Discussion
I've just been to Snetterton, to find that the meeting that was due to be run has been cancelled due to lack of entries: http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/snetterton/index...
I can't remember this happening before with any meeting, so I'm guessing the entrants were really few and far between.
A mate and I have bought season tickets for Snetterton and Cadwell, and I'm afraid that I've been pretty disapointed by the size of fields in lots of the meetings we've been to. If you'd pre-bought tickets for today you can get a full refund, but obviously for those with season tickets there will be no compensation. I'm not overly bothered about today (although a bit disapointed!) but if there are more cancelled I'll feel a bit cheated!
There also seems to be a lot of endurance races (today's was an endurance event) - do drivers/car owners like these endurance races? We've been to a couple already and on one occasion there was around ten cars racing, which over a three mile lap makes for very dull spectating.
Are the small fields due to general financial resons (times are hard for all) or is it simply because there are so many series' that the entrants are spread thin?
This has been my first year of buying a season ticket and to be honest I was pretty unimpressed before todays cancellation!
I can't remember this happening before with any meeting, so I'm guessing the entrants were really few and far between.
A mate and I have bought season tickets for Snetterton and Cadwell, and I'm afraid that I've been pretty disapointed by the size of fields in lots of the meetings we've been to. If you'd pre-bought tickets for today you can get a full refund, but obviously for those with season tickets there will be no compensation. I'm not overly bothered about today (although a bit disapointed!) but if there are more cancelled I'll feel a bit cheated!
There also seems to be a lot of endurance races (today's was an endurance event) - do drivers/car owners like these endurance races? We've been to a couple already and on one occasion there was around ten cars racing, which over a three mile lap makes for very dull spectating.
Are the small fields due to general financial resons (times are hard for all) or is it simply because there are so many series' that the entrants are spread thin?
This has been my first year of buying a season ticket and to be honest I was pretty unimpressed before todays cancellation!
I've noticed the smaller grids this year - sign of the times unfortunately I think.
For a lot of people, racing is purely a hobby and is therefore one of the first things that gets cut when times get a bit tougher. I suspect this is especally true in the more "clubby" events.
Racing has a horrendous price tag attached to it unfortunately and at a time when pay freezes, cuts and so on are on the horizon, if not already implemented, people have to cut back.
I think it would be a great shame to lose some of the events due to grid sizes though - but I wouldn't be surprised if half of the problem was down to the fact that there are more and more series every year, spanning a preety similar amount of cars. It's inevitable it will eventually lead to watering the field down.
ETA - not a fan of endurance events to be honest. Fairly fun to drive in but make for awful spectating.
For a lot of people, racing is purely a hobby and is therefore one of the first things that gets cut when times get a bit tougher. I suspect this is especally true in the more "clubby" events.
Racing has a horrendous price tag attached to it unfortunately and at a time when pay freezes, cuts and so on are on the horizon, if not already implemented, people have to cut back.
I think it would be a great shame to lose some of the events due to grid sizes though - but I wouldn't be surprised if half of the problem was down to the fact that there are more and more series every year, spanning a preety similar amount of cars. It's inevitable it will eventually lead to watering the field down.
ETA - not a fan of endurance events to be honest. Fairly fun to drive in but make for awful spectating.
Edited by RobbieL on Sunday 5th June 15:43
Our 1st race weekend at Pembrey back in April had only 24 cars across the whole paddock! Times are tough and there are still too many championships out there......Trev 450 you should consider racing in the WSSC, there is another Evo out you'd have at least 5 otehr cars in your class to battle with.
OP, your link doesn't work but I think your meaning this:
http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/snetterton/news/...
As this was posted by MSV on 2nd June I wonder why you went to Snett?
As for grid sizes - I help out with a club race car in the Darlington & District Motor Club's Northern Saloon & Sports Car Championship.
The organiser has closed entries because they couldn't promise to get everyone a race.
It's a well run and very friendly series.
