I have just been at BARC at Thruxton attending a Driver's Represenatative meeting. The following a few notes of the discussions:
There will be a complete ban on the use on motorised pit bikes at all BARC events next year, unless being used on official championship business, or being used to transport equipment to and from the pit lane.
Paddock plans will be issued in advance to the drivers reps in order to overcome any difficulties
We MUST achieve a grid average of 17 cars per race in order to keep off the championship committee's radar
It is intended to use a safety car to neutralise races which would historically have been red flagged. To do this competitors must be prepared to volunteer for safety car driving duties at events that they are not entered for.
On-line championship registration and race entry forms will be launched by BARC sometime in January 2007
Racing Membership of BARC will increase to £105 in 2007. This has not increased over the past three years, and the increase equates to approx 3% per year in that period
Temporary BARC membership will be available at the cost of £50 per event, up to a maximum of two events. However, if you want to do more events after the two, you will still have to pay the FULL £105
Race entry fees are likely to increase by 3%, approximately £5 more than 2006
Cheers
Trevor
Out of interest Trevor, when the 17 figure was mentioned for minimum entries, who was it aimed at? A few championships or all, ie is everyone truggling with entry numbers?
GBA
Living the dream, every day that I speak to Sparra...
How does the safety car thing work? Will we be asked at sign-on if we'd be prepared to do it?
I'd be quite happy to oblige except that I'd probably be too slow.
And for an add-on...
There are 10 kinds of people; those who understand binary and those who don't.
GBA
Its not just us that are truggling (sic), not aimed at anyone, Ian was very complimentary of championships that are working with BARC to increase numbers. We were used as an example of how to work with BARC to get the race formats that clubs want
Derek
Don't know how the safety car thing would work at the moment, it was just an idea floated to make sure that people got as much track time as possible. If you do the sums, a red flag costs a whole lot more time to sort than clearing under a safety car. BARC (Ian) are going to look at how to impliment the idea.
As to when drivers would be needed, the idea was more focused on getting drivers to go to a meeting that they wre not involved with at a local circuit that BARC are putting a race meeting on and giving a bit back. Ian was very concerned that to expect racers to also volunteer for SC duties at the same event they were racing in would not really help anyone
Cheers
Trevor
For SC duties do you therefore require to hold a race licence?
C x
Catherine
Yes, you must hold a race licence at least equal to the grade of championship that the meeting is. In otherwords, if the meeting is National B, must be a National B race licence etc
Trevor
Pants :( Something else I can't yet help with/do, oh well ... !
C x
Ok, so much like doing a day's marshalling from time to time, then. Except with a roof!
Trev, would the safety car duties earn a driver a signature on thier license? If so this may help some people come out.
regards
Andy
No, this would just be a BARC thing to aid race timetables
Cheers
Trevor