AMRS 4 Queensland Raceway

[DAVID PATERSON]

Originally Posted by David Towe

Question, when I first started in the TCC, there were no AUs or VTs and more Group A and Supertourers, has the AU and VT involvement been good for the TCC?? The original concept was brilliant IMHO it has been modified with the best of intentions, but possibly to the detrement of the category. The numbers of Group A and Supertourers have dropped and the variety of competing cars has all but been brought to different styles of V8s.

Good point, David. I feel that letting in cars which are eligible for V8SCDS may discourage the older V8SC and ST and Group A cars.

Rod Dale has 4 ST cars for sale, i'd love to see them bought & raced regularly.

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by DAVID PATERSON

Rod Dale has 4 ST cars for sale, i'd love to see them bought & raced regularly.

They were 2 years ago, even last year Messers Kelly and Searle were regulars in their 320s. I had trouble convincing other Group A drivers to come out and play, mainly due to the Group C Assoc not endorsing the series. Their philosophy was "we have historic cars and that's where we should be racing them". It didn't matter that the Group A members of that Assoc. only had one race meeting to compete in that was endorsed by the club management, they still didn't see the value of the series.
Then there were a few accidents that scared off the few who were considering entering to see what it was all about. I had a ball and found the original concept brilliant and the organisers and fellow competitors to be a great bunch of people to be involved with. I would be back in a flash, but let's be honest. my car was built to compete with other Group A cars and that's where I can compare apples with apples.
I'm trying to get a deal and a car together to join the series, but there are not too many people out there willing to part with their $ in motorsport sponsorship, let alone to a 48 year old nobody like me. I simply can't afford to maintain the M3 and build and run a new car as well, if I could I'd be in there.

[Crash Test]

Originally Posted by Silver 3

I thought the course commentary was terrific-- the best I have heard.Knowledgable,informed,interesting and entertaining-- set a standard for other circuits.Series commentator Al Magritzer was backed up by excellent locals and category specialists and guests .

Thanks for that! I'll let the rest of the boys know!

Actually, on the Ozboss side of things, it was a top race between Gilmour and Hangar... Hrmmm.... what if in a parallel universe, all of the open wheel wings and slicks cars simply got together in the one place and raced?? I know I'm a deaddset dreamer, but I think it would be good to have one BIG field, rather than two half fields running around at about the same pace... Shoot, even those Toyota jiggers would fit in well!

There would be a lot of STs, FTs etc out there. Whatever happened to all of the Nascars? They're still out there in existance... but at the end of the day, there are only so many people in a nation of 20 million who can afford to go and race at a national or sub-national level. It's amazing at state level, how there are now twice as many race meetings, several more classes, the but the overall competitor participation and entry is exactly the same...

[Oaksnaf]

Are all those Robertson Transport entered cars based in Queensland and will any be venturing outside their own state for the remainder of the year?

And Touring Car Challenge results were interesting, Groenveld won a race - he has been having a strong year so far.

Nice to see Natoli up the front in the handicapped race. And well done Natalie for winning Production Touring Cars.

Four Wests! That would have been great to see and arn't there still more out there waiting to fire up?

[Silver 3]

The West's, Chiron, Prosport etc are starting to look like a class. Interesting cars without a lot between them on the track made for previously unseen spectacle. The cars are fast- with a lot of potential to go faster.As long as West's ambition ( of one dill involved) to run as one make is not fulfilled, this category has the ability to attract many more. One of the things missing from motorsport is technical varience that gives the boffins and thinkers to innovate and learn .It has been missing far to long-- and only this week Cams recognise BMW Mini class on V8 program-- like we needed it!
There are a number of other cars capable of front running pace-- the Saker certainly is-- and a Evo engined version is nearly ready also. Like all categories in formative stage-- they need to keep the cars they have all running to show how good it can be.
For the future I can see this group being a very strong AMRS category that will help create interest and relevence to the whole motorsport world in the future. As an aside-- the Future Racers need to throw the Saloon/Touring car look out forever and create a sports/racing car look that might appeal to those not racing them-- after all -- they are sportscars and the atrocious looking body will be an impediment in the future to there growth.

