Formula Renault Winter Series - Entries/Timetable?

[jondownunder]

As I'm planning on going to Pembrey for the first time this weekend, I have a few questions:

1) Is racing on Saturday (6th November) or Sunday (7th)? I thought it was on Saturday (renaultsport.co.uk), but http://www.barc.net/calendar.htm says Fri & Sat are testing, and Sunday is race day.

2) Does anyone have a timetable for the 6th/7th/whenever? There isn't one on http://www.barc.net/timetables.htm yet.

3) Are any other series supporting F.Renault and Clios?

4) Finally, does anyone know of any additions to these entries for the Formula Renault Winter Series? -

Fortec Motorsport - Yelmer Buurman (NL)
Fortec Motorsport - Stuart Hall (GB)
Fortec Motorsport - Ben Freudenberg (USA)
Fortec Motorsport - Peter Rees (GB)
Manor Motorsport - Oliver Jarvis (GB)
Manor Motorsport - Bas Lammers (NL)
Manor Motorsport - Patrick Hogan (IRL)
Team JLR - Daniel Clarke (GB)
Team JLR - Stephen Simpson (ZA)
Team aka - James Jakes (GB)
Team aka - TBA
Mark Burdett Motorsport - Rodolfo Gonzalez (VEN)
Mark Burdett Motorsport - Chris Dent (GB)
Mark Burdett Motorsport - Simon Pearson (GB)
Team Nasamax - Dean Stirling (CDN)
Scorpio Motorsport - Will Bratt (GB)
Embassy Racing - Jodie Firth (GB)

Any answers/help most welcome!

[bella]

it's jody firth for embassy racing - he's a boy

apart from that, i have nothing to add...

[jondownunder]

Originally posted by bella
it's jody firth for embassy racing - he's a boy

apart from that, i have nothing to add...

Oops, thanks, I knew that!

Anyone?

[sceptic]

To answer:

1, Friday is a test day, qualifying and racing are both on Saturday.

2, I don't know exactly what the schedule is, but I'd guess it will be something like:

Clio Q1
Ginetta FP
Renault Q
Clio Q2
Ginetta Q
Renault R1
Lunch
Clio R1
Ginetta R1
Renault R2
Clio R2

3, Ginettas are supporting

4, Don't know of any others not mentioned there.

[jondownunder]

Many thanks sceptic

I thought I heard about Ginettas somewhere, but the Ginetta sites only list championship rounds on the calendar.

Cheers

[Paul Rayner]

TIMETABLE
PEMBREY - NOVEMBER 6TH
09:00 - 09:15 F. Renault Qual 1
09:25 - 09:45 Renault Clio Qual
09:55 - 10:15 Ginetta
10:25 - 10:40 F. Renault Qual 2

10:50 Renault Clio 14 laps
11:25 Ginetta 20 min
12:00 F. Renault 18 laps
12:30 - 13:30 Lunch
13:40 Renault Clio 14 laps
14:15 Ginetta 20 min
14:50 F. Renault 18 laps

Croft is exactly the same timetable, just a week later and it's 10 laps for Clios, 15 for Formula Renaults.

[jondownunder]

Thanks Paul, just what I was looking for. Much appreciated

[rdjones]

A bit of latish entry news. Craig Dolby will drive for JLR and Juan Manuel Polar join's James Jakes at aka.

[Dr Venom]

No Motaworld cars entered, not like them not have cars in the winter series.

[jondownunder]

The confirmed entries seem a bit sparse compared to previous years - are some teams simply not announcing their drivers until Pembrey? Or will it only be an 18 car grid?

[jondownunder]

Oops, noticed I missed out Joe D’Agostino (USA) for Team JLR in my original list.

[Kicking-back]

D'Agostino is out - budget problems.

[Gaz]

19 cars turned out for the test, not bad I suppose but yes certainly down on previous years.

Yelmer Buurman looks the man to beat judging by the testing times from yesterday, anyway I'm setting off now, will bring you all a report Sat night if your not going yourselves!

[rdjones]

Just been looking at the times from today Yelmer Buurman was quickest again.

