After Formula Ireland...

P.Cummins · 23 Jan 2005, 14:24 (Ref:1207894)

So Formula Ireland is now gone, sadly.
What is the next premier single-seater series to be in Ireland then?
A Formula Renault or BMW series over here would be a good thought but it would cost too much and with the way young Irish Motorsport interest is going, it probably wouldn't go very far for the cost.
I havn't seen much interest in motorsport in Ireland recently so do we need a cheap, easy to manage, series or is motorsport simply dying out in Ireland between young guns as the years go on?

I'll let yous have your say on that one...

Kicking-back · 23 Jan 2005, 14:26 (Ref:1207896)

Ireland is too small to support a series like you suggest - but something like FF1600 would be very strong there.

diz · 23 Jan 2005, 15:45 (Ref:1207937)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kicking-back

Ireland is too small to support a series like you suggest - but something like FF1600 would be very strong there.

And FF1600 is getting stronger by the day. It is already booming in the North and is set to make a comeback in the South this year. Check out www.clubff1600.co.uk for all the latest F1600 news

EvilPumpkin · 23 Jan 2005, 16:07 (Ref:1207957)

Vees have always been strong here, Sheanes are picking up nicely and FF is very healthy in the North and could be making a comeback here soon.

I heard a rumour about Formula Renaults but I assume it's just the usual start of the season gossip.

As for motorsport dying out in Ireland, it depends on which way you look at it.

Rallying is very strong; rallycross is also always popular. Bikes always get a great turnout and there's a huge amount of entries for Karting.

The one area that seems to be having problems is circuit car racing. What really seems to be the problem here is the cost of racing and the lack of decent promotion. Compared to other sport venues in Ireland, Mondello offers a reasonably good value for money return - but far too few people know that it's there or what the calendar is.

We always get good spectator turnouts for the large visiting extravaganzas such as the BTCC and more recently the GTs. If this was capitalised on - and if there was more television coverage of the club racing - I think we'd see a renaissance in motorsport. For instance, the televising of the Super Race Sundays definitely got an increase in spectators.

Ian Sowman · 23 Jan 2005, 16:11 (Ref:1207962)

It's purely a population thing really. Ireland just doesn't have the numbers to sustain a 'national' level single-seater championship.

EvilPumpkin · 23 Jan 2005, 16:12 (Ref:1207963)

It's not the numbers - it's the lack of circuits. As above, we have a national Vee championship and a Sheane championship. But they race at Mondello, Kirkistown and usually one trip a year to a UK circuit.

They're still national championships though.

Ian Sowman · 23 Jan 2005, 17:13 (Ref:1208002)

Yeah, I agree with all that - I meant 'national' in the sense of the level above 'club' racing - e.g. what Formula Renault is to FF1600 in the UK. I don't know what the exact figures are - but say Ireland has 10% of the racing drivers of the UK. At a national single seater level that might be 60 drivers in the UK (and many of them come from overseas, including Ireland) which would mean you really get only a handful of aspirational drivers who would want to compete in something like Irish Formula Renault.

Clearly things like Vee - and hopefully again from 2005, FF1600 - are well supported and popular categories, albeit aimed more at the clubman.

Mackmot · 23 Jan 2005, 17:19 (Ref:1208005)

Ireland have a single seater series using the K Series motor, it looks pretty good as a way to have Vee or 1600 style cars with a modern reliable engine that doesnt cost loads to get one decent enough to win with.

Ive forgotten its name though, Formula Shane or something.

graeme · 23 Jan 2005, 17:54 (Ref:1208024)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mackmot

Ireland have a single seater series using the K Series motor, it looks pretty good as a way to have Vee or 1600 style cars with a modern reliable engine that doesnt cost loads to get one decent enough to win with.

Ive forgotten its name though, Formula Shane or something.

Formula Sheane (the name of the builder, I think, and nothing to do with the former bike racer, as I first thought!). Good, exciting, loud racing.

