What is happening with Sports Sedans?

[Robert Ryan]

Any news on any new cars? I know to ex-NZ cars have been acquired, Des Wall has an ex-Kayne Scott Corvette and Phil Compton has the Bernie Gillion Mustang which he is updating?.
Any other news?

[promax]

any idea which scott corvette was sold?

where's kayne when you need him? lol

[Matthew Ronke]

I think they are called Trans - Ams now

[Raceonly]

They are racing in nations cup and they are called monaros!

[team drinkalot]

This category is dying a slow death. Only 3-6 cars on the grid in Queensland State races.

[Kayne Scott]

Hi Guys
The new Australian Series is called TranZam Sports and kicks off shortly. It is a culmination of the previous Australian rules along with NZ Tranzan and American SCCA regulations. The series will be well supported by a wide array of machinery.
Des Wall has purchased the car we campainged in the colours of Formula 1 Polish and is excited at the prospects of letting it rip for the first outing.
Phil Crompton is also preparing a Mustang that he purchased from Clyde Collins whislt visitig NZ over the later months of last year.
We are presently involved with our Supercheap Touring car program in NZ and at the conclusion of this will set to work in preparation to join the Australian series with our new Corvette.
Bernie Gillion shipped his car today and there will be several other Kiwi cars crossing the Tasman as the series progresses.
Hope to see you all there!!
Cheers
Kayne

[moffman]

Originally posted by Raceonly
They are racing in nations cup and they are called monaros!

They are currently running around in a category called V8 Supercars!

[Raceonly]

Originally posted by moffman
They are currently running around in a category called V8 Supercars!

Most amusing. i guess that is what i like about formula racing- no parity. Pity real sports sedan racing is only a shadow of its former self.

[promax]

thanks kayne

and good luck!

[Senna05]

Funny, the Monaro is a Sports Sedan, yet the BMW, Mosler, Morgan Aero 8, etc, are not.

There's some wierd opinions out there....

[rdmdog]

Kayne, When and Where is this series going to be held?

[FalconEL]

Originally posted by team drinkalot
This category is dying a slow death. Only 3-6 cars on the grid in Queensland State races.

It's apathy and flippant attitudes like that that f#$k it for everyone. Guess you're lucky you don't own one any more Dave!! I tire of people saying, "Gee, the fields are s#$thouse, when they have a perfectly raceworthy vehicle in their own garage!!" I've heard this a lot recently from a few people.

I think you're forgetting that the fields are still well supported in Victoria. There are plenty of cars out there in garages in QLD. You know yourself that back in 2001 here in QLD we were regularly getting 16-18 cars at race meetings.

The current situation has not been at all helped by the QLD Under 2-Litre factions running off and racing at kindergarten race meetings at Morgan Park. The fields at State Level are suffering because of this. If you're going to race at Short Circuit race meetings with the Short Circuit cars, the value of your asset is only going to be the same as a Short Circuit s#$tbox.

Is it a case of taking the bat and ball and going home because they can't compete for an eight dollar trophy at an outright level?
These same people placed the self-imposed restriction on themselves of running a 2-Litre engine in their car in a category virtually free of restriction up to a capacity of 6-Litres? Then they get the s#$ts when a 6-Litre car or even a fast U2 Litre car (like your own car was Dave), walks away from them down the straight bits!!

Initially I applauded the 2-Litre group in QLD because they injected a new interest and vibe to the Sports Sedan category in QLD. The class was envisaged to be a "budget, entry-level into Sports Sedans". In Queensland this hasn't worked. We don't have the population base in the motorsport community to cater for nine or so fully supported categories at all race meetings. Now, the ring leaders of the 2-Litre factions who have f$%ked it for everyone, have packed up and gone fishing.

Another point is that four or five competitors went out and built mind-bendingly fast U2L Sports Sedans and turned what was envisaged to be an entry level class into something that was unattainable to remain competitive even in their own class.

We also have Qld Raceway which is unfriendly to any car with a smaller capacity engine. But hang on! What about competing for a class victory? What happened to the awesome dices between Woodward and Meneguzzo that we had in 2001? The class competition was awesome to watch!

Since 1995, 2-Litre Sports Sedans have had ample opportunity to produce a full field of cars and go to a promoter in QLD and ask for their own races. I know that the QRDA would gladly put on seperate races if we could get upwards of 17 U2L cars enter our race meeting. This hasn't happened.

An answer may be to handicap the larger capacity of faster 2-Litre Sports Sedans to enable the slower Sports Sedans a chance at a race win? Is winning an eight dollar trophy really that important anyway?

Other competitors have stated in the past that they seek "recognition" for the effort they put in. Little fact of life people - the recognition you receive is only proportionate to the amount of effort you put in. I personally see f$%k all effort being put in by a lot of people with regard to Sports Sedans in QLD. Most people would not know the definition of the word "dedication".

Really, if people are that concerned with paying an extra $125.00 to enter a State Championship Race Meeting over a kindergarten race meeting, they are f$%king kidding themselves and others. If you don't want to race your car, sell it to someone who might. Going racing now is no more expensive than it was ten years ago.

I will personally handicap myself by removing plug leads or starting two laps behind in an eight lapper, just to get cars back out there. If the trophy is so important, they now have a chance at one. I don't care where I finish, my greatest opponents are my budget, the fact that I have to race with one eye on the gauges, myself and then other competitors (in that order).

