Which circuits will Mono/F3 race next year & get good grids?

[driftwood]

I have seen the Cadwell Park meeting had 11 Mono 2 litres and 17 1800 cars entered
Anglesey F3 has 8 cars so how about the organisers find out from the paying customer how many events they want in a season for the championship and which venues to run at
Why go to Cadwell for 28 cars over 2 categories and loose money or Anglesey for under 10 car grid so surely the name of the game is for the club to run events with 20 car plus grid sin Mono and have reduced entry fees.

Motorsport is expensive as it is with entry fees rising tow car fuel costs MSA legislation for race suit seatbelt fire bottle use by dates ( all items that do not wear out) tyres and general wear n tear costs

With regards to MSV F3 what needs to be done to increase grids?
Cheaper entry fees?
Regulated use of tyres?
Fuel price needs sorting out
Number of events reduced?
Venues incorporated that will get the grids?
IF circuits like Anglesey are used that attract 8 car grids then maybe the race should be round 1 or 2 to get everyone out or maybe make it a double point scoring event or triple header to make it worth the long haul trip
Brands Donington will attract 15-20 car grids

The paying customer needs to be straw polled to find out what THEY want and where to race

[foggy]

This is the same question being asked at all motorsport meetings this year, and at all levels, in fact the last couple of year's, I think it's just a sign of the times, when money get's tight the hobby goes or is put on hold. If you do a few races then you're more than likely going to skip the one's far away especialy if you have no chance of winning.
I think the club's need as much support as possible, choose your's or your race series and do as many round's as you can.
One of the clubs we used to race with offered a 'Challenge Trophy' which was awarded to the highest scoring driver outside of the main championship leaders over the last three rounds, it made for good racing and the grids didn't dwindle at the end of the season!

[driftwood]

Whilst it may be the same question being asked up n down the country in all categories its needing addressed
Its not just a sign f the times we have had this economic climate for 5 years and have another 5 years to go before we are out of it
While we may be picking and choosing its time for the Club and circuit owners to start looking at what pays and what doesnt

If Cadwell/Anglesey for example do not get the entries then the circuit owner needs to reduce the days rent and the cub pass it on to the paying customer to entice them to come along or drop the venue from the calendar
Entry fee is say £350 tow car fuel £150 race fuel £60 hotel 2 nights £130 its no wonder people will pick n choose the races to do and teh club end sup shooting its self in the foot in running that event if the grids are low
No difference to running a race meeting as to running a business
If it does not pay its way end it before you loose money and have nothing
I know the northern residents will say we live up north and need events up here as we cant afford the cost time to venture south hence my straw poll question to see if there is enough support to warrant some of the events
It is not just this club that needs to look at the entry fee & cost of circuits they go to its all of them who need to look and make sure we the customer get the best venues dates and entry fees to fill the grids
If it means running 2 rounds less then so be it

[andrewcliffe]

I think Cadwell's entry could be explained that some of the title positions were already decided or were considered very safe, so people elected not to go and are spending their money on the Silverstone GP meeting instead. Illness, a clashing race weekend, a safe 2nd position and a crash on the way to the circuit were the reason for 4 cars in Mono2000/Classic not coming out to play.

Anglesey was a long way to go for a single days racing.

I think both would be better supported if they were earlier in the season, and some of the final races of the season were on the popular circuits.

[tonybishop]

Personally i was very happy with the circuits for this year , perhaps removing the cushion of the two dropped scores may encourage larger grids ( every round counts ) but the removal of reduced points for lower entry numbers should encourage entries , the possibility of reduced points for the same time / expense commitment does nothing to encourage entries. Also strange the Silverstone GP is non championship , what a fantastic finale that would be for next year !

