SFOS 2013- Photos/Videos from Ruapuna/Levels/Teretonga

[Steve Holmes]

Brilliant thread Jac. I hope you don't mind, I embedded that video in your opening post. I too would love to see some more photos. The Southern Festival of Speed is certainly a brilliant series of events.

Watching that vid, I see a few cool old OSCA cars in there, including your old MkII Cortina, plus the Alex Dickie Victor, and the Don Grindley RX7 Buick. I'd have expected to see Mike Eden in there too?

[Russ Noble]

Yep. Michael Eden was there, can't remember whether he was in that race or not.

The SKOPE is a major successful meeting for the CCC. There were good crowds, plenty of entrants and generally good racing. It just seems to get bigger and better every year.

Lets face it, the CCC has a massive investment and an infrastructure which has to be serviced, by amongst other things, running profitable race meetings. They are competing with numerous other ventures for the discretionary entertainment dollars of the spectators, whom it would appear stamp their seal of approval on this meeting. So do the drivers, or they wouldn't be there. Dale for instance opted out and that is his choice, but far more opted in. The spectators can do the same thing.

Generally these spectators don't care about the semantics of the specifications etc in a car. Or whether it's the genuine article, or a dead nuts replica or merely a "look-a-like". To them an Escort is an Escort is an Escort. And they are paying the money to get through the gate.

I think some people get too pedantic about what should and shouldn't be raced at a meeting such as the SKOPE, the important thing is to put on good racing with varied fields which the paying public will enjoy. Get too picky about what can be raced and you will invariably have smaller grids, there will be less to interest the spectators, and so the following year, for that reason, some will spend their money elsewhere. Then you are on the slippery slide.... Less gate takings, less entry fees, similar overheads.... Anyone can see where thats going....

For what its worth, for SFOS, the SKOPE is more picky about what you can race than Teretonga is, and maybe Levels as well.

I'm sure if a good field of, shall we say, "pure" classic/historic cars were available they would find the organisers would put on a separate race for them. And over the years that has happened, for instance with the Formula Libre single seater class which now has the F5000's as a separate race and of course this year also the FJ's had their own race. Also if I remember correctly, in the past the Historic Touring Cars have had their own races too.

The thing is to get out there and when you have the numbers, canvas for a separate race. This may mean some other race has to be axed, so it may come down to which race would provide the most entertainment...And that is the bottom line, the meeting must be entertaining and the spectators have to want to come back the following year.

Of course so do the drivers, but that doesn't seem to be much of a problem, even in these cash strapped times when other current/modern classes are struggling.....

[Roger Hills]

Well said Russ. Shame about the knockers, this is not the place for negativity. Use the Rennsport races today at Levels as an example, a staggered start for the BMW E30s who have their own race amongst themselves and the very excellent "new" commentators tell the crowd that North Island E30 racers number approx 90 and maybe we shall see more down here in future, in the meantime everyone having a good time. 25 races a day, and the best fields that have fronted in any motorsport event down this way for a long time. International entrants returning, associated businesses, car clubs and track "operators" all in the black, Shell Sport category having a rebirth, sun-shining, no major incidents, program running to schedule, after match dinner over-soldout, oh and did I mention everyone having a good time? So bring on the photos and videos that this thread was initiated for so I can continue to enjoy my day.

[Racer Rog]

Another great day of racing at Levels on Sunday, bloody hot temp at the track was 33 degrees, but the drivers coped very well in the heat, Formula Junior racing really good and a delight to watch, the commentators were very good, adding local flavour to banter, and very little damage to vehicles GREAT Saturday night function, very good food and music, quit a few threw the zimmer frames away and were seen dancing.
Roger