Whats happening to the MX5 racing??

[Boyracer]

Pretty poor turnout really, any idea why?

[mazmad]

I noticed that too. Apparently due to the recent V8 round.

[Boyracer]

Really need to get rid of things like the Mosler which is just a race car and the Ginetta which you can't even register here.

I still don't understand how it went from MX5s only which was a fantastic class and always had heaps of cars and great racing to running with prod. sports which is just wrecking things like it did here in NSW.

NSW Prod. sports is pretty much dead.

[Faster Pastor]

Pretty poor turnout really, any idea why?

As I look through the posts on this topic it would seem that a lot say they have pulled out because of other types of cars in the field. So what came first? Was it that people pulled out because of others in the field, or others were included in the field because MX5 racers pulled out. It would appear to me if that was the real reason people pulled the pin then we wouldn't have other categories in the field.

[gslender]

They allowed others in.... ie it became more popular and attracted slow drivers with fast / expensive cars as they could win by having stupid sized cheque books

[little decks]

Guys wanted somewhere to race their GT cars other than the Aus GT series, they say it was because it was too expensive but in reality most of them are just hopeless steerers, so Prod Sports let them run.... money gives you power and influence in these clubs.

[mazmad]

Results from the 1 hour.
1 41 Grant Sparks Matt Campbell Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 3600 Black/Blue
2 91 Jaxon Evans Porsche 997 GT3 3600 White
3 50 Graham Lusty Mosler MT900 GT 7000 White
4 10 Manny Mezzasalma Phil Teloar Porsche 993 3800 Red
5 22 Roger Hill Nissan GTR R35 6800 Silver
6 45 Jeff Hume Russell Schloss Mazda MX5 1800 Red

Production sports cars? Yes some are on the defined Cams list. Mosler clearly is not a 2B or 2F car.
Cheap? Nope (mx5's excepted).

[toppertee]

Results from the 1 hour.
1 41 Grant Sparks Matt Campbell Porsche 911 GT3 Cup 3600 Black/Blue
2 91 Jaxon Evans Porsche 997 GT3 3600 White
3 50 Graham Lusty Mosler MT900 GT 7000 White
4 10 Manny Mezzasalma Phil Teloar Porsche 993 3800 Red
5 22 Roger Hill Nissan GTR R35 6800 Silver
6 45 Jeff Hume Russell Schloss Mazda MX5 1800 Red

Production sports cars? Yes some are on the defined Cams list. Mosler clearly is not a 2B or 2F car.
Cheap? Nope (mx5's excepted).

Moslers, are so common. I use mine to pick up the kids from school!

[tbro]

Looking at the last couple of pages, some seem to think that Prodsports is just for Mx5's, never has been, never will be, its about Production sports cars.
Cams gave us a list and off went the classes.Very sucessfully for a number of years both up here in QLD and down in NSW and somewhat so in Vic.
Now people and cars come and go, people come back sometimes with the same cars , sometimes with new cars, whatever rocks ya boat, "if its legal race it".

And that unfortunately is where things go astray. I have no problems with Porsches (especially 968s ) Lotus or even Datsuns racing against me
as long as they are legal and built to the rule book, and thats where the problems start. Interpretation of the rules was always a "grey" area even when I started in this industry in the late 70s and nothing has changed. I got a lot older but still people will always pushing the boundaries, and thats not a problem either, as long as the class structures
and rule books are policed. In one instance I know of, a rule stated that you could not decrease the amount of forced induction unit fitted by the factory, made to stop people removing 1 turbo and fitting a bigger single unit, but, a mate of mine read the rules and then fitted a supercharger as well as still having the two turbos. It was legal, lots complained, but only one protested and paid his money for a protest, they lost the protest as they hadn't decreased but increased their induction units, so not against the rules. The following year CAMS changed the wording and off came the supercharger. All by the rules, and I can appreciate everyone pushing the boundaries as far as possible.

Trouble starts when committees start to play with the rules, Lotus with Honda motors, 2F cars with no windows or l/h seats etc etc etc, usually done to give an advantage to a committee member, or silly rules about diff ratios, ffs what difference will a 4.3 or 4.44 make in the scheme of things? but so much time was taken arguing about nothing that members stopped going to meetings and all of a sudden new rules are pushed through. Members then get the sh&ts and say stuff em I'll do what I want to do and F78k em.
All of a sudden cars are getting played with, no-one will do anything because we might lose members etc. So thats something that needs to be addressed, and I believe it has happened up here.
The next problem is you need "X' amount of cars racing to make a club, you may have to allow some from other classes that are similar in power etc to compete,
but not get points, s13s, honda prelude ( why isn't a prelude a sports car????) to keep the numbers up, and yes a gt3 is a prodsports car(mosler? I don't think so ). I don't have a problem with that either, what I do have a concern with is that slower cars are being told that if your not up to our times then you shouldn't be racing, this means if you can't qualify under 60s at Lakeside don't bother coming or QR in 1.23 on the national.
That was a comment made at a meeting, a few decided at that stage not to bother anymore, and that is a shame as its not how fast you go but how much fun you have, and to fill grids you do need people like me and Faster Pastor who do fill up the grids.AASA don't have a 130% rule so I cant understand that members comments, but damage the club they have.
One thing to remember if your starting out or like me just slow, IT'S easier to pass a slow car than a fast car, and I've had a few come up after 1 hr races and thanks us for just racing normal as then they know where they can pass you, never alter your lines or you will get hit.

