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May I politely suggest that we now close this topic? It's getting to be ectremely disrespectful, and doesn't reflect the friendly, welcoming nature of the Speed Series. These rules are the SSOT trying to revitalise the championship and we have to appreciate their efforts and see how things progress.

I was in Pontefract yesterday for a meeting and driving there and back was 'interesting! I did think about you when I passed one of your 'pulse' Shops used for navigational references! Too much information! 🤪

I was going (and I probably still will) to take a license and pay for the speed series as I've done regardless of my intention to compete or not since I'm on this club, as I always end doing the odd weekend here and there... no need to ask me to shut up. I have not been disrespectful at all. Facts have been stated, nothing else. I don't get a few things: First- I, personally, haven't criticized the rules, in fact I've applauded them, as I think are a good step forward to increase the competition. Please, when referring to me take the time to read all my interventions, not only the last one reading it out of context. Second- I also understand people (mainly the guys that were running 1C tyres) to be extremely upset. They are suddenly forced to spend serious money and altering the car either going a step forward, or an step backwards. Third- the second point would not be a problem whatsoever, if this had been consulted, and given certain notice on it, as requested last year. (Can't no-one else see that? Or they just expect everybody else to agree to disrupt their plans and shut up just to fit with the others with no notice?) Fourth- Stating the FACT that this has been introduced without notice, without being consulted and done in a way that very little can be arranged now because this has been submitted to MSA prior publication in the forum, can't be considered disrespectful, or offensive. Is a FACT. Isn't how it happened?? Or have I missed something? I really doubt that... one of the single shared concerns was the lack of unified competition. I think mos of the people expressing concerns here are moaning about the manners and the timing rather than the content itself. The fact that everybody is happy to just shut up and follow the changes (good or no) and having fingers pointed to the people who doesn't agrees, has a name, and isn't nice... that quite aligns with the way the rules have been introduced, and worries me a bit. Would have the rules been introduced in a different manner, they would have my full support, as I quite like the content. Help was offered las year, to collate all together in a public forum everyone's concerns, have a discussion and draw all together lines to follow. At the end we all make the series... not only the SSOT. So, stop the song "they work for free, we should appreciate their work regardless". Working for free doesn't qualify you work as good, nor will be everyone's taste. And again that would not be a problem if all was open. For goodness sake, even in the top of motorsport, with billions in budgets, the top minds of the world working to adapt and, near to unlimited resources, the rules are agreed beforehand between contenders, and given with plenty notice. Why can't we do the same here, in a club, where the only money seen is counted in loses, and the resources are normally a shed, a man, a personal bank account and **** loads of love in the car??

I suspect that there are some who would only be happy if the rules provided that there is a seperate class for each competitor, that way everybody is guaranteed a class win!!😄

Cant make this weekend.... Car is having early winter upgrades at Plays-kool

Yep coming! That has to be based on the inland tide receding. Currently on an island thankfully. Strange week really. Lots of the wet stuff out of the sky but none through the pipe work and a major leak 3 miles away means no pressure. 4 days so far with no water in the right places. Slightly better today as at least the taps run slowly but showers are a no go. Promise I’ll smell better on Sunday. 🙂

It’s on the calendar!

Put my sister-in-law in the passenger seat. She’s enough to deter anyone.

There is a little bit of water around here at the moment, which hopefully will retreat before Sunday. Here is a photo of the engineer at work today, and my cycle in this morning was a bit hairy as the water got to well above my bottom bracket. I can vouch for my waterproof Sealskinz socks though, as my feet were dry when I got to work, which amazed me as my feet were fully submerged. Currently Matlock Bath is closed as well as the roads around Grindleford and Bamford, so I will choose the route carefully.

Hi Charlotte I agree most of the people in the SS are a great bunch of friendly people who I love having a banter with but it is now becoming much clearer that the SSOT have been working on these changes in the shadows for quite a long time without sharing any of their ideas with the SS entrants (some with up to 22 years membership). To be presented with the "this is what it is" "take it or leave it for 2020" attitude from the SSOT without any discussion is "Dickensian" in the extreme and should not have happened in this day and age! There is no reason because we are raising our dis-pleasure at this high handed treatment and disrespect from the SSOT that we should close the topic! Sorry but I still hope we can be friends! Glutey

Ha good, lots of people around on Sunday then to dilute this nutter that is running around our house going 'cor, show us your hairy bottom bracket' oh my, what have you done Mr Bagpuss, hilarious 🤩

