Time Attack - Round 1 Oulton Park
Discussion
Yesterday saw the Time Attack season start again! i know its not strictly racing but as its now MSA approved it seems to be held i a bit higher regards and im sure some of you will find it of interest!
Some proper machinery out on track, in what turned out to be a day full of twists and incidents affecting the results!
the field mainly consisted of Scoobys, Evos and Skylines but with a good few "randoms" thrown in for good measure!
Ive done a quick report on the action from the Pro & Club Pro Class with the rest to follow ill link up when done!
For now...here is the Pros & Club Pro's!
http://garageawesome.com/2011/04/17/event-time-att...
Club class & report from the show in general coming tonight/tomorrow for those interested
Some proper machinery out on track, in what turned out to be a day full of twists and incidents affecting the results!
the field mainly consisted of Scoobys, Evos and Skylines but with a good few "randoms" thrown in for good measure!
Ive done a quick report on the action from the Pro & Club Pro Class with the rest to follow ill link up when done!
For now...here is the Pros & Club Pro's!
http://garageawesome.com/2011/04/17/event-time-att...
Club class & report from the show in general coming tonight/tomorrow for those interested
some of the action from the Club Challenge Classes
http://garageawesome.com/2011/04/18/event-time-att...
Guessing from the response that Time Attack aint to popular on PH?
http://garageawesome.com/2011/04/18/event-time-att...
Guessing from the response that Time Attack aint to popular on PH?
olliewestwood said:
Guessing from the response that Time Attack aint to popular on PH?
Its popular on vx220.orghttp://www.vx220.org.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/10...st__80__gopid1175241
I think 'Time Attack' is still seen as a bit 'Max Power' due to the prevalence of bewinged Japanese cars.
They've always had decent (Professional standard) drivers competing and with MSA recognition it can only become more respectable in future.
I was an Gurston Down this weekend with my brother and he commented at the end of the day that if you'd done both meetings that weekend you only have done around 4-5mins on track (8 runs x 30-40 seconds).
So I think there's also (IMHO) plenty of scope to enlarge the concept to have clubmen/amateurs meetings using more traditional hillclimb/sprinting class structures (ie. more genuinely road going cars/classics/Caterfields/single seaters) to give people more tracktime for their entry fee.
They've always had decent (Professional standard) drivers competing and with MSA recognition it can only become more respectable in future.
I was an Gurston Down this weekend with my brother and he commented at the end of the day that if you'd done both meetings that weekend you only have done around 4-5mins on track (8 runs x 30-40 seconds).
So I think there's also (IMHO) plenty of scope to enlarge the concept to have clubmen/amateurs meetings using more traditional hillclimb/sprinting class structures (ie. more genuinely road going cars/classics/Caterfields/single seaters) to give people more tracktime for their entry fee.
If I may be bold as to reply to myself...
Having read the report on Speedhunters, checked out the above link on the VX220 site and had a brief look at the TimeAttack website, I was surprised at the low number of entries. I thought it was more popular than that, or is it due to the new 2011 spec tyres that is putting people off?
I notice there's no non-turbo RWD cars in the Club class. Are TVRs, Caterhams etc. allowed into the series (there appears to the no technical regs on the official site) or does the car have to be a hardtop?
Having read the report on Speedhunters, checked out the above link on the VX220 site and had a brief look at the TimeAttack website, I was surprised at the low number of entries. I thought it was more popular than that, or is it due to the new 2011 spec tyres that is putting people off?
I notice there's no non-turbo RWD cars in the Club class. Are TVRs, Caterhams etc. allowed into the series (there appears to the no technical regs on the official site) or does the car have to be a hardtop?
Truckosaurus said:
If I may be bold as to reply to myself...
Having read the report on Speedhunters, checked out the above link on the VX220 site and had a brief look at the TimeAttack website, I was surprised at the low number of entries. I thought it was more popular than that, or is it due to the new 2011 spec tyres that is putting people off?
I notice there's no non-turbo RWD cars in the Club class. Are TVRs, Caterhams etc. allowed into the series (there appears to the no technical regs on the official site) or does the car have to be a hardtop?
One of the series Scrutineers is a friend of mine. I'll see if i can get you chapter & verse on the regs. Having read the report on Speedhunters, checked out the above link on the VX220 site and had a brief look at the TimeAttack website, I was surprised at the low number of entries. I thought it was more popular than that, or is it due to the new 2011 spec tyres that is putting people off?
