Xmas Bonus Meeting

[Steve Cann]

Unless the weather SERIOUSLY intervenes this meeting will run as advised.

Monday 27th December.

Gate will open 08:00hrs...

Please enter on-line.

[Steve Cann]

The Burger van will NOT be in attendance for this meeting.

I suggest you therefore bring your own drinks/food.

For those though that feel they cannot get thru' the day without an intake of cholesterol there will be a break in proceedings to allow for a 'run' to Maccie Ds.

[nismo]

great meeting steve i know it wasnt the best race day but proved that a 1 ay and slicks on a frosty track are fun and some amazing drifts were accomplished

[Steve Cann]

With about 45 turning out to play on a frosty morning a couple of days after Xmas, I was well pleased.

Not many clubs around that have freebie meetings for visitors as well as members!!!!

No Xmas goodies for prizes this year though. I felt it inappropiate, for obvious reasons, to do so this year.

I hope all those that attended enjoyed their day out particularly as the weather behaved itself.

Don't know what you think but I felt a couple of the finals re-inforced my views that longer finals should be seriously considered as the way forward. More time on the 'sticks' in 'race conditions' will, I feel, in the long term improve driving skills. Having to ensure your driving is smooth to ensure a finish will in time show real benefits in the ability levels of 'club' drivers. I am sure this is one of the contributory factors in drivers from SE Asia doing well in 'World' events.

[whoopass]

Totally agree Steve, the 5 min qually and 7 min finals were really good fun. Can I suggest we run the finals long enough for me to win next time? 8,9,10 mins?

Thanks

[Remo]

Whooppeeass.... the more time you get to race the more tmes you may get lapped... (at least for the first final... )

Yeah agree with Steve, 5 min quali and 7 mins final for Stock and 19T sounds great... no sure how Mods will do thou..... ;) ... and just as I almost can do 5 mins without crashing the beast!

[whoopass]

hey rem meister, 5 mins is a bit rich? maybe 3 without crashing!!!

[Chris Kerswell]

no sure how Mods will do thou.....

With the introduction of 3600 and 3700 cells I cant see this being too much of a problem.

[David K]

Why do two rounds of 7 minute finals when it almost equals that we could have another round of 5 minute finals or another 5 minute qualifying. Instead of over heating motors, tyres, and beating out our equipment!!

[Remo]

So there is more racing.... and it tends to be a more competitive race and you will also have to race with greater consistency... in stock it could you have more chance to recover a minor mistake.... it is also more fun to have longer races.

Also you have to be more cleaver on race strategy so that you wont overheat your motor/tyres etc... anyway sticking another 5 min heat will cause mroe tyre wear and batter use cycle etc...

[David K]

2 minutes longer would probably put more wear on the tyres than a whole 5 minute run, because 2 minutes longer would put excessive heat in the tyres that couldn't be generated within 5 minutes.

Might be harder for stock drivers on motors, we know how hard your motors work remo.

[Chris Kerswell]

7 minute races does not just give you 14 minutes of racing, it rewards better drivers as you have to concentrate for longer periods.

I am of the school of thought that says longer races improve your performances in shorter ones. There is a strong correlation between the top drivers at World events and the duration of their usual races.

Overheating is not a real issue IMHO, possibly for motors but even then I dont think there is much cause for concern. Tyres will not really get any hotter in a 7 minute run compared to a 5 (if you overheat the tyres then you are using the wrong compound!).

As I see it, if we can durate for longer then we should race for longer. I think we are at the point where we are requiring less and less finess on the throttle because durating 5 minutes is easy. Introduce longer races and we will return to the era of being able to dump and therefore having to give throttle control more thought. Note, I am not suggesting here that we go silly and extend races to a point that makes it difficult to durate, I think we should find a happy medium - which 7 mins seems to be.

David, your views are as important as any of ours though, so in your opinion, should we be going the other way? - to shorter races (3 or 4 minutes)? If not, then why do you think that 5 minutes is such an ideal race length?

Chris

[David K]

I don't think that we should be going the other way e.g having shorter races. I just thought we were trying to stick to the BRCA format. And if everyone wants to change so much, why cant we just do an extra round, giving people who have had unfortunate starts e.g being taken out another chance.

