Donington Experience and the BRSCC

[samier]

On paper a race at Donington should have been one of the best of the season, but the total opposite had happend

I probably am not the only one left dissapointed and frustrated by the behavior by the BRSCC and how they handled the situaion yesterday. My problems go further, when signing on to find out they could not take the payment some 2 weeks earlier. Why didnt they bother to call me or email me??? What is the point of putting down contact details on a form if they cannot be bothered to call back???

Another point I should make and I hope people will agree with me, is that the area that was allocated to us for parking etc was beyond a joke, worse than Mallory park! Taking my car to the scrutineering bay the car grounded out on a uneven surface and my car is not the lowest mono car by anymeans.

I do hope as a club these comments are put forward to the BRSCC and I do hope we get a full refund back!

On a positive note, Thanks to Tristan and his family for sorting out the setup, and Phil for having a spare rose joint end (shame I was not able to test it) I was running a car with excessive to out on the rear!! probably explains why the car was tail happy and me spinning at Gerrards!

[andrewcliffe]

I think a lot of Mono competitors are upset and disappointed after gearing up for a non-event.

The BRSCC look after their own. Their single seaters and sports cars got the posh end of the paddock and the pit garages, we got the end that resembled downtown Beirut on a good day. Mono used to race with BRSCC but moved to CSCC for the start of last season, a move I feel for the good.

Apart from the moonscape paddock, I think our main gripe was the lack of information given over the tannoy about what was happening. It became increasingly obvious as the morning progressed that even if racing resumed so much time had been lost that races and quali sessions would be cut short to make up time.

I am sure the Mono committee will be doing all they can to sort out a suitable outcome.

Meanwhile nice to see everyone again!

[tristancliffe]

The BRSCC aren't entirely to blame - they didn't dig the tunnel that caused most of the problems. That is the fault of the contractors for Donington's Grand Prix bid (I don't see it happening), and not a race meeting organiser.

I don't know what you mean about payment at signing on. I sent a cheque in weeks before the event and they accepted it. They put contact details on their forms so you can contact them.

The area allocated for us in the paddock would have been quite nice. But it was full of other cars when we arrived on Saturday, and so we had little choice but to set up camp in the overflow paddock area. This has no tannoy speakers, and the ground is quite rough. But it was quite easy to get the car to and from scrutineering without grounding out just by taking a careful route through the lumps and bumps. My car is one of the lowest, and it didn't bottom out.

The Mono committee will be working with BRSCC and I'm sure a fair outcome will occur. Just be patient.

Regards the setup I'm sure you will do better. 17mm and 11mm toe out on your rear wheels, plus a totally knackered rod-end, plus 15mm rake angle will not have been doing much for stability, grip or confidence. I'm just surprised it's taken over a year to find the problems. It would be nice to sort out payment, as we spent rather longer sorting it out that we intended. But now you've got that car back to base you can go through it with a fine toothed comb and really get the setup nailed. Just stop worrying, at this stage, about whether you have 1mm or 1.5mm toe in, or parallel, or 5mm rake versus 8mm rake etc.

But I agree with Andrew - it was a nice, if damp, social event, even if I didn't manage to find quite a few people in the paddock that I knew were there somewhere.

[samier]

I had payed by card and that was as far as I was concerned went through all fine. It wasnt untill signing on I was told I owe them the fee for entry. The card is fine so I have no doubts that payment didnt go through. They had 2 weeks to get back to me and let me know I need to pay them rather than telling me at sign on if I didnt I would have my license taken by the MSA!

It took me a year, because, When I had got the car I assumed as I was I was told it was all setup as spec. Not having the means to measure it all was the main cause... but no excuses I should have got it done, but I am glad I did. You have an email....

The BRSCC aren't entirely to blame - they didn't dig the tunnel that caused most of the problems. That is the fault of the contractors for Donington's Grand Prix bid (I don't see it happening), and not a race meeting organiser.

I don't know what you mean about payment at signing on. I sent a cheque in weeks before the event and they accepted it. They put contact details on their forms so you can contact them.

The area allocated for us in the paddock would have been quite nice. But it was full of other cars when we arrived on Saturday, and so we had little choice but to set up camp in the overflow paddock area. This has no tannoy speakers, and the ground is quite rough. But it was quite easy to get the car to and from scrutineering without grounding out just by taking a careful route through the lumps and bumps. My car is one of the lowest, and it didn't bottom out.

The Mono committee will be working with BRSCC and I'm sure a fair outcome will occur. Just be patient.

Regards the setup I'm sure you will do better. 17mm and 11mm toe out on your rear wheels, plus a totally knackered rod-end, plus 15mm rake angle will not have been doing much for stability, grip or confidence. I'm just surprised it's taken over a year to find the problems. It would be nice to sort out payment, as we spend rather longer sorting it out that we intended. But now you've got that car back to base you can go through it with a fine toothed comb and really get the setup nailed. Just stop worrying, at this stage, about whether you have 1mm or 1.5mm toe in, or parallel, or 5mm rake versus 8mm rake.

But I agree with Andrew - it was a nice, if damp, social event, even if I didn't manage to find quite a few people in the paddock that I knew were there somewhere.

[marksmith]

One of those events that, as soon as the programme was announced, we knew we were the poor relations. Very unfair that some people seemed to get two or three races before we even signed on !
I agree with the comments about the paddock and the lack of announcements and would also add that the lack of a bar or decent food in the evening was another nail in Donnington's coffin - can't imagine Bernie puuting up with that next July.

