicks.
Caroline fell into the clutches of Peter Wheeler at one point - two drivers who rarely do battle normally.
Giles Cooper was back and on good form in car number 58. He eventually passed Caroline too but more significantly Richard Hay couldn't. The two title contenders maintained their position in the championship and despite Caroline setting the fastest lap as the track dried out, it was Phil Keen who took the win followed by David Mason and Tim Hood.
Sunday's race got off to a dramatic start with Peter Wheeler launching himself into the back of Tim Hood's car. Hood suffered a huge about of damage to the rear bodywork but none to the mechanicals. He continued the race (complete with marshals waving all manner of flags at him) with the nearside rear wing of his car no longer present.
It was David Mason who led the race pursued by Phil Keen and Lee Caroline. Mason and Caroline had another good battle with Caroline nipping past after a couple of laps.
Richard Hay was working hard for some points too though and worked his way up to do battle with Giles Cooper then Tim Hood and eventually past Phil Keen too.
It finished with Caroline taking the win, followed by Mason and Hay.
Pictures from David Lord
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Saturday's meeting was full of rumours about the direction TVR will be taking on and off track. As always things got a little ahead of themselves and it wasn't until Sunday afternoon that the facts emerged.
At a meeting of the teams, TVR's championship coordinator John Reid broke the news that TVR would not be running the Tuscan Challenge in 2005. Plans for a Sagaris to join the series have been scrapped and the future of the racing lies in the hands of the teams.
TVR will continue to lease engines to the racers if required but the organisation of any series now falls to the teams. The desire amongst the teams to race next year is as strong as ever so hopefully a plan can be hatched to make that happen.
PH will certainly back all efforts to keep Tuscans on track. The series has been hugely entertaining over the years and provides important focal points for TVR owners each summer.
Link : Points Table
I've heard that some cars are now racing with the original Rover V8 in them in other series?
Lets hope that a club series can emerge with these fantastic cars.
So. I wonder if TVR will announce a new race series complete with a new car. If they're going to run it in 2005 they'll need to announce it pretty damn soon. Maybe 2006? Or maybe not at all...
It is a chance for the racers to take the bull by the horns and sort out their own series in a manner to their liking. It will take a fair bit of organisation though and rely on some hard work by someone.
PetrolTed said:
TVR won't be running a series in 2005. It sounds like they might be doing something in GTs but below that absolutely nothing.
I think TVR will *need* to come up with something. Its important for the image of the business. TVR owners *like* to be associated with racing series and motorsport.
I wonder what proportion of owners are tipped over into buying a car by the motorsport, though. And if TVR just saved themselves the money of running a race series would it affect sales volumes and profit margin at all? Hmmn.
It'd be a shame if as the "Wheeler Era" goes so does TVR Motorsport...
Not being on the GT/F3 bill, and not being supported by the factory will make raising the funds even harder and - whilst 'club' racing is a major untapped resource for spectators - I can't see a 750 club Tuscan race attracting double figure numbers of cars, without destroying the spectacular that is Tuscan racing.
I think that racing fan NS has done his customers and his racers a big disservice by not really getting behind a high end TVR national racing programme, but if we are honest, the writing was on the wall even with the ex Chairman at the helm, so a substantial push would be required to really show any bottom line benefits to TVR.
Whlst there is still hope for a U turn and a last minute deal to keep a premier TVR series alive, in the event that this doesn't happen, I really hope that we don't lose any racers because of this.
Unfortunately, I know people like Andy had their heart set on racing a Tuscan. If this is no longer possible, is there going to be the another series that can attract the teams and drivers - and therefore be something else for this community, and many other fans, to get behind.
The point is now that there is an opportunity for change. Things were in decline becuase nothing was changing.
It will take a bold move by someone to make it happen, but it could happen.
The financials being kicked around yesterday were achievable via various means, again - if there's a strong driving force behind it.
Shame to poss not see these cars out anymore
PetrolTed said:
The point is now that there is an opportunity for change. Things were in decline becuase nothing was changing.
I think you are right. After all - the Tuscans have been around a *long* time now and don't actually reflect the current TVR models.
If you look at the Porsche Carrera Cup the cars are updated regularly to keep them in line with the current 911 model release. Almost certainly we will see 997 based Cup cars in due course. This promotes the newer models amongst owners...I suspect its also good for the bottom line.
So. If TVR are planning on retiring the current Tuscans they may well consider a new series with an all new car reflecting their current, rather than historic, model range.
For example: the T350C would make a fine race car...wouldn't it? Or perhaps even a version of the road-going Tuscan (the convertible with the addition of a roll cage)? But most definitely with the Speed Six engine...and, no doubt, the modern Tuscan chassis that underpins so much of the current model range..
Krusty said:
NS was at Thruxton on Sunday, Did you get to meet him Ted??
Really?
Could it have been his silver T350 that was parked down the car park away from us all then?
Shame he didn't come and join us.
NS, if you read this, next time come over to say hello. You'll be warmly welcomed. We're a friendly bunch.
) and this Gadgie came over with his family. Asked if he could get a picture of his son in one of the cars, which of course we duly obliged, and then asked me what my opinion was of this Russian Bloke taking over TVR. I said that nothing much had really happend yet but I was erring to the positive and hoped for the best. He then let out he was NS's, I guess PA. Bit sneaking really, baiting the question before telling who he was. Anyway, I launched straight into 'Can we meet him' mode but he thought that NS had probably already left. Shame really as there was a great turnout from several regions. So I didn't get to meet NS but I did meet Ted so wasn't an altogether bad day....
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