64 replies to this topic

[Phil Rainford]

This picture of Josh Hill testing the 2012 spec Formula Renault car at Oulton Park may well become a collectors item as Renault pulled the plug on the Championship today; due to the fact that there were only six cars registered for series:

http://www.thechecke...-axed-for-2012/

This is only two weeks before the first round

I remember F3 going through some lean times in 1974/75 but I cannot remember a race series being cancelled so close to the first race

Has a similar thing happening in the past?

Kind regards

Phil

[MCS]

As you say Phil, Formula Three struggled when it went to 2-litre engines at the start of 1974, with several rounds run with FF1600 cars making up the field.

I may be dreaming, but wasn't a UK-based 2-litre sportscar series cancelled in the mid-to-late seventies? Maybe not, but what about the F100 sportscar series at the start of that decade? When was the 1972 championship actually cancelled?

[Option1]

Admittedly not exactly along the lines of Phil's question, but wasn't the much vaunted GP Masters series cancelled part way through its season?

And how long before failing to begin was the cancellation of A1GP's season?

Neil

[Victor_RO]

GT2 European Championship was supposed to start off in 2010, it was cancelled due to severe lack of entrants and the title was given to the winning team in the Spa 24 Hours that year.

[BRG]

Didn't Formula Classic expire after a couple of races? And Formula Talbot also ran out of steam?

[arttidesco]

IIRC the Simon Lewis Transport Books Formula Libre series at Castle Combe was cancelled last minuet last season so last minuet the series sponsor was not sure if the series was on or off the week before the first race !

[Thundersports]

British F2 in 1997 had one race with 3 cars before being cancelled.

[bsc]

Not perhaps nostalgic, but there have been a few new club series that have been called off in recent years without a race being held. As such we've been spared the relative delights of Formula Triple S, the Chevrolet Cruze Cup and North West Libre Sports/Saloons. Last year MSVR canned the Fiat Abarth Cup at this stage in the year, whilst the 750MC BMW Roadster Challenge failed to muster an entry.

[Collombin]

The AAA National Championship of 1917 got pulled before any racing could take place, and did we ever establish what happened to the 1905 championship in the end?

[ensign14]

Formula Cisitalia or whatever it was meant to be called lasted I think 1 race, in Egypt...

[Stephen W]

As you say Phil, Formula Three struggled when it went to 2-litre engines at the start of 1974, with several rounds run with FF1600 cars making up the field.

The same happened in 1972 when they switched to 1600cc engines - you would have thought the powers that be would have learned?

Oh no, I forget it was the RAC/MSA they never learn!

[Suzy]

Spoke to a couple of the FRUK drivers before the series was pulled; one of them reckoned he'd have to find £250,000 just to run the season and it was impossible in the current economic climate. He also said he thought the series had got too expensive regardless of the economic situation. It's a shame for those few drivers who had got themselves sorted out (only 6 of them mind) and I hope their efforts won't go to waste completely.

[Ray Bell]

We've seen some series truncated here...

The 1978 Australian Gold Star series lost its final round, but losing a round mid-stream has always been a possibility with our premier openwheeler formulae here.

The ARCOGraphite series, IIRC, was cut short too. I seem to recall something about the sponsor not keeping his end of the bargain. Does anyone remember with more detail?

[john aston]

Although not a massive fan of spec formulae this is a great shame as FRs were attractive looking cars and extremely quick- not much slower than F3. I suspect this leaves us with far more historic single seater formulae than contemporay ones- we have F3 (and fewer rounds in UK than I would like ) , sundry Formula Fords and Jedi etc. How I miss FF1600, 2000, F3 , F2 as regular staples at UK circuits. Bit like club football I suspect- all the money floats to premier/ F1 leaving bugger all left. Apart from the repmobile crashfest of BTCC that is...

[RA Historian]

CART had announced a "B" series for 1985, just for what type of car now escapes me, but when only two entries were received for the first round, at Milwaukee, the series was axed. They tried again the next year with the American Racing Series, with spec March cars and Buick non turbo engines, and this of course did happen.

In the US this year we may be seeing another instance of folding before running with the silly "Unlimited Racing Series". This series that no one asked for was announced with big fanfare last September, promising a full slate of races accompanying the ALMS in 2012. Essentially, nothing has been heard since, and their web site is just the same as it was last September. It won't be missed.
Tom

[Rob]

British F2 in 1997 had one race with 3 cars before being cancelled.

I think Dino Morelli won that race. I also think Gonzalo Rodriguez was one of the other drivers. As for the third, I'm not sure.

[Mallory Dan]

Formula Ford Turbo was canned in 85 I think, maybe 86. A bit like FF2000 with a turbo engine as I rceall.

[bsc]

I think Dino Morelli won that race. I also think Gonzalo Rodriguez was one of the other drivers. As for the third, I'm not sure.

Tommy Field was the third driver.

[arttidesco]

Essentially, nothing has been heard since, and their web site is just the same as it was last September. It won't be missed.

Tom

I take it you did not attend the 2012 Ranchero Mirage Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance at Palm Springs Tom

[Thundersports]

I think Dino Morelli won that race. I also think Gonzalo Rodriguez was one of the other drivers. As for the third, I'm not sure.

