Super Silhouettes

[CCG]

I was at Brands Hatch on the weekend. I saw a new championship called the Super Silhouettes which thay say will be starting in 2003. The cars are Hot Rods from the short ovals. I felt they were very inpresive.

Does anybody have any other information on the championship ? Like what circuits they will be going to and what drivers will be taking part.

[Stephen Green]

I'm afraid not but I was there and they did look quite good I must admit. Try looking on the BRSCC website for details or maybe e-mail them to ask as I asusme they will be running the series

www.brscc.co.uk

[Ian Sowman]

I thought the idea was that they'd form a class in the VSR series, possibly called VSR4. But I might be getting confused.

[Stephen Green]

By the way CCG I forgot to welcome you to ten-tenths. Please enjoy the forums and try and join in the convesrations.

Stephen.

[NME]

http://www.supersilhouettes.co.uk/

[Stephen Green]

Lets hope they put some more information on the website over the winter!

[Stephen H]

Hate the name Super Silhouette, the cars are National Hot Rods, and in an ideal world they should keep that name. Though I understand the reasons why it wont be used.

Whilst I love to see Nationals on the long circuits, the 1/4 mile ovals are their home, their roots and their heritage.

This new series could either be very bad, or very good for the formula. It could damage the oval side of racing. But handled carefully, it could allow oval racers to try long circuit racing without selling their oval car, maybe allowing drivers do both. Hope the regs dont drift to far apart and oval & long circuit dates dont clash too often. The series could even bring short circuit oval racing the respect it deserves, but doesnt always get.

[redshoes]

Originally posted by Stephen Green
Lets hope they put some more information on the website over the winter!

CCG, who started this thread, has the site listed as his/her homepage. As he was asking for info about the series that could explain why there's not much on there.

[Stephen Green]

Cheers Reds.

Stephen H, first of all welcome to ten-tenths where I hope you will find like minded people and racing enthusiasts along with plenty of open discussion.

I used to be a spectator at Hot Rod meetings years ago (Wimbledon) and for the past 15 years + a marshal at Brands Hatch. I think you have a point about the organisers not clashing too many dates to enable decent grids at both Hot Rod and Long Circuit meetings. From memory though don't hot rod races take place during the evnings while long circuit meetings are day time?

I saw the cars for the first time at Brands last weekend and have to admit they looked the part, we even managed to drag Barry Lee out! With any luck the drivers/teams will be able to race at both meetings thus keeping two largely different crowds happy.

[Maisie]

I've been saying I'd go to see National Hot Rods for the last 3 years and never got a chance, so I'd love to see them on circuits!

[Stephen H]

To Stephen Green, thanks for the welcome.

National Hot Rods do race at night, but also at weekends in the day, mainly championship events.

It may be possible for keen, well funded drivers to do a long circuit daytime meeting, and a night time oval race, but even as a spectator(without a team & race car in tow)it can be a struggle get from one venue to the next.

I`ve managed to get from Brands winter clubbies, to Sunday night Wimbledon Stock Car Stadium events, but usually had to leave before Brands finished(something I hate doing).

If the M25 is flowing okay, I`ve managed to get from circuit races at Brands or Lydden Hill, to Saturday night Rolling Thunder events at Arena Essex, where they sometimes run outlaw hot rod events.

And in June I did managed to get from a Silverstone BRSCC meeting on a Saturday to Northampton International Raceway, for a nighttime National Hot Rod World qualifying meeting, but I did miss the first race.

So in theory it would be possible if the BRSCC and the NHRPA worked together over dates, start times and venues.

But in the past Eurocar/Vsport events have clashed with major National Hot Rod events. I think this year the Vsports at Mallory, clashed with the World Final for the National Hot Rods at Ipswich. Not good if it happens next year, as I understand the Super Silhouette are going to become part of the Vsport(eurocar that was) package.

[Rod Birley]

The set up of a car is quite different for an oval as opposed to a longer circuit like Brands plus the cars have to comply with MSA rules for windows etc which are not mandatory on ovals. If people did do both they would probably have two cars. Keith White has tuned and altered his car from his outings at Pembrey and Castle Coombe which obviuosly helped when he came to Brands. It was a shame that there was a conflicting national hot rod world qualifier on at Hednesford the same day which was on the fixture list all year.

[Stephen Green]

So, the lesson to be learnt by organisers is to consult other race organisers before announcing the fixture list!

I can see the problems you have has Stephen and quite understand the frustration it must cause if you are funded well enough to do both National Hot Rods and long circuit meetings.

As I said before, the cars were great to watch and I hope to see more of you next year. By the way, which one were you?

