MX5CQ Motorsport Competition Classes REVIEW

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 4:27 pm

Fair enough I thought the numbers were down.

I'm obviously not the kind of person your trying to get there so I'll just but out and keep to my weekend stuff.

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JBT · Postby **JBT** » Tue Mar 10, 2015 8:48 pm

You're exactly the type of person we want there. We just have a timetable clash...

gslender · Postby **gslender** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 9:47 am

Change the days and include some weekends where possible. So do QR charge more even though they offer a street sprint for $145 on a Sunday? Is it just a numbers thing? If so, didn't seem that many more on the StreetSprint days then a heavy MX5 track day !?

Alternatively have you checked with Morgan Park Raceway as an alternative? I believe that track is better suited to better handling cars anyway.

Another option is to make the attendance to Street Sprint part of the clubs activities? Have you ask QR if you can have some days with members attending?

G

Trackphotos · Postby **Trackphotos** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:09 am

gslender wrote:Change the days and include some weekends where possible. So do QR charge more even though they offer a street sprint for $145 on a Sunday? Is it just a numbers thing? If so, didn't seem that many more on the StreetSprint days then a heavy MX5 track day !?

QR charge triple for weekend private hire. Sprint days vary depending on what events are on around it, and whether it's street sprints or open sprints. Open sprints, sometimes it'll be empty with only 20 cars, sometimes it will be booked out, 120ish entrants. If it's a race day at the other track, it isn't busy at sprints. If it's race day the next weekend, it's always busy. Street sprint days would mean only road-registered cars are allowed, so none of the race cars that attend the MX5 club days would be eligible.

Alternatively have you checked with Morgan Park Raceway as an alternative? I believe that track is better suited to better handling cars anyway.

Never dríven it, but does look like a fun track. Would make me question driving the 4hr round trip on semis, but that's an issue for me, not for the club.

Another option is to make the attendance to Street Sprint part of the clubs activities? Have you ask QR if you can have some days with members attending?

That's what Sailaholic suggested earlier. The Renault club do this, but it wouldn't work for the MX5 club. Clubs are able to pre-buy entire groups at sprint days for the same price as 10 cars booking on their own. They then sell slots in that group on to their members. The problem would be that a group will never be more than 20 or so cars at a sprint day, and even that is a very busy track. Although it is a much cheaper way to run on the weekend than a private hire, that's partly because it can only accommodate 1/3 the number of entrants that we get on a crowded club day at Lakeside. I have never seen a club book more than one group at a sprint day at either track, and I don't think QR would allow it anyway. They run the risk of selling too many slots to a club and forcing regular sprint series entrants to miss out on rounds and points. If a club is looking to put 30+ cars on track, that's what private hire is for.

Running smaller groups at weekend sprint days makes perfect sense for most clubs, but with the number of entrants that we get, I can't see it working. No other club gets the numbers that we do, and as regularly as we do, unless you count happy laps as a 'track day'. The other less-significant problem is that if you buy a group at a sprint day, there's no way to separate the 59sec cars from the 73sec cars. You are all on track at once in a single group, with a lot of traffic. You would be very lucky to get good laps in if you are overtaking the backmarkers twice per session.

mattyredlocks · Postby **mattyredlocks** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 10:43 am

Trackphotos wrote:The other less-significant problem is that if you buy a group at a sprint day, there's no way to separate the 59sec cars from the 73sec cars. You are all on track at once in a single group, with a lot of traffic. You would be very lucky to get good laps in if you are overtaking the backmarkers twice per session.

This is exactly the main problem with running in 'normal' sprint days. There's a really big gap between the fastest and slowest attendees of club track days, and it would put off some of the slower drivers (myself included) if they had to run with the faster drivers (and vice versa). The best part of the club days is that the sprints are split into groups based on how quick you are, so the fast drivers aren't being slowed down and the slow drivers aren't freaking out (as much).

sailaholic · Postby **sailaholic** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 11:18 am

The club could still book a weekend block, make it not championship points and use it to entice members to the regular days. I'm talking 1 or 2 a year as "come and try" style.