[Tweed]

Is this chap Yelmer Buurman son of Herman Buurman, the sportscar racer?

[Ian Sowman]

Yes. Also the same Yelmer Buurman that was quick in last year's Winter Series, so no great surprise that he is up there.

[Mr Jinxx]

I don't believe anyone's called Herman Buurman

[Paul Rayner]

He is actually called that, Mr Jinxx, but the funniest thing was that in a British GT race back in 2000, he was racing, and for some reason, David Addison was under the impression that he was from Germany. All day we were told about "Herman Buurman the German", until he was on the the podium and said "I'm Dutch!"

Oh, and if anyone's interested, this message was brought to you from a media centre(ish) at Pembrey. SingleSeaters has returned to cover the winter series, and I've got to go now because the second race is about to start...

[Gaz]

Just got back now!

Pembrey, yes you were all correct! Looked more rundown than Baghdad!

Two pretty tame affairs to be honest, both decided over the first couple of laps. Hall looked the quickest over the day its just he couldn't get the job done over the first couple of laps and from there overtaking was nearly impossible as there's no real spots at Pembrey.

Juan Polar had a huge off in the second race and Danny Clarke also had a HUGE spin in the same race but to be honest not a lot of action to report.

Was an experience for sure though, Touring Cars/F3 there? Your having a laugh!

[Kicking-back]

It was good enough for F3 in the mid-nineties, so why not now?

[Gaz]

Have you been recently K-B? It's an eye opener! Makes Knockhill look like Silverstone!

Got the control Tower and Media Centre but the paddocks tiny and the outskirts of the circuit are totally rundown. Half the spectator banks are falling apart and safety wise I don't think its adequate.

Also there's only one way into the paddock whether you be a spectator or team member and thats via a track crossing. You should have seen the cue of drivers in the paddock desperate to escape after the 2nd Clio race but couldn't cos the race was going on!

Perhaps in the mid-90s it would have been adequate but now with tracks having to pass much more rigerous tests I don't think it's anywhere near adequate. Llanelli and the area surrounding the circuit aren't pretty either!

It was an experience though! From a perspective of viewing you could see a lot of the circuit and that would be my one positive I'd give it.

[Paul Rayner]

Must admit, I'm with Gaz. I think it's a cracking little circuit for racing (at least in tin-tops and sportscars, and the Formula Renaults were at least spectacular throwing up sparks at the last corner), but it would need a total overhaul to host an event like Touring Cars.

It's a test track. Seems to do that job well - the track hire costs are comparitively cheap. If they started putting up fancy facilities and making it look like a top venue though, they'd have to start charging more, and then they'd risk putting a major customer base off, and could it really get massive spectator numbers where it's situated anyway?

[santaindisguise]

Interesting to see some of the Formula Renault regular teams not there - in particular, Motaworld, Falcon and Comtec - is this a sign of decreasing interest in Formula Renault (hope not!) - or just pure economics?

[Kicking-back]

I imagine the 2005 season will be as well supported as ever.

The winter series tends to be hit and miss.

[Gaz]

Comtec aren't racing in the UK next year I'm led to believe but it is notable in particular that Motaworld weren't present.

I think that teams reputation has diminished dramitically over the past two seasons, it has dropped from championship winner to midfield also-ran despite having had some good drivers under its wing (Lloyd, Stoddart, Jarvis, Foster, Sondermann). Drivers would much rather drive for a team like Fortec or Manor who are probably charging a similar budget to Motaworld but offer a better chance of success.

On the whole are people losing interest in Renault thing I'm not sure. I think the racing has been poor this year, the new package has not done the formula any favours in that respect. But I also feel that BMW have got the upper hand as the package they offer for a similar product at a similar price is better all round.

With Ford looking to pitch their budgets around £50k to the absolute newcomer who doesn't have the biggest budgets and BMW being the new kid on the block which pitches itself at Renault's level then I think Formula Renault may struggle slightly next year.

I believe we'll still see see grids of 20-23 cars but I think the strength in depth we've seen in past seasons may not be there. I hope I'm wrong though!