Historic Racing Today

[john ruston]

I visit this forum less thsn I used to.

Notice there are less posts and not those of a awkward nature!

It's all about my car or wasn't our 13 th place in Class three wonderful.

Where are the threads of substance or the great spats like the Masters discussions.

Noticed a couple of discussion threads that could have promoted a heated discussion went nowhere.

Is this a reflection of the less interest in the racing or is this forum just going through a dormant period?

[andy97]

Must admit that I had been having similar thoughts. Perhaps we have done the usual topics of noise, originality, recreations and eligibility to death!

[p261brm]

Originally Posted by andy97

Must admit that I had been having similar thoughts. Perhaps we have done the usual topics of noise, originality, recreations and eligibility to death!

Could be true, I though the new extended process of re-issuing HTP's might just have started some strong views, or are we frightened of up-setting those who wield the stick, or the undoing of once allowed more modern components on the Martini cars, passed by with hardly a glance.

[midgetman]

Originally Posted by john ruston

I visit this forum less thsn I used to.

Notice there are less posts and not those of a awkward nature!

Cause and effect?

(Controversial enough for you?)

[john ruston]

No!

You have the idea.

Guilty as charged.

[Nick JM]

And I thought my 13th place in class three was pretty good considering

[midgetman]

Perhaps the mods have battered us into submission! JT reckons looking after us is akin to herding cats.

[Tim Falce]

Originally Posted by bauble

I have discovered that if one is considered too controversial there is always a Mod quick to haul on the reins, and it is not nice having the bit between your teeth when that happens.*

So ..... some years ago I wrote to the HSCC magazine on the very same subject, commenting that virtually every letter they published lavished praise on the club, organisation, marshals, officials Uncle Tom Cobbley and All.
I once read the letters page of any publication should reflect the membership, and I concluded that HSCC members were very polite and well mannered and not in the least 'stroppy'.

So I agree with the 'Ruston' view. I would love to insult a few people, and get a few danders up, however .....................?

I have noticed that Mike, Iain, Nick, Max and other seem to find time hanging heavy on their hands judging by the volume of their posts. What's all that about.


Bauble 'Crusty Old Git'.

* Maybe I am not one of the 'in-crowd'.

Originally Posted by midgetman

Perhaps the mods have battered us into submission! JT reckons looking after us is akin to herding cats.

I think you're both being a bit insulting to the mods there so at least you've made a start Bob. There's only two of us and I can't remember the last time I had to haul any reins in and I even let it go when very recently someone called a driver a cretin just because the poster doesn't like a bit of noise, well FFS we all supposedly love motor racing and the noise part should go hand in hand with it. While on the subject of insults, it's ten tenths policy that we generally don't allow them so if you have the bit between your teeth just be thoughtful in what you say, an intelligent poster doesn't need to hurl insults about.

There is of course friendly banter amongst friends which I generally don't have an issue with but even that can get boring, especially for the person it's aimed at when we drone on about the same thing over and over again so why not try and think of something new. We all get the **** taken out of ourselves now and again and most of us take it in good stead but there is a time to draw the line and I have seen one or two people that have posted in this thread that have "copped the hump" at times when they've been on the receiving end so maybe some people have their wires crossed a bit.

As for the other mod on here, JT is one of the least (for want of a better word) strict mods on the entire forum, and one of the nicest people you'd want to meet and I've never actually seen him wield the bat except where spammers are concerned, he's always been there to help people when needed.

So if you are unhappy with the lack of threads or quality of discussion then please please start some new ones as it keeps the forum alive, but remember the forum rules and make for some interesting and if you want, amusing discussion.

[john ruston]

A cocktail stick in a glass of something weird?

I now understand the thirteenth in class but its personnel!

[Mike Bell]

I thought perhaps a frivolous response, or maybe a long and considered tome, but decided no to both. I'll just go with Max's post #3.


Sharp as a knife, our Max.....

[delta]

We just need a sub 3 min lap around Spa in a MGB to kick start the banter again

[andy97]

Originally Posted by delta

We just need a sub 3 min lap around Spa in a MGB to kick start the banter again

Is that a continuation MGB, with the very rare Lotus Twin Cam?

[bauble]

I have discovered that if one is considered too controversial there is always a Mod quick to haul on the reins, and it is not nice having the bit between your teeth when that happens.*

So ..... some years ago I wrote to the HSCC magazine on the very same subject, commenting that virtually every letter they published lavished praise on the club, organisation, marshals, officials Uncle Tom Cobbley and All.
I once read the letters page of any publication should reflect the membership, and I concluded that HSCC members were very polite and well mannered and not in the least 'stroppy'.

