New Zealand Historic Saloon Cars Under HRC

[ERC]

Fair comment Steve, but there is another side to it. "Their rules overall" are very good. The devil is in the detail...

Those NOT running CoD cars actually have plenty of races they can enter and many drivers (myself included) are not looking for more races. There is a limit. Why build a car for just 4 or 5 races a year for 'pure' CoD cars when you can build one for 7 or 8 races a year without a CoD - usually running at the same meetings anyway? At this stage, the TACCOC October meeting is the only one in the local season where the Historic Saloon saloon class is running and the other saloon classes aren't. Round 1, a total of 8 cars for the last race of the Icebreaker meeting, for a combined class of 3 groups is surely saying something?

As stated many, many times before, there are plenty of cars that would qualify for a CoD but the owners see no advantage. I suggest you have a long chat to the organisers, past and present, of the Alfa Trofeo Series, who will explain where the faults are with the T & C rules and why so many of their cars, whilst acceptable to them and to us, do not conform.

[Spgeti]

Fair comment Steve, but there is another side to it. "Their rules overall" are very good. The devil is in the detail...

Those NOT running CoD cars actually have plenty of races they can enter and many drivers (myself included) are not looking for more races. There is a limit. Why build a car for just 4 or 5 races a year for 'pure' CoD cars when you can build one for 7 or 8 races a year without a CoD - usually running at the same meetings anyway? At this stage, the TACCOC October meeting is the only one in the local season where the Historic Saloon saloon class is running and the other saloon classes aren't. Round 1, a total of 8 cars for the last race of the Icebreaker meeting, for a combined class of 3 groups is surely saying something?

As stated many, many times before, there are plenty of cars that would qualify for a CoD but the owners see no advantage. I suggest you have a long chat to the organisers, past and present, of the Alfa Trofeo Series, who will explain where the faults are with the T & C rules and why so many of their cars, whilst acceptable to them and to us, do not conform.

Life must really end at the Bombay's as they say Ray....

I will say this once...Trofeo do not represent the majority of Alfa Romeo racers in this country.
I have been a member of AROC for now 15 years an Area Rep up until this year and one of the principle orgainisers of AROC May Madness Meeting at Manfeild which is now into its 30th year.

The last count there were in in excess of 80 AROC racers countrywide and many of their car fit the COD regulations.
My car was built in 2003 to race in Trofeo and to the COD regulations and the then Trofeo Rules that were applicable at the time.
They changed the rules to exclude all car except those with full cages. That one change excluded my car with its half cage.
I have raced my 105 all over the lower North Island, sprints, rallies, hillclimbs, Winter Series and MG Whitakers and never been rejected.
I have many good friends in Trofeo and wish to keep it like that, but please do not tell me that they are the knowlegable people that run racing for AROC in NZ, in Auckland yes, but no where else.

Cheers
Bruce Dyer

[Steve Holmes]

Fair comment Steve, but there is another side to it. "Their rules overall" are very good. The devil is in the detail...

Those NOT running CoD cars actually have plenty of races they can enter and many drivers (myself included) are not looking for more races. There is a limit. Why build a car for just 4 or 5 races a year for 'pure' CoD cars when you can build one for 7 or 8 races a year without a CoD - usually running at the same meetings anyway? At this stage, the TACCOC October meeting is the only one in the local season where the Historic Saloon saloon class is running and the other saloon classes aren't. Round 1, a total of 8 cars for the last race of the Icebreaker meeting, for a combined class of 3 groups is surely saying something?

As stated many, many times before, there are plenty of cars that would qualify for a CoD but the owners see no advantage. I suggest you have a long chat to the organisers, past and present, of the Alfa Trofeo Series, who will explain where the faults are with the T & C rules and why so many of their cars, whilst acceptable to them and to us, do not conform.

Its probably not fair to deem a new class a success or failure based on its very first attempt, held at an event known for its fickle support, and during a cold spring. The Historic Formula 5000 group, which has been running for many years, and which now has 50 cars registered in NZ, had just 12 cars enter the GP event last season. Does this prove this class to be a failure?

Despite your misgivings, there are people who do support the idea of building their cars to either T&C, or Schedule K rules, and gaining a COD. Part of the problem is that to date, there hasn't been much reason to actually coax car owners to want to do this. HSC was created to support these people, as while its true there are indeed plenty of places to race a car without a COD, by the same token, there are very few places that cater only to cars with a COD.

Only time will tell if heading down this path was the right or wrong decision. And it may very well take years. But certainly, a decision can't be made after just one event.