The category is not dying a slow death. It is being screwed over by apathy, people who want recognition for doing f$%k all and people who have by manipulation successfully split the category in two in Queensland and f$%ked it!! United we conquer, divided we fall. Very simple adage, but so true.

[Robert Ryan]

I have been told of several new cars and updates:
(1)Bernie Gillon is renewing his car to a 2004 Mustang
(2)Phil Compton(Aus) has bought a OSCA Mustang, rebodying it and adding V8Supercar parts
(3) Kayne Scott has a brand new Corvette
(4) Andrew Fawcett will bring his Jaguar to the Australian races
(5) Des Wall the Sports Sedan veteran has the ex-Kayne Scott Corvette
(6) 3 New Holden Monaro bodied Sports Sedans are being built

[just a racer]

FalconEL,
As we well know, it always seems to be the ill informed actions of the minority that seem to stuff it up for the majority.
We all really hope the National Series becomes as big as it was back in it's heyday, but like everything, it won't happen overnight, but it will happen.
Our CAMS State Championships down here in Victoria keeps going from strength to strength, with good fields for this weekend at Sandown.
Together we can all prove the knockers wrong.
Is round 1 still on May 9th at Mallala?

[racer69]

The Monaro's in Nations Cup aren't Sports Sedans, their engine capacity is a litre too big.

Why the change to 'TraNZam Sports'? Will this really inject much new interest?

And what about regulations? Can i still enter a suped up Mini Cooper, or an old RX7, or does a new name mean new regulations?

[team drinkalot]

Gee Chris, so much passion! Your obviously dissappointed as I am about the field sizes. The Sports Sedans are the first cat. I look up on the Natsoft results.
I agree that a few of us built some big budget 2 Lt SS's but at the time I thought that was the way to go at Lakeside. The thought of my Honda beating your EL at Lakeside was the motivation.
I got into SS's because watching Doc, Patto, Danny, etc battling it out at Lakeside was sensational. Cheap Under 2 Lt SS's were the way to go.
It all comes down to the track. Willowbank is s+#t. At least in Victoria they have real race tracks. They have several big budget 2Lt SS,s and this does not drive the also rans away. It's QR.
I would think that now we have Morgan Park that then fields may increase.
Hats off to Woody for starting an Under 2Lt series, isn't that what they have down in Vic. Are the open SS,s crying about that? They seem to attract good numbers all by themselves.
Get out while you can! Change categories, nobody will think less of you. Times change, move with them, don't beat your head against a brick wall.

[Bernard Gillon]

Hi Guys

There are several Kiwis coming over to compete in the Australian Transam Sports races. I am doing the whole series with my new Powerbuilt Tools sponsored 2003/4 Mustang. Andrew Faucett in his Jag will be at Winton in June. Grant Sylvester 1994 Mustang, Alan Ferguson 2001 Comaro, Denis Running 2001 Comaro, Kayne Scott in a Corvette, Craig Gilbert in a 2002 Corvette are all coming over for the Sydney rounds in July and August which are also the first rounds of this years trans tasman series. After the September Queensland round we head back to NZ and hopefully a good number of your Aussie cars will come over for the final two rounds of the trans tasman series in Pukekohe in October and Ruapuna (Christchurch) in November.
See you at the track
kind regards

Bernie

[DAVID PATERSON]

Originally posted by racer69
Why the change to 'TraNZam Sports'? Will this really inject much new interest?

And what about regulations? Can i still enter a suped up Mini Cooper, or an old RX7, or does a new name mean new regulations?

The change only applies to the National series and old style Sports Sedans are still eligible to enter. At club and state level, there is no change in the name or the regs.

[Bernard Gillon]

My understanding of the name change was to reflect that the eligability rules have been changed to allow Tranzam cars to compete in the National Championship. Previosly we could only compete on an invitation basis and were not eligable for points in your championship

[just a racer]

Bernie,
I can't wait to see the first round where ALL the NZ cars are on the grid with our top Sports Sedans.
It will be sensational to see!
Hopefully this will be the start of something big for 2004 and beyond.

[Evomike]

It was unfortunate that the TranZam class died. When we did have big fields they were good, unfortunately the numbers dropped off. Maybe the foray into Australia will revive them here since being dropped as a National Championship

[DAVID PATERSON]

Originally posted by Bernard Gillon
My understanding of the name change was to reflect that the eligability rules have been changed to allow Tranzam cars to compete in the National Championship. Previosly we could only compete on an invitation basis and were not eligable for points in your championship

I believe you are correct. the Ntional sereis will be called Tranzam and be open to NZ Tranzam cars and Aust Sports Sedans. There are no changes to the rules or name at club and State levels.

[Bomn]

Kind of like what they tried with Thundersports 10 years ago.

[promax]

Originally posted by just a racer
Bernie,
I can't wait to see the first round where ALL the NZ cars are on the grid with our top Sports Sedans.
It will be sensational to see!
Hopefully this will be the start of something big for 2004 and beyond.

it would be nice to see ALL in nz cars lined up on the grid in nz lol

pity *sigh*

[Robert Ryan]

It would also be nice to see people who build Top Doorslammers and the Import Modifying crowd get involved. A Local version of the JGTC...only dreaming.