Club runs/driving in groups

[Jeo]

https://rideapart.com/articles/riders-perspective-dont-group-ride

The article is obviously about motorcycles but I found the logic pretty similar to my own thoughts on club runs.

[JBT]

Another COW and the very reasons the Qld Club has changed it's rules.

Our emphasis is on small "groups" (up to about 6 cars max) and individual responsibility for driving and navigation. "Groups" are only used to get the cars away from the start point in some sort of orderly fashion. Once they are "on the road" it's down to individual operation and the group entity dissolves. There is no requirement to stay within or as a group or to not pass any particular car. Everyone is encouraged to drive at their own pace and to leave plenty of room for other cars (MX-5 or other) to get through if they wish - just like seeding within groups at track days. The word "convoy" is no longer used and is actively discouraged.

However, if some people prefer to stay together as a blob and follow one car, even the wrong way, then that's their choice and is impossible to legislate against. There are many drivers I'm happy to tag along with using normal safe separation and some from whom I keep a good distance...like putting them kilometers behind me if possible.

Now, is it too early for popcorn?

[Odd]

I don't blame the other riders, I don't blame the road, I do blame my decision to ride in a group and for not remembering I didn't know the riders around me or how they react. If I had, I would have left more distance between us and given myself more time to react.

Simple thing to do regardless of driving in a group or not

I haven't seen any tail-gating on club runs....but I've only been on half a dozen

[StanTheMan]

*ding* (that was the microwave)
But I have some non microwave popcorn too if you prefer JBT.

Come on over I have a few spare seats & large screen.

[hks_kansei]

I dont go on club runs, cruises, or anything like them for the simple reason that they have always ended up having too many people who's egos are larger than their skills, or ability to be safe.

The term "spirited Driving" pretty much means that people will treat the road like a personal trackday.


Plus large groups are harder to organise, attract police attention, etc, etc.



I've always preferred meets where it's as simple as "meet here, have lunch, go home"

[Rocky]

Club runs and Cruises are great fun but have some challenges due to all the usual human frailties.
There is always someone who decides noone outside the 'club' is going to spoil the unbroken line of MX5s.
There's always someone who decides he's going to pass everyone and be the 'lead caterpillar'.
There's always someone who gets lost and wants everybody to pull over and wait for him to catch up.
Its a pity everything has to be 'rule-bound' but a clear set of rules is necessary so that participants have at least been 'told' even if they then choose to ignore.
I find more than 3 cars is often more trouble than it is worth.

[Lokiel]

For me, club runs were more about the MX5 social aspect than "spirited driving", as well as the chance to drive on roads I never even knew about.

I love checking out other MX5s, especially if they've got unusual modz, modz I love, or if someone's having an issue and there's a discussion going on - contributing or learning something from it is time well spent.

If someone pops their hood, I'm definitely if for a sticky-beak.

[rossburns]

I have been a member of the qld mx5 club for a year now and love the club runs, it is all about the social aspect, a bit of fun, and having a sticky beak at other mx5's and learning from people who have had these cars for yonks, yes there is the internal politics and power struggles but I think most people are just there for the love of cars and mx5's in particular

[Trackphotos]

Not very interested in driving my car well below it's capabilities. Hence, no club runs for me. Occasional mountain runs, every few months I'll do Nebo and Glorious. Small groups, maybe 6 cars. The great thing about Nebo and Glorious is you don't have to go fast to have fun, the corners are tight enough to have fun without insisting on trying to do 150kmh through the straight bits. I have no doubt that the pace I run there would get frowns from a lot of the club members, but that's the difference between people who enjoy sunday lunch runs with the roof down, and people like me who don't like the car just because it has no roof.

The small groups tend to seed themselves into a fastest-to-slowest order. There are people more keen to cruise and coast through corners toward the back, and people like me who prefer to go quicker. Not quick enough to cross centre lines, lock brakes, oversteer etc, if I'm going to bend this car, I'd rather it happen on a hot lap at Lakeside. I haven't seen anybody disappear into the distance on one of these runs, although I'm sure it happens. The only casualty I've seen on a run myself was an owl that was in the middle of the lane around a low-visibility corner. The maximum pace is set by the leader, but most of the time the group spreads out and we just collect again at Jolly's Lookout, then again at the rest area on Northbrook Parkway. And every single driver I've seen there on these particular runs is careful to do the 50kmh where there are houses, keep the noise down and try not to upset the locals. Can't say the same for the skyline bros or the wrx mob that you sometimes see going up as we head back down.

[maxgus]

^^^ I completely agree and head up Nebo and Glorious with around 2-3 other cars at a time or by myself. Trackphotos let me know if you are keen to head up the mountain sometime.

[Magpie]

Club runs focus on then social aspect, track days on the individual. Public roads are not race tracks and whilst each person has there own definition of 'spirited', for me driving at even 75% of the cars limits is unsafe as there are other people on the road and doing their own thing.

Makes more popcorn, sits back and waits.

[Trackphotos]

Those other people on the road will be doing their own thing whether you're at 75% or 30%. If you're below the threshold of having a reasonable expectation of making a mistake yourself (and not doing 120kmh in a 50 zone etc) it doesn't affect you what other cars will be doing on their side of the road. With increased speed comes increased force in the event if an impact, but it does not necessarily increase the likelihood of an impact occurring in the first place. If I do 60kmh through an 80kmh signed corner with a recommended speed of 40, but I know for a fact that my car could do it at 80, I'm nowhere near the limit of either my car or my driving ability. If something happens to cause an incident it will be worse, but that doesn't mean the chances of it happening have increased.

You can always argue that the increased severity of an incident is reason enough not to go quicker, but where do you draw the line? That logic had to stop somewhere or else we would all be doing 3kmh around every bend, just in case. Keeping in mind that I'm not referring to people racing around mountains, I'm only referring to people keeping within the technical boundaries of the law, not exceeding posted speed limits, not crossing centre lines etc.