Pathetic grids

Edited by Doug Nye, 27 May 2012 - 08:39.

Can someone explain current GT racing to me? We have GT1, GT2, GT3, GT4, GT789 for all I know! What's the difference? I'm a huge fan of '60's GT cars and racing yet I find I have very little interest in GT racing now, and if I'm not interested then how can they expect the general public to be? Rant over.

.....Then you look at the 1992 world sportscar championship. From its 11 starters, the Monza 500km had precisely one classified finisher...

I've long held the opinion that Le Mans and similar races should be held for production cars, even if they are limited production models like the Pagani for example. Endurance races should be about speed AND reliability - it improves the breed. (mind you, those Audi diesels usually finish as far as I can make out). If you have slower cars, you have reduced safety concerns, and hopefully therefore larger grids can be allowed. The lower costs of preparation will entice more entrants.

Am I being naive?

I'd go for a road registered in California production series at Le Mans that should eliminate some of the monkey business around what production means

BOT it only takes two vehicles to make a race as any drag event will demonstrate. Is/was there not an FIA sanctioned Drag series if so then the run off for the final will surely have only had two contestants ? Sorry I called you Shirely, I'll get my coat

1958 Argentinian GP - 10 starters (I suspect this was related to the cost of getting cars over there from Europe)

2005 USGP......6 starters

Can someone explain current GT racing to me? We have GT1, GT2, GT3, GT4, GT789 for all I know! What's the difference? I'm a huge fan of '60's GT cars and racing yet I find I have very little interest in GT racing now, and if I'm not interested then how can they expect the general public to be? Rant over.

Precisely. The most telling factor limiting that small entry was the extremely late announcement that the race really would take place...and really would count towards the World Championship competition.

DCN

One make series- forget it- with hon exceptions of TVR Tuscans and BMW M1s

Good points all.
Grid sizes are directly proportional to the cost of competing and the ability of that group to pay for it .
I remember a competitors meeting in the winter of 89-90 in the Silverstone club house for potential competitors in the BRDC British Group C championship. It all sounded good we had a C2 Tiga the room was packed with 100 plus interested parties right at the end they annouced there would be an extra registration fee of £2500 ( which bought you nothing).

First round end March 1990 - 3 cars entered ! (and not us ) panic set in they cancelled the fee I think 6 cars started but the damage was done grids were barely double figures for all the rounds and it was cancelled for 1991

That story triggers some less than pleasant memories. At the time, I, too, was planning to do the British Gr C series, in my self-built C2 car. However, I was turned down by the BRDC when they realised that my car had an 1800 BDT engine, the club stating that they did not wish cars with turbocharged engines to start in their series! It should be mentioned that the BDT was a much cheaper alternative than a DFV, and perfectly legal in C2 at the time. The club informed me that I would be welcome to enter, if I fitted a BDG engine...

So we did the Interserie instead. They welcomed us with open arms, even offering travel allowances for us.

Interesting any photos Doc.

Can someone explain current GT racing to me? We have GT1, GT2, GT3, GT4, GT789 for all I know! What's the difference? I'm a huge fan of '60's GT cars and racing yet I find I have very little interest in GT racing now, and if I'm not interested then how can they expect the general public to be? Rant over.

It is a spiral. Series like the FIA GT1 lose viewing figures, so sponsorship dries up, so there are less racers and thus less people watch.

I saw some of the first race on Channel 4 and the production quality looked more like a minor UK club meet, certainly not a top FIA series. This equally does not attract viewers who these days expect sleekly produced television.

Edited by Doug Nye, 30 May 2012 - 06:44.

this weekend at Silverstone the Blancpain series has 53 entries . So why does the world "GT1" or should that be GT3 pretending to be GT1 have so few entries?

When did you see this? Do not recall this only GT3 on Motors TV.May have been listed for ESPN or some such which I do not get,as extra subscription required-already paying sky £60 per month

And now it appears possible that the FIA will take over the WRC. Tiny rally entries anyone ?

WRC appears to have been dying for a decade.

The first Formula F100 race at Oulton Park on 14th March 1970 had just 4 entries - the grid was bulked up with Clubmens cars. Those that turned up were: Ray Allen, Peter Denham and Vivian Taulford-Cook (Royales) with Nick Cole (Nerus).

Then in 1971 at the F2 Mallory meeting on 14th March despite the programme carrying no less than 25 entirs only three cars turned up : Brendan McInerney (BT35), James Hunt (713) and Roger Williamson (713). Again the grid was bulked up this time with FF1600s.

Edited by Chris Townsend, 02 June 2012 - 21:18.

A pedantic historian writes, four F3s showed up for that first race of the 1600cc formula at Mallory, which was I think actually run on the 13th March, but Colin Vandervell, who qualified second, failed to start with a broken oil pump on his BT35. Of the three that started only two scored points as Hunt was disqualified with a leaking air restrictor.

Terribly sorry Chris, obviously Mallory put the wrong date on their programme.

I was wondering how the BARC fitted in two heats of F2 plus a BOC FF race, plus the F3s - looking at my copy of that programme I see that the F3 race is event 5.
As the BOC round was scheduled as the preceding event 4 did the nine formula fords that had just finished their race just go straight to the assembly area to join up with the F3s? (And in the cases of Harness and Rouse skipping their celebrations for second and third)
The FFs that ran as "grid fillers" in F3 weren't non qualifiers - there weren't any, only 16 started the BOC race - they were people who'd finished in the top ten FF.
So, this suggests to me that the races ran in a different order, until I looked again at my programme I'd wondered if they'd run it on the Saturday afternoon.