Rhys. The ASR's often state that the entry fee will be refunded in full if the organisers are notified before documentation commences. No excuse.

I lost count of the number of phone calls I got after midnight, or my wife got at 6am, when some elated driver asked if he could enter, as he'd just finished screwing his car together. When I'd already left home at 5:30am, my wife was less than pleased...

Dale. You have a philosophy about what your cars should be and ERC/Alfa Trofeo, have a philosophy of what their cars should be. CMC and pre 65's also have a philosophy that appears to work for their drivers. I could name several other series that have fallen over - and also cite the reasons for some of them.

People running off with a different philosophy is fine, just as long as they can turn up with a viable grid which satisfies the financial criteria of the organisers. If the organisers seek to put on a grid that ends up with just 3 cars running (Taupo last weekend apparently and even your own group at several TACCOC meetings I recall), that is a risk they take. I seem to remember a post of yours where you were getting very depressed about the lack of support you were getting and you made the sensible decision to include Historic Saloon Cars.

The financial constraints are still the biggest bar to competing regularly and the true entry level of Classic Trial, is no longer a low cost entry route, which is why they are not swamped with entries. That one class should in theory, be the largest at any meeting, as wannabe racers use it to test the waters, whilst those wanting to experience the track and blow the cobwebs out of their cars can do so without much fear of panel damage caused by other drivers. It is no longer a low cost entry point.

The structure or progression in racing has been quite clear for the last decade.

Level #1 - Classic Trial

Level #2 - Racing but on road tyres and possibly cars to a road legal standard - Alfa Trofeo, BMW E30, AES/Arrow Wheels - CoD Optional, Hooters Vintage, (even 2K Cup, but maybe that doesn't belong here, even though some have used it as a means to progress to ERC - the Peugeot 205's for example.) Is Japanese Classics still running?

Level #3 - Racing historically correct and with a CoD, full trim etc. HMC/HSC

Level #4 - Race saloons and sports cars, historic race cars etc. FF, FJ, Historic Sports Sedans and Allcomers, Formula Libre, BMW open, CMC, pre 65. Clubmans/sports racing. Some have a CoD, some haven't.

John: Try telling Kenny Smith or Ray Williams they should have retired! The average age for the ERC list when I last ran the series was about 52 years - and dropping slightly as younger ones were coming in.

One of the reasons we opted for the pragmatic relaxation of age criteria (for the car) was firstly, Peugeot 205's for example, Alfas and BMWs are what the next generation drove. You can no longer nip down the road and get spares for a Hillman Hunter, or Riley 1.5 - particularly body panels, so keeping them on track or driving to and from the event isn't so easy.

Only we oldies are going to know what a Daimler SP250 is, so the youngsters aren't going to go out looking for them. They didn't grow up with the cars we did, so their perception of an old car is a young car to us.