I'm not sure how the entry fees compare to other series but maybe the endurance events have a high entry fee that's putting people off?
http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/snetterton/news/...
As this was posted by MSV on 2nd June I wonder why you went to Snett?
As for grid sizes - I help out with a club race car in the Darlington & District Motor Club's Northern Saloon & Sports Car Championship.
The organiser has closed entries because they couldn't promise to get everyone a race.
It's a well run and very friendly series.
I'm not sure how the entry fees compare to other series but maybe the endurance events have a high entry fee that's putting people off?
There is no doubt that some series are suffering but there are plenty of others that are doing well - Ma5da Racing has something like 113 MX5s registered for its series, the MR2s get big grids, Monoposto seems to be doing well & CSCC often has many rserves for its races and had to split the Swinging Sixties into 2 (fullish)grids because it is so popular.
Times are hard but give the customer (ie the club racer) what they want & people will still race.
Times are hard but give the customer (ie the club racer) what they want & people will still race.
skeggysteve said:
OP, your link doesn't work but I think your meaning this:
http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/snetterton/news/...
As this was posted by MSV on 2nd June I wonder why you went to Snett?
We'd already planned to go up there and borrowed a couple of classic motorbikes to go on (and he'd had his pass stamped to let him out for the day!). I happened to check the website yesterday morning to see what time to aim to get there when I noticed the notice on the main page. http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/snetterton/news/...
As this was posted by MSV on 2nd June I wonder why you went to Snett?
As we'd got food sorted, got a couple of classic bikes glinting in the sunshine and there was a note on the website about a test day on the Saturday we thought we'd see what was happening anyway. The gates were locked, we sat and had a sarnie and there were loads of people turning up - and around - at the gates. Not everyone checks website!
Like I said, not the end of the world but from a spectators perspective I've been pretty disapointed by the season so far!
andy97 said:
There is no doubt that some series are suffering but there are plenty of others that are doing well - Ma5da Racing has something like 113 MX5s registered for its series, the MR2s get big grids, Monoposto seems to be doing well & CSCC often has many rserves for its races and had to split the Swinging Sixties into 2 (fullish)grids because it is so popular.
Times are hard but give the customer (ie the club racer) what they want & people will still race.
You're right in that there will always be certain series with decent grid sizes but, for many, having cars registered and getting them out on the grid are 2 entirely different things.Times are hard but give the customer (ie the club racer) what they want & people will still race.
Castle Combe had 420 starters last Monday, must be some kind of record for a one day race event. I guess they are fortunate in that they have approx 80 cars across the 3 home championships, so even if visiting series are massively down on numbers (or oddly, if they struggle to book any visiting championships, which seems to be the case this season) they can still just about put together a day of racing.
I have a season pass, but fortunately it's good enough value that they would need to cancel nearly half of their events for it not be worthwhile.
I have a season pass, but fortunately it's good enough value that they would need to cancel nearly half of their events for it not be worthwhile.
The BARC cancels endurance event at Snetterton this weekend
Club set to return to the Norfolk circuit in August
02/06/2011 - The British Automobile Racing Club has cancelled its meeting at Snetterton this weekend (June 4/5).
The meeting was due to feature a pair of six-hour sportscar races but with a low number of entries this has been abandoned. An Open Pit Lane test day has now been organised for this Saturday, click the link below for further details.
The BARC will return to Snetterton on 27/28 August with the popular 24-Hour 2CV classic.
Anyone who has purchased an advance ticket for this meeting will be automatically refunded.
JESUS - you really do have to wonder about this MSV lot. A Pair of 6 hours races - FFS - what do they expect.
1. Hardly anyone wants to watch this sort of coma inducing type crap and
2. The entry fees for a 6 hour race are huge (all proportionate to time on track remember and Uk is the worst for the cost per hour anyway!), as has been stated below - UK economy is hurting and this is an "Expensive Hobby", first thing to go when the wife crys enough.
I still can believe ANYONE would put on 2x 6hour races at any meaning - christ they don't even do this at the Classic Spa 6 hours!