Hi all,I am new to the club(a member for about a week) as I am keen to join the speed series after lots of Karting and a few odd sprints.. I am looking to buy a car so reading the forum with a keen interest. reading these messages it’s clear there is still a real passion and enthusiasm for the club, and if the rules and regs are 80% right(whatever that looks like) people will continue to race. fair play to the club for getting the regs out early but I cant help but observe the following 1. concerns over the scoring system 2. how the classes are divided and does this favour bec or cec? 3. How these will fair once motorsport uk announce the tyre regs? 4. Volume of events is pretty big and with drop rounds you could do well because no one else has turned up to a specific round it would be useful to seek some clarity from the committee and club on these points but I also know from various seasons of over regulated rules on Karting, it is hard to please everyone but some further communication and maybe an opportunity to tweak a 1-2 of the most contentious regs after a vote from the club would be useful. on a personal note it’s not put me off buying a westfield(hopefully going to see Stuart hill’s in a couple of weeks) and if you have this vocal a forum I can’t wait to meet you all in the paddock and at the events thanks pete

I've written it on the family calendar whilst she's out 🙂 I'm coming😁

Who in the SSOT still competes in a Westfield in the Speed Series?

Build a car to fit a specific class, then spend 5 years and god knows how much time / money further developing it for that class to then have your class wiped out in the blink of an eye without even a discussion, is it any wonder some of us feel a little disappointed. Now it would seem that if we even dare question the SSOT’s decision we’re being disrespectful, what is going on here ?

Small feature in this month's Classic and Sportscar about unusual racing Minis includes this.

Hi Andy I look forward to reading the Formal Club response with interest. Including hopefully some feedback on my initial "contructive" proposal to allow the new proposals for the 2020 SS to go ahead with only one significant change. If the drastic proposals as tabled by the SSOT were actually reasonable and fair for most competitors and introduced in a less dicatorial and clandestine manner then I would have willingly been part of the "well done" campaign! It would be much more pleasant and less time consuming than dealing with what has been tabled so far! Glutey

A more formal Club response is coming but I feel a personal need to reply to Charlotte; Charlotte, thank you, a breath of fresh air and what I'm hopeful everyone is thinking (but not saying en masse). It's so easy to complain, sadly less easy to praise and I wholeheartedly agree with you.

You do if you're a driving god 😁🤔 Sorry, couldn't resist 😄 That, and playing the numbers game and choosing events carefully. The new system changes that somewhat, which I think is a good thing. I can start going back to venues I've long avoided because the target times were so out of reach.

You guess wrong. Kindly do not make assumptions about what I understand and don’t understand Graham - I know and understand far more about it than you realise. Far more. i have to say that I came close to entering the SS several times in the past but like this year, the unjust vitriol cast by a noisy minority upon the SSOT in these annual draft regs threads stopped me dead each time. Sadly, it appears some things do not change. That’s funny. Every time I have stumbled into this section of the forum for years, someone has been complaining about the rules or this or that and someone from the SSOT has listened and responded - these rule changes are evidence of them listening. I distinctly remember a few years ago when the competitors badgered the CompSec so hard for rule changes that the end result was that the SS very nearly missed the deadline for approval and almost didn’t take place. The rules are different or amended every year, yet each time the same competitors who complain about the existing rules are surprised when it happens. Go figure. The SSOT work bl**** long hard hours for no reward in order to try to give back and make the series as fair and exciting as possible. Still some people cast aspersions and abuse on them, some of it bordering on libellous. Keep it up and these volunteers may decide they’ve had enough and might just chuck in the towel and say stuff it, and then you’ll have no SS at all. Is that what you want? For heaven’s sake, you gentlemen have made your points. Now let the SSOT do their work and stop whingeing. They are DRAFT rules. They heard you. And will someone please lock this thread - it ceased being useful several pages ago. 🙄

Keith and I have both been on 1b tyres this year. I'll be in W2 and imagine Keith would be too. I really wouldn't call my car highly developed.

That's what I thought too, but could also be wrong! Using 2019 data, it seems that the new 'proposed' rules will put nearly all of the "usual suspects" (those with highly developed cars and / or who attend more than 10 rounds) into W4: Del, Garry, potentially Dave Cleaver, Team Phelps, John Hoyle, Howard, Keith, Craig, Marto, Graham and others I may have missed. That leaves a couple of people in W3 completing 10 or more events (Terry E, Matt T, Steve E), plus a light smattering of competitors in W1 and W2 - none of whom would complete enough events to win the overall. Unless there are significant changes in attendees or car specs for 2020, the overall SS winner seems a foregone conclusion...? Or is that good incentive for newbies to come and have a plan, or someone to put 1b tyres on and move 'down' into W1 or W2? 😁

Luckily today after work we got the door to nearly the correct shape but needs a new front wing. At least I can now get in and out. Good thing is the suspension is straight as a die and didn't even need the track setting.

Scott Thats exactly the point we feel unhappy about. The SSOT have changed everything without even asking our opinions let alone listening to our concerns.

