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Next year will be my 10th season in the Westfield Series and over the time I think I’ve heard all the arguments expressed in this Post at least once, some a lot more than that. The Class structure is not perfect and with the variety of engine/gearbox options I don’t think it ever can be, however, the SSOT have done a pretty good job of defining the Classes and the Regulations. I think It’s a myth to describe Speed Events as cheap motor sport the limited track time for your money and the fact that almost every class on the day struggles with the same problem as our Speed Series, there’s always someone who’s prepared to spend more to gain an advantage. So why did I start with Sprints and Hillclimbs: Simply I didn’t want to get caught up in someone else’s accident. Why did I chose the Speed Series because of the Club and the Camaraderie and it had, and to some extent still has, an excellent structure to introduce the novice to motorsport. Hindsight’s a wonderful gift so would I do it differently if I was starting now, probably not but I might not have stayed with a Westfield for so long. Finally, to counter some of the previous comments of controlled classes , there is no such thing as cheap motor sport but in racing there are plenty of very successful Championships with strict controls on cost, Locost, Mini Seven and Mini Migla, and Formula Jedi to name a few. Oh and I spent some time at Silverstone last weekend for the Walter Hayes Trophy meeting, 100+ Formula Fords all on the same wheels and tyres with the same Kent engine the same carburettor and the same gearbox, as always this led to incredibly close racing. I know my limitations and like others my aim at every event is to set a PB, weather permitting, that’s happened at almost every event I’ve taken part in even when I’ve done nothing to improve the car! I think that tells me something.

Q - it took me 5 minutes to find one and completely blow my budget! Haven't regretted it for a moment!! "When you know, you know" and it's the start of a beautiful relationship

About 50p/litre too much if you ask me

I did put this on the table for consideration and SSOT did some analysis of this year's times and very few of the Class F targets were beaten by the Class D drivers - so those with current C/D spec cars would be at a disadvantage to those with E/F spec cars. Clearly this is only relevant to those at the top of the game as most of us mortals don't have the talent to extract the full potential of our cars. I should have said that we all have the talent; just that some of us struggle to find it when it is needed. Others' view on this will be interesting. IMHO the majority are there to have fun, better their PBs and jostle with their closest rivals. A large class is more fun than a small class. I know when I lost my Novice status I headed to F for a number of reasons; the main reason was that it was the biggest class at the time. I didn't expect to be at the top of the class but I hoped to find a few with similar times to have a local battle with. This was exactly the case for the first couple of years and it was great fun! Then the introduction of the new C/D classes spread those that wanted sticky rubber and aeroscreens between the classes subject to their gearbox/engine. That said I have had great fun this year..... biting at the heels of Pete G and at the same time trying to keep ahead of Stu in his 1600cc car (from a different class altogether!) and at the same time trying to get closer to Barry S and John H (again from a different class). As we all know it is a challenge to get the perfect class structure; even if we think we have achieved it something/one comes along and proves that we haven’t. Classes are always going to be a compromise, but regulations shouldn’t stand still and should evolve over time but remain reasonably stable at the same time. Some great ideas are being voiced; I remind you all to get you thoughts in an email to Nick asap as SSOT meet this Sunday to review. Personally I think the WSCC regs should not be changed much for 2014, tweaked here and there to cope with some anomalies. I do think our biggest challenge is to open the door to as many novices as possible and then give them a class structure for them to progress into whilst at the same time maintain a competitive class structure for experts that does not put them at a disadvantage when competing under local event regulations/classes.

Does everyone that's competing have to be in with a shout of winning a class at an event? I don't think so, it's nice of course but only so many can be in that position in each class unless the cars were all identical. I can't see Westfield's to the same spec being out in any numbers, and it wouldn't be the same if they were. I'm one of those with c. 135hp and a very much road going car weighing about 650kg, so I've no chance again John in class C. I / we should perhaps get that out of our minds and just get on and enjoy what we have got as the SS is such a great place (that I miss). SS events are a great day out, with some close competition wherever you are in the class results. Too many classes would lead to dilution. I know I miss the SS, even though I couldn't be competitive against the fastest, there were always people in the class that I compared myself with on the day and competed against whilst dreaming of another 100hp and 150kg off the car!

or we could get barry to have weeks shopping from tescos in the passenger side with the straps holding in a case of wine (not that ive ever done that of course) :-0

Thats good news Quinten - at least you know you can fit 6'5" into a westfield - albeit with a few modifications.... 400 miles a week on a fluffy pillow is going to be fun mate - espcially on a day like this weather wise !! Good luck with your quest... James

I would also like to add that I am satisfied that within our existing classes, the biggest difference in performance between one competitor and another is nothing to do with engine or gearbox. This season just gone I was consistently faster, sometimes by a big margin, to my times at the same circuits the previous year. And that was despite changing my gearbox from a sequential dogbox to an H-pattern synchromesh box (to qualify for class D), so all things equal I should have been slower not quicker. No, the biggest difference by far is driver ability and experience. If anyone doubts it, just ask Messrs. Everall what happened at Pembury, and how their times compared when for once they drove the same car. Be in no doubt that Barry, and before him Stu and Ade, win the overall championship because of driving ability, not because of their cars. Sure, Barry's car is fantastic, but I bet if he drove my car and I drove his, he'd still whip my A***. So actually, the committee did right in my book by having 2 classes restricted to novice drivers in road-going cars. One thing I would say, if t' committee want to consider changes is maybe flappy paddles and launch control and full throttle gearchanges software (can't remember what it is called at the mo'!) should be restricted to non-road going classes?