I notice there's no non-turbo RWD cars in the Club class. Are TVRs, Caterhams etc. allowed into the series (there appears to the no technical regs on the official site) or does the car have to be a hardtop?
As for the "Max Power" image, well it's a fair point. The standard of work on most of the cars is nothing less than first class, but the crowd it attracts definitely isn't
I was there with the mighty minis, what an utter waste of a beautiful sunny oulton park. My eleven year old son asked me when the racing was going to start, 'this is it' I had to tell him.
The mini racing at the end of the day was a fantastic watch as per usual, shame the max power lot had all gone home.
The mini racing at the end of the day was a fantastic watch as per usual, shame the max power lot had all gone home.
MonkeyHanger said:
One of the series Scrutineers is a friend of mine. I'll see if i can get you chapter & verse on the regs.
ah that'll be me then time attack regs will be available on the website soon but can be emailed to anyone that uses the contact us facility on the website but basically the MSA regs are similar to sprint regs in club class and race regs in the pro classes but have many interesting differences ........where else can you use Nitrous Oxide, bio enthanol or carbon disks on a circuit?
Most road based cars have a home here - convertables are allowed with suitable rollbars - tvr's are no problem and tube framed cars like caterhams are allowed in the prototype class
Its no longer all japanese saloons we have had a vast range of entries over the years including:
6R4, tuscan, ac cobra, atoms, spaceframed focus, Audi rs4, btcc civics, dax,911 gt3rs to name a few and the Roger Clark motorsport "gobstopper" could not be dismissed as a maxpower car...... that like many of the top cars compares well with ANY car i have ever scrutineered but we still have many genuine clubman cars as well
And as for the max power comments......yes there is without a doubt a max power section of the crowd but to be honest thats not my scene but they dont cause problems and think about it - how many of the 17 - 25 age group do you see at your usual events? We are introducing a whole new group into motorsport we are getting big crowds to circuits and when was the last time you saw 5,000 people at a club event?? like them or not the the max power brigade are part of the future of motorsport and its well known that motorsport needs new interest or it will die.
But as always in here and most other forums, comments like the one above will sadly always be there which is precisely why i very rarely comment in any of them as what ever you mention someone will hate it so it makes it all pointless and i will not be drawn into the usual slanging match that appears but i'll happily talk for ours to anyone thats interested.
Edited by scrutineer on Tuesday 19th April 23:27
scrutineer said:
i'll happily talk for hours to anyone thats interested.
And don't i know it As for the "waste of Oulton Park" comment, i doubt if MSV will agree with that given the sort of numbers Modified Live attracts. I'm sure the likes of Croft would be more than happy to have a few thousand bodies through the gate on a Saturday.
Quotes from the MSA/TA website:
"It’s all about the machine, not the driver, and who can build the quickest car"
and
“Today is a proud moment for the aftermarket tuning industry"
Each to their own but the above pretty much sums up why I and many others have no real interest in Time Attack and, perhaps why it appeals to a certain type of punter.
"It’s all about the machine, not the driver, and who can build the quickest car"
and
“Today is a proud moment for the aftermarket tuning industry"
Each to their own but the above pretty much sums up why I and many others have no real interest in Time Attack and, perhaps why it appeals to a certain type of punter.
As i live local and have a season pass (which as not actually turned up yet Mr Postman)i thought i'd pop up and have a look at what Modified Live was all about. Not really my scene, but was impressed with the turnout. If events like this continue to help keep our local circuits open then good on them.
I think Time Attack is great, watching 600-700bhp cars going as fast as possible around a track is fun to watch. I no its not racing as such, but if you know how it works and whats going on its good to watch.
Time Attack is massive all over the world, the spec and detail of the cars is as good and in most better than most other forms of motorsport.
People dont like it, i dont like historic racing. Does nothing for me and to me is rubbish to watch. I would go to a Time Attack round over something like that any day of the week, but thats me
Time Attack is massive all over the world, the spec and detail of the cars is as good and in most better than most other forms of motorsport.
People dont like it, i dont like historic racing. Does nothing for me and to me is rubbish to watch. I would go to a Time Attack round over something like that any day of the week, but thats me
I was at brands on Saturday and Sunday with a fiesta. Now i'm a huge fan and love all different types of cars and racing. I thought I should pop up and have a look at modified live. I walked from one end to the other and back in 30 mins. The stands were mostly awful.
At this point I thought fair enough, the show hasnt worked or just doesn't appeal to me. So I turned to the track..... and watched lots of qualifing sessions. To be honest I didnt find the cars very exciting either. There are some serious pieces of kit out there, but all on road tyres.