[stevengriffin]

I am one of the guilty ones that only go to races that are reasonably close to my home in the frozen wastelands of Yorkshire. I love racing at Anglesey for example but I just cannot justify to myself the hassle of a 5-6 hour journey in my truck that does 15mpg with fuel at £1.50 a litre. Cadwell is local for me so it's no problem and in my opinion it is one of the best tracks in UK, I feel the same about Croft. Meetings at Mallory, which is a circuit I don't rate much are always well supported because it is in the middle of the country as is Silverstone. You don't need to be a brain surgeon to work out why some tracks are popular. "It's the economy stupid" as President Bush might say.
My suggestion is that we could consider running just one race for all classes in some of the far flung circuits. This may reduce the club's circuit hire costs and be reflected in entry fees or increased track time and perhaps strengthen the turnouts. I know that there is opposition in Mono to running one-class races but we do it Spa and Silverstone and F4 do it all the time.

[driftwood]

I do not disagree about Cadwell being a great track I have enjoyed my racing there in the past I think the schedule needs to be looked at so that there is some balance for the great north south divide
AS mentioned in other postings maybe the drop score system is dropped itself so every round counts and bring with it ( in theory) more entries

I also see no reason why merged grids at low entry circuits cannot be implemented after all there are 3 non champ mono races held with mixed grids.

I also agree with an earlier comment that the lesser supported venues be earlier rounds to draw out the contenders and the more desirable tracks be later in the season
Overall I think the venues dates need to be looked at and if it means fewer rounds mixed grids triple header meeting so be it.

[Lanan]

I'm not sure putting the less popular circuits earlier in the season helps.
The Guys choosing their race meetings for the year, based on finance or geography will still attend the circuits they choose, whatever the time of year.
The Guys chasing a championship will still try to attend every round.

I think that the calendar this year was a great one. Even Anglesey......Although it is an extra 1.5 hrs further on than Oulton for us southerners, it is a great track and worth the effort. Given that the Northern based lads seem to cope with trips to Brands, Snett etc.....We southern based chaps need to man up and get on with it.
Aslong as we don't get a Lydden round of course...then my argument is null and void.. I reserve the right to change my mind...

[tonybishop]

Just a thought , but would the introduction of a new international circuit each season attract greater interest, in lieu of one of the low entry circuits that perhaps most people have visited before, ie a circuit in France in a nice warm climate !

[driftwood]

Tony
1 dangerous to think !! i did it once cost me lots of money!
2 Cost of going abroad is a lot more than you think !
Fuel to ferry ferry cost fuel to foreign circuit time involved hotel cost unless u live within 1 hour of the ferry it is not an economical task for most racers however it is romantic notion but i guess Spa is enough for the mono racer !!

I accept that some racers are" pick n choose" brigade and regardless of the date they will race at their closest/ favourite venue an dI iwll admit to being a part of that brigade
However IF you have a championship that has venues that attract good grids why put them at the beginning of the year?

I have only once chased a national car championship and i "manned" up after doing the first round which I won by doing the 2nd round again won that and i was "forced" into going all the way to Cadwell for Round 3 won that and so I ended up doing the whole championship which i had not planned to do or budgeted for
Since then I have also been "man" enough to race at Oulton Park Pembrey and Lydden and trek down to Hockenheim and maybe next year I will race at Pau

Back on topic i just think the organisers need to look at the figures and work something out and ask the paying customer what they want/ venues they will race at and create the best possible championship both venue wise and entry fee wise to get good grids

[triple j motorsport]

Tracks, track time and spacing through the year were great this year and Simon should be praised

I hope to do a few more meetings next year and another trip to Spa

[petebee]

I'm hoping to do all the rounds next season, being our very first full season there are many new circuits to learn and have fun. Would be nice to have some local venues, but being in Stoke means we can get to everywhere reasonable easily.

[J Chapman]

Gentlemen

You are all missing the obvious solution..... GRID GIRLS

The answer is simple. Invest in a few hundred quid’s worth of spray on outfits, half a dozen pairs of high heels, make some grid boards and you're sorted. They could also do the trophies, hand out the timing sheets etc... It wouldn't do Andrew’s photo business any harm either.

Best of all employ just enough for the top six spaces on the grid and it might even make us drive a bit quicker!!!

Think about it.... Sex appeal is directly proportional to race entries.

[petebee]

Rumour has it there will be an attractive young lady in my awning at Castle Combe.