Nationals preferential entries?

[spenner]

If it isn't broke don't fix it !!!
We should look at why our Nationals are so popular ???
I for one would love to see Drescher, Moore, Booth, and others running, but why should the next Cragg be pushed out for these big names ???

The only thing would be to do 1 big meeting for the top drivers, just like the pro line and Neo meeting!!!

When i was first racing back in 98 Lee Martin, Darren Bloomfield and Tony Truman to name a couple were those drivers that were happy to get in. Hope you see what im saying.

Other than a big meeting, get to Regionals and support the sport as a whole.

[loose]

Originally Posted by jimmy

Well, not neceserally - since as the series continues to grow, adding even more great drivers (albeit in a limited / guest way) would likely draw in yet more racers (growing the sport is the idea anyway) and push us even further down the list!
It's fine and dandy wanting it to remain possible for us all to race, but that view isn't compatible with wanting the sport (10th off road) to get bigger.

That photo is a few years ago before I hurt my back, it's a santacruz super8.

Not sure i agree, i think the best way to get people interested is to get them involved. If they're not getting into events cos there's an elite clique getting priority thats only gonna discourage them. I think the idea of one off invitiational events is the best way to get big names in and allow Joe Public to watch. Not nick Joes own series.

Scale it down, if I'd been looking forward to running regionals all year, changing personal commitments in the hope of getting in, then some sponsored bloke got the nod instead of me cos he was in the area and fancied a blast, I'd be a tad cheesed off.

You just gotta remember that for every wildcard you give out, its taking the place of someone who'd probably get waaaay more out of competing.

Not having a pop, I admire you for constantly looking at ways to improve things, just dont quite agree this time.

Out of interest, why dont they have a one off equivalent of the F3,4 and 5 event at the end of the season for the F1 and 2's?

[ashleyb4]

oh how did you hurt your back jimmy??

A

[Lee]

To be honest and this may annoy some people, the national series is to decide who is the best in the uk so i would prefer to see the likes of Craig D get a place over little johnny. I know little johnny has a right to be there but there has to be a point where common sense prevails.

An invitational sounds an awesome idea too

[ashleyb4]

Why dont we have oOple international race.

A

[spenner]

Everyone would like to see the best drivers compete for the Championship, but this wasn't the question.
The question was these drivers competing in one off meetings in place of little Johnny.
If they booked in for the whole series then by all means we should look to fit them in.
I bet Jimmy is loving this now, everybody will have a good case. Perhaps we should move nationals to 12 weekends a year!!!
2wd x 6 you could have 250 drivers same as 4wd x6

[loose]

Originally Posted by Lee

To be honest and this may annoy some people, the national series is to decide who is the best in the uk so i would prefer to see the likes of Craig D get a place over little johnny. I know little johnny has a right to be there but there has to be a point where common sense prevails.

An invitational sounds an awesome idea too

Yeah, its a national SERIES. If craig D enters 1 event he's not gonna trouble the overall leaderboard is he. If they want to win the National series cool, they can get their entry in and kick little johnnys butt and no-one will complain.

Dont get me wrong, the few top boys I've seen seem pretty level headed (Cragg's marshalled my car and done a grand job) but its the idea of them cherry picking events when they have no intention of completing the series, pushing out some guy who's had his fingers crossed for a place in the process. Thats what doesn't quite sit right with me.

You can cover the positives of everyone watching the best racers who cant commit to the National series by running an invitational as agreed. If that was anything like as succesful as say the Neo you're laughin!

I'll stop waffling now

[loose]

Originally Posted by spenner

Everyone would like to see the best drivers compete for the Championship, but this wasn't the question.
The question was these drivers competing in one off meetings in place of little Johnny.
If they booked in for the whole series then by all means we should look to fit them in.
I bet Jimmy is loving this now, everybody will have a good case. Perhaps we should move nationals to 12 weekends a year!!!
2wd x 6 you could have 250 drivers same as 4wd x6

yeah man!!!

[jimmy]

Originally Posted by loose

Not sure i agree, i think the best way to get people interested is to get them involved. If they're not getting into events cos there's an elite clique getting priority thats only gonna discourage them. I think the idea of one off invitiational events is the best way to get big names in and allow Joe Public to watch. Not nick Joes own series.

Scale it down, if I'd been looking forward to running regionals all year, changing personal commitments in the hope of getting in, then some sponsored bloke got the nod instead of me cos he was in the area and fancied a blast, I'd be a tad cheesed off.

You just gotta remember that for every wildcard you give out, its taking the place of someone who'd probably get waaaay more out of competing.

Not having a pop, I admire you for constantly looking at ways to improve things, just dont quite agree this time.

