There are 30 listed in the programme. I am not sure what happened to the other 20, but the Festival website should have been updated. It is still saying 50+ cars.Originally Posted by nigel watts
I'm sure there were a lot more at one of the earlier festivals, as they had two qualifying sessions with different cars resulting in one grid.
As of today the website is still claiming 50+ cars. Initially I had pretty much decided not to go this year but my mind was changed by the thought of 50 thundering V8's tearing around the track. What a spectacle that would be. So I paid my money and went along with high expectations. The other thing that was a bit disappointing was the last HRC race being spoilt by the pace car. Isn't there a way that the race could be stopped and restarted or a few extra laps tacked onto the end to compensate. HMC being a such a drawcard class deserve better.
i'm sure the drivers were just as ticked off as I was.
Anyway, having got that off my chest, I was rapt today when a friend gave me a free ticket for this weekend. Maybe the missing F5000's will have been found by then!!
Last edited by nigel watts; 01-21-2015 at 08:49 AM.
The track limit is in fact 46 cars - for saloons, but a bit lower for single seaters Nigel, so you wouldn't ever get 50 F5000's racing at the same time.
I think you meant HMC (Historic Muscle Cars) not HRC (Historic Racing Club), who are effectively the organisers.
The use of Safety Cars has been one of mixed blessings. As a former flaggie for many years, the fact that most drivers tended to either ignore yellows or didn't slow, put the lives of the hard working volunteers in real danger, not to mention stranded competitors. Ever increasing speeds haven't helped either, so safety has to come first.
From a driver's perspective, a frustration having paid to race, but adding extra laps also stretches out the race programme and it may also affect fuel consumption calculations.
From a Series Handicapper's point of view, a total nightmare. Race Troll will probably correct me, but if the race has been 25% or less completed and red flagged, then it can be restarted from the original handicap positions or grid positions. Total restart.
Safety Car laps are always counted and if red flagged after 75%, the race is declared. An 8 lap race is an 8 lap race.
As in F1, if there was a means of controlling all cars between two points down to 75kph or whatever, by race control, then maybe the safety car wouldn't be required as often.
Come and say hello at the weekend Nigel - but please be trackside at 9:45am and 2:15pm each day, when we should have the numbers for you. Maybe not the spectacle of F5000's, but Saturday and Sunday race feedback would be appreciated from everyone, as it will affect our approach for 2016. Remember, we asked to be included this year - it wasn't an invite.
latest on ERC:
Withdrawals
#67 Paul Kendrick - Porsche 944 - teething problems with this car.
#1 Alan Ferguson - BMW M8 - what was thought to be a cylinder head gasket failure, turned out to be a cracked head.
#40 Adrian Dobbe - Vauxhall Viva 6 - mechanical issues, engine.
That moves up the reserves to maintain the 46 car grid:
#739 Grant Kern - MGB V8 - now in all ERC races
#231 John Hudson - BMW2002 - now in all ERC races
Car #83 -John Honore - Ferrrari 308GTB included Friday scratch race only at this stage, 1st reserve Saturday and Sunday handicap races. (Ferrari is currently for sale.)
Last edited by ERC; 01-21-2015 at 08:08 AM.
Yep, I understand and support the need for the safety car but I think that the needs and expectations of the paying spectators needs to be considered also. It probably is but it's not always obvious. We all know that spectator numbers are already practically non existent and the sport doesn't want to lose any more of a dwindling resource. Last Saturday I reckon that if you removed all the crews and supporters from the 'crowd', there wouldn't have been that many people left. It must be very difficult for the organisers [and a considerable financial risk] to promote a motor racing event these days, and I take my hat off to them and to all of the volunteers that enable the event to take place. But there's always room for improvement and sometimes little things make a huge difference.
I hope Roger Williams can get "Old Blue" back in action this weekend. I saw John Greenwood racing his "Spirit of '76" at Le Mans in 1976. It was amazingly quick.
