2021 Race Dates

[Gerard C]

Yes they do, Andy, you're correct. Let's face the situation: its not realistic to plane a great international meeting before September now. You dont need to go abroad. You dont need foreign entries. You dont need to race at night. If this is right, why not studying a "bespoke" meeting hosting one or several 3 H race as Peter mentions, hold over a weekend or may be three days?
And again, marshaling and the different safety staffs mus not be forgotten.

Adjusting the entry fees to the entrants makes that you dont need spectators either.

[Peter Mallett]

Of course there is also the likelihood that many of the overseas entrants wouldn't be able to attend so a shorter format would probably fit. I don't know the split between UK based and overseas based entrants but let's say 50/50 so a shorter circuit to cope with reduced grids would need a long circuit but not the length of Le Mans.

[john ruston]

Three one hour races over a 34 hr period is as much as many of Pre 60 cars can do.

[Peter Mallett]

Hang on a minute! 34hours?

[Gerard C]

Not the duration! The period… Long weekend I guess.

[Peter Mallett]

Yes, I think it was a typo, but presumably, you'd need a qualifying day plus the two race days.

[Gerard C]

You have the clubs, the owners, the drivers, specialists, the will, the power, the money, the tracks and many other people/things making the list to long to mention, so as delta would say WTF the rest of the world?
Discuss with your clubs, support them or buy them.

[Peter Mallett]

There is one caveat. Two of our posters tried to run a 6hrs event which based on 10/10s was a winner. Sadly it struggled to garner entries.

[Gerard C]

Ooops, I see. Before Covid I guess? How many clubs could cooperate to make a big event, forgetting about too long term races?

[Gerard C]

Over three days, one three hour, two two hour, plus sprints do you really need foreign entries and spectators fees?

[john ruston]

No if you fill 80% of grid!

[Peter Mallett]

It was back in the noughties. It morphed into the Race Of Remembrance, which is quite successful and held over a 24hr period on or near Remembrance Sunday.

As far as clubs support is concerned, like Goodwood and Peter Auto, it would be a single organiser. Would need MSUK sanction but no need for FIA except HTPs etc.

[Gerard C]

May be I'm more Catholic than the Pope… sometimes…

[Gerard C]

Do you really need HTP's? Just enter compliant cars is enough. Yes you need the MSUK sanction meaning help not hassle.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Gerard C

Do you really need HTP's? Just enter compliant cars is enough. Yes you need the MSUK sanction meaning help not hassle.

I think it would be sensible since we are talking about cars that enter LMC. Although not sure pre war have them.

[Gerard C]

Remember about the Brexit: "They need us, we dont need them".

[Peter Mallett]

Ah, you've lost me there Gerard.

[Gerard C]

You dont need any foreign entry to put together a very decent meeting. Having to pay a little bit more because no spectators is not a problem. As Andy mentions, the only concern is hotels and overnight camping ATM. And marshals. Think UK competitors only. Yes, I know, easy to say…

[Peter Mallett]

Understood. Yes but we are due to re open 21 June. That would make camping, hotels etc. Feasible. As to overseas entries, I suspect they would be welcome but international travel may still be difficult.

[Lancsbreaker]

As you indicate, the Devil is in the detail.....


UK tracks are expensive to hire, and of course MSV have a stranglehold on the majority of the circuits so the opportunity to haggle with Mr Palmer is limited - and of course his business model will have been heavily impacted by the loss of meetings - although for club meetings the loss of spectators has a minimal impact, financially.


IF you can get good grids, as a Club you can run events - CSCC regularly get well over 80% grid occupancy, and as such have weathered the Covid storm. Smaller clubs that get smaller grids will have struggled, and that may impact on their ability to run events this year - I think some will have to look at consolidation or merging with other clubs - in itself not too bad a thing - and something that may help ease fixture congestion.


I'm not sure that there is a huge appetite for long distance / duration events generally - its a pretty niche market who can afford to enter, and prepare and run a car that can regularly compete in longer - say over 2 hour - events, and I don't think that spectators are particularly interested either, as despite modern timing systems, it can get very tricky to tell who is leading

[Peter Mallett]

Don't forget we are talking about cars that would normally be entered for LMC here.

[Lancsbreaker]

True - as I said something of a niche market, but one that is competing for the limited track availability, and as has been indicated, there is the possibility that marshalling and other support services will be increasingly stretched by fixture congestion.

[Peter Mallett]

Yes agreed. But they would be needed for Le Mans and LMC normally. Don't forget many of them are UK marshals and officials.

[JasperClan]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Understood. Yes but we are due to re open 21 June. That would make camping, hotels etc. Feasible. As to overseas entries, I suspect they would be welcome but international travel may still be difficult.

Should you not include subject to the data?

[Gerard C]

To float Peter and Richard boat what is tricky with long distance races is that it allows at least two drivers to share the same car. Hence sometimes, fewer entries in total. But not always.
At least three of my blokes, normal people I'd say meaning not thick wallet, are just looking for or have already found a co-driver for LMC. In this case, same amount of cars, just some more drivers. Paying a reduced entry fee, yes, but its better than nothing. Fair deal imo.