Fun Cup - Oulton Park - 11th June

[rumblefish]

Can anyone tell me just how close we came to cancelling this meeting due to lack of marshals? I think we all knew it was going to be tight, but when you can fit all the marshals in half of Chequers foyer at sign on, it focuses the mind!
As to the racing, the Fun Cup was IMO actually quite good, with some wild driving at times - watching Kenny and Geoff in the box at Shell, as cars got closer and closer as the laps went by, was entertaining in itself. Yes it was a long time - in fact I started hallucinating around half way through, and could have sworn a Lancaster bomber was about to land at Island - but I am glad we managed to run it.
Any comments?

[KayBee]

Originally Posted by rumblefish

Can anyone tell me just how close we came to cancelling this meeting due to lack of marshals? I think we all knew it was going to be tight, but when you can fit all the marshals in half of Chequers foyer at sign on, it focuses the mind!

Ian Snowman on another thread thinks that the number of marshals required for the Uniroyal cup is lower than usual.

As to the racing, the Fun Cup was IMO actually quite good, with some wild driving at times - watching Kenny and Geoff in the box at Shell, as cars got closer and closer as the laps went by, was entertaining in itself. Yes it was a long time - in fact I started hallucinating around half way through, and could have sworn a Lancaster bomber was about to land at Island - but I am glad we managed to run it.
Any comments?

So did I, perhaps he flew low so that he could watch the racing.

Geoff? The best move of the day was, unfortunately, eighteen minutes before the end when the three leaders were three abreast coming out of Watertower. Unfortunately, this led to one of them driving sideways like a crab and Ken being late back for his post race refreshments...........................

[paddock.one]

Yes, it was tight, but I for one had a great day - assembly in the morning, startline for the Funcup grid, then pits all afternoon - that was pushing it too, with only four of us to cover and do reports on 20+ cars doing five pitstop windows plus all the unscheduled/extra stops... thanks Jan, it was good fun and the four hours went by really fast. The guys out on the bank didn't seem to have been too bored either, from what I heard afterwards. To all who missed it - be there if they come back next year, good atmosphere, good fun(cup). Plus Katie White (her birthday on the Sunday) won in the marshals' raffle. Happy birthday to you...

[flying muppet]

I really enjoyed the Fun Cup - like others have said, the 4 hrs went really quickly. The cars were quite spectacular (lots of understeer AND oversteer), and were closely matched. As mentioned above, after over 3.5 hours of racing the top 3 were literally nose to tail.

Perhaps all those who didn't come because they thought it would be boring and tedious are re-considering.....

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by rumblefish

As to the racing, the Fun Cup was IMO actually quite good, with some wild driving at times

I certainly enjoyed it at Druids; it did start to drag a bit around the two hour mark, but soon picked up again. It's a pity the Water Tower/Druids incident ended the battle for the lead & robbed us of an exciting finish, though.

With half an hour or so left one of our incident team commented 'this is better than Formula One!'; I can't argue with that!

in fact I started hallucinating around half way through, and could have sworn a Lancaster bomber was about to land at Island

I had the same hallucination!


I must admit that I had misgivings about this meeting, although having marshalled a couple of six-hour bike endurance races I knew that long races aren't necessarily boring. You don't know what it's like if you don't try it!

Maybe next weekend a few more marshals will materialise from somewhere........

[Nadine J Lewis]

Originally Posted by flying muppet

Perhaps all those who didn't come because they thought it would be boring and tedious are re-considering.....

My thoughts entirely!! We had great fun in the morning and even with the red flag stoppages we actually didn't lose too muchtime. We all got a lunch break - though even from Shell you need an hour to make it worthwhile coming back. I thorougly enjoyed the afternoon and I think everyone around the circuit mucked in with flagging / holding safety car boards and covering for each other.

To all those of you who found you had Saturday jobs and couldn't come you should have at least given it a try. I think most people weren't looking forward to it, but even if I speak for myself having done one 4 hour race I think I would enjoy another one!!

[Grandslammer]

Any long distance races can have their tedious moments,especially on the longer circuits.Various disciplines have to find different ways of coping with said tedium,although being a flaggie leaves you little time to do any hallucinating .One of the busiest and entertaining clubbies,for flags at least must be the Birkett 6 hour relay.

[Walshy]

I have to be honest, I didn't watch the Race. I had to be somewhere else in the afternoon, but I called back into the circuit and have to say that it sounded like I had pulled into the services on the motorway, not stopped by a race track. Why do race cars have to run silencers?????????

I just hope it was as good for the people that paid to come and watch it...........

By the way, thanks to all of you that turned up which allowed us to race. See you at Anglesey.

[flying muppet]

Support races were good too ... AND, almost capacity grids for all of them!

[KayBee]

Originally Posted by paddock.one

Katie White (her birthday on the Sunday) won in the marshals' raffle. Happy birthday to you...

And paddock.one his birthday also on the Sunday, if I'd known I would've wished you Happy Birthday on Saturday so a belated one for yesterday.

Somebody else doubling duties on Saturday was MikeM who was driving in the morning and marshalling in the afternoon and by a strange quirk of fate broke down at the post where he was going to be marshalling after dinner, or perhaps he just decided to get there early...................