Along with a safety car intervention due to "debris" on the track! Which I can only guess was the remains of the organisers credibility...........

[Henri Greuter]

Not exactly canned and never taking place and maybe I am off with the year it happened:


World Sportscars Championship 1992 or (1993?) was initially axed short before the season started because of too less cars. Peugeot and Toyota then succeeded in having it revived after all but that was the end of the then current Group C.
Thanks to Bernie......

Henri

[MCS]

...Thanks to Bernie......

Henri

Not to mention Mosley, who fell asleep during the first few laps of the IMSA GTP race at Portland the previous year...

[JtP1]

Caravan racing in the early 70s. But that may be down to the delays and costs of cleaning the track after the race.

[RA Historian]

I take it you did not attend the 2012 Ranchero Mirage Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance at Palm Springs Tom ;)

No, I did not! But I have serious reservations about it ever flying. Who would want to pay over half a million dollars for a M8F look alike when the real thing can be purchased for half the amount. Caution, harsh words coming: Just another opportunity for those with bigger wallets than talent to show off.
Tom

[arttidesco]

Caution, harsh words coming: Just another opportunity for those with bigger wallets than talent to show off.

Tom

So the NuArt Can Am is a C d'E car before the show ever got started, I wonder if it will put in an appearance at Pebble Beech ?

[aportinga]

GreenPrix never even got an engine for the rolling chassis to hold a race in 2008.

[RTH]

I think it is all a lot more serious this time and we are likely to see many race and rally events cancelled as a culmination of run away costs for competitors over the last decade or so.

[Graham Clayton]

The NASCAR Speedway division was cancelled after only 5 races (3 championship and 2 non-championship) of the 1953 season.

[renault1870]

The first race in A1GPs season that didn't happen was cancelled 5 days before the first practice session of the first race. A1GP had a messy ending in the months after with cars being impounded and court cases. The series was set for a revival as A10 World Series in Oct 2011, but nothing came of it with no announcement of what happened

[Ralliart]

Didn't Can Am die with the Shadow cars doing a demonstration at Laguna Seca? I had Pete Lyons' book on the Can Am at one time and it seems to me it ended that way only for the series to be revived in the late 70's.

[E1pix]

Didn't Can Am die with the Shadow cars doing a demonstration at Laguna Seca? I had Pete Lyons' book on the Can Am at one time and it seems to me it ended that way only for the series to be revived in the late 70's.

The last official race of the original Can-Am Challenge Cup was at Road America on 8-25-74, won by Scooter Patrick after both Shadows of Jackie Oliver and George Follmer failed to finish. One of the Shadows, Oliver's I think, blew up and the other had a terminal gearbox or other driveline issue. This was longtime Can-Ammer Patrick's only win in the Series, and a quite popular victory at that, driving the US Racing McLaren M20 (Edit: ex-Revson).

I'll never forget the cool-down lap as the fans all waved at the drivers. Those in the know knew we were waving Goodbye to debatedly the greatest Series the world will ever know. I was 14, and likely wept.

It seems I recall that Can-Am Rounds were scheduled at both Laguna Seca and Riverside... regardless both were cancelled. There may have been a demonstration run at Laguna, most assuredly full of equally-tearful fans if so, but Road America was really the accepted finale to the real Can-Am.

In 1975 and 1976, IMHO, partly due to the demise of the Can-Am, Formula 5000 reached its absolute zenith in the States. Then SCCA, in what I'd call one magnificent blunder — and hot on the heels of their failure to restrict the Can-Am quickly enough which helped kill it — added fenders to F5000 cars and "re-released" a new Series now commonly referred to as the "Can-Am II." No comparison to the original Series in any way, shape, or form.

I specifically recall going into 9th grade within days of the last Can-Am, if not the very next day... and again in 11th grade, wandering around aimlessly when F5000 effectively died... thinking "My God, what have they done?"

Edited by E1pix, 23 March 2012 - 09:38.

[Derwent Motorsport]

There have been a fair numbe rof race series proposed but never came to anything. I seem to remember one for Escort Cosworths and was there not one for V8 sillouette cars using the same chassis with lookalike shells?
In Scotland we had series for Caterhams and Radicals that did not get much support and were merged into the local sports/saloon races. Last year there was a proposed Ginetta Junior series at KH which never appeared.
There is no doubt that in these belt tightening times we are seeing races and rallies canned. This weekend's British Championship Rally has had 2 stages pulled as just 27 cars entered the international section. If they had run the stages the club would have lost over £16K. Quite a few club level rallies have not run in the last 2 years and others have run at a loss. Clubs are not there to sustain loss making events.
I would not be surrpised if we saw a race meeting or two cancelled due to a shortage of entries this year.