All in all, I just dont get it. I went for a sleep on the Sunday inbetween the fiesta races. This led me to a questions, why and who?
Why do time attack, why not race? The pro guys must be spending fortunes.
Last thing, given the choice 20k to spend on a season racing a fiesta or any race series that costs £20k or doing time attack (timed track days) in a what ever car you can afford to run for the money. What would you do?
At this point I thought fair enough, the show hasnt worked or just doesn't appeal to me. So I turned to the track..... and watched lots of qualifing sessions. To be honest I didnt find the cars very exciting either. There are some serious pieces of kit out there, but all on road tyres.
All in all, I just dont get it. I went for a sleep on the Sunday inbetween the fiesta races. This led me to a questions, why and who?
Why do time attack, why not race? The pro guys must be spending fortunes.
Last thing, given the choice 20k to spend on a season racing a fiesta or any race series that costs £20k or doing time attack (timed track days) in a what ever car you can afford to run for the money. What would you do?
trophies said:
I was at brands on Saturday and Sunday with a fiesta. Now i'm a huge fan and love all different types of cars and racing. I thought I should pop up and have a look at modified live. I walked from one end to the other and back in 30 mins. The stands were mostly awful.
At this point I thought fair enough, the show hasnt worked or just doesn't appeal to me. So I turned to the track..... and watched lots of qualifing sessions. To be honest I didnt find the cars very exciting either. There are some serious pieces of kit out there, but all on road tyres.
All in all, I just dont get it. I went for a sleep on the Sunday inbetween the fiesta races. This led me to a questions, why and who?
Why do time attack, why not race? The pro guys must be spending fortunes.
Last thing, given the choice 20k to spend on a season racing a fiesta or any race series that costs £20k or doing time attack (timed track days) in a what ever car you can afford to run for the money. What would you do?
We found that the best was to look at the 'show' has to drive down there in the car in the morning, unless you wanted to buy illegal number plates or get your windows tinted there really wasn't a lot to look at/do.At this point I thought fair enough, the show hasnt worked or just doesn't appeal to me. So I turned to the track..... and watched lots of qualifing sessions. To be honest I didnt find the cars very exciting either. There are some serious pieces of kit out there, but all on road tyres.
All in all, I just dont get it. I went for a sleep on the Sunday inbetween the fiesta races. This led me to a questions, why and who?
Why do time attack, why not race? The pro guys must be spending fortunes.
Last thing, given the choice 20k to spend on a season racing a fiesta or any race series that costs £20k or doing time attack (timed track days) in a what ever car you can afford to run for the money. What would you do?
Now the track activity really was truly awful. I found time attack more boring then both a track day and a qualifying session. Drifting really was a pointless manufactured show and I didn't see the point of 10 motorbikes riding round behind a pace car for 15 minutes. Fiesta races were very good however, a shame the second set couldn't have been earlier and we could have gone home!
...As for saying the modified lot are future motorsport spectators.. We were left with a smaller crowd than a club meeting by the actual motorsport feature!
I was at Brands both days, Saturday's attendance was dire much less than any club meet this year.
Stood at my usual photo spot on Paddock Hill Island only to find the drifting was only through clearway's and they were changing tyres at Druids ho hum.
Sunday I thought was going to be a Chav fest, full of body kitted Fiestas and Corsa's but attendance was again poor and those that did turn up were far older than expected.
I have to say the car clubs were for the most part very friendly and the Nismo boys had a good stand.
On track it was OK, the drifting was interesting but in my eyes a waste of good tyres lol.
What I was a bit annoyed about was that around five they announced a podium presentation and then the Fiesta racing would begin and then nothing, no announcements, no cars for about 30min and so everybody including myself wandered off. Very odd ending.
Would I go again, probably yes, I know there is not much racing, but it is something a little different.
Stood at my usual photo spot on Paddock Hill Island only to find the drifting was only through clearway's and they were changing tyres at Druids ho hum.
Sunday I thought was going to be a Chav fest, full of body kitted Fiestas and Corsa's but attendance was again poor and those that did turn up were far older than expected.
I have to say the car clubs were for the most part very friendly and the Nismo boys had a good stand.
On track it was OK, the drifting was interesting but in my eyes a waste of good tyres lol.
What I was a bit annoyed about was that around five they announced a podium presentation and then the Fiesta racing would begin and then nothing, no announcements, no cars for about 30min and so everybody including myself wandered off. Very odd ending.
Would I go again, probably yes, I know there is not much racing, but it is something a little different.
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