FARalt
07-11-2007, 04:13 PM
Agree with the sentiments of Geoff and others re exclusion of FF and QR Racing from PI next year. I expressed the following view (via email) at the recent VHRR meeting....
"If Q and R are to be excluded I would urge the committee to reconsider on the following grounds:
1. Some of the most internationally significant Australian designed and or produced cars will not be present.
Q and R Racing represents undoubtedly some of the most successful international racing cars produced and or designed by Australians ever. Given that this is arguably Australia's premier historic meeting, excluding these categories calls into question what or whose interests the organisers represent if not to run cars of this significance to Australian motorsport.
2. CAMS historic log booked and C of D cars should not be excluded before cars without such documentation
Owners have spent money (and in many cases enormous amounts of time researching provenance and history) to maintain or acquire a log book and C of D to enable their cars to be raced. These are officially CAMs historic race cars. Cars without CAMS or FIA documentation, such as many regularity competitors, are not and therefore should not take precedence on the event schedule before cars with an historic log book and C of D. Allowing any car to run without a log book and C of D, in preference to a car with these documents, makes something of a mockery of the process we are required to go through to run our cars.
In addition, owners who have gone through the log book and C of D process are financial contributors to CAMs and the VHRR. It's not unreasonable to expect therefore, that CAMS and VHRR support them by providing the opportunity to race their cars at both CAMS sanctioned historic events in Victoria. I have not paid my money to either organisation for many other reasons than:
a. the right to participate and;
b. in the expectation that they support the cars and drivers who have paid the money and gone through the process to obtain and maintain log books and C of Ds.
3. Why exclude cars that have nowhere else to run.
Road registerable cars such as those in a number of sports car categories and regularity have other places to run, including the road. Racing category cars have only one place to run and that is the track. There is, apart from some non CAMs sanctioned events, no other place to race other than an historic race meeting that I'm aware of. Further, unlike a number of sport and regularity cars, they were built exclusively for the purpose of racing and Philip Is Historics is a race meeting.
4. Q and R race cars produce good racing for spectators
Because these cars are generally evenly matched, this category produces good racing and good racing helps bring in and retain spectators. And spectators help pay the bills.
In addition, for many of us 40 somethings at least, these cars represent a high point in Australian racing with many top level international drivers coming to race in Australia drawing large crowds - when was the last time Calder got 60 000 people along. This is a significant spectator group that should be cultivated."
Please note that its not my intention to upset regularity, sports or touring competitors, but all Race category cars should have a place at race meetings. If Regularity et al can be accommodated even better.
So thats some of the reasons I can see why not to exclude. What I haven't heard are the reasons why FF and QR groups have been excluded, and more to the point why they have been excluded in favour of several touring car groups and regularity.
If there has been an explanation by the VHRR committee could someone please direct me to it. If not then I think the committee needs to provide one. This will save members from drawing their own conclusions about what has motivated the committee to make this decision and allow members to evaluate for themselves the merits of the arguments for exclusion.
Cheers
Antony
PS: Great work Grant, this forum is a great idea and the setup is as good as any I've seen.
"If Q and R are to be excluded I would urge the committee to reconsider on the following grounds:
1. Some of the most internationally significant Australian designed and or produced cars will not be present.
Q and R Racing represents undoubtedly some of the most successful international racing cars produced and or designed by Australians ever. Given that this is arguably Australia's premier historic meeting, excluding these categories calls into question what or whose interests the organisers represent if not to run cars of this significance to Australian motorsport.
2. CAMS historic log booked and C of D cars should not be excluded before cars without such documentation
Owners have spent money (and in many cases enormous amounts of time researching provenance and history) to maintain or acquire a log book and C of D to enable their cars to be raced. These are officially CAMs historic race cars. Cars without CAMS or FIA documentation, such as many regularity competitors, are not and therefore should not take precedence on the event schedule before cars with an historic log book and C of D. Allowing any car to run without a log book and C of D, in preference to a car with these documents, makes something of a mockery of the process we are required to go through to run our cars.
In addition, owners who have gone through the log book and C of D process are financial contributors to CAMs and the VHRR. It's not unreasonable to expect therefore, that CAMS and VHRR support them by providing the opportunity to race their cars at both CAMS sanctioned historic events in Victoria. I have not paid my money to either organisation for many other reasons than:
a. the right to participate and;
b. in the expectation that they support the cars and drivers who have paid the money and gone through the process to obtain and maintain log books and C of Ds.
3. Why exclude cars that have nowhere else to run.
Road registerable cars such as those in a number of sports car categories and regularity have other places to run, including the road. Racing category cars have only one place to run and that is the track. There is, apart from some non CAMs sanctioned events, no other place to race other than an historic race meeting that I'm aware of. Further, unlike a number of sport and regularity cars, they were built exclusively for the purpose of racing and Philip Is Historics is a race meeting.
4. Q and R race cars produce good racing for spectators
Because these cars are generally evenly matched, this category produces good racing and good racing helps bring in and retain spectators. And spectators help pay the bills.
In addition, for many of us 40 somethings at least, these cars represent a high point in Australian racing with many top level international drivers coming to race in Australia drawing large crowds - when was the last time Calder got 60 000 people along. This is a significant spectator group that should be cultivated."
Please note that its not my intention to upset regularity, sports or touring competitors, but all Race category cars should have a place at race meetings. If Regularity et al can be accommodated even better.
So thats some of the reasons I can see why not to exclude. What I haven't heard are the reasons why FF and QR groups have been excluded, and more to the point why they have been excluded in favour of several touring car groups and regularity.
If there has been an explanation by the VHRR committee could someone please direct me to it. If not then I think the committee needs to provide one. This will save members from drawing their own conclusions about what has motivated the committee to make this decision and allow members to evaluate for themselves the merits of the arguments for exclusion.
Cheers
Antony
PS: Great work Grant, this forum is a great idea and the setup is as good as any I've seen.