Powernights

[Redracer77]

dont worry Century, he supports Man United so he is used to moaning all the time. They get it from Uncle Alex...

[rbs]

Is it worth trying to make one of the Thursday evening events into a championship roundfor any of the 1600 series,be it, historic, classic or any other series, or invite some of the leaders from each championships to mak a decent grid. If entries do not improve you will have to share the track with other cars, what is wrong with having a full grid of Mono's, F4,F Vee and Jedi's as well as 1600. Some of you must have had a lonley race last night and any 2 (or more) cars dicing will bring in spectators. This in turn will give you all good value track time.

[JohnMiller]

Seems FF has now been canned at Donington next week.

Spoke to several BRSCC FF1600 competitors today at Snett who knew nothing about it at all.

[Asp]

Originally Posted by rbs

Is it worth trying to make one of the Thursday evening events into a championship roundfor any of the 1600 series,be it, historic, classic or any other series

I think that would be unfair because obviously some people just can't attend the meetings - not just at short notice because of this year (holiday entitlement used up / important business meetings scheduled) but in the long run too.
It is, without a doubt, easier to spare time at weekend for racing, as so many other people in business have weekends off. It can't be the case that all but 10 people in the community simply can't spare weekdays point blank - but some can't (especially if the rounds fall at busy times for their line of work), and it would be unfair to prejudice those my adding a championship round during the working week.

[Redracer77]

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

Seems FF has now been canned at Donington next week.

Spoke to several BRSCC FF1600 competitors today at Snett who knew nothing about it at all.

How do you know that John? That is a shame but entries must be low at the moment with only a week to go. But they can't get a full grid to cover in less than a week so it would be easier to promote FF1600 to get the grid up?

[diz]

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

Seems FF has now been canned at Donington next week.

Spoke to several BRSCC FF1600 competitors today at Snett who knew nothing about it at all.

Several?
13 on Finals, of which two have withdrawn. Where did the canning of Donington come from? Is it rumour, or from the Powernights organisers directly. We should be told.

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

The reality is that the powers that be should have actively promoted it to their FF1600 drivers and a better grid would have been obtained.

I might not be a proper 'power that is', but I pushed Powernights at the NW drivers briefing at Oulton last week - four dozen of them there. I have also emailed all of the NW drivers twice - more than 4 dozen - and the MS drivers once.
If they don't want to / or can't go, then what more can be done?

[Walshy]

Is it not enough to ask the Marshal's to give up their free time at the weekend.

Now they are expected to turn up at mid-week evenings. I know they are all volunteers and fantastic ones at that, but it seems to me, this is taken advantage of at times.

There are enough unsettled issues with weekend racing before we start creating more with mid-week racing.

[JohnMiller]

Have you actually read the thread in the Marshals Forum?

Part of the great benefit is that people can get their motorsport 'fix' and still have the weekend to themselves.

[Walshy]

Hey John.

This is just how I feel about the mid-week stuff. As with any forum, you don't have to agree with me.

It's been done in other forms of motorsport near me and failed for the exact reasons I have said.

If people want to do it, great, but all this talk about including them into Championships is nonsense.

[JohnMiller]

I haven't seen it being suggested as including the existing championships although a few have voiced how much better it might be as an alternative championship.

While I appreciate the day off, many take a day off to test and then race on yet another day.

Originally Posted by Walshy

You are not gonna get a Formula Ford driver to travel all the way from the north of England down to Silverstone for a few laps on a Thursday night during a working week. Someone has took leave of their senses here.

This is the best quote, though, and just demonstrates why there was little take up as it clearly was not explained to the drivers properly, if at all. I'm sure if it had been more would have attended, if they had been able to.

The reality was for £250 you got:

* A full test day

* A garage

* One qualifier and two races, the second with a reverse grid so EVERYBODY got some glory no matter how much off the ultimate pace they are

* A race event with a decent crowd, great commentary and interaction and an all round top atmosphere

* A very slickly managed race meeting where everything ran on time and without delay

* Prize money for those on the podia

* Significant Motors TV coverage

* 12 (TWELVE!) entry tickets to a meeting you could bring people to that they would actually ENJOY and you could be proud to be part of

* A party after the racing, with a free gourmet barbecue for you and one guest (extra tickets available at £6)


Apart from the cheap entry price you got all this on one day so you can put your feet up at the weekend!

Those that pay for mechanical help also save heavily as it is one cost, as opposed to a separate race and test day.

I do fully appreciate that it wouldn't be for everyone but it's a great shame and somehwat ironic that, especially with the BRSCC organising the event very well for Motion Works, that the only BRSCC-managed formula on the bill was the one with low entries.

All the other invited classes got good grids - because they have effective co-ordination and organisation...