Burks.
Club set to return to the Norfolk circuit in August
02/06/2011 - The British Automobile Racing Club has cancelled its meeting at Snetterton this weekend (June 4/5).
The meeting was due to feature a pair of six-hour sportscar races but with a low number of entries this has been abandoned. An Open Pit Lane test day has now been organised for this Saturday, click the link below for further details.
The BARC will return to Snetterton on 27/28 August with the popular 24-Hour 2CV classic.
Anyone who has purchased an advance ticket for this meeting will be automatically refunded.
========================================================================================
JESUS - you really do have to wonder about this MSV lot. A Pair of 6 hours races - FFS - what do they expect.
1. Hardly anyone wants to watch this sort of coma inducing type crap and
2. The entry fees for a 6 hour race are huge (all proportionate to time on track remember and Uk is the worst for the cost per hour anyway!), as has been stated below - UK economy is hurting and this is an "Expensive Hobby", first thing to go when the wife crys enough.
I still can believe ANYONE would put on 2x 6hour races at any meaning - christ they don't even do this at the Classic Spa 6 hours!
Burks.
To be honest that meeting seemed to be quite a strange format in the current climate.
At the meeting at Brands this weekend I was impressed with the size of the grids to be honest I know some regulars there said they are lower but I would say they are ok.
In particular the Radical's grids seem to be very good indeed and good racing as well.
As has been said earlier it is a sign of the financial times and motorsports are a expensive people are doing with this what they are doing in the high streets and keeping their hands in their collective pockets.
It will recover but as all things it is linked to the general economy.
At the meeting at Brands this weekend I was impressed with the size of the grids to be honest I know some regulars there said they are lower but I would say they are ok.
In particular the Radical's grids seem to be very good indeed and good racing as well.
As has been said earlier it is a sign of the financial times and motorsports are a expensive people are doing with this what they are doing in the high streets and keeping their hands in their collective pockets.
It will recover but as all things it is linked to the general economy.
RobbieL said:
andy97 said:
There is no doubt that some series are suffering but there are plenty of others that are doing well - Ma5da Racing has something like 113 MX5s registered for its series, the MR2s get big grids, Monoposto seems to be doing well & CSCC often has many rserves for its races and had to split the Swinging Sixties into 2 (fullish)grids because it is so popular.
Times are hard but give the customer (ie the club racer) what they want & people will still race.
You're right in that there will always be certain series with decent grid sizes but, for many, having cars registered and getting them out on the grid are 2 entirely different things.Times are hard but give the customer (ie the club racer) what they want & people will still race.
andy97 said:
RobbieL said:
andy97 said:
There is no doubt that some series are suffering but there are plenty of others that are doing well - Ma5da Racing has something like 113 MX5s registered for its series, the MR2s get big grids, Monoposto seems to be doing well & CSCC often has many rserves for its races and had to split the Swinging Sixties into 2 (fullish)grids because it is so popular.
Times are hard but give the customer (ie the club racer) what they want & people will still race.
You're right in that there will always be certain series with decent grid sizes but, for many, having cars registered and getting them out on the grid are 2 entirely different things.Times are hard but give the customer (ie the club racer) what they want & people will still race.
Mate doing a few races at Spa at the weekend in a Grantura as test for the Spa 6.
andy97 said:
The series' I mentioned are getting good grids out all of the time. CSCC are taking over 130 cars & 200 plus drivers to Spa next weekend.
Oh I know - I race in Sports2000 I've just noticed that a few of the other series I've watched this year really seem to be struggling to get cars on the grid.
As things stand, I've had to knock Spa on the head as it's just too expensive for me to do it - especially when I'm not getting a pay rise this year!
Dave Brand said:
jellison said:
- you really do have to wonder about this MSV lot. A Pair of 6 hours races - FFS - what do they expect.
You can't blame MSV for a BARC meeting being cancelled!Snore fest!!!!!!!
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