[Hepatic]

apologies for not being there, but i decided against it not because of the meeting, but the sheer number of weekends i'm "out and about". I hadn't originally volunteered but when i realised if i'd gone i'd have had no weekend free for a very long time (not just marshalling either) i thought it best to sit this one out so i don't loose the "hunger". The last thing i want is to get bored of marshalling because i'm doing too much....

[SRPhoto]

I was expecting it to be boring, but.....

The support races were very good (as always with XR's and FF's) and in all fairness the 'main event' was not bad either, not the best race I have ever seen but certainly had some entertaining and exciting moments!

[badgeman62]

we were kept busy with the xr race at old hall.seems the rain came just in time.enjoyed the 4hr race more than i thought i would.

[Redracer77]

Originally Posted by Walshy

I have to be honest, I didn't watch the Race. I had to be somewhere else in the afternoon, but I called back into the circuit and have to say that it sounded like I had pulled into the services on the motorway, not stopped by a race track. Why do race cars have to run silencers?????????

I just hope it was as good for the people that paid to come and watch it...........

By the way, thanks to all of you that turned up which allowed us to race. See you at Anglesey.

Walshy, but what you forgot to tell everybody was that you only popped back in to Oulton because you locked your trailer and left the keys at home on Sat morning so you couldn't take your car back unless you went home for the keys!!!!

[KennyG]

The second XR shunt at Old Hall was a bit nasty. The lemming principle applied and once one had kissed the barrier another was bound to follow. May I comment on the excellent and rapid reaction from the marshals and medical team to that incident. The numbers may have been low but they were there when needed.

I will announce my intinerary for this coming weekend well in advance so any marshals worried about my accident magnetism can try and keep as far away as possible. Druids Saturday for the dodgems qualifying looks to be top of my list.

[numbersix]

Originally Posted by Walshy

... Why do race cars have to run silencers?????????
.

Ah well, it works like this. Oulton Park's been a racetrack since Blaster Bates blew up knickerbook, so people buying nice Cheshire houses nearby supposedly knew what the score was.

But they didn't like the noise. So they get themselves on local councils, take it over, and then start voting in noise abatement laws so that they can hear their lawnmowers in peace.

That's how minorities rule. They don't scream, shout and wave placards. They get on committees and tell the majority what to do.

So Oulton Park will eventually only be allowed to race quiet humming cars, then low-emmision cars, and finally bicycles before it gets sold-off for housing.

Donnington, by contrast, is next to a ******g big airport and the jets drown out the noise of cars. As regards longevity, my money's on Donny.

[Hepatic]

...although they stil complain when 80,000+ metalheads descend on the place for 3 days of rock concert!

[flying muppet]

So surely the answer is to build Tarpoley International Airport then?

[mazda59]

I would have loved to have been there ..if just for the ' herbies ' :-)
But alas :-( after having recently undergone surgery ..thought it best to save my energy for the 2- dayer this coming weekend. Was really jealous though when i got all the days ' happenings ' later that evening . Glad you all enjoyed it & hopefully i will be there for next one .It just wasn't the same without my weekly oulton - fix

[numbersix]

Same thing happened to Windermere with powerboat racing. Worked fine until the rich and influential bought big houses lakeside. So they got on the right commitees and the rest is history.
Optimistic little ******* aren't I?
Suggest marshals in the same area as racetracks get involved in local goverment otherwise you'll have 10% of people making the rules for the remaining 90%.

[Walshy]

Originally Posted by numbersix

Ah well, it works like this. Oulton Park's been a racetrack since Blaster Bates blew up knickerbook, so people buying nice Cheshire houses nearby supposedly knew what the score was.

But they didn't like the noise. So they get themselves on local councils, take it over, and then start voting in noise abatement laws so that they can hear their lawnmowers in peace.

That's how minorities rule. They don't scream, shout and wave placards. They get on committees and tell the majority what to do.

So Oulton Park will eventually only be allowed to race quiet humming cars, then low-emmision cars, and finally bicycles before it gets sold-off for housing.

Donnington, by contrast, is next to a ******g big airport and the jets drown out the noise of cars. As regards longevity, my money's on Donny.

There was a threat of Oulton being sold off for houses a few years ago. That shook up the locals. They didn't like the sound of race cars, but the thought of a huge housing estate on their back door, devaluing their properties soon changed their minds and funnily enough, they all became racing fans overnight...........

Cake and eating it I think.

[uncle tom]

sounds like a good meeting i wanted to be there however a family gathering for my mothers 80th birthday prevented me

[Walshy]

If only I could afford one of those properties close to the circuit. I'd ask for a season ticket to be thrown in.

How cool would that be, living in smelling distance of the fumes.

"I'm just off for a walk to the circuit dear. Shan't be back for a few hours"

Brilliant........

You just wouldn't move there would you if you didn't like racing........

How does the estate agent sell them these houses:

"As you can see, the garden is well....... "yeeeeeeeeeeooooooooowwwwwwnnnnnn""
"what was that" ask the buyer
"A Chevy V8, I think" replies the agent

[numbersix]

Walshy, I think you're on to something. (Or on something, as the case may be.) Either way, I'm with you here matey!

[Mark Mitchell]

Originally Posted by MarshalGirl

To all those of you who found you had Saturday jobs and couldn't come you should have at least given it a try.

Sorry! I actually had a holiday booked well before the BRSCC (Eventually) published their Oulton Fixtures.

I'll raise the point at the next Mitchell house-meeting to ensure that this situation doesn't arise again.