Newbie Speed Series Questions

[Mid life crisis]

my interpretation is that the application of this rule will be at the discretion of the competitor and the SS comittee to ensure that the novice classes are exactly that and for novices with little previous experience and kept as such for fair sport and so as to prevent pot hunting from other championships.

 

 

Novices in classes A&B can compete for full overall honours over 10 rounds in the same way as classes C-F.  I can't see anywhere where it states that only experts are elegable for the overall championship?

 

Well that is a possitive move forward for this years drivers in A & B, I take it they will also have their own target times for A & B to reflect the novice status of these classes.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

Well that is a possitive move forward for this years drivers in A & B, I take it they will also have their own target times for A & B to reflect the novice status of these classes.

http://forum.wscc.co.uk/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_id=201

A and B do have different target times

[Mid life crisis]

Perfect

[AdamR]

Novices in classes A&B can compete for full overall honours over 10 rounds in the same way as classes C-F.  I can't see anywhere where it states that only experts are elegable for the overall championship?

That's my fault - I missed out the novices (by accident) in my description, sorry! I will edit that now...

 

my interpretation is that the application of this rule will be at the discretion of the competitor and the SS comittee to ensure that the novice classes are exactly that and for novices with little previous experience and kept as such for fair sport and so as to prevent pot hunting from other championships.

That's what I gathered too. Personally I think it would be better to make this boundary black and white rather than grey if possible - but obviously the complexity involved in doing so would be difficult.

 

The reason I asked about this is that I would consider myself right on the line between the two classifications - I wouldn't stand a chance of awards (without an extra 60bhp and a different set of wheels and tyres) in the 'expert' category but wouldn't want to be considered a pot-hunter in the novice classification should I do alright, given that I have done a small amount of racing, which could well be a lot more experience than a 'true' novice who has only done a couple of track days.

 

I'm just awkward

[Mid life crisis]

I was in a similar position when I first started sprinting, never been in competition on a track before, no idea of lines etc. So genuinly considered myself a novice to sprinting.

 

 

Notwithstanding some 20odd years previously I competed in Rallying quite successfully to a National level. However driving a rally car at full chat through the muddy Welsh forests at night in the rain is a completly different style of driving to that of competing in a lightweight car on race tracks.

 

 

Not sure if I would of been considered a novice under the new rules. I guess the measure could be how the top SS drivers would consider their skill level to be, if placed in that rally car "Expert" or "Novice"

 

[davidgh]

Personally I think it would be better to make this boundary black and white rather than grey if possible - but obviously the complexity involved in doing so would be difficult.

 

Adam

 

Both the Club committee and the SSOT much prefer to deal with black-and-white rules  --  if only as there can then be no accusation of "playing favourites".

However, we've failed to come up with a clear formulation on this.

We have, in the past, had newcomers to the series joining as novices (quite legitimately when that status was defined in black and white only in terms of sprint experience) who have turned out to have years of experience in other forms of motor sport (rally, kart and racing). If we were to stick purely with the "twenty SS events" rule, we could (theoretically) find that we were suddenly faced with applications from currently unemployed gentlemen called things like "Michael", or "Kamui". In truth, the rather grey prohibition on significant experience (which, in extremis, could lead to a competitor being reclassified during the season) is really there to encourage potential newbies to be fair to one another.

 

HTH in terms of your class selection,

 

David

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

To follow up from David's reply, if a competitor is unsure he should outline his experience and PM or email to me. So that I can put it front of the Speed Series Organising Team ( SSOT) for a decision. This is made up of 7 experienced competitors who decide the rules.

[alexander72]

Good thread - i'm a novice in an "experienced car" but look forward to the next few months when I can get out there and have a go.... 

[dreed]

Stephenh, you said near the beginning of this thread that towpoints were a requirement front and back, my copy of the 2013 Blue Book states they are recommended S10.1.15, wouldn't want someone spending hard earned money on some thing that is not essential, although must admit it does make sense, maybe I'll fit them next year.

Dave

[stephenh]

If you have a full cage on an open car then you have a tow point (eg a top front corner of the cage) so that isn't the problem, It is however supposed to be "marked" so the marshalls know where to attach a tow rope. If the car is then damaged by towing from the marked point that is the competitor's fault for marking an unsuitable tow point, and not the fault of the marshall for choosing an unsuitable point.

Yet another example of the consequences of our litigeous society. So many people, if they suffer loss, look for someone else to blame.    

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

If you have a full cage on an open car then you have a tow point (eg a top front corner of the cage) so that isn't the problem, It is however supposed to be "marked" so the marshalls know where to attach a tow rope. If the car is then damaged by towing from the marked point that is the competitor's fault for marking an unsuitable tow point, and not the fault of the marshall for choosing an unsuitable point.

Yet another example of the consequences of our litigeous society. So many people, if they suffer loss, look for someone else to blame.    

 

That was one of the reasons for it, but the main one was to speed up the car recovery. You wouldn't believe the number of times the recovery crews turn up to pull a vehicle in and ask the driver and he hasn't got a clue. Now at least hopefully they will have to think about it before they compete.

 

Also you are unfortunatley so right about looking for someone else to blame, if we are not careful that will kill Motorsport int he UK.

[AdamR]

HTH in terms of your class selection,

 

David

 

 

To follow up from David's reply, if a competitor is unsure he should outline his experience and PM or email to me. So that I can put it front of the Speed Series Organising Team ( SSOT) for a decision. This is made up of 7 experienced competitors who decide the rules.

 

Thanks David and Nick

[lenny65]

dont know if its been covered but last season at one of the souths best hillclimb locations i was told by the scruteneer that your not allowed to be towed by your roll cage

[Nick Algar - Competition Secretary]

dont know if its been covered but last season at one of the souths best hillclimb locations i was told by the scruteneer that your not allowed to be towed by your roll cage

 

Interesting comment. seeing as most racing cars are towed by theirs and I have seen loads of cars safely towed in this way.I'll have a look through the Blue Book see if I can find anything. But it doesn't sound right to me, I can partly understand the comment in that the cage is a safety device and so sacrasanct to scrutineers.

[lenny65]

nick, apparently it was something to do with a car getting either pulled over or damaged when being towed by a full cage.