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.