[Allen Brown]

The 1971 USAC Road Racing Division had almost all its rounds cancelled and eventually ran just a single two-part race at Seattle:
http://www.oldracing...php?RaceID=U71A
http://www.oldracing...php?RaceID=U71B

The 1983 British Open series was canned after just one race:
http://www.oldracing...php?RaceID=B83A

British F3 in 1974 was mentioned earlier. True it did start weakly but was doing pretty well by mid-year. Its stars included Brian Henton, Tony Rouff, Danny Sullivan and Alex Dias Ribeiro. As well as the change of engine rules, it also suffered because of the competition from Formula Atlantic but before the end of 1975, that battle had been decisively won by F3.

[LittleChris]

There may have been a demonstration run at Laguna, most assuredly full of equally-tearful fans if so, but Road America was really the accepted finale to the real Can-Am.

Wasn't there a Shadow demo at Watkins Glen ?

Edited by LittleChris, 24 March 2012 - 21:13.

[E1pix]

Sounds a bit familiar, but I don't know.

[Tim Murray]

Discussed in this thread:

The second 'Shadow Showdown' at Laguna Seca, 1974 (merged)

[E1pix]

Thanks Tim, I recall the 'showdowns' now.

Shame Follmer was rumored to have been disallowed winning the last Can-Am series.

He was on average a full second quicker than Ollie on 4 of the 5 grids, though Ollie had 3 of 5 fast laps.

[Amphicar]

What about ProCar, the late '80s race series that never was? As I recall, it was Bernie Ecclestone's brilliant idea for the major car manufacturers to compete with F1-engined silhouette saloon cars. Unfortunately, only Alfa Romeo took the idea seriously enough to actually build a car = so the series was scrapped without a race being run.

[arttidesco]

What about ProCar, the late '80s race series that never was? As I recall, it was Bernie Ecclestone's brilliant idea for the major car manufacturers to compete with F1-engined silhouette saloon cars. Unfortunately, only Alfa Romeo took the idea seriously enough to actually build a car = so the series was scrapped without a race being run.

But Bernie did build ALFA a cool car and IIRC then sold them the factory that built it.

[Jesper O. Hansen]

The 1974 Trans-Am series consisted of only three races, of which the 6 hour Watkins Glen World Endurance Championship was one. I would guess the OPEC oil crisis was part of it.

Jesper

[Graham Clayton]

It was mentioned earlier in the thread that the 1997 British F2/F3000 championship was cancelled after only one race. The 1995 championship didn't even achieve a race, due to only one entry being received, namely the Madgwick International car for Swedish driver Peter Olsson.

[Graham Clayton]

Slightly off topic, but the 1987 Australian Sports Car/GT Championship was shortened from six rounds to three. The three races that made up the championship were held at Calder Park (March 1), Amaroo Park (17 May) and Sandown (13 September). Lakeside (5 April), Adelaide International Raceway (3rd May)  and Winton (30 August) were the three circuits who had their round cancelled. Does anyone know why these particular rounds were cancelled, rather than cancelling the whole series?

[Dick Dastardly]

I think this year's British Rally Championship should be cancelled. I know next year's is cancelled anyway but this year's record is:

Round 1   North Wales Rally - Cancelled

Round 2   Pirelli Rally - Ran OK

Round 3   Jim Clark Rally - Spectator Fatalities - Rally shortened

Round 4   Scottish Rally - Ran OK

Round 5   Ulster Rally - Driver Fatality - Rally Cancelled after that

Round 6   Isle of Man  - Yet to happen

 

So, it's based on 2 events so far, 3 if IoM runs OK.....but given the year British Rallying has had, whoever wins BRC won't feel like celebrating it

Better to pull the plug I feel....

[chunder27]

British rally championship is a total embarassment to be honest

 

Most young drivers seem to want to do something else or rally locally.

 

I do not think I can remember a series so badly run and maitained over the years.

 

it is a proper embarassment to UK rallying

[Rob Ryder]

The British F3 Championship should take some beating... a brilliant 5 entries at the last round and only 1 from Britain 

I remember how it used to be, and it reduces me to tears....

Rob

[john aston]

Me too Rob; and some which deserve cancellation are the risibly thin gridded Carrera Cup supporting BTCC , the GT3 Championship(entry of 5 when I saw it ) and the "Chevron" GR8 series which had 8. I think and hope the latter two have already been killed off

[Paul Taylor]

Hardly surprising when the technology gets unnecessarily more sophisticated every year and the costs become insane.

[Graham Clayton]

The 2015 Australian Extreme Rallycross series was cancelled after just one event due to "a lack of commercial viability":

http://www.speedcafe...llycross-axing/

[Michael Ferner]

CART tried to launch a "B series" in 1985, not sure how far they got. Reason for failure given in 1986 was "lack of entries".

[RA Historian]

CART tried to launch a "B series" in 1985, not sure how far they got. Reason for failure given in 1986 was "lack of entries".

Remember that well. It was for older Indy car chassis, probably with some engine restrictions. There was such a race scheduled for Milwaukee in June, 1985, but as Michael says, was cancelled. That was because only two cars were entered. That was the end of that, because no other promoter had the least bit of interest.

 

However, the very next year, the American Racing Series "B Series" was launched, with spec March chassis and pushrod Buick V-6 engines. That survived mainly because the series itself entered "house cars" in the early years in order to have an entry that reached double digits.

 

Tom