Looking forward to seeing a full grid of ERC competitors.
The crowd on Saturday was quite healthy with the main car park (behind the main ticket booth) full by just after lunch.
The organisers - plus the officials and even the MSNZ Stewards are bound by a strict set of rules as to how races will be run. The paperwork now even has to include any on track processions, hot laps, demonstrations etc. Just about everything is regulated, whether that is in the best interests of the spectators, drivers or not.
Totally agree that little things can make a huge difference and feedback is always appreciated - but it has to go back to the organisers.
Last edited by ERC; 01-21-2015 at 09:32 AM.
Thanks heaps for the pics, Nigel and friends.
Our pleasure
Nigel- these are truly superb pics. Where else in the world would you see these cars and all together like this.
I hate it when the SC comes out and the handicap goes out the window and no spectacle for the crowd.
At my guys drivers briefing I will make special point of clearing the track to try to avoid a SC- sorry if it give you less track time Tony.
Dale was telling me that in USA they dont worry about the spectator numbers, Historic racing is for the drivers and crews pleasure. Of course it does cost more.............
Thanks John
Yes I agree with you that we are spoilt here in NZ with the numbers of classic cars that are around and come out to play from time to time. I'm not surprised to hear that they don't worry about spectators numbers in the US. They probably have more competitors attending and with track operating costs being comparable [?] with NZ it's affordable for them whereas we need spectators to subsidise the cost. I have no idea what it costs you in total for a day at the races, but I'm sure it's a tidy sum. I'm equally sure that if more spectators attended which had the flow on effect of reducing competitors costs then maybe more classics would come out to play - and more spectators would come along to watch. Sounds so easy doesn't it. lol.
Looking forward to Saturday.
Top Photos Guys, thanks
Hi Ray
It was never stated that 50 cars would be racing. The promotional material specifically said there would be 50+ cars at the Festival. This is what was achieved. 26 cars were racing, 10 were on display in Hamptons and 17 were in demo's at lunch time and in the afternoon session.
We initially believed that we would top 60 cars, but the upcoming Monterey F5000 racing in August 2015 kept a lot of the overseas cars as we came nearer to commitment time for the Festival. Hopefully the BRM V12's, Ferrari V12 and the 3 seater F1 cars helped to compensate. As organisers, we apologise if you believe you were short changed. As always, we do our best! Regards Tony Roberts
That's a clever use of words there Tony to drag the punters through the gate. As it is a race meeting, which is advertising 50+ cars, one could not unfairly assume there will be 50 cars racing. I know I did, and it seems most other people arrived at the same assumption, and we have all been disappointed. While having 26 F5000 cars racing is no mean feat in itself, it is far from the 50 which it seems some people made a special effort to come and see based on the suggestive advertising.
Is there any reason why you cannot publish the entry lists on the NZFMR website leading up to the event? Even if it is just a straight list ( not by classes ) so it shouldn't hurt your program sales, it would be good to see who will be there. Most people will go regardless ( to spectate ), but if there are a couple of cars / entrants that pique their interest, they may go for more than 1 day per weekend. Just a suggestion. It would also eliminate the 50 cars / 26 racing / rest on display etc problem.
I have a few more ideas to improve things for both drivers and spectators, but no time now, I will post up later.
Last edited by Andrew Metford; 01-22-2015 at 06:30 AM. Reason: spelling
Fair's fair, how realistic is it to expect 50 F5000s on the track and racing when that's never been remotely approached anywhere in the world ? To suggest that is a sneakily-worded con is disrespectful to the promoters of this and other categories, who appear to have worked hard to get still-impressive entry lists to the line.
Nobody could genuinely anticipate a grid of that size forming up, and it's a bit rich if that's all you have to complain about after a weekend that is envied around the world. Cheer up, son.
Very good work Nigel with the photos you have put up here,Boy there are some very nice looking cars still out there today.
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