Dont read this unless you have a Ford Racing Car in your Garage!!

[vjay48]

Al,fords do V8s,there is a v8 Sierra up north, V8 Falcons in Oz,that would be a star entry!

[CortinaCrew]

Vjay, you might hit a richer vein by working out why the Ford Saloon series registrants aren't coming out, I don't think they are in here.

Do we take it from this that TTRS are planning split grids next year, so you have space to fill? (unless a miracle occurs and you find 30 cars to run separately).

If that's the case then presumably those cars will need to meet the TTRS regs, which a number of those Ford Saloons won't?

Either way I suspect you will have more success approaching people direct rather than this forum. Most people have already made their decision on here it seems.

[Peter Mallett]

I think there is some confusion here though. I thought we were talking production cars but then there's a mention of a V8 Sierra. Most of the V8 conversions I'm aware of are Rover V8s mainly because the Ford block is too heavy for the chassis. That said there was the Piranha in SA. However I think it only fair that some sort of criteria, apart from being a Ford chassis is provided.

[CortinaCrew]

Wasn't there a Production V8 Sierra in SA?

[MarkH22]

For the Past 3 Meetings now the Ford Saloons Have a Max of grids of 15 cars. Premium Circuits like Brands Hatch we had 16 cars. The are like said earlier 60 Cars Registered .. And we cant get a decent grid.. Grids are 50% down from last year.

This Prob has something to do with it :

Ford Saloons Entry for Season : £245.00 ( incl £145 for tv coverage )
08 Rounds of Racing : £2405.00
Brscc Membership : £150.00
So before we even start on the track : £2800.00
Now add on travelling expenses.. Fuel.. We are into £3000.00

When this is presented to BRSCC / Ford Racing .. No one wants to know..

People can't afford race entries at £315.00 that is totally unacceptable.

Unless BRSCC / Ford Racing listen there will not be a grid next year

[Al Weyman]

That £145 for TV coverage is a ruddy joke is that a one off or every meeting? I would refuse to pay it, if you all refused what would they do?

[vjay48]

i think the tv levy is included in the reg.fee which must be payed at the start of the season,when the season is over you can buy the video for 20 pounds?

[Eric Falce]

Originally Posted by CortinaCrew

Wasn't there a Production V8 Sierra in SA?

Tim just MOTed a MG 55 reg plate with a Ford V8 engine in it.

[Al Weyman]

There was a South African V8 Sierra the XR8 which was made in very small numbers much more common was the Essex V6 engined model with Type 9 box which may have some milage in doing one. There was one of those on eBay a little while back for under a grand, I nearly bid on it in a moment of madness!!! There is also the Mercur 2.4 turbo mustang engined Seirra, I started building one of those once with a Ford Motorsport prepared shell but for some reason I abandoned it and sold it all on. I had a good look at the V8 Seirra at Oulton as it came out with our CMS as a guest entry, looked a great bit of kit actually and very well screwed together. A mate of mine has built him self a two door with Rover engine and a Capri with a Small Block Chevy, bit sacrilicous from a Ford mans standpoint I would have thought! We also haev a giy in our club building a V8 Capri wcomplete with Ric Wood engine for our CMS series in fact Vjay if you cannot get this off the ground all you Ford guys would be more than welcome out with the CMS boys who are hopefully going to revamp the series next year and also get some more decent entry fees, speak with Dennis Bassom who posts here.

[COLIN STUBBS]

I think it would be fantastic to grab some Fords into TTRS and if that makes it possible to run split grid races with capacity fields its even better.
What I cant understand is why you want to run in a field of just Ford cars. Last race I saw consisted of cars mostly running a second a lap different to each other and a very strung out field. In TTRS theres always someont to race with.
TTRS has proved its what a lot of us want. If you wanna go faster then upgrade to Hot Hatch or something.. Hang on... nobody does!!

[vjay48]

Now that again is interesting,its not all about entry fees in total,in the Ford Championship i feel to have pay nearly 500 pounds at the start is the season is an pain,also the fact that control tyres are expensive and the fact you need wets as well raises the costs even more. A sopering thought would be that if the Ford championship was buying its grid,with 13-15 cars the entry fees would need to be around 500 pounds+,so perhaps the brscc is not so bad,a fact of life is one way or the other the Project 888 RMS will cheaper.
You pay your money----------------------?

[kelvin88]

Just thought i would slip in here with this. http://www.ready2race.co.uk/adverts.php?id=88

It doesn't solve everything but i think it might be a step in the right direction. I would race there myself but i fear i have a CAMSO date that weekend.

