As practice is usually a bit fraught, especially with cars that have not run for a while, I'd advise againsts making the first race a handicap.

1) You WILL get sandbaggers
2) Half the field may well end up starting from pit lane!

For the last 17 years, we have never counted the first (scratch race) for points and it then gives you a bit of time to sort out the handicaps and drivers to sort out their cars. We also use a system that retains previous lap times on each track and we then use a mix of previous best time and the current day. It helps reduce the effects of sandbaggers too.

When historically, the best lap time is set in the dry and you get a wet meeting, then we only use the wet times. On a one day meeting, you are flat out sorting out the handicaps in time to draw up the grid sheets and then get it circulated and to the grid marshalls. You will have to provide assistance to the starter(s).

I really hope that you can get a grid for the Festival and that you do run handicaps, as I have given up competing there, as the speed differential made it boring to compete against cars that were lapping slower cars after 5 or 6 laps.

The six lap format is good and if you get good reliability, you can lift it later to 7 or 8 laps if there is a demand.