[pete55]

Originally Posted by Silver 3

As an aside-- the Future Racers need to throw the Saloon/Touring car look out forever and create a sports/racing car look that might appeal to those not racing them-- after all -- they are sportscars and the atrocious looking body will be an impediment in the future to there growth.

I've got to agree. They look totally out of place in that class.

[David Towe]

Good idea with the future racers, the current one is IMHO still fairly unexiting though. I hadn't thought of a sportscar body, could be good.
Just a thought, what about touring car bodies other than Falcon and Commodore?? Maybe even DTM style. Just a thought.

[Crash Test]

The Thundersports should be an interesting prospect if you could get the rest of Grant Watson's Mulsanne's, the rest of the Radicals, a heap of the competitive older school Sports 1300s, things like the Hooper and the Infiniti, and some more Sakers on the money. I still think there would be a fair bit of catch up involved trying to beat Morcombe in the Chiron... that thing is a work of art, and Morcombe is an absolutely top notch steerer

[Silver 3]

No need to get rid of anything( only that old future racer body) .Eventually cars could divide into classes of like types within . After all the principle here was to be far more open in acceptance of different types-- so let us not start advocating retarding them just yet.
The Future Racers have some inherrent measurement difficulties true, but where there is a will there is a way. Don't mind the DTM idea, maybe a winged ,spoilered Monaro? Perhaps-- mini J GT look? Whatever-- get away from the sedan look and turn them into Sportscars or GT etc.Then they would look appropriate to category and be relevent to old and new competitors alike.

[karl Aldridge]

Hi Silver 3
I am new at this, all things come to those who wait
With regard to the Future Racers
Chris Clearihan & friends have recently pruchased rights to manufacture the Future Racers. They actually have a new body under construction
he has asked me to post his email address for those interested to contact him and he will forward pics
I have tried to post an early pic below, but dont know how, perhaps someone who does can let me know
he still has some work to do to get it to fit correctly I believe, but somthing like this will soon be in production
all the best
Karl

[karl Aldridge]

Not a real good start
I tried to edit and add Chris's email & it did not stick
here it is for those who may like to contact Chris
braddonautomart@bigpond.com

[Matthew Ronke]

Here are the pics from Karl



http://usera.imagecave.com/matthewronke/DSCF0001.JPG
http://usera.imagecave.com/matthewronke/DSCF0002.JPG
http://usera.imagecave.com/matthewronke/DSCF0003.JPG
http://usera.imagecave.com/matthewronke/DSCF0005.JPG
http://usera.imagecave.com/matthewronke/DSCF0006.JPG
http://usera.imagecave.com/matthewronke/DSCF0007.JPG

[richie17]

Looks great, but what is it? A monaro, focus, xb falcon hardtop?
And how is the driver meant to see? lol

[Silver 3]

It's great to see them attending to this issue-- I have to say that does not look much better than what they have. I think they should rethink the whole concept rather than cement the fundamental problem-- the shape of the chassis is wrong to create something better looking. Concept is good-- relatively cheap ,all much the same spec etc but it needs a thorough rethink before becoming too entrenched. We already have one sedan like group- why not move a little further away and be more adventurous for the future.These cars are 1/2 the price of the sleeker cars in the category and as such could have big numbers with a bit more lateral thinking here.Sooner or later it will happen-- so why not bite the bullet now and rethink the concept before any more investment is risked in cars that become redundant.

[PVDA]

Hopefully they will look at how to keep a drivers arms within the rollover protection. Anyone who has seen the photo's of the rollover at Calder will understand why.

[Silver 3]

Originally Posted by PVDA

Hopefully they will look at how to keep a drivers arms within the rollover protection. Anyone who has seen the photo's of the rollover at Calder will understand why.

That solution is already around-- Nascar,speedway arm constraints(netting)-- a good idea generally.