So will MX5 cup come to QLD, dunno, but I guess it will still be the same ol' running as I can't see any new faces coming up from the ranks. Shame cause I think it would be fun.
If it does, no rule changes, no bitching or taking ya bat and ball and going home, cause for it to work we ALL need to make it work, as we will only get 1 chance.
Then if we can have both PSCRAQ and mx5CUP we won't need to worry what we are doing with our Race cars

Still I'll keep Scooter ready, ya never know.

To answer a couple of comments, I want to race not do regularity, the min lap times didn't work with the 300 and won't work anywhere else either. "PSCRAQ is made up of big cheque book racers who can't drive", that's insulting to the drivers up here, when people can go to the states and race with the best then they can make that sort of comment, BTW Famous started in a MX5 and then got bored with how slow it was, lapping LS in the 57s back in 2010 before the track rubbered up.( Its also because to use their race cars as advertising it has to be up the front!!!!)

Terry

[gslender]

Terry, so where would you recommend someone new to racing go for a MX5 class and not have $200k cars mixed in the grid? You know, where driver skills is more of a factor than my willingness to spend big $$

[zossy1]

I'm in for one make mx5 racing. It works in the US and the UK, why not here?

Here in NSW, we are getting good fields of 10+ cars every meet. I would still like to normalise a rule set beyond the time based classes but we are all having fun down here and nobody else is complaining... Good times!

[tbro]

Terry, so where would you recommend someone new to racing go for a MX5 class and not have $200k cars mixed in the grid? You know, where driver skills is more of a factor than my willingness to spend big $$

As you know in QLD you have the option of build what ya want and race in QR sports and sedans, or, build a 2f or 2b car to the rules and race PSCRAQ. In my time on this forum, exactly 4 people have done track days then gone racing, me, boags, rwf and crewman out of 50 who were gunna!!!
Let me tell ya a story,in 2009 a bloke (52) bought a car in sidders, got it home and him and a mate rebuilt it to make it look real perrty, then that bloke did some track days, some sprint days then went racing in 2010. First time was at LS, qualified 12 outta 18 cars, how easy is this!!!!, end of the first lap..... last, end of the race had a grin from east coast to the west coast, man what fun, ended the day 2nd last after 5 races. did a couple more meets and headed to sidders for a 1 hour race, me and Boags, pissed down rain, I didn't qualify, so baogs raced and we came 3rd in 2F in a 1600 car. Raced a few more top gear events when I fell ill, and was told some not so nice news. Ahh ƒü¢k it, ya dead a long time so with my wife and daughters and the doctors blessing I've continued racing. So far 4 enduros, 10+ pscraq meetings and some others. So when I feel up to it and the moons align I go racing, now I may not be up the front, or in the middle, usually down the back, but I don't give a flying you know what, cause I'm having fun and the old blokes that I race against know whats what and always make me feel welcome. Now as for $200,000 cars racing past me so ?????? I'm racing who ever and I'm having fun, now if you want to have fun, get off ya arse, stop telling me why you can't go racing, tell me why you can go racing. You don't want to build a car, so buy one, $3000 gets you a 64 sec car, built by Lou (boyracer) and reliable as.
As for driver skill, who knows, we haven't seen you on the track yet, so show us what ya got.As for spending big dollars, only one person can answer that. You are your biggest threat, overcome that and away you go.

I've made this offer a few times, if ya serious, I'll help you, but, if ya not "then".

As for cost to get racing $5000 to buy car, sold the ITBS for $1500, got 2 new tyres, new seat and belts, sold the old seat, so all up with engine rebuild $5500. Yep I like to spend BIG money.

Terry

[Faster Pastor]

I bought a hire car off QR. Did sprints for about 8 months in it. Couldn't get a decent sprint run at Lakeside, so entered a PSCRAQ event the end of last year. I followed the pack and learnt the track. Was the best fun a man could have. This year I took the opportunity to drive the 300k endurance at QR and finished in the top half. 18th and 19th October (this month) will be doing the 1 hour and my son will co-drive for me in his first race.
Meanwhile another three of the MX5 sprint guys have taken to the track this year with PSCRAQ. Two of them have been given the support of Lusty in the Moseler to get where they are. To my mind I wouldn't be worried about the fast cars. Generally they have a lot of experience to fight their own battles.
If you have a go, I am sure you won't regret it. Sprints are great, but racing is sensational.

[gslender]

So there is no grassroots motor racing for budget entry - just race alongside folks who spend 10x more and / or have 10x more skill ..... I think I'll pass for now.

[sailaholic]

Excel cup is grass roots and cheap cars.

The 10x more only matters if you want outright wins


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