[rbs]

If FF1600 drivers can not or will not support these events then open it races up to any race car with treaded tryes and no wings but with a wheel width limitation to prevent historic Libre type specials from taking part.You could have a race with Vee's,Vauxhall Juniors's and Historic Juniors to name a few.

[Walshy]

It was communicated to the drivers John. More than once.

Why would we want to put our feet up at the weekend? That's what the weekend is for. It's play time.

I don't have to take days off work at the weekend. I can relax on a Sunday after a day of racing on a Saturday. I can invite all my friends at the weekend, because......they are off too and don't need to take time out to attend.

It might be a little different for the NW drivers if Oulton did one of these, but I can't see it. It's just cold fact. You will get more people racing at a weekend than you will mid-week. You'll also get more spectators at the weekend. Given! People have busy agenda's during the week. Be it business or taking the kids to there infinite number of after school activities.

I've said this before. What winds me up is all these people coming on telling people that they MUST and SHOULD support this type of event. What? Is motor racing going to collapse if we don't race mid-week? It's managed since the very first motor race ever to last without mid-week racing. I'm sure it still will.

If you want to do it great, but don't blame the people that didn't want to do it for it's collapse.

[JohnMiller]

Whoa Walshy , I'm not blaming you or anybody for not entering and telling you that you must support it. Sorry if you think I am blaming you.

And, rbs, it's not a case of will not or won't support it. It's a case of them actually knowing about what is on offer.

Anyway, its success or otherwise is of little personal concern to me, although I would have enjoyed racing at Donington next week.

My gripe is the appalling promotion of the event to the drivers.

Those drivers there enjoyed it, without exception, from what I heard.

The FF1600 grid at Silverstone was always going to be poor. The BRSCC knew that, as they knew only too well that most of their Midlands-based FF1600 competitors were going to be at Snetterton from Friday to Sunday and that being at Silverstone just 11 hours before having to be on track at Snett would put many off, unsurprisingly.

There is another race meeting at Mallory Park on 19th August, with a single stand-alone FF1600 race. This race, the Edwina Overend Memorial Trophy, is pushed by one particular driver, who gets off his backside and persuades people to enter (despite the fact that unlike the official FF1600 organisers he gets no personal financial gain for it). Even though it is a much less attractive event and price than PowerNIGHTS the grid is over 20, still two weeks before the event. Why is that?

[Walshy]

No. Not you John. I know your not blaming anyone, but it has been said in the past. And I wasn't speaking personally, I was speaking on behalf of all the drivers. We have been accused of apathy in the past regarding events like this.

For the NW drivers part though (I can't speak for the MS drivers), the event was communicated frequently by Diz via email and in briefings at the circuit.

You can lead a horse to water!!!!!! And all that.....

I think what isn't appreciated sometimes is that these events aren't run for the benefit if the competitors. It's the promoters that are in it for personal gain. But hey-ho, that's what business is about. No different than any other form of business out there.

If we truly want to run FF1600 for the benefit of the drivers, then we need to look at self -organising and promoting. But that's a whole new bag. Well, it's not really, it just needs opening up again.......

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by Walshy

If we truly want to run FF1600 for the benefit of the drivers, then we need to look at self -organising

Spot on.

One organiser gets 150+ cars to Silverstone - yet another struggles with ten.

Anyway, having raced on Thursday, I'm going to put my feet up in the garden now.

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by rbs

If FF1600 drivers can not or will not support these events then open it races up to any race car with treaded tryes and no wings but with a wheel width limitation to prevent historic Libre type specials from taking part.You could have a race with Vee's,Vauxhall Juniors's and Historic Juniors to name a few.

I can't imagine Junior drivers would want to cruise round in their pride and joy with FF1600 and FVee drivers!

Also, Vauxhall Juniors run on slicks.

[FranksWilde]

I wish my car wasn't in bits 'cause i'd have gone.

All that for only £250.

Most people whinge about the price of racing and testing and the fact that costs escalate the more days that you have to spend at the track.

Here we have an event over one day which is virtually the the price of two hours testing at Oulton park plus you get - well you already know - and there is a poor turn out.

What can you do.

Anyway I don't know why more of the NW FF drivers didn't go down there because most of them are either retired or rich playboys that don't need to work.


There's not enough smilies being used on this thread.

[diz]

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

There is another race meeting at Mallory Park on 19th August, with a single stand-alone FF1600 race. This race, the Edwina Overend Memorial Trophy, is pushed by one particular driver, who gets off his backside and persuades people to enter (despite the fact that unlike the official FF1600 organisers he gets no personal financial gain for it). Even though it is a much less attractive event and price than PowerNIGHTS the grid is over 20, still two weeks before the event. Why is that?