[Remo]

Yes the current BRCA format is 5 mins and these longer run trial races have been suggested by many racers at different clubs. A couple of months ago at Aldershot racers requested to have longer finals (most recently 6 minutes) but once we even tried 8 minutes with no limit mod... it was such a laugh and everyoen enjoyed even those dumped on the last lap... why, I guess they enjoyed more racing I suppose.

These trial races of 6,7 minutes are being tried now so we can gauge what people think, most enjoyed it and some may not and they are all valid oppinions, and I am sure there will be a time when longer finals will be proposed at a BRCA AGM and get people to decide which way to go.

I agree with Steve and Chris that longer races will make us better racers in both ability to concentrate and car preparation. As to tyre situation, we will soon learn quick what compound to use just like before, if it is too hot for CS22 then we will naturally go to the next compound, just as we do now. AS to gearng, just dont overgear too much ;) and you should not wear out your motor prematurely.. me pushing my motors hard??? not as hard as I push the stick on my KO!!! :D

As to more chances incase of being taken out, we already get 3 chances to qualify, 2 finals in case we screw one up, plus we counts the best rounds points and drop the bad ones... personally I would prefer to have a longer race so that I can have a go at regaining a couple of places after a mishap and not finishing as low as I would have in a 5 min race. The only way i see to counter bad driving is to have a penalty system in place and race directors to enforce them etc... as already been suggested. :)

[Steve Cann]

Firstly, the reason I started the 'Bonus Meetings' was to a) Get more au fait with race control software (I am still not the quickest when using computers in general). b) Play with different formats to see what worked and what didn't.

Last winter we suggested longer 'race times' and it was a definate no no. Mostly, I feel, because not everyone had cells to enable them to do so. A year on and it appears all have got access to at least 3000mah cells which with reduced avilable grip, in winter, allow everyone to durate, with care, for at least 7mins. If you are cooking your motors then I would strongly suggest you reconsider your gearing as for tyres overheating, very surprised at that, as the tarmac just about got to 5 degrees.

I feel we do enough meetings already using the tried and tested formats, ie STALE!! So for the time being at least the 'Bonus Meetings' will continue to be run a little differently. I am open to other ideas on format, providing the software allows me to do so in conjunction with my, very limited, computing 'skills'!!

[nismo]

i dont se the problem keep te 5 min qualifiers and 7 min finals batty isnt a concern my slightly worn 3000 after a hard race when its dy could duratefor another 5 min and yo all have better cells than me and motors (althugh i have a ko vantage2 now )
but still i hink tyre wear and overheating shouldnt be a problem. tyre wear isnt tat bad now and overheating shoul e so ba it just means your car is overgeared
and aso a plus thing to ad isit would be more fun
3600 batts mightnot even be needed for the guys using 8t motors

then again im just biginner and all you po would know more than me

[Chris Kerswell]

i dont se the problem keep te 5 min qualifiers and 7 min finals batty isnt a concern my slightly worn 3000 after a hard race when its dy could duratefor another 5 min and yo all have better cells than me and motors (althugh i have a ko vantage2 now )
but still i hink tyre wear and overheating shouldnt be a problem. tyre wear isnt tat bad now and overheating shoul e so ba it just means your car is overgeared
and aso a plus thing to ad isit would be more fun
3600 batts mightnot even be needed for the guys using 8t motors

then again im just biginner and all you po would know more than me

Are you drunk, or did someone swap some keys on your keyboard around!?

[jeff wheeler]

When i first started this hobby, it made a pleasant day out.Not only for myself but seeing other people enjoying themselves.
Several of my friends came into this hobby at the same time, but i am the only one to continue.
But in time things have changed, you was not hit up the back often or pushed out the way.because a mistake would have cost time,power and not being able to finish the race.as you will remember most of you were near to dumping near the finish line.
You were all trying to drive the best of your ability, and thinking of the others in front.
But since technology has moved on you have more power and duration in your cars.
Now if someone is in front of you. You knock them out the way.
Consideration for others has now gone, because you know you have enough power to finish.
So either we go back in time to the 2000 or 2004 batteries.
Or increase the drive time. and put the fun back into the sport.
Or does the future mean you are only thinking of yourself.to past the finishing post first on your own.

Now ask youself one question do you have more fun at a bonus meeting with a longer duration.

P.s my own personal opinion is that a club should run at a club level encouraging people to come into the sport.because where would we be without them.

when a person feels confident with their driving skills,then they will enter for the National races.