Sorry Rob_man.Sounds good in theory but control formulae usually end up as a bun fight with finger pointing and chequebook waving.
I wish Rover V8s were cheap.If they are, I have been ripped off!
Easiest route into racing is with a road car that is progressively modified and for any race group with disparate cars, it almost has to be a handicap race, or the big horsepower usually wins - and that is often a chequebook thing too.
When that happens, numbers fall off until the next fad.A successful class can probably be measured by how long it has been going and how many drivers compete and support it.
twink19,
Jan 19, 6:44pm
as always, the class gets costly, and some people alays want to win, it should be more about having fun, we were thinking of having a chocolate fish as prizes at Taupo, but some people thought we were taking the piss
fordcrzy,
Jan 19, 6:56pm
the problem is that many club cars simply don't fit into a compettive category so no one bothers to build them.
i remember way back in the early 90's when they had pre 65 races.so the cars were 25+ years old.and classics were only 15 years old so in theory the class today should be pre 85's and classics say pre 92.
those are just numbers iv'e thrown around but you get my drift,,MANZ have made it super hard to get "everyday" racers into classes and fields like they used to in the old days.remember the epic races at Baypark!
there should be more "modern" sports cars out there racing like MX5's and MR2's celicas supras etc etc but with no interest from MANZ why would anyone bother!
twink19,
Jan 19, 7:15pm
pre 65 racing is very strong class.classics could and should be but you get odd person who likes to crash & bash their way around the track, trying to prove some thing, so we dont turn up, whitakers meeting is a good example of moron racing
socram,
Jan 19, 7:48pm
There is already a class for Japanese classics.Each class co-ordinator or committee sets its own rules based on personal preferences or the preferences of its drivers.We have stuck with pre 1977 and run ons but to encourage another series, I might well allow in MGF's next season, as we are light on sports cars!
Auckland Car Club generally has a class for non-classics or club cars, but without a series structure, drivers tend to just pick and choose their meetings and that random aspect can often lead to either non-profitable or cancelled meetings.(ACC cancelled their Nov 28th meet through lack of entries for the first time 2010.)
Whittakers MG at Manfeild is a meeting I don't normally go to so can't comment on driving standards. You do get a fair few once a year racers there and you generally need to know who you can trust when wheel to wheel.
The advantage with series races is that there is some control over the drivers as the co-ordinators are an ongoing sounding board for unacceptable behaviour.We have chucked people out permanently and also dished out warnings and a suspension.
socram,
Jan 19, 8:02pm
Apart from tier 1, MSNZ (not MANZ anymore) are not really interested one way or the other about what classes run, but a classic turn off for many would be competitors is summed up with the new rule that the main roll over hoop must now be 40mm and not 38mm.At least one cage builder has said that engineers have proved that bending 40mm tube is not as strong as the 38mm tube.
I really can't see that the difference in safety for young Jason/Herbert/Wayne in his 1300cc Starlet or grandad in his MGB is really going to feel any safer or be any safer with a 40mm hoop.
All it does is put off the beginners and in that respect, I totally agree, MSNZ seem to class all cars as NZ/Aussie V8s or F1 cars and seem unable to evaluate real risk.
Their red tape does put people off - including my 3 year absence through stupid seat belt rules. Fortunately after a lot of lobbying, that rule was changed and like biker_69, a classic case of challenging dumb rules is the only way to get the rules changed.
fordcrzy,
Jan 19, 8:12pm
i agree. i wanted to put a msnz roll bar in the mx5 and what a pain in the arse it was. Basically it couldn't be done properly, and have it both road legal and msnz legal, especially with regard to seatbelts and bar placement etc.
is the new bar 40 or 45mm!
socram,
Jan 19, 8:22pm
I was told today, 40mm.Hope mine is OK as it was started years ago and pics sent to MSNZ.Would be a real bummer if it had to be removed now all the paintwork and much of the interior is done!(The ex-MSNZ person concerned occasionally posts on here.)
Don't get me started on seat belts. That is the major reason why the car is now trailered.Full harness belts should be a legal option in any car - they are overseas, so why not here!
socram,
Feb 13, 1:20pm
Tier one again - Manfeild this weekend - 18 Suzukis, 14 V8 Utes.Tier one!Hardly.
twink19,
Feb 13, 6:42pm
comes back to good old classics, of early specials
wrong2,
Feb 13, 7:15pm
its a pity that teretonga is all the way down there , its a great track!
re the single seaters, the suzuki class was a bit of a joke. they were not real wing cars. the TRS Toyotas get talked about overseas because they are a serious car that give proper experience
elect70,
Feb 14, 11:39am
Yep right about the TRS wereal internationaldriver line upfrom Moscow Uk , ,Japan& Europe. Actually it was a good weekend at manfeild with the muscle cars as well ,races one after the other no longperiods of nothing happening . I guess they must be listening to thespectatorcomplaints
socram,
Apr 16, 6:19pm
Manfeild has always been slick between races due to the circuit shape and topography (ditto Taupo) as they can use an ATV to line tow a car to safety very quickly. The rescue crews are on to it very smartly.
It is a permanent frustration at Hampton Downs and even most of Pukekohe that there is no central safety area where they can drag dead cars quickly and you are reliant on a rather slow tow truck between races.
But given the choice of spectating from the inside at HD against the outside at Taupo and Manfeild, particularly as a photographer, no contest.
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