Mark Smith

[andrewcliffe]

Didn't think much of the cafe either!

There is an argument to keep it as a working museum to remind people what a greasy spoon was like in 1976, but I think people expect a bit more these days. The grub at the MSV circuits is adequate, simple hearty nosh and a lot better than the stuff served up at Donington. And they didn't accept a credit card! Didn't try the burger vans as being indoors out of the wet appealed more...

[AVIT!]

Well i wasnt racing but i still felt your pain!

Like people have said brscc cant stop the rain or clear a flooded track any different to the 750mc or cscc but they could at least put some tin tops on the ruff bit of paddock!
not because we are beteer but our ride heights are lower than the size of most of the rocks where we were parked!
and as for the bar! well thats just wrong!
But i must say a massive thanks to mazda5 crew for inviting us to the party!
£8 per head got us a table for 12 sausage and mash and a desert, disco till the small hours and lots of fun!
so who ever organised it well done and thanks!
But apart from that a pretty poor time!

oh well till the next race!

[ofarc]

Like many have said the weather no one has control over and the facilities are also no ones fault except the lease holders; GILLETT.

Donnington was my first experience and I prmoise you will be my last until I see improvements to the paddack, tooilets, bar, Cafe etc.

When I rolled up on Sunday morning, I thought I had arrived at a car boot sale, not the home of the Brit GP from 2010. It was like a time warp to the 60's. The area we were allocated was awful, but there was lots of space in the middle, which although had no rocks was pretty solid ground. Yes the BRSCC could have allocated a better area.

My main concern though is that the track was not capable of handling the inclement british weather. How the hell can this place be awarded GP status and Silverstone lose it? I know the F1 paddock will be lovely, but what if it rains? The only bit of track changed for the GP was the bit that decided it wanted to be a water skiing lake. They have not even started the other bits of the circuit. Well done GILLETT, you have ruined the chances of us holding a Brit GP. I do hope Ecclestone pays a visit and stops looking at powerpoint presentations showing how it MAY look like, then makes the big man dcision and take it back to Silverstone.

In my brief experience I think Lydden Hill was better prepared for us and the British weather 10 years ago.

What a shambles.

[tristancliffe]

Dax,

The BRSCC didn't allocate us the area we set up. That was the overflow paddock, and we were in it because other racers on Saturday parked where we were meant to be.

The collapsing tunnel wasn't finished, so wasn't at F1 spec.

The only thing BRSCC can be blamed for is moving us to the 7th. Had we been on the Saturday we would be raving about a wonderful circuit, but a dodgy 'rest of it'. Probably.

[Impkat]

Hi everyone,

I'm as disappointed as the rest of you. It felt very odd traveling back in the lorry without my dad analysing my performance
Will the meeting be rearranged at another track? It would be ace if we could squeeze in to another meeting, at a circuit like Cadwell or Oultan as we've now lost Donnington, but I guess we'd already have them tracks on the calendar if that was possible. Maybe we could be fitted in to have a double header at Silverstone rather than it be a single meeting. I know there is talk about doing Mallory but as we've just been there it would be nice to go to another track but I understand this is easier said than done! Anyway just a thought.

It was nice to catch up with most of you!

Hi Dax, please could you post my spacers back when you get a chance -

88 Clifton Road,
Wokingham
Berkshire
RG41 1NE

Many thanks!!

Kat Impey

[ofarc]

Hi Kat,

I knew I would run off with them. Yes will get them posted off to you once I get my car back home. so sorry. must say they were fantastic on the way to scrutineering though.

Cheers Dax

[samier]

For Silverstone, what is the chance of me entering the car for both 2000 class and the usual 1600/1800/1000 etc? Atleast that way I can get more track time....

[RedRedWine]

For Silverstone, what is the chance of me entering the car for both 2000 class and the usual 1600/1800/1000 etc? Atleast that way I can get more track time....

Minimum weight may be an issue.

[Nick Harrison]

For Silverstone, what is the chance of me entering the car for both 2000 class and the usual 1600/1800/1000 etc? Atleast that way I can get more track time....

Minimum weight may be an issue.

Tony.

Being the expert that you are on these cars, is the injection and indeed the engine itself on the 16V exactly as when fitted to the road car donor which I think was the Tigra? If not then even at 560kgs it is not eligible.

Another point is did they ever manage to sell 1,000 units of the nasty little Tigra in the EU? I do not think that engine, which was sourced from Isuzu was used in any other car in Europe.

We may need Phil Anstruther to adjudicate!


Nick.

[samier]

The engine as fitted to the Juniors is an X16XE engine ( a popular engine in corsas and tigras, possibly astras too. It uses jenvey throttle bodies thats how they ran in the championship from 1998-1999.

Why should minimum weight be an issue? They are already at a disadvantage racing with the 2.0 winged cars.

For Silverstone, what is the chance of me entering the car for both 2000 class and the usual 1600/1800/1000 etc? Atleast that way I can get more track time....

Minimum weight may be an issue.

Tony.

Being the expert that you are on these cars, is the injection and indeed the engine itself on the 16V exactly as when fitted to the road car donor which I think was the Tigra? If not then even at 560kgs it is not eligible.

Another point is did they ever manage to sell 1,000 units of the nasty little Tigra in the EU? I do not think that engine, which was sourced from Isuzu was used in any other car in Europe.

We may need Phil Anstruther to adjudicate!


Nick.