[a_r_c_a]

BLOODY FACE CHAMPIONSHIP!!!!!!!!
"Other body shapes that you should expect to see are Renault Clio Williams, Audi TT, Fiesta XR2, Peugeot 206 GTi, VW Corrado, Opel Corsa GSi, Ford Focus and Mitsubishi Colt."

Would you die for this championship?

[Stephen Green]

I don't think I would die but if we were to get full grids and close racing, then why should you knock it? Would you rather see 4 or 6 car grids just because they are 'real racing cars' as I suspect you imply?

[Stephen H]

I did speak to the series co-ordinator, John Clark, after Brands, he was hoping for grids of 20 cars for next year, including 4 from the continent. So fingers crossed, as long as it doesn`t hurt oval racing too much.

As a spectator, my fear is that the nationals that go super silhouette racing will evolve from an oval hot rod, to something like a special saloon. (Not that I didnt enjoy the old Wendy Wools series.)

I liked the old days when the likes of Mr Birley and his fellow PRI hot rod racers, had days off from oval racing, to race at Festival of Speed Events at Lydden or Brands.

Oval promotors Incarace and Spedeworth, work together to put on the excellent long track mile oval event at Mallory. I would love to see the oval promotors, may be work with BRSCC, to have a one off Hot Rod Long Circuit Festival at a track like Lydden Hill. With heats building up to a final and one off winner. Unlike the two races and then add the finishing positions together to find a winner format favoured, by eurocar/vsport/superSilhouettes etc.

Still not long now to the next major National Hot Rod event. The Best in Britain at Wimbledon Stadium on the evening of the 24th of November.

[Stephen Green]

Stephen, are there many hot rod events run over the winter months?

[Stephen H]

Stephen Green

re: Hot Rod Dates

The only two dates I`m aware of are,

24th Nov, 6pm at Wimbledon Stadium, Plough Lane (London) - Best in Britain Championship for National Hot Rods, 2.0litre Hot Rods, Superstox, and Stock Cars.

(Though be warned if you`re marshalling at the Brands event that day and thinking of going up afterwards, the so called `ample` car park does get full, very quickly! About 5pm)

1st Jan - Wimbledon Stadium - Winternationals - which is an afternoon meeting. Not sure of other formula or times, but the Spedeworth, (who promote the event) website is www.stockcar.co.uk

I understand from other spectators, (as I haven`t been to Plough Lane since March), that a speedway shale track has now been built at Wimbledon this summer, which has caused alterations to the tarmac oval, such as making it narrower and creating alot of dust. So bewarned this could have an effect on this winters non-contact hot rod events.

The chances are there will be an `open` hot rod event for any type of car in Feb at Wimbledon, and usually there is a National Hot Rod World Qualifying Round sometime in March.
These would be Sunday evenings at 6pm.

[Stephen Green]

Stephen many thanks!

[Snapper Baz]

Just catching up on the postings having just got back from record temperatures in Florida this morning-there used to be a "National Hot Rod" championship (lots of Renault 5's and 205's etc)that ran at Lydden (soon as I walk away from this computer I'll remember what it was called!)...it was great fast racing with lots of shunts as well. It lasted a few years I think then Mr Bond not James...Phill I think?!!) took it to Northampton and it died quickly...sad as it was great stuff. Who remembers the great dices between Poley, Colin and Phill White in the Winter series saloon battles all those years ago...brilliant stuff! I actually wrote of an idea to Ms. Foulstone many years ago on using a shortened track at Brands with a series of this nature in mind. The reply said something like..." a good idea...I'll look into it!" and that was that!! Look forward to the next outing at brands having missed the meeting. By the way I used to to do the Brands - Wimbo' dash on a Sunday evening to see a bit of contact sport as well!

[carrera]

Intersaloons?

[Stephen H]

They were called intersaloons. From what I can remember there were even plans for a second class based on larger cars, but I don`t ever remember seeing one race.

One of the people behind intersaloons I understand is John Clark, now the BRSCC series co-ordinator for vsports and the proposed, Super Silhouettes series, (still hate the name though!).

I got the impression that the Super Silhouettes are planned as a support series for the vsports, but at that winter series try out, the hot rod based cars were far quicker than the vsport V6`s. Though I did hear mention that the two formula were on different tyres, which might explain the difference.

[Snapper Baz]

Thanks for the "Intersaloons" answer lads-it was bugging me! Perhaps you were right Ian regrading the Globals-though i did see "a couple" of mildly entertaining rounds of Radicals during the year...just keep Sports 2000 and Formula Honda away from any meetings I do next year please!

[Ian Sowman]

I've not seen any Sports 2000 since the 'revival', but the only F Honda race I saw this year was rather entertaining. Better than Zip.

[Stephen Green]

Death is better than Zip