Tec forum 15th Nov

[Mr Happy]

So what are we going to ban?

 

class 5: no bike engines, no sequential gear boxs. No 2 way dampers no red, yellow or pink cars.

 

 

TM

[robmar]

troublemakers 😳

[Gill E]

Class 5: no male drivers 😬

 

Gill

Drowned Rat Racing

[GrahamV]

I may have to duck out of the Tech Forum as my wife has a train to catch - so there are a couple of points I’d like to raise:

 

1) At one of the meetings this year (Loton Park?) Mark D presented the marshals with a couple of bottles of wine to raffle. I think this is a brilliant idea and something we should do more of. We all recognise that the marshals do a great job and I suggest we provide a ‘Marshals Prize’ at each meeting in 2010 – it may cost an extra few quid on our annual entry fee but it would be a great way of showing that the Lotus 7 Club appreciate their efforts. I also think it would reflect well on the Club;

 

2) MSA Regs - I read that a ‘spillage kit’ for fuel and oil is strongly recommended for Jan 2010 and mandatory for 2011. Could there be a case for the club buying a few kits and competitors paying for the kit if they have to use it?

 

3) I know that novices always get a warm welcome on their first event but I think we could formalise it: my recommendation is that for his/her first event a novice is allocated a ‘buddy’ in the same class and the buddy would take the novice through sign-on, scrutineering, course walking, lining up for the first run, advice on tyre warming, etc… generally taking the pressure off their first event. At my first event I went to scrutineering without my helmet 🙆🏻

 

4) Shelsley Walsh – first of all let me say that I’m not complaining that I didn’t get an entry !!! I understand that entries are very limited and there has to be a seeding system. However I think there could be more transparency and greater explanation in how the decision is reach – I know a couple of competitors had a good winge to me about the situation.

 

5) Safety:

Full cage or roll bar – I think that at some future date all competitors need to move to a full cage. There have been a couple of incidents this year which could have been very serious.

Safety belts – should we have a Club Championship rule that all seat belts have to be 3 inch straps (rather than 2 inch) and have to be ‘in date’? I feel much more secure in new belts with anti-diving design.

 

Only minor points – I have had a brilliant time this year and the Competition’s Secretary and the Club have done us all proud. Thanks and roll on Goodwood 2010 …

 

See you Sunday,

 

Graham

 

[robmar]

Hi Graham - the event usually runs for afew hours as people chat, go around the site etc so even if you are going to be late I wouldn't worry too much, and hope to see you at some point.

 

to follow up on your points

 

1. I am not sure if we don't do that already, Mark would know

2. good idea, I know some people carry around a group of spares we can all use, I woul dbe happy to add some funds ino this as well

3. I think it is great for new comers to be given as much support as needed, some I guess would want more than others. Plus I guess maybe some might not want a buddy. It should be easy enough to match the entry list against our list of novice competitors to find out who they are and maybe for a local to them to get in touch and see what if any help they need...

4. transparency is always good, I joined the MAC just to get a place this year and It is the best way to get a place at SW IMO

5. Safety is always paramount, and there has been a move to full cages for some, however I suspect it would becme very hard to get new people to enter if they are forced to run a full cage. Especially for those hardy soles who travel to events. As long as we conform to all the MSA requirements for safety I am happy with that rather than introuducing specific ones for just our club IMO. Of course we do state that you must run at leas the FIA bar and petty strut for our championship.

 

In my case on #5 the cage certainly saved me some pain, however if the branches had been pointing at me rather than across me the cage would have been of minimal use.

 

Rob

 

 

[Simon.Rogers1]

Hi Graham.

 

Great minds think alike 😶‍🌫️

 

1. I can confirm this was done at every event this year and will continue.

2. On my list of please Miss to the Treasurer I thought 2 sets to be carried by us as part of the "spares" kit.

3. Great idea. Glad you've put your hand up to organise this Graham. Its always best if a recent convert does something like this as you know what was needed. We can discuss this next year when we have our list of Novice entries.

4. It is transparent and has been openly discussed in the past but perhaps as a newbie you missed out on this. I sill suggest we post this up as an attachment to the regs and it will cover any event where there is a restricted entry.

5. Mark and I hope to bring good news about this to the forum.

 

Management Team Member

 

If in doubt.......Flat out!

[Mark Durrant]

Graham

 

1. We did present the wine at every round (including Curborough) and it was only Loton Park that wanted a formal presentation. All clubs were extremely grateful and it will continue next year.

 

2. I agree with Simon and will check with our MSA Clerk of the Course to see if this would be acceptable.

 

3. Agreed and although not formal most people do get assistance.

 

4. The process is transparent and I make sure the process is explained when the regs are circulated. I think you will find that everyone who has entered has had the opportunity to drive the hill within the first 2-3yrs of entering the event.

 

5. We will provide an update at the Tech Forum however, we have to be careful as the last thing I want to do is make a cage mandatory thus precluding a large number of hobby/part time sprinters competing or novices dipping their toe in the water.

 

Mark D

 

Edited by - Mark Durrant on 11 Nov 2009 18:19:16

[CaterBram]

As a newbie to Caterham's and also a novie in next year's championship when the regs and applications come out I probably have an outsiders view at present.

 

1) Fantastic,

2) Spillage kit's are a great idea, but with my work head on I've got to ask the question of what size, Spillage kit's are normally rated in litres they can absorb ranging from 15litres for around £25, up to 500 litre kit's for nearly a grand. If a kit is recommended then it would be beneficial to agree what size.

3) from what i've seen of competitors this year while in a support role and the amount of advice from both competitors and this forum this seems already to be in place. But any advice & Assistance is always welcome and agree that probably all that is needed is an understanding among experienced competitors that we novices do need some help some times, It's the vacant shell shocked expression at scruiteneering normally.

4) Good idea where entries are restricted that it is transparent how the selection is made however with a restricted field people might be put off even putting in for an entry at all and never get chance to try the course at all.

5a) Roll Bar v Full Cage, Safety is important however it's a balance between risk reduction and cost, Yes full roll cages are a good idea but is the level of risk reduction appropriate for the additional cost which may put of novices who have already probably had alot of initial expenditure. Personnaly I will probably run with a roll bar and petty strut for a couple of years and change to a roll cage at some point when there is enough spondollies available in the piggy bank,

 

5b) Seat Belt's - providing that seat belt's meet the requirements of the MSA isn't this mainly down to personally choice ?

 

Q469 WET 1990 Caterham 1690 Crossflow Long Cockpit in Ali except for the red bits.CaterBram on Facebook

 

Edited by - CaterBram Jnr on 11 Nov 2009 19:44:23

[GrahamV]

Thanks for all the comments / responses – all very constructive and understandable. Its good to talk

 

Simon – regarding next year’s novices: Yes, very happy to help organise this. Perhaps we can have a chat on Sunday – I will be there for the awards and dinner but may have to leave fairly early (depends on trains and things).

 

Cheers,

 

Graham

 

[Simon.Rogers1]

[Mr Happy]

Let hope we have a sensible forum were only blue sevens can win and no one tries to fog up the important issues of the day.

 

 

[Simon.Rogers1]

😬