Silverstone Historic Festival June 4th.-6th.

[TimD]

Purely as a spectator, I'm inclined to go with Duncan's argument. Where are the little handicap races, the 5 lap scratch races which used to fill the bill at the Boulogne Trophy? These are races I want to see as well as the Boulogne and the return of a Coys type festival.

We used to get both events and in spectator terms, the Boulogne used to get large crowds through the gates in its own right - certainly far more if my memory serves me correctly than any HSCC meet. Don't get me wrong - I support the HSCC too and enjoy their races, but it does seem as though this event does cherrypick from both clubs. It also seems a bit too open-wheely for my liking too. Not easy to sell to sports car enthusiasts from the responses I'm getting.

[Bishop Ranter]

Duncan,

Should the HSCC or Silverstone be cited as where the blame lies? One must consider the role of the VSCC's negotiating team. What has been their relationship with both the HSCC and Silverstone Motorsport (remember this is not a BRDC event...that happens in July with the BRDC 500)? It might be the case that the fault (if any) lies with the VSCC. I hope not but you just don't know. One thing is for certain and that is that I know I have enjoyed many race meetings at Silverstone where the VSCC has been involved. To give up the summer slot would be a real pity because of the history of our engagement with the circuit. What we have on offer is more than just one day's worth of racing by collaborating with the HSCC. It is not perfect but it is better than nowt!

As an aside there are 40 plus entries for the FJ race. I wonder how many are in for the Boulogne? I for one have entered as it is a tradition to run our car in vintage races. I hope to continue this tradition.

[johndpeat]

Time out guys.Take a step bsck and look at the bigger picture.From the list of races it seems to be geared towards a bigger audience than your repective clubs.Do you guys not think that it is better to attact as bigger slice of the paying public as possible.Don't get hung up on club rivalry eash club has it merits.At the end of the day more bums on seat mean more money for your reseptive clubs.You may get people come along who enjoy the vintage more and then follow the vscc or they follow historics and start to follow hscc.But at the end of day if you get more people in to start with the better the chance of attarcting new blood to your sport.New blood that is despertaly needed at all levels from marshals to racers and every thing in between.

[BugEyed]

Originally posted by TimD
These are races I want to see as well as the Boulogne and the return of a Coys type festival.

Tim

That is my position exactly. When the "Coys Festival" took place I used to pay to go to that in addition to spectating or Marshalling at the VSCC Silverstone meetings. The bad feeling over the loss of the VSCC clubmans races means that I won't attend the amalgamated meeting in any capacity.

The Silverstone Circuits website (which isn't entirely up to the minute as it still lists the Festival as a three day event) shows there to be at least nine "free" weekend days over the next three months. I wonder why the VSCC wasn't offered one of those days for its "normal" meeting? One "free" Sunday is even the day after the BDC meeting - a more natural fit for a two day meeting than with the HSCC in my opinion.

Duncan :confused:

[TimD]

John, the problem I have is that I would probably have attended every day of three distinct events - Festival, VSCC and HSCC. However, I am more than a little saddened that a large group of racers who I would have liked to see compete (the VSCC clubmen) have simply lost out on eight or so races that are normally incorporated into one of these events.

[BugEyed]

Originally posted by Bishop Ranter
Should the HSCC or Silverstone be cited as where the blame lies? ..... It might be the case that the fault (if any) lies with the VSCC. I hope not but you just don't know.

You are right - I don't know. We just have to take it on trust that the "Club Officials" did their best and considered all of the options.

Originally posted by Bishop Ranter
What we have on offer is more than just one day's worth of racing by collaborating with the HSCC. It is not perfect but it is better than nowt!

It is not perfect, and it is FAR less than one day's worth of VSCC racing spread over two days.

Originally posted by Bishop Ranter
As an aside there are 40 plus entries for the FJ race. I wonder how many are in for the Boulogne?

Interesting question. I wonder how many entries there are for the clubmans type races at Mallory, let alone the "standard" cars and the Edwardian race? Comparisons of numbers would be interesting!

Duncan

[simon drabble]

Johndpeat is correct in my opinion, this is a festival and as such should be the cream of each club. Personnally I think that the only race that could have been dropped in favour of another VSCC race would have been 70s Roadsports, maybe that could have been a drumbrake sportscar race
then it would have been a really great meeting

[BugEyed]

The idea of a Festival being the "cream of each club" is not how this meeting was sold to VSCC members a year ago when our second Silverstone meeting became joint with the HSCC. Effectively, our second Silverstone became split across two days to become a joint meeting with a days worth of races from the HSCC. This year we've lost over half of "our" races to make it a "festival".

The idea for a replacement for the "Coys" meeting is an admirable goal, but IMHO not at the cost of a VSCC race meeting.

