Race series rumours

[greenamex2]

Things have been very quite on the rumour front recently, anybody got anything substantial they care to share?

What series are going to run, and aren't?
What series are going to merge?
What series are going to rewrite their rules to try and nab some extra entries from other series?

etc etc etc

[djinvicta]

Denis; Were booked in for Brands this Saturday. Weve got nothing through yet, dont know what races were in, whats going on or nothing. We might know Friday. As a sponsor I can get no tickets to my customers, they have to pay to enter and I refund them with cash. If its like the last Saturday disaster when we were up there; we had to be scrutineered BEFORE we had booked on! Dave

[ss_collins]

I think its disgusting that we havn't been told yet - surely people need to know now so next season can be properly planned - to leave it this late is terrible.

Actually to be honest I can't see anyone having the balls to make a proper descision on any series and the situation will be much as it was this year.

[R59]

I suppose it's the championship silly season. As you say Denis, who's going to be amalgamated with whom.

What's the betting so far...

Will Mod-Prods be tied up with EuroSaloons now that they are going to rationalise the classes in the Euro-Saloons series to make it less confusing (what they mean is that they will finally kill of the rules of the championships that were brought in to make Euro-Saloons in the first place)

RIP Road Saloons completely?

Rob.

[djinvicta]

Ive no comment. After my last post, I was *******ed by another competitors wife at Brands last week. Still, they know best. Im just a berk...

[Tuscan 6]

Yes, I've got one....

TVR axed the Tuscan Challenge and withdrew from National racing for 2005....

....but changed their minds and are running an enlarged, two class series for 2005.

The Tuscan Challenge cars will still run as currently, leased V8 AJPs, 450 bhp and slicks.

TVR are introducing 3 new race cars - the Tuscan Targa (the road going Tuscan - think Swordfish), the T350 coupe and the Sagaris.

These cars will run with leased AJP straight sixes and sequential 6 speed boxes, same tyres as the Tucans. Power output will be approx 50bhp more than the V8s, and better aerodynamics will make these cars very, very quick. (Basically you'll have the GT engine without restrictors).

Recognising that grids need to increase, TVR are taking steps to reduce costs. One proposal is to abolish entry fees (currently £470 per round) - replace with a £1,000 registration fee that you get back if you do all the rounds.

There may be other costs reductions depending on the level of series sponsorship TVR can attract.

The new cars are cheap - £18-23k +VAT for a rolling chassis - add roll cage, dampers, fuel tank, wheels and dash electronics - although the most cost effective entry to the series will be via a Tuscan Challenge car.

The new cars will be eligible for GT and FIA GT, so competitors can buy a car, run it in the Challenge and then develop the car for other series if they want.

Certainly TVR seem to have renewed enthusiasm under their new Russian owner. Which is nice

[greenamex2]

Racing59 - With our best grid to date at Thruxton, many old faces (with actual real cars) popping up at the last few meetings and promising to be out for some/all of next year and some other things in the pipeline, don't discount the Toyo Tyres Modified Production Saloons just yet.

Who knows, we may even persuade you to enter your Nova like you kept saying you would!

[KennyG]

Andy, does this mean I will have even more to photograph next year?

Swordfish, Halle Berry, mmmm........ Oops, sorry, I drifted for a moment.

[carrera]

Currently looking at Toyo regs to see whether the BX would be better suited to the series (if it is still with us)rather than Classic Thunder.
Have been told that CT is on for 2005 and the class structure will remain the same.

[greenamex2]

carrera - Toyo are staying with us for next year and the BARC have indicated they are happy for things to continue. If you have any questions regarding the regs, please ask and I'll do my best to help.

[carrera]

Thank you Dennis. Have checked out lap times and I'll be comfortably battling for last place whichever series I choose.

[greenamex2]

carrera - WOuld the Toyo's allow you to do things that is currently preventing you from being competitive? I know that if I was to run in CT I would go from being a class winner to an also ran purely because I would end up in the up to 2800cc class.

[R59]

Denis,

One reason why the (t)rusty Nova hasn't turned a wheel is because that bump at Thruxton last year caused more damage than originally thought. The panel damage was a mere flesh wound, but the suspension and mountings are bent, bitter and twisted. It needs a new shell. Luckily... here's one I prepared earlier... Just a case of time to swap it all over. Worrying part is that it's road registered, and still got mot!! Hmmmmm

[carrera]

Denis - it is not a matter of changing parts/tuning, as is the BX would probably get to race other Toyo cars irrespective of class. In CT, only 2 of us in class f have made it to the race and we are usually the last 2 on the grid. Some circuits are better suited to the Cit and others are better for the Poston Ford, whichever way it works out we normally circulate hundreds of yards apart and never get to have a scrap.