So I agree with the 'Ruston' view. I would love to insult a few people, and get a few danders up, however .....................?

I have noticed that Mike, Iain, Nick, Max and other seem to find time hanging heavy on their hands judging by the volume of their posts. What's all that about.


Bauble 'Crusty Old Git'.

* Maybe I am not one of the 'in-crowd'.

[Nick JM]

[QUOTE=john ruston;3508201]A cocktail stick in a glass of something weird?

a cocktail of my own design. I've called it "frivolity"!

[chunder]

Regarding the OP

I think there are various reasons for the forum getting a little slower.

Main one is that for some reason, most parts of the forum have fallen away in interest apart from certain areas like sportscars (which this place seems to be a world focal point, LM in particular for which this place is some sort of weird Mecca)

Also twitter and facebook, a lot of discussion is now happening on there rather than in forums sadly.

There are places you can discuss things still, but very few open motorsport forums that lots of people regularly engage in.

This used to beone of them, but these days unless you like V8's sportcars or more particuarly the French race it is fairly slow.

[John Turner]

Thanks, Tim; can't find a blushing 'Smilie'

Seriously though, we rarely need to 'mod' this forum because you are all so well behaved Did get a complaint (valid in my view) about the 'cretin' comment but noted the responses and subsequent apology (of sorts).

You don't have to be insulting to be contentious and it's true we've covered certain subjects like Originality and Continuation cars, MGBs etc frequently and my good friend (genuinely) JR who started this thread can't even complain so much about the lack of prewar races as there seems to have been a bit of a resurgence there.

I think that we are perhaps simply going through an inevitable quiet period. These things go in phases. On the other hand, we don't seem to get our teeth or enthusiasm into fresh initiatives. Last year I submitted a proposal to HSCC, on behalf of FISCAR, to organise a 1950s race to remember Archie Scott Brown, a legend if ever there was one, at Snetterton. It was approved and met with some comment in the motor racing press but when I mentioned it on here, the response was a big fat zilch. Pretty demoralising I have to say because I felt it was a real coup to get it agreed!

There's loads of stuff to get excited about but we seem to have gone a bit stale! As Tim says, get your thinking caps on and start some new threads about the historic racing that gets your juices going!

Incidentally what is like herding cats is getting racing drivers with similar types of cars to get together at the same venue to enter races catering specifically for them!! Very frustrating and what takes up a great deal of my spare time!

[john ruston]

Both Tim and John T have hit nail on head.

They do a good job and are very good blokes so the downturn must demoralising for them.

This Motor Sport thing is going though a slow period.

Let's hope it survives as not sure it will pull out of dip.

My main concern is that few young people are interested in any form of racing.

Went to Daytona on Sunday along with 125 K other people and it's fair to say 75 % were over fifty and a large percentage of those being over 65.

It's the same throughout the motor racing spectrum .Bernie E could have been correct.

Latest threads that I thought would have legs were the pretend Daytona AC's ,Someone on Pre War and Spa used to be pages and pages and now a shadow of its previous length.

The great days when Roger Wills would take one position and someone another were great sport but we probably all got bored with that continuing sniping

Let's hope it sorts itself.

The only thread that goes on and on is the Delta thing that is a load of mates having a chat which is not a bad thing.

[bauble]

I think you're both being a bit insulting to the mods there so at least you've made a start Bob

Please Sir! John Ruston started it!

[gary396]

[QUOTE=john ruston;3508494].....My main concern is that few young people are interested in any form of racing. Went to Daytona on Sunday along with 125 K other people and it's fair to say 75 % were over fifty and a large percentage of those being over 65.

It's the same throughout the motor racing spectrum .Bernie E could have been correct...../QUOTE]

Bernie E could be correct John in that the sport mainly attracts an older audience but surely he missed the point when he 'allegedly' said that younger people weren't the target audience (in relation to F1 at least). Maybe the sport needs to attract that younger audience - it must do to survive. Perhaps the FIA should be doing more in this regard - I'm not sure what they do these days - but I doubt if the promotion of historic events would be high on their agenda.

[bauble]

Why would the younger generation want to watch motor racing at some obscure venue in the country when they can stroll down to the local football ground spend limited time watching events on the field, shout themselves hoarse, and let off steam/aggression then spend the rest of the day in the pub discussing the match, see the replay, several times, on the telly. Next day they can snap up the Sun and read all about it with dramatic pictures of their heroes kicking seven bells out of each other.