What happened to "our" original meeting? :confused:

Duncan

[Alan Crook]

Silverstone Historic TributeRace Meeting 5th / 6th June 2004
International Circuit
Provisional Timetable

Saturday 5th June Practice Race
1. 70s Road Sports 08.30-08.45 13.15
2. VSCC Bill Phillips 08.55-09.10 13.45
3. Classic Formula 3 09.20-09.35 14.15
4. Historic Road Sports 09.45-10.00 14.45
5. Group 4 10.10-10.35 15.15
6. Grand Prix Masters 10.45-11.10 15.55
7. Classic Sports Cars 11.20-11.35 16.35
8. Classic Racing Car 11.45-12.00 17.05
9. HRSR 12.10-12.30 17.35

Sunday 6th June Practice Race
10. Historic Form Ford 08.30-08.45 13.00
11. Boulogne Trophy 08.55-09.10 13.30
12. HGPCA 09.20-09.35 14.00
13. Group 4 − 14.30
14. Grand Prix Masters − 15.10
15. BRDC 09.45-10.00 15.50
16. DBT 10.10-10.30 16.25
17. Hawthorn Trophies 10.40-10.55 16.55
− CHURCH BREAK 11.00-11.15
18. Historic Form Junior11.20-11.35 17.25
− Group 4 (warm up) 11.45-11.55
Grand Prix Masters (warm up) 12.05-12.15

[Alan Crook]

Sorry about the layout of timetable looked better on the preview, first times are practice sessions followed by race start time.
At present looks like over 600 cars entered.

[zefarelly]

Originally posted by Alan Crook
Silverstone Historic TributeRace Meeting 5th / 6th June 2004
International Circuit
Provisional Timetable

− CHURCH BREAK 11.00-11.15

is that vicars doing twirly dancing in tracksuits on pieces of lino to Run DMC ?

[BugEyed]

Originally posted by Alan Crook
7. Classic Sports Car

Is this the same as

Originally posted by BugEyed
7. VSCC Pre-war Team Car Race

:confused:

Duncan :confused:

PS Surely not even jminsh

Originally posted by jminsh
You can't have too many VSCC races' on the same day or the people who are used to driving on tarmac as opposed to oil will really suffer like last year

could blame the VSCC competitors for

Originally posted by zefarelly
is that vicars doing twirly dancing in tracksuits on pieces of lino to Run DMC ?

And even the VSCC wouldn't require its entrants to wear red posing pouches! Or would it?

[simon drabble]

I appreciate what the VSCC contingent say about losing their meeting but 600 cras is impressive, lets move fwd accept that you might have been turned over but instead enjoy a weekend of great varied historic racing courtesy of all the leading historic clubs in UK

[BugEyed]

Simon

Too true. I hope that everybody that goes has a great time, and that we can have both a three day festival and lots of VSCC Club Racing meetings next year.

Duncan

[Alan Crook]

Look forward to meeting a few of you over the weekend, Im easy to find as I will be starting the races and waving the chequered flag at you.

[simon drabble]

lets hope we see you before the others do! I am in the HRSR saloons on Saturday and the BRDC on Sunday

[Bishop Ranter]

Originally posted by Alan Crook
Look forward to meeting a few of you over the weekend, Im easy to find as I will be starting the races and waving the chequered flag at you.

Well I would be delighted to be first past your chequered flag but suspect I will be last away!

As to the vicars' dancing...you never know!

By the way I will be in the T.A.R.T. Riley Brooklands for the Boulogne and my Cooper T56 for the FJ race...engine back in last night.

[simon drabble]

well I think it was a great success, including spectators! the VSCC race on Sunday was superb as was the Gp 4 and the 70's F1 cars, a great weekend hope everyone else enjoyed it as much

[jminsh]

Good weekend,defo helped along with the glorious weather.

[Alan Crook]

Agree with you Simon a good weekend,I did wave when you came in all I got was a blank look.

[David McKinney]

So who won the FF race, jminsh?

[simon drabble]

and a win!
your FF race looked very frantic and at the front it showed FF hasnt changed over the years, lets hope that it was a commercial success and the Historic Festival is back!

[jminsh]

Moi! What a brill dice with Neil Fowler

[Bishop Ranter]

Glad people enjoyed the VSCC Boulogne race...I didn't see the Hawthorn as I was belted into the Junior. What a race that was...40 cars going at it all the way through. OK so 24th is nothing to write home about but it was brilliant fun and that's what historic motorsport is about-having great fun, with great cars and gret people.

[Suzy]

Speaking as an ordinary motor racing spectator, can I extend my thanks to the HSCC and the VSCC for getting together and providing 2 days of superb racing and a very enjoyable event.

I'm not interested in the politics behind the running of this meeting; all I know is that I got to see a hell of a lot of different cars from different eras. I was able to admire them close-up and the drivers were always friendly and willing to talk about their pride and joy!

Whilst some of you appear to be rather negative about having the HSCC and VSCC working together, this enthusiast does not share those concerns. I know that some people may accuse me of being naive, but I saw the weekend as proof-positive that two "rival" organisations can get together and provide a highly-enjoyable time for a lot of people. I haven't seen Silverstone so busy for a long time; and I bet you all have earned a whole lot of new historic racing fans and what's wrong with that?