Speed Series Competitors

[Mid life crisis]

OK Steve,

Currently, in order to attain expert status, you have to acheive either of the following:

A 17 point win in any SS round, meaning a SS class win with at least 2 other competitors. or....

A class win at the event on the day, irrespective of whether there are any other SS competitors entered.

Typically, it is harder to get a class win on the day, than it is to get 17 points against only other novices.

I would advocate dropping the 17 point promotion rule, and thereby, making it more dificult to attain expert status.

Competitors have their licences signed in order to upgrade them for the benefit of future events. You, I imagine have a speed national B licence, unless you are eligible with your rally licence, and would need to upgrade to a national A in order to:

a) Drive certain classes of car, or....

b) To enter certain events of a higher licence classification

If you intend to continue to drive your car at Nat B events, then keep your licence in your pocket. I would advacate getting the signatures in case you want to upgrade in the future.

PS in the last year or two we introduced a beginners guide on the website. It was very useful. I wonder if we could expand on that with a pre season "roadshow" at all the area meets. Most areas have a competing member who may wish to do a talk or a question & answer session.

I would certainly have no objection to taking part in that, I remember how baffled I was when I first started!!

(Not sure if that's changed much)        

Anyone either in their first year or just wandering around the paddock thinking of competing, amble over to the Flymo (not difficult to miss) and have a chat, be nice to put some faces to names.

HTH

Tommo

Thanks for that Tommo, my licence is a National A Stage Rally. Not sure if getting it signed at sprints would qualify me to upgrade.

     

[V 8]

No m8..nor me you need to ask someone else. The blue book should tell you.

FWIW, a little known fact, you need to have a Speed Nat A to drive anything in H that is over 2 litre. Good job I upgraded with the previous car, I didn't know that when I bought the Flymo  

[GuyH]

I didn't deserve to win the champtionship last year. I knew it then, and the amount I still learn each time I get in the car makes me even more sure now. (That does not make me ungrateful)

I won because I pedal'd hard, sure, but mainly because there were only 3 cars in A with 180bhp and only 1 of these turned up much. Better drivers with better competition would have been more deserving.

It's this that makes me sure novice's should not compete for the same prize as the more experienced guys when the more experienced guys are not allowed to beat them on the day (due to being in a seperate class)!! That said, I think A and B are fantastic classes....just think they should have a seperate prize is all.

..... of to practice gear changing some more.

[davidgh]

.........unfair...................to come second to a first year novice who happens to have a faster car than everyone else.

I don't resemble that remark at all  

I do however believe that the SS Championship Mug should be awarded to the best driver overall; if he/she is a novice, so be it.

Last year's overall champion got his points in Class A. If you go back and recalculate his scores as though there had been a combined A&C class, you find he would have scored 166 points. With that score, he would have missed out both on the championship (Ash with 169.50 in a combined B&D) and Class A&C (Bambi with 167), but would have been worthy winner of both a putative "A&C Novice Pot" and, if there were one, the overall novice pot.

Barry, who would have been reduced to four "seventeen pointers" by too many clashes with Ash, would have picked up the ""B&D Novice Pot".

Doesn't sound like a system for de-motivating novices to me  

[V 8]

..... of to practice gear changing some more.

That'll be off m8. I hope your Dad isn't watching

[davidgh]

..... of to practice gear changing some more.

That'll be off m8. I hope your Dad isn't watching

Luckily, he's not.

But, didn't you spot the "seperate"?

[V 8]

..... of to practice gear changing some more.

That'll be off m8. I hope your Dad isn't watching

Luckily, he's not.

But, didn't you spot the "seperate"?

b*******! (That horrible meaning, but now acceptable word)

[V 8]

.........unfair...................to come second to a first year novice who happens to have a faster car than everyone else.

I don't resemble that remark at all  

I do however believe that the SS Championship Mug should be awarded to the best driver overall; if he/she is a novice, so be it.

Last year's overall champion got his points in Class A. If you go back and recalculate his scores as though there had been a combined A&C class, you find he would have scored 166 points. With that score, he would have missed out both on the championship (Ash with 169.50 in a combined B&D) and Class A&C (Bambi with 167), but would have been worthy winner of both a putative "A&C Novice Pot" and, if there were one, the overall novice pot.

Barry, who would have been reduced to four "seventeen pointers" by too many clashes with Ash, would have picked up the ""B&D Novice Pot".

Doesn't sound like a system for de-motivating novices to me  

Couldn't agree more. In fact it would actually highlight the improvement in the novice class when compared to the experts. Imagine the real kudos then of a novice consistantly beating the experts in the appropriate class

More excellent statistical work undertaken whist nowt to do in t' office....

[machin]

There has already been some discussion within Class A of a Class C1 for 8 valve engines, a Classic Westfield  Class    

With the proposed amalgamation of the Novice and Experts in A/C and B/D,  I think it would be relatively easy to also award other minor sub-categories like Martin's proposed one for 8 valve engines... (even if it was just a title, rather than an award as such).  It'd at least be some recognition for the achievement... and if you manage to get the class win too... then that's a big bonus....

[Rob Navin]

There has already been some discussion within Class A of a Class C1 for 8 valve engines, a Classic Westfield  Class    

With the proposed amalgamation of the Novice and Experts in A/C and B/D,  I think it would be relatively easy to also award other minor sub-categories like Martin's proposed one for 8 valve engines... (even if it was just a title, rather than an award as such).  It'd at least be some recognition for the achievement... and if you manage to get the class win too... then that's a big bonus....

I like the sound of an 8 valve class.  

Who knows I may make a come back for that    

[Arm]

Its a lot of work to monitor and score a sub class.

Rob Navins 8V x flow did not have a power disadvantage.

How about an award for 4 speed boxes or 13 " wheels.

Non starter IMO

[Rob Navin]

Its a lot of work to monitor and score a sub class.

Rob Navins 8V x flow did not have a power disadvantage.

How about an award for 4 speed boxes or 13 " wheels.

Non starter IMO

Cool.  Its cot a 4 speed and will be on 13's if it ever sees the light of day again.

How many pots are there for this.

It may not have had a power disadvantage but it was limited by tallent.

[V 8]

Can we have a big chin class

What a sickener if Terry Overalls or Cast Iron won that aswell

[Paul@Plays-Kool]

Well, having spent lunch reading posts, and sampled the Speed series from year 1 (1998), I'd just like to add my 2p.

Lots of good ideas being discussed, regarding the points system and novice/expert status and awards, Im sure they will all get considered in due course.

I would agree with Ash about the sub classes, that's a nonsense, just too much work.

What I would like to say is a BIG thanks to all those involved in organising the speed series and it's associated events, over the many years.

They are all volunteers doing this in THEIR time, for our benifit.

It's too easy in the heat of the moment to forget this,  We might not always agree with what they do, but without them there's no speed series.

Thanks

[John Loudon - Sponsorship Liaison]

Here here Paul