Out of interest, why dont they have a one off equivalent of the F3,4 and 5 event at the end of the season for the F1 and 2's?

I appreciate your thoughts mate - and probably a one-off event would be better. But you have to remember the series is one of the best in the world, you just don't get series like this in the USA because the distances are so huge. So right now, the Nationals are the top level in the UK.
What does the so-called 'elite clique' give you? It gives you exposure, it gives sponsors an interest, it brings sponsorship and money and investment into the racing. It means maybe a manufacturer bothers to come to the races, maybe your top F5 gets a free car suddenly - maybe that also filters down to regional and club levels, creating more interest and bringing more racers into the hobby.
Ok - I'm drawing a bit much out of it there, but you can surely see my point. There are plus points above and beyond the visual entertainment of it.


I don't go out of my way exactly to promote 'the hobby' and get new racers involved - but I've had many emails and chats with people who've started racing / re-started because they liked my website. I'm not saying that because I want a medal or somet, I just think that exposure is a good thing.
You get Andy Moore racing at a National - then maybe all those kids who race touring cars will see the light!

[jimmy]

Originally Posted by ashleyb4

Why dont we have oOple international race.

A

lol, we talked about that a while ago - sadly I'm too lazy

[Northy]

Originally Posted by jimmy

lol, we talked about that a while ago - sadly I'm too lazy

I'm sure with a few of the oOple team (and contributors ) we could sort someting Jimmy

G

[Lee]

I have seen the light jim!! And enjoying racing again!!!

[loose]

yeah I can see where you're coming from Jimmy, I suppose if there's nothing of a similar level in some countries maybe it would be fair enough to allow a few international top boys in occasionally. Is the touring car scene for example so much bigger that it can draw that level of sponsor and manufacturer involvement? If so, maybe the idea could be tried for a year, see if the pros outweight the cons.

Only concern is that of you have such waiting lists already, then isn't the scene already booming? And the sponsors aren't giving that level of backing yet.

I suppose you dont know till you try, would just need to be wary that to keep people interested you need to keep them involved.

I'm prepared to cede a bit of ground if confronted by reasonable arguments

And yeah, your site's groovy. Without it, and the contacts we've made on here, me and my newbie mates might not be having as much fun as we are!

[Chris Doughty]

sorry, I agree with Jimmy here.

also, 120 is the 'max' entrys that are normal, so if you have 125 places plus 5 wildcards that means 5 more 'jonnys' get to race than 'normal'

I know most (proberbly every) 2WD this year is 130 'jonnys' but the BRCA only added the extra 10 to cater for the demand.

the national series is the absolute best series to race in within the UK, why not make sure the best people race?

I know up and coming stars of the future might not get in as 'early' but once they are quick and 'earn' their place through regional series then they will start to get preferance and be well inside the 120 (or 125) cut-off


another note, sponsors follow the big names, thats why Moore and Rheinard got the HotBodies guy over HERE (UK) for the Neo-Race... who knows, some F5 kid might get to keep Rheinards car afterwards because they can't fit it in their luggage on the way home??? what is it really going to cost HB to do that? FAR less than the exposure it would give them

[bigred5765]

stuff that there no different than anyone else if you cant be bothered to put your entries in on time its your problem,
join the Que

[ashleyb4]

Yea northy come on jimmy that would be ace. Im sure one of the tracks wouldnt mind holding it and it would be good publicity for oople.

A

[bigred5765]

good idea on somelike like a race of champions though, once a year would be the b++++++s me think's all the top f1 / f2 drivers and possibly some international drivers, then fillin with us bods

[Chris Doughty]

Originally Posted by bigred5765

stuff that there no different than anyone else if you cant be bothered to put your entries in on time its your problem,
join the Que

so someone like Brian Kinward is over to help out his X-Factory boys should enter all the UK nationals just in case and then drop out of the ones he will not do?

I think the thing Jimmy is trying to promote is this kind of thing that happened at Bury Metro a year or so ago, Jukka and Travis over to try a bit of UK racing, this bumped the profile and exposure of UK nationals quite a bit during the time of this event.

other potential situations are things like BK coming over, Rheinard, Moore, Spashett having a go.

then you would get more distributors at UK nationals, they would see some of the super talented up and coming drivers, possibly provide some assistance to their racing etc etc....

[bigred5765]

but if they know there coming over they could book in for the ones they need early enough, so as not to bump some poor Joe out, like soory you poor f4 f5 driver but a yank is coming over and we would rather have him than you,i dont think so

[jimmy]

Uhmmmm, that is exactly how it currently works carl - the top drivers are given preference.
My 'idea' is that 'other' top drivers who don't comply with current entry rules could also get entry, and limit that to a handful.