Sadly Football has got the young by the throat before they can walk or speak, and most wear United nappies.

Motor sport needs a thorough re-think about marketing itself to a new breed of fans, after all ticket prices are heavily biased toward our sport in terms of value for money.

When I went to a clubbie at Silverstone on my bike in the fifties I might easily see drivers of international status driving.

What chance of Hamilton, Button etc. racing in the UK more than once a year?

EF Wun has ruined motor sport.

Well it's wat I fink.

[Mike Bell]

I think like a previous poster that FB and Twitter appeal more to younger enthusiasts and will have an impact on forums. I mentioned to a young person that was looking for a certain engine, and he quickly came up with one via a specific (to the car model) FB page!

And IMHO you can only discuss certain topics so many times before tedium becomes a factor.......

[bauble]

May I just say that in an earlier post I was not 'having a go' at the Mods who whether I agree or disagree with any 'hauling' they do I always accept the verdict as final. They are doing a job I would not want, and respect them for that, and I have found almost without exception that any 'pulling in' is always done in a friendly and helpful manner that does not cause ill feeling.

Having said that please do not think that I am a serial offender!!! Just the odd occasion.

So apologies to JT and TF who are both absolutely splendid chaps.

A contrite Crusty Old Git.

[PeterMorley]

Originally Posted by john ruston

Both Tim and John T have hit nail on head.

They do a good job and are very good blokes so the downturn must demoralising for them.

This Motor Sport thing is going though a slow period.

Let's hope it survives as not sure it will pull out of dip.

Are you saying there's a bit of a slump? Some magazines, promoters etc. keep telling us that historic motorsport is the fastest growing form of motorsport....

Of course what they appear to be talking about is the growth in the huge festivals (Goodwood, Silverstone, Le-Mans, Monaco etc.) and the series for more recent cars (Group C, supertouring road cars, DFV F1) e.g. the stuff for the super rich.

My feeling is that the 'old-fashioned/traditional' historic racer/enthusiast has been priced out of the market - cars, parts, labour and (UK) circuit fees are getting out of reach of many people.

Problem is there's only so much track time available and the circuit owners and clubs are naturally going to go for the most profitable option but as with current F1 etc. that might not be viable in the long term.

As for the youngsters I don't think there is a shortage of potential enthusiasts (plenty to be seen at historic events and those who race the more recent historic cars such as superboring saloons) but will they be able to afford it?

As with steam trains some time ago there was a feeling that the only people who remembered them were dying off, so there would be no interest from future generations but there are plenty of young volunteers etc and loads of lottery money has seen them booming.

There is an inconsistency in the popularity of historic series - 50s sports cars are very popular but 50s single seaters less so (but picking up because the sportscars are so dear), big engined 60s/70s sports racers popular but 70s 2 litre sportscars seem to be struggling etc.
VSCC pre-war races are popular but very few events for the top flight pre-war cars.
It seems unlikely that a fan of say 50s sportscars would not also like the contemporary single seaters so is this a reflection of the popularity (or hospitality) of the different organisers, or the differing running costs, or something else?

Peter

[Tim Falce]

There is one other reason that things may get quiet, a hell of a lot of racers just don't seem to like computers. I run a website for one series I do and mod on a private forum for it (hosted by tenths) and I also frequent a forum for one of the other series I used to do (Thoroughbred Sports cars). Last post on the Tbreds was last June and on my one, SRGTC I think we get probably one post every few months, the last post was because no one can be arsed to go to the annual lunch awards.
Getting people to look at the website or forum is an absolute nightmare as they all seem to be technophobes.

[zefarelly]

Me too, its got boring and repetitive and frankly I have better things to do with my limited time.

agreed, controversy either edited out or people just don't bother rising to the bait. Lets face it did it ever acheive anything, most people read and mutter to themselves without posting.

without those of us who are just happy to compete at our own level there would be no winning superhero's, 13th for most of us is a better feeling than a cheque book win?

I think I've been as vocal as anyone in the past, everyone knows my opinion already.

I think where we are now is a reflection on the histrionics game/business as a whole? THere seems to be plenty of keen new people, personally Its just work now and its lost its appeal somewhat.

Originally Posted by john ruston

I visit this forum less thsn I used to.

Notice there are less posts and not those of a awkward nature!

It's all about my car or wasn't our 13 th place in Class three wonderful.

Where are the threads of substance or the great spats like the Masters discussions.

Noticed a couple of discussion threads that could have promoted a heated discussion went nowhere.

Is this a reflection of the less interest in the racing or is this forum just going through a dormant period?