NEW CLASS / SERIES; Historic Sports Sedans. formation meeting.20/04/13 ACC

[AMCO72]

Rod,I think you are selling yourself a bit short there when you say that 'you only filled out fields in the old days'.

In my experience it is the Guys that 'only filled out the fields' that had the best racing, while the Hot-Shots roared off into the distance!
The racing would be pretty damn boring if there were not the `'amateurs'......read impecunious.......competitors providing most of the thrills, and yes spills, of racing.

As ERC says........'it is not now, never has been, and never will be a level playing field. How true. Viva the 'Field Fillers'!!!!!!!

[George Sheweiry]

Rod,I think you are selling yourself a bit short there when you say that 'you only filled out fields in the old days'.

In my experience it is the Guys that 'only filled out the fields' that had the best racing, while the Hot-Shots roared off into the distance!
The racing would be pretty damn boring if there were not the `'amateurs'......read impecunious.......competitors providing most of the thrills, and yes spills, of racing.

As ERC says........'it is not now, never has been, and never will be a level playing field. How true. Viva the 'Field Fillers'!!!!!!!

You are dead right there Gerald. I would doubt whether there was any more than a couple of tenths in driving ability between the whole field. Its just that probably 90% of the guys were there doin it out of their back pockets and probably didn't give a toss where they finished but they did what they could with what they had. Also car setup etc was so secretive most of those guys were doing a bloody good job driving bad handling cars! That's why I liked the handicap races so much cause 1/ it was great to watch instead of a procession and 2/ it gave those guys a chance. It always used to annoy me watching a race and someone was saying oh look how slow that guy is, he should'nt be out there, but he was out there and not sitting on his ass but giving it a go. Good on the Battlers!!

[Ellis]

Mid fielders have all the fun and can see the race and be part of it.

The leader just has an open track and no cars ....

Handicap stuff is lots more interesting for all concerned as George said.

Ellis

[AMCO72]

I know I have gone on about handicap races since 'Auntie fell off the tram' !!!!!!!! I have seen some of the best racing EVER under a handicap system, so WHY are so many people against it. Surely it cant be THAT hard to work out handicaps. Ok, so you aren't going to get it dead right, because of all sorts of reasons, but it will be near enough.

Watching those hard chargers working their way through the field, while those they are trying to catch are doing their best to keep in front has made for some very memorable battles.

And don't tell me it is dangerous. For one thing it avoids that mad scramble at the first few corners in a scratch race.

If we don't get some handicap type racing in the future, I am predicting that cars that usually run at the back of the field will slowly drop away, never to return.

I have spent some time myself being tail-end Charlie, and have spoken to other drivers in the same situation. Without exception they have all said how surprised they were at the speed difference between them and the front runners.

We are all being told that we are out there to have fun, well I can tell you it is NO fun at the back, especially when you get lapped.

[Jac Mac]

I know I have gone on about handicap races since 'Auntie fell off the tram' !!!!!!!! I have seen some of the best racing EVER under a handicap system, so WHY are so many people against it. Surely it cant be THAT hard to work out handicaps. Ok, so you aren't going to get it dead right, because of all sorts of reasons, but it will be near enough.

Watching those hard chargers working their way through the field, while those they are trying to catch are doing their best to keep in front has made for some very memorable battles.

And don't tell me it is dangerous. For one thing it avoids that mad scramble at the first few corners in a scratch race.

If we don't get some handicap type racing in the future, I am predicting that cars that usually run at the back of the field will slowly drop away, never to return.

I have spent some time myself being tail-end Charlie, and have spoken to other drivers in the same situation. Without exception they have all said how surprised they were at the speed difference between them and the front runners.

We are all being told that we are out there to have fun, well I can tell you it is NO fun at the back, especially when you get lapped.

That sounds like really good plan Gerald, rather than creating a whole heap of 'new' class's with the constant difficulty of decent field numbers, just start a 'classic' handicap series where all types are catered for. First race for any competitor at any circuit if they have no previous lap times they go off the back of the handicap or perhaps something like 20 seconds should cut down on any first time out hedging and let the new boys dial themselves in, shouldnt be difficult to get good fields with a larger pool to draw from..