John,
This is one 'official FF1600 organiser' who has taken great exception to

(despite the fact that unlike the official FF1600 organisers he gets no personal financial gain for it).

having been trying to organise FF1600 for over 20 years, I have never been paid for doing it. It is called a love of the sport. Mind you, if I did get paid for doing it I might even start doing a half decent job of it

I have been mentioning the Edwina Trophy in emails, newsletters and drivers briefings - admittedly at the request of 'one particular driver'
I am also shortly to fire off another email - at the behest of this same 'one particular driver' plugging PowerNights again and will even be using your words from earlier

The reality was for £250 you got:

* A full test day

* A garage

* One qualifier and two races, the second with a reverse grid so EVERYBODY got some glory no matter how much off the ultimate pace they are

* A race event with a decent crowd, great commentary and interaction and an all round top atmosphere

* A very slickly managed race meeting where everything ran on time and without delay

* Prize money for those on the podia

* Significant Motors TV coverage

* 12 (TWELVE!) entry tickets to a meeting you could bring people to that they would actually ENJOY and you could be proud to be part of

* A party after the racing, with a free gourmet barbecue for you and one guest (extra tickets available at £6)


Apart from the cheap entry price you got all this on one day so you can put your feet up at the weekend!

Those that pay for mechanical help also save heavily as it is one cost, as opposed to a separate race and test day.

[JohnMiller]

Alright Diz, I'm not having a go at you specifically. Any NW entries would have been extra due to being out of area.

Besides if you're NOT getting paid, you want to find who's been keeping your share for himself/themselves.

Originally Posted by diz

I pushed Powernights at the NW drivers briefing at Oulton last week - four dozen of them there. I have also emailed all of the NW drivers twice - more than 4 dozen - and the MS drivers once.
If they don't want to / or can't go, then what more can be done?

This "British Leyland" style of marketing is never going to get results. Talking to people five days before it happens? Bulk emails? Maybe I'd advise against a career in sales.

Funny how it isn't in your most recent newsletter?

Even the clubformulaford website shows that there is NO latest news
since 1st May 2007 - save for somebody changing their phone number in early June!

How about a proper link on the main club website? Or a proper write up in a proper club magazine? Or using pictures of FF1600s in the literature, instead of Zetecs? How about an old-fashioned written letter which will get a 1,000% better response than bulk email?

Did anyone tell Motion Works that they would struggle to get entries as it was in the Midlands and the day (11 hours in fact) before most Midlands drivers were going to be at Snetterton for three days?

Actually, what we'll do is we won't tell anyone about it and we know it's very inconvenient due to the Snetterton double header. Shock, horror - there's a weak entry, it's the drivers fault, let's can it from the future events so there's no confusion as to who FF1600 drivers need to pay to enter FF1600 races in this part of the country.

[diz]

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

This "British Leyland" style of marketing is never going to get results. Talking to people five days before it happens? Bulk emails? Maybe I'd advise against a career in sales.Just as well I never had a career in sales then isn't it?

Funny how it isn't in your most recent newsletter?
No not really. I wasn't asked to 'push it' until 24 July and the latest newsletter went out 20 July
Even the clubformulaford website shows that there is NO latest news
since 1st May 2007 - save for somebody changing their phone number in early June!Tell me about it

How about a proper link on the main club website? Or a proper write up in a proper club magazine? Or using pictures of FF1600s in the literature, instead of Zetecs? How about an old-fashioned written letter which will get a 1,000% better response than bulk email?I agree totally, but in this modern world of texting or using web forums rather than actually talking to people, Email is seen as 'the way to communicate'. Very sad.

Did anyone tell Motion Works that they would struggle to get entries as it was in the Midlands and the day (11 hours in fact) before most Midlands drivers were going to be at Snetterton for three days?

Actually, what we'll do is we won't tell anyone about it and we know it's very inconvenient due to the Snetterton double header. Shock, horror - there's a weak entry, it's the drivers fault, let's can it from the future events so there's no confusion as to who FF1600 drivers need to pay to enter FF1600 races in this part of the country.

Well that's me for now, I'm off for my Sunday morning fry up.

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by diz

No not really. I wasn't asked to 'push it' until 24 July and the latest newsletter went out 20 July.

Interesting, so the club NEVER asked you to push it, just another competitor. Even more ********edness than I thought.

[diz]

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

Interesting, so the club NEVER asked you to push it, just another competitor. Even more ********edness than I thought.

Where did I say that "the club NEVER asked me to push it [PowerNights]?
Initially I was asked to push it by the top man in the club.
However the latest requests for 'pushing' have come from a competitor.

[JohnMiller]

OK it was announced months ago and the club asked you to "push it" just NINE days before the event. Sorry for suggesting otherwise.

[JohnMiller]

Confirmed today, Donington canned and replaced by another saloon/sports category.

[Redracer77]

I am glad I worked all day on the car to get it ready yesterday!!