I bet if you picked a weekend with a big race meet on somewhere they would sell two blocks to a club if they know it's historically a light attendance day.

Anyway I can't get the time off work easily and I don't care about championship points so I'll deal with the issues associated with attending other weekend events.

Maybe if I can get a day in lieu up I'll try a mx5 club day.

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Trackphotos · Postby **Trackphotos** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 11:28 am

sailaholic wrote:The club could still book a weekend block, make it not championship points and use it to entice members to the regular days. I'm talking 1 or 2 a year as "come and try" style.

Oh yeah, absolutely. I assumed we were only really talking about championship rounds since that was the original discussion. An occasional weekend non-championship day would be great, if they weren't sure on the number of newbies who would take the opportunity, I know I would be keen for it. 6 days a year isn't enough, so I look for non-club events too anyway. Would also mean passenger laps since QR do run sessions at the end of each sprint day if they have time.

plohl · Postby **plohl** » Wed Mar 11, 2015 2:45 pm

They have the classes grouped on normal track days. Generally the groups are pretty good. Fast cars pass slow cars easily so you have more to worry about someone who runs similar time, but is slower in the corners, faster on the straights. You end up stuck behind them in the corners and can't pass them.

The problem ross spoke of is pretty apparent with the bmw groups... people were running race cars on slicks and others have never been on the track before. I think qr and the clubs have a responsibility to make sure the class is well organised and doesn't have such huge differences.

mattyredlocks wrote:
Trackphotos wrote:The other less-significant problem is that if you buy a group at a sprint day, there's no way to separate the 59sec cars from the 73sec cars. You are all on track at once in a single group, with a lot of traffic. You would be very lucky to get good laps in if you are overtaking the backmarkers twice per session.

This is exactly the main problem with running in 'normal' sprint days. There's a really big gap between the fastest and slowest attendees of club track days, and it would put off some of the slower drivers (myself included) if they had to run with the faster drivers (and vice versa). The best part of the club days is that the sprints are split into groups based on how quick you are, so the fast drivers aren't being slowed down and the slow drivers aren't freaking out (as much).

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zero00 · Postby **zero00** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 1:57 pm

In reply to the OP

How many MX5's compete that are over 2000cc ??

By my calculations, and I could be wrong, one more than the current number of ND's :wink:

oztrackdays · Postby **oztrackdays** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 10:15 pm

Honestly it's the 95% the car's that sets the time.

Make up some nice Stickers award the "Trophy" to the cars.

Put the savings towards slightly cheaper track days.

no doubt Much better examples but google images coughed up these.

mgb-winner-bumper-sticker.jpg

The American · Postby **The American** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 6:55 pm

+1 for the description provided by Madjak on page 1.
However, this relies to an extent on a mixture of events that will level the horsepower field a little. Longer courses favour HP, and shorter courses (no room for more than 3rd) favor car control/handling.

Short courses (skid pan based) are also a great place to learn (and be assessed) before you are set loose at somewhere like Lakeside.

I'm also another person who can't do week days. I'm stuck with weekends regardless of cost. Cost is a factor however!

I'm not exactly sure of the financial mechanics of the WA club calendar, but I believed they ran some cheaper cost events with slightly higher entry fees in order to subsidise more expensive track hire. Last year they did a full year package deal for (approx) 10 weekend events that was well subscribed. It would be worth talking to Don Messenger for more detail.

The club also explored night events (which I quite enjoyed due to the lowered temps!)

On the subject of trophies, while I think there were some more expensive annual items, the real glory was the Toblerone on the day.

adidistyle · Postby **adidistyle** » Tue Jun 02, 2015 10:56 pm

Just quickly...
Thanks you all for your comments. I have some good takeaways to distil into a new format for next year.

But for the remainder of 2015, Classes stay the same, except for the addition of ND classes. Expect the trophies to be much more modest this year though, unless we suddenly start getting 45 entries per event!