P.Cummins · 24 Jan 2005, 08:25 (Ref:1208372)

Yeah, Sheane was person who made the chassis/engines. Its identical to Formula Vee I noticed and it does provide a handful of good meetings.
The Phoenix Park National races, I think, do be a good bit of crack. Thats were the Sheanes, Puntos and Porshes were earlier in the year, as always, for that non-championship event.
Would it be possible to get championship races at the Phoenix Park? I think a lot more Dubliners would go there to see those Puntos swap paint.
I think FF over here is getting stronger but there is still no coverage of it on RPM.
It would be good if RPM braodcasted all of the 12 rounds in Ireland single-seater/tintop series. The Dunlop Supercars are popular but I had to urge to want more, which I didnt get. I'm not blaming RPM, because they have enough on their hands with their good rally reports.

diz · 24 Jan 2005, 08:43 (Ref:1208386)

Seems strange that RPM doesn't cover FF1600, as Plum Tyndall's son Chris races in it

graeme · 24 Jan 2005, 08:53 (Ref:1208390)

Quote:

Originally Posted by P.Cummins

Would it be possible to get championship races at the Phoenix Park?

I think the Phoenix Park races are purposely non-championship to try and maintain some air of decorum. There's enough to go for at the moment (I imagine winning at Phoenix is quite a coup). I entered my Caterham in the Styker race last year and it was certainly one of the more exciting races I've been in! Make it championship and it'd be carnage!

Ian Sowman · 24 Jan 2005, 09:04 (Ref:1208397)

Quote:

Originally Posted by diz

Seems strange that RPM doesn't cover FF1600, as Plum Tyndall's son Chris races in it

I had an email from young Chris overnight and it seems he is living in Sydney at the moment, and we won't be seeing him on the tracks this year.

***MagnetON*** · 24 Jan 2005, 09:26 (Ref:1208411)

IMHO There's not enough money in Irish motorsport to support a "big" single seater like Formula Ireland/BMW/Renault. Anyone that gets enough of a budget to run one of them for a year is (quite rightly) racing in the UK where they'll get more exposure and a better chance of progression.

What's needed is to find some way of bringing UK classes over to Ireland or having classes where the car can run in both countries. There have been some monumentally bad decisions in introducing classes to Ireland (Strykers over Caterhams springs to mind)

Anyways, back to the topic... "After Formula Ireland".... FF1600 is good, and is booming in the North but grids down south are smaller. Sheane is a rather nice option that has wings, so it looks good and the racing is excellent and can be the highlight racing of the day for me. So we've Formula Vee, FF1600 & Formula Sheane, I don't think there's a place in Irish motorsport at the moment for anything bigger.

andy97 · 24 Jan 2005, 09:28 (Ref:1208415)

Formula Ireland Chassis are eligible for Monoposto in the UK from this year. Alternatively, I understand that F Libre type races are still quite popular in Ireland.

***MagnetON*** · 24 Jan 2005, 09:32 (Ref:1208419)

Most F Libre races tend to be rather sorry affairs with a mix of unmatched cars so it ends up looking like a test session rather than a race. I've still to see a F Libre race hold my interest for more than the start and the first lap.

Hammerwerfer · 24 Jan 2005, 15:05 (Ref:1208621)

From the looks of her website, Sarah K has hoovered up all the single seat sponsorship for Ireland. And sure, if she ever actually ventured on track, the lads would be racing for second place.

P.Cummins · 24 Jan 2005, 15:07 (Ref:1208624)

I've never seen a Formula Libre race.
F Sheane, FF1600 and F Vee are all good series, I agree, but I think, if one of these if to be the next premier Irish sinlge-seater series, it should have TV coverage, and hopefully next year, one of them will be televised because Id really like to be able to watch them.

***MagnetON*** · 24 Jan 2005, 15:40 (Ref:1208630)

TV is a poor substitute for being down there at Mondello getting the sights, sounds and smells

Mathias · 24 Jan 2005, 16:19 (Ref:1208655)

Sgotta be a good thing that BF3 is going over to Mondello this year though, doesn't it?

I agree with MagnetON that the way forward in the Emerald Isle is to focus on holding regional single-seaters a la FF1600 (which could be really strong if north and south were covered - an all-Irish championship), and get the UK national series like F3 and FRenault over as much as possible too.

P.Cummins · 24 Jan 2005, 19:36 (Ref:1208853)

Cool, The F Renault is coming over here. I cant wait for that and I presume it will be on at the same time as BTCC.
Speaking of smell, for the first time last year I got the smell of a BTCC car, it very minty!

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