RACE RESULTS 09

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OVERVIEW Round three, Stroud, July 11-12

Calm confidence wins the day as Stroud sets a new record 

To start with let's point out that this was the biggest BAS event ever. A couple of years ago Stroud opened the 2007 season with a 760 driver event that set a new record. Round three is very often the point at which the entry level begins to flatten out -but not here. This year, in round three, Stroud hosted the biggest event ever, only nine drivers more than in 2007, but at 769 the biggest BAS round since the series started in 1996. Notable among the number are the 236 non-registered, non- home league drivers.

Heats were run over three laps from the start of the event but the event was further behind schedule on Saturday night than PAC had been at the corresponding point in round two. The event did not appear to be going very well -and rain in the closing stages of the first day didn't really help things, although given the forecast, it could have been worse.

After starting early on Sunday to tackle the remains of Saturday's programme, the third heats eventually commenced at 1045. Rain forecast for Sunday never arrived but a large number of incidents, combined with lethargic recovery of broken down or crashed cars meant that the finals did not get underway until 1625.

Here, Stroud's handling of the event was remarkably similar to the way in which PAC rounded out its event. Keeping the track as dry as possible, the finals were once or twice, very dusty, but the plan appeared to work and the last stage of the event was completed in a couple of hours; as in Wales, it's very difficult to argue with an 1830 finish, specially considering the number of races run over the weekend.

When the events are as big as this everything is on the edge and the whole thing is touch and go: a single major incident could easily have pushed this event to the point of no return. What we, and others, may have taken for slackness could just have easily be seen as calm confidence that things would work out well in the end - which they did.

Stroud manned the track and key operational roles almost exclusively with its own members. Out on the track it was notable that there were experienced racers on every marshal post. They appeared to be good at spotting the 'professional foul' and were ruthless in their use of the black flag, both for driving offences and for cross over offences.

Off the track there were palpable shock waves in the pits in the wake of stiff penalties handed down to those who failed technical checks at round two and the scrutineering crackdown continued here with a number of drivers being reported to NASA after their cars were judged not to meet the regulations.

As in Wales for round two, there were few takers for the Champion of Champions race and so the Men and Ladies were combined in a single race. Phil Cooper was first home, followed by Lyndsey Allen.

Perhaps this combined format is the best way to deal with the CofC, either that or accept that it's not of interest and put it out of its misery. 

             

Overview - Round one, Evesham May 2-3

Clunky start dismissed as Evesham hits its stride

It was a good job the sun was shining on Saturday. By mid-afternoon there was a mood of palpable mood of despondency in the pits: the first heat had taken too long to complete, the laps had been cut in the second heat, and still was obvious to everyone that there was no way in which the first day's programme of racing could be completed. Most of this is our own fault. We all roll up at Evesham thinking, ‘Ah, there's a squillion cars in the pits, never mind this is Evesham, they'll sort it out.'

In its 40th year, the club's reputation is hard earned and deserved, but there is little chance that any organiser could have done a better job than that which Evesham did, given the size of the entry and the on track behaviour of the racers.

The first day was a bit wonky, often the marshals seemed a little eager with the red flag. Once racers cotton on to the fact that if they sit in their spun/crashed car they will get a red flag and almost certainly be allowed in the re-run, they will try it on. And they did.

However, with a goodly number of races from the first day carried over to Sunday, the club found its stride and while there will still be decisions that will be talked about, the plain fact of the matter is that all the lost time was regained and the event brought to its conclusion by 1830 on Sunday And that, in anybody's terms, is a fair achievement.

As usual at Evesham the track went 'shiny' very quickly. It's always the case that some love it like that and others do not, but there appeared to be a greater than usual dislike of the 'tarmac' surface this time around, that feeling perhaps exacerbated by the fact that leading contenders in almost every class were finding it necessary to buy a new pair of tyre for each race. With tyres more expensive, and in some cases in shorter supply, than in previous years, this too became an issue.

In a round about way it may do Evesham a bit of a favour; those who have been to the track and had their fill of it may sidestep the MAP Open, and if the entry is a little down on previous years it may actually improve the event, Time will tell…

Much of Evesham's effort in the week leading up to the event was used to work out the camping areas. The worth of that effort was demonstrated on Saturday night when an aerosol can exploded in Carl Smith's camper. Emergency services were able to easily access the site and praised the organisation of the camping areas. Thankfully what could have been a more serious incident was dealt with swiftly and by Sunday night all those involved were reported as having been discharged from hospital.

The event was closed with a couple of well contested Champion of Champions races. Adam Jones won the Men’s race after fending off Antony Jackson's Class Five Mini for a the last few laps. The Ladies race was clearer cut, Rhiannon Smith taking the win ahead of Laura Morgan who had started with a full lap handicap.

Overview - Round 2, West Wales 
June 20-21

New men guide 'galvanised' club to BAS success

We've been to West Wales a few times over the last dozen years, often enough to know that in 'Little England beyond Wales' things are not rushed, that the track needs to be regularly watered and the style of the event tends towards, well, let's say, traditional.

This, however, was a little different and one old hand at PAC was certain where the credit lay when he said, "Tony Rees has galvanised this club."

Rees had a tough act to follow. Graham Harries had been chairman at PAC for 14 years -a period in which this small club on the Western fringes of the NASA empire had accomplished everything it could

-BAS, Nationals, Ladies &juniors. PAC has been there and done that.

What Rees, backed up by Chief Marshal Stuart Thomas, did was to pick up the pace a little -oh, and to preside over the successful implementation of the stringent new campsite regs without recourse to hired help.

It's not possible to conclude this piece without mention of the various 'incidents' that served to raise hackles over the weekend.

It's rare that track watering is ever universally popular but everyone has to accept that if we race on dirt in the summer the track surface will need to be watered. Some surfaces need more than others and most clubs seem to have their own preferred method/style/system of watering. Necessary as watering is to control dust, we do sympathise with driven who are prepared for a dry track and find themselves racing on something

That would not be out of place in November. You may argue this is as dangerous as racing in the dust, but whatever your view, you will also have to accept that the problem is not peculiar to PAC.

Various other things may be grouped together under application of the rules. There are only a handful of drivers that would get away with getting out of their car on the track while a race was still running, walking away from it and verbally criticising officials without being shown the gate. Vinny Gibbons is one of them, but he later admitted that he was wrong and fortunate to remain in the event. Other 'superstars' found themselves in the midst of controversial circumstances. Most of this kind of stuff can be traced back to a 'win at all costs' attitude. Questionable consistency in the application of the rules, together with a willingness to be flexible and accommodate competitors whenever possible provides oxygen. Again this is not a PAC problem. but one that can be found at almost every event.

PAC dealt with course watering and badly behaved drivers in its own way and what's done is done. If it, or others, look back and think there are ways to improve, then all will benefit.

Fundamentally though, this was a good event: on a track kept as dry as possible, the finals were completed in two hours. The chequer fell on the combined Mens and Ladies Champion of Champions -in which Paul Fackrell and Nicola Jesse won at 1830, which is fair enough.