I guess it is not easy to understand how the proposed new rules affect the different sections of the championship when you have not (i don't think so anyway) participated yourself! Glutey

Pete We are a great bunch of lads and lasses and I for one is up for a fair olde time both on the track and socially afterwards. We have a great line in banter but I warn you if you dish it out you have to be able to it! (As I have had to do may times) Look forward to meeting you somewhere in 2020! Glutey

Hoping to get some time tomorrow to sort out the squeeky drive belt and wobbly headlamp. If all goes well i'll be there too?

I thought of you when Jon mentioned the calendar!

@Jim cunliffe

Mind like a sewer @IanK (Bagpuss), very funny though when I read it back I have to laugh, what a numpty I am

I like the colour! it was my second colour choice for my first Westfield - in the end yellow nose/black body won - admittedly, I did go for colour wings, too, though. It's surprising how much more visible it makes the car in traffic, having a brighter coloured nose etc! As Nigel said, it's a very "standard" looking car - original IVA steering wheel, OE throttle body etc. Though you'd be surprised how many cars are like this, outside of the club. - My Sigma car is the same, nothing has been changed on it in the eight years since it was built, till I got it, at least! It has had an engine change, (which does look a little strange with the OE injection, but certainly not sinister), the factory service element is nice to have, but of no financial effect on price. Definitely worth a look at.

My friend Russel is selling this Duratec powered car. it has always been maintained regardless of cost . He can be contacted on 07866111724

Well said. I thought I’d accidentally stumbled into a Brexit thread (Ssexit?). My hats off to the team involved in making the rules and for listening to concerns, looking at the past evidence and not being afraid to try something new. There’s a time to be aggressive and competitive, and it’s on the track and against yourself. I hope a lot more people are encouraged to get involved as a result and that it’s a roaring success.

It looks very "standard" (if there is such a thing....) IVA steering wheel, crashpad, and harness bolt covers are all still intact. The induction system is also pretty standard (OE throttle body and intake pipe) Most 20 year old Westies have been comprehensively "improved" by now I agree that the colour choice is a little "individual" - not really to my taste - in fact I like consistent body colour so much I'm having a carbon nosecone painted in Chrome Yellow.....

Canoeing would probably be a better activity 🙄 have fun and stay dry

Looks nicely looked after, plenty of service history to back it up, and low mileage. Agree with @CraigHew, that orange nose cone looks a bit weird – either paint it black, or add an orange stripe up the bonnet or along each side of it at the lower edge up to the dash pad to tie the nosecone into the rest of the car. Only thing I see not quite right is the hood isn’t nice and taut, as if the hood bows are missing and it’s just sitting on the roll bar. It would be flappy/draughty/soggy on the move – there’s nothing worse. Options there would be a) fit bows, b) use the hood as a donor to be reshaped as a half-hood, or strip out the plastic windscreen clamp-thingy (not cheap) from the hood and use that in a made-to-measure half-hood. EDIT - just spotted the hood bows in one of the pics.

Looks nice although my preference would be orange tub/body rather than all black. Westfield service is good as it shows the car has been recently looked at by the factory so there should be no "big" problems. weather gear also a bonus. Perhaps the car is known by some Bristol members?

I’ll be there.

wait with a base ball bat

After a few county lane miles

Maurici, if you will no longer compete in the speed series for other reasons, then these changes have no impact on you. I for one applaud the effort that the SSOT have put in to change the championship and try to make it a more fun and enticing championship. In my opinion, if I was to read this thread as a potential competitor I would see all the bickering and go elsewhere. We should be focussing on making people feel as welcome as possible within the rules we have, not highlighting any negatives and being disrespectful of the hard work that others have put in on our behalf. I am very much looking forward to spending another season competing with friends and seeing where these new rules lead, regardless of where they leave my positition in the championship.

I have been watching this 'discussion' develop as a newcomer this season. Whilst I have several thoughts on the comments above I am refraining from challenging. May I make a suggestion? We should first of all accept the SSOT no doubt have thrashed through various scenarios and arrived at this proposal in an attempt to arrest the decline of the Series, not for the betterment of themselves. At the 'Blyton weekend' in 2020 we have a meeting to discuss/ put forward proposals for 2021 for the SSOT to examine or work up. At that point we would also have the benefit of 1/2 a season to see how the 2020 proposals are working through. Between Blyton and publication of 2021 regs the SSOT could possibly provide an update by way of say Facebook live or some other web based discussion facility if required There is no simple answer when we have such a variety of cars

Some annoying panel vibration when I lift off, needed to remove as much as possible and track it down. All fixed now with a few more fixings and some trimming of the inner wings I have fitted to the rear wheel arches. Almost back together now. Heres a picture from a couple of weeks ago when I went to the regular Lotus 7 meet at the Super Sausage cafe near Towcester.

Yeah? So what do you know about Westfields then mate? 🤣

I wont be there as some moron has just backed into my C30 and destroyed the wing and door. Best of it is I was in the shop and he drove off. Hopefully the Police can get the reg of the grey Insignia off the cctv.