Changing something as mundane as wheel diameter would cause us to move up to class b in CT.

[R59]

Hugh Poston, I remember him racing a Ronnie 5TS (before they all either dissolved, or were destroyed in a blues-brother's style at Barn corner, Cadwell, many years back)

[graeme]

I see from an old Autosport that BARC FRenault has been granted a championship for 2005 by allowing later (carbon chassised?) cars into the series; not sure that will up the numbers much.

Anyone know what's happening to National Supersports - they seem to have had single figure grids most of this year?

I'm not suggesting that series should be scrapped leaving no-where to race the cars, but in both these cases there seems other good series in which to race the cars (Supersports in BritSports?)

[johnw]

Sadly, I think that National Supersports have indeed gone Graeme.
Thought that I'd read that BARC F Renault was being relaunched with the newer chassis under Renault GB patronage?

[Ian Sowman]

You probably read it on here johnw!

[kickstart]

The budgets for the re-launched F Renault series were put in autosport at about £60k which will make it a rather different series than the present BARC F Renault.
I hope that there are a lot of wealthy youngsters about with FBMW, national Zetec, F3 class B, ARP F3 & F Renault. The shame is that there are fantastic drivers in all of these championships - if only they could all race together then I would be spectating a lot more often.

[andy97]

Originally posted by johnw
Sadly, I think that National Supersports have indeed gone Graeme.

If this is true, its a shame as they are great cars but the series and the cars always appeared to be way too expensive. Perhaps Supersports should be a class within Sports 2000, running alongside the DURATEC engined cars. I am sure that there are plenty of reasons why this won't happen but the DURATEC grids have been relatively low and it would surely be better to have one well supported modern sports car series (non radical) than 2 with low numbers (or one with low numbers and one having disappeared).

[ss_collins]

Maybe combine it with Global GT & Sports 1000 to run under a Baby prototype series with the 750MC That would be mega - 30 minute races - full Cadwell, Silverstone National, Brands - mega stuff.

Sports 2000 should be left to get on with it - always has big grids.

[andy97]

Originally posted by ss_collins
Maybe combine it with Global GT & Sports 1000 to run under a Baby prototype series with the 750MC That would be mega - 30 minute races - full Cadwell, Silverstone National, Brands - mega stuff.

Sports 2000 should be left to get on with it - always has big grids.

The Duratec entries have not been that strong but it is growing. Combining S2000 Duratec with Supersports has the potential to produce grids of 20-25 and they both claim to have near F3 levels of performance. Original S2000 is also healthy and can probably exist with its own grids very healthily.

As for combining Global GT and Sports 1000 with Supersports - I don't see it. The speed differential would potentially be great and the 2 categories mentioned are very definately aimed at racers on a relatively limited budget whilst Supersports was originally designed as a step up in the National racing ladder (F3 technology etc). Some manufacturers touted it as a step towards Le Mans style races and some racers tried to use it part of a career ladder. Unfortunately the budgets seemed to be too high to attract big enough grids and enough competition

[scoop]

Just to clear up any misunderstanding, Supersports is NOT GONE!!!
A very positive announcement about the future for sports-racing cars with the BARC will be made shortly, which will be excellent news for anyone who owns/wants to race this type of car. In the meantime - JohnW in particular - we'd be really grateful if forum posters could keep clear of incorrect speculation. False information at times like this can be very damaging.
Also, just to correct a post from Graeme, Supersports only dipped into single figures onces - at Rockingham in April. 24 drivers scored points and 16 cars were on the grid at Donington in August. Room for improvement, of course, but that's on a par with a great number of other series in a tough season.
I trust the record is now set straight.

Paul Lawrence
On behalf of the National Supersports Association

[ChironWSC]

Thanks for that Paul i was very supprised to see the above posts when things are looking so good for next year for SuperSports. I have been told that the SuperSports race calender will be anounced very soon which is great and gives all plenty of time. I hope all the hard work by the SuperSports Association pays off looks like it will. We hope to have more of our new LMP3 cars out in SuperSports next year with new drivers to the Championship we are getting alot of interest they all seem to like the race weekend formats and the cars.
And all our sponsors love the Championship and cars, we are hoping to secure another big sponsor before the end of the year fingers crossed!!!!! Might allow us to run another works car of our own along side our current customer cars.

Henry
Chiron World Sports Cars Ltd
www.nationalsupersports.com

[Ian Sowman]

Paul, thanks for clearing that up.

As Paul says, such speculation is not necessarily helpful - particularly if it turns out to be incorrect! Obviously it is fine to make observations about grid sizes and discuss ways in which our race series could be streamlined, but if you are saying something has been cancelled, canned, stopped or whatever perhaps you could refer to a reliable source of information. Thanks.