The thing is, Andy has hit it on the nail, the current climate is not good for ANYONE....racing is, for most, a hobby, a past time (and realistically....an expensive one at that)
So long as series are different enough then I dont see the problem with them, Bernie must have done something right to have a grid like that first time out, but i do feel that if they are not different enough, all they are doing is killing the sport we love. I think under the surface, a lot of clubs are really feeling it and it may be the case, that there will be a casulty that will make us all sit up and take note and start working TOGETHER instead of against each other. I find it amazing that people think "ohh they are the competition"...ha ha...who is?...historic Motorsport has INCREASED in the last few years, but so have the series but I dont think that they have been specifically different ones. The clubs tend to be the same or the actual series is geared at the same cars and drivers that others have on their books. Competition is a healthy thing, but saturation is not.
With regards to circuit hire, its the same price on a saturday as it is on a thursday etc....and as long a corporate track day organiser (or indeed the circuit itself) can continue to get people to part with their cash for such activities, then the circuit really doesn't care if a club is suffering or not, why would it? As Andy says though....will that continue?, if Im honest I think it will because, if I pay 200 pounds for a track day, I dont need all that MSA Licence stuff etc etc ...I can do all that for a fraction of the cost. Also, you have the likes of MSV providing "champioships"as such for track days, so Im getting to "Race" and not having to pay a fortune....hence you can now become a "Track Day Clerk" ....everyone wants in on that market....including perhaps the Licencing Department at Colnbrook? From the 1st January though Series will have to be registered with the MSA, regardless of Organising Club status or not. So Bernie and the likes of those who do not organise meetings but buy grids off organisers will now have to be registered. is this a way of regulating the amount of new series being started?....mmm I dont know....could be....then again it may just be a way of getting a licence fee from what was an untapped market ....you be the judge.
With regards to next year for The 360, what I will say is that it is bigger and better than 2011 (then again, some of you would say "thats not hard is it Claire" lol.) Its a weekend event now to enable more support races and give great value to the spectator and competitor alike and more news on those support races and other things that are happening there will be issued shortly