[Woolley]

Don't have a problem with one make series as such. VWs can be pretty good racing, the Fast Fords are often enjoyable and the old Alfa series was fab. What would make me happy is if someone would weild a hatchet through club racing put all the similar things together. If one of those were to be this Ford series then fair enough. What I don't support is the 'lets have another series' which will probably go through 2 years of development from the original 'promising grids' (about 12) and 4 years of slow decline with maybe some good racing for a year or three in the middle.

Club racing needs to become all-inclusive and sustainable. Continued niche-market, intorsprective and often intended as profit making (although that last doesn't seem to be the case outlined here) has to end.

If this series is to run, then make it a class in something else. If it has legs and support it will outgrow it's host series and then can branch out on its own.

[Snapper Baz]

Best thing you could do is visit/join the Wealden Racing forum. It is as far as I know the only forum that caters (unoficially) for the Ford Saloon Car race series and there is currently a lot of talk about the current situation regarding race entries and everything associated with it. Sugest you take a look and/or get to talk with some of the drivers on the site or at one of their forthcoming rounds

[vjay48]

It is possible that the proposed series would have support from a major name in the Ford "world",this sponsorship would not be in the form where it goes into the organisers pot,it will save the competitors money. PM me for details of this and any other issues.

[Dom]

I'm preparing a newer Fiesta for 2009 and was planning to come out and play again in the BRSCC Ford Saloons, but as that championship is now very expensive with club fees, registration/tv fees, race fees etc; i'm now open to better value for money options elsewhere - Especially if no-one else turns up next year!

I've done a couple of races last year with the BARC SEC Tin Tops which worked out OK and was good value with sensible regulations -it would be better still if there were rounds at a greater variety of circuits.

[vjay48]

The "toyo" proposal has a variety of circuits,only steel bodied saloons in the races, haved pm you for more info.

[Rod Birley]

BARC SEC tin tops will have more venues next year, possibly with something very special.

[Rod Birley]

Incidentally they did go to Lydden, Silverstone, Castle Combe, Rockingham and Brands Hatch this year.

[Eric Falce]

Vjay,the Tin Tops does fit most of the criteria that you want,plus the people involved are a great bunch and the leading car at the moment is virtualy standard so everone stands a chance.The good thing about is at the end of each season the organisers will walk the paddocks,listen and take on board all the points raised by the RACERS,something very rare maybe because most of the committee are racers.I have raced with the Tin Tops and DMN series for one or two seasons,maybe more,never had a dissagreement with them,quite the reverse and as far as racing in this day and age,they keep the expenses down.

[vjay48]

We did one tin top round,no problems with the concept,but it had every type of closed wheel car on the grid,from national hot rods {or whatever they are called this week} to caterhams etc.I am sure the people who run it are great,i know some of them,dont be offended if i say its not for me,we want to run with steel bodied saloons with regs,not "run what you brung" The Ford is probably the most common car currently in race spec in this country,so a series with carefully controlled costs and good value tyres is not a total waste of time if it gets people out racing next season.

[Rod Birley]

Ah that must have been at Silverstone. Since then the intermarque (formerly sports/saloons) have run seperately to the tin tops. If you look in this week's Motorsport News you can see there were only steel bodied saloons in the Cannons tin top races at Lydden on Saturday. One race was one by a MG ZR, the other by a Mk.2 Ford Escort, so you would have done quite well. Why not come and try again on October 4th at Lydden (two races for £150) or November 9th at Brands Hatch (two races for £190).

[Alan.F]

I have a m8 car13 he is called on here that has raced an MGZS 180 on the same set of Toyo 888's all season at least 12 races and there is at least 1 race left in them, as a spectator and marshal i would honestly like to see mixed make grids rather than a lot of old fords this just my opinon

Alan

[Al Weyman]

The 888's are great, I have done 5 races on mine and they look like when I put them on but compared with my Dunlop Formula R historic tyres they are brilliant and predictable, I would like our club to go over to them in all races as they are a good price and far more predictable than the Dunlops which start going off bad on my cars after about 6 laps or so.

[vjay48]

One of the major savings in this proposal was the price of the Toyo tyres,i know that brscc 924s and alfas now run on them,it does seem odd to have a championship like the modified fords which run on dunlop control tyres,yet also have the proviso to run any other dunlop tyre in the wet. Perhaps someone could explain,it seems to be the worst of all worlds? I assume toyos are ok in the wet?