Last Ever MX5 Track Day

[CrazyRacer]

Just received an email from the MX5 Club QLD with the title "LAST EVER MX-5 TRACK DAY"

The email states...

"As a result of low interest for 2018 no more MX-5 Club track days will be organised for the foreseeable future, as we are running these days at a loss."

I can't say how disappointed I am at this as I have just moved to Queensland from interstate and am in the process of building a dedicated Track MX5 and was hoping to do some of these events (although the ultimate aim is Prod Sports)

I was wondering whether the low numbers have been an ongoing problem for years, or has the decision to turn these days into regularity events for 2018 turned people away? I have seen some comments of disgruntled competitors on the forum and I know I was a bit disappointed when it was announced.

[NitroDann]

Just go to any track day.

Dann

[plohl]

They are on a Monday.
There are plenty of other track days to attend; street sprints, time attack, mid week sprints, dirt sprint, hill climbs, autocross... and there's more to the list. We're pretty lucky around Brisbane from what I have seen for track days.

[Magpie]

Not surprised. There were a massive 2 MX5 club members at the round of the Interclub Challenge today. The club has very few young members and without these any organisation will shrink and possibly wither and die...

CrazyRacer as mentioned by others there are lots of track day options outside the club.

[Okibi]

Do they run any other type of motorsport?

[Magpie]

Do they run any other type of motorsport?

Club specifically no, some people do run in the Inter-Club Championship
https://www.facebook.com/2018-Inter-Club-Championship-826101600797517/. Will this continue in 2019 not sure, looks like some of us will need to find another CAMS affiliated club to keep our CAMS license.

CAMS defines a 'Sporting' club as a competitive car club looking to host motor sport events, as well as having the ability for club members to hold a CAMS competitive licence. A sporting car club is also eligible to receive voting rights* at the CAMS State Councils.

The 'Enthusiast' club package is designed for those clubs that are only interested in staging social / non-competitive activities. Enthusiast clubs are only permitted to apply for social events, and as such, are not recognised as a valid club for competitor's competition licences.

[Custardtart]

I’ve been tagging along without an mx5 for a couple of years and up until this year there seemed plenty of interest. Not sure what happened this year but there’s the Inter Club Challenge coming up at lakeside and plenty of general track days.
Maybe the club will adopt a few of these days.
In Qld I’ll post up whenever I’m attending somewhere and see who else is going.

[Guran]

looks like some of us will need to find another CAMS affiliated club to keep our CAMS license.

Not sure why you would think the club will drop their Sporting club affiliation in favour of the Enthusiast package. Has there been an official announcement from the club? They are currently still listed in the CAMS Club Finder with Social and Speed disciplines.

[Magpie]

Not sure why you would think the club will drop their Sporting club affiliation in favour of the Enthusiast package. Has there been an official announcement from the club? They are currently still listed in the CAMS Club Finder with Social and Speed disciplines.

I have asked the club if they will still be keeping the CAMS Sporting club designation.

[JBT]

What I know:

1. I sincerely doubt that the club will discontinue its CAMS sporting club affiliation because, if nothing else, it provides all the Club's PL and committee insurances and will still be required for any future motor sport event hosting.
2. There has been a steady decline in motorsport interest on a club-wide basis and track days are running at a loss.
3. It has nothing to do with feeding in a couple of regularity runs. That was done, in what has proved to be, a futile attempt to encourage the "happy laps" brigade into track days.
4. Club track days have been held on weekdays - generally Monday - because the weekend track hire rates are extortionate and entry fees would be prohibitive to break even.
5. BMW Club Qld is having exactly the same problem with track day attendance declines. I imagine there are other clubs in the same boat.
6. The ICC (inter club challenge) was develpoed to help spread costs, add interest/variety (sprint, hill climb, short course, motorkhana etc.), create a competion base and cross culture through motorsport with various car clubs in Qld.

My understanding is that the MX-5 Club Qld will actively promote ICC events, will encourage members to attend those to limit losses and run the club competition based on ICC attendance and results. Joint events with BMWCQ have already been successful and could be an indicator of the way some track day events will end up going.

Contact the MX-5 Club Competiton Secretary for the full story and facts.

[Red_Bullet]

Thanks for the update JBT, I haven't received the email yet regarding this, but I guess it's no surprise. I think the combined days were a good idea. Maybe there were issues for BMW folk having it on a Monday ? I figure that Mondays were an issue for many younger folk too, having work commitments that they can't get out of. Although personally I loved taking an RDO to go play cars.

Thinking out loud here. Maybe so called "Group D" could be dedicated in some way to those who want to do more "Happy Laps" with similar rules to happy laps.

Moving forward I'm willing to assist next year in any way I can, being recently retired I'll have some time to dedicate to it. (Once I get these house renovations completed!)

[greenMachine]

The Vic club is in a similar position. As an outsider I don't know the details, but they seem to have some arrangement with the WRX and Alfa clubs, and piggyback with their track days.

Might be worth exploring .... ?

[hrtvic]

Actually the Vic & Tas club is going quite well with quite a few new faces this year and few young people - well they all look young to me . We had 30 club members at Sandown yesterday for a day of sprints.

Greenmachine is correct, almost all of our events are in conjunction with either the WRX club of the Alfa Club. It is an arrangement that works well as it benefits our club and helps in the viability of the events for those clubs too.

I have just taken over the as the Motorsport Captain for the Victoria Club (part of our normal succession planning in this role), so if anyone wants to find out a bit more about how this works, send me a PM and we can have a chat.

[JBT]

Maybe there were issues for BMW folk having it on a Monday ? I figure that Mondays were an issue for many younger folk too, having work commitments that they can't get out of. Although personally I loved taking an RDO to go play cars.

BMW do theirs on Fridays but generally run full days. Their next one is on 14 Sep 18 (four days after the MX-5 afternoon). Entry fees are $205 for members, $215 for ICC club members and $235 for everyone else....and they are having trouble filling places. I remember about 4 years ago their events would close weeks out as fully subscribed.

There are many reasons for this problem such as time poor, working, wrong day, no spare money for entry fees and car prep/extra maintenance, lost interest, medical issues, etc. etc. Mind you, the first event at Lakeside this year was marred by an abysmal service by QR (timing not working properly) along with a bit of a "who cares?' approach. Doug Chapple was/is sorely missed.

So, this is a problem not limited to MX-5 Club Qld. The "last MX-5 Club track day" is just that.....for now. If nothing else, it has caused some people to focus. It refers to MX-5 Club track days only and that could very well change in the future with a new injection of interest by members.

The Club still plans to host some ICC sprints and is already running a Club Championship based on including ICC events. The Competition Secs (present and past) have done everything possible to engender interest and keep prices down. ICC is probably the way of the future but will still need dedication from the committee.

Incidentally, the Club constitution also states as one of the aims and objectives: "to promote the practical, sporting and social aspects of Mazda MX-5 motoring within its membership". This fits with the CAMS Sporting Club requirements and Club history speaks for itself. I organised the MX-5 Club's direct CAMS affiliation about 10 years ago when Marque Car Club (of which we were a part) folded. Until then, we had CAMS affiliation through Marque. I will actively and vigorously oppose any moves to drop/reduce our CAMS affiliation should that ever arise.

[Magpie]

I still intend to do the ICC events where possible. I do not see my track participation stopping just because the club does not run any events.

My suggestion was to do similar to the 86 club and run a grid on a street/open sprint day on the weekend, this is what a lot of clubs are doing now.