2009 National Indoor Finals - Cancelled

[ben]

Originally Posted by Kecky

How many regions (apart from the North East) run indoor regionals over the winter?

Think it's just the north east

[MRD]

I realy like running indoor but this year seems to have alot of meetings that clash, I know that sometimes its unavoidable but if it keeps happening then numbers are always going to be low .

[MattW]

It's a valid point about how many still run indoor regionals. We always used to around here, but haven't done for quite some years.

[David Church]

It is sad the indoor finals will not take place!!!!
There has never been any indoor regionals in the South East since I have been racing.

I am sure this will be sorted for 2010

[DanW]

I think there is a big gap between club level racing and national/big meetings. The problem with meetings clashing is that it is the same hardcore group attending (or trying to attend) all the events.

IMHO there needs to be more meetings aimed at intermediate drivers to get them to progress upwards from club level. As has been said already winter regionals are almost non exisitent and i've not heard of an interclub for a long time.

[Stu]

Originally Posted by DanW

IMHO there needs to be more meetings aimed at intermediate drivers to get them to progress upwards from club level.

Regionals?

We have a full summer of racing planned Dan, if the 6 NW regionals are not all you need you'll be able to race in the Mid West or North East if you alternate 2wd & 4wd.

Please correct me if I misunderstand you, but as an F2 you don't need intermediate meetings.

[David Church]

Originally Posted by DanW

I think there is a big gap between club level racing and national/big meetings. The problem with meetings clashing is that it is the same hardcore group attending (or trying to attend) all the events.

IMHO there needs to be more meetings aimed at intermediate drivers to get them to progress upwards from club level. As has been said already winter regionals are almost non exisitent and i've not heard of an interclub for a long time.

It's very difficult to be committed to club racing and Nationals/regionals.
the current problem is there are not enough drivers to bridge the gap.
ie, if you put on too many meetings they will be under-subscribed and if you only put on a few meetings they will be over sub-scribed.

We all can only try do our best!!!

[Kecky]

Originally Posted by ben

Think it's just the north east

It's a shame really, as it takes away the importance of the finals

[Reevsey]

It is a shame, indoor racing over the years has got smaller as clubs converted over to TC and dropped off road, for me there is not much indoor racing near by. I have always thought that with the amount of clubs that hold wintter series such as EPR, Stotfold, Coventry, Kiddy etc it would be quite good to hold an outdoor meeting that could be used as a national warm up for one of the multi surface tracks only trouble is the weather and lack of day light

[MikePimlott]

Sorry to hear this about IF's, my entry was a late one as i was unsure regarding work for the saturday.

I agree regarding people may have entered the players aswell if knowing this wasnt going to go ahead. Not a dig, just an infortunate series of events.

Originally Posted by DanW

IMHO there needs to be more meetings aimed at intermediate drivers to get them to progress upwards from club level.

I think if intermediate drivers dont travel away from one club they are never going to improve, and shouldnt be put off by entering a big meeting and finishing last at least they have tried and gained experience.

[burgie]

This seems to be going off topic somewhat.

Dan, I think, was referring to indoor racing in the Northwest - there is a definite lack of indoor venues and racing in the Northwest area, hence the lack of indoor regionals and interclub events.

Outdoors we are reasonably well catered for and we do travel. But we are not all able to get into the mid west region, north east region or whatever with any regularity or at all to take part in indoor series, such as the Worksop events. A series in the Northwest would more than likely be easier for northwest drivers to attend.

[DanW]

Originally Posted by Stu

Regionals?

We have a full summer of racing planned Dan, if the 6 NW regionals are not all you need you'll be able to race in the Mid West or North East if you alternate 2wd & 4wd.

Please correct me if I misunderstand you, but as an F2 you don't need intermediate meetings.

I'm all with you on the summer thing Stu, and I and others will travel to all 6 regionals.

I think Dave Church has put what I was trying to say into much better words.... bridging the gap between club/regional and national levels is difficult! I think there is groups of committed club level drivers and a group of committed national drivers but very few crossing over in between.

[RudeTony]

I suggested this years ago and I will do again to all the drivers here and if all like, agree and fancy the idea then why not have it suggested at the BRCA AGM at the end of year.... although I feel it needs backing by many drivers and not just one person throwing an idea around....hope all can follow the following.

We all (or the majority that are not F1 drivers) do regionals in our areas.
The drivers that qualify for the F2/3/4/5 do a end of year event - all great and normal so far and everyone drives for themselves and the best they can do - again all good so far.

All as above but add this as well.....
At the end of year in addition to the F2/3/4/5 finals, also have ....lets say an Inter-Regional Finals Event for the regions to fight for a title of ....lets say Best UK Region !!!
I feel this will achive lots of things...
It will blend friendship and union between better class drivers and beginners which I don't see often enough.....the top drivers will be supporting their regional beginners to do better for that event to hopefully beat the other regions....better for the beginners that will learn from them, appreciate the better drivers input and hopefully make them better drivers etc etc .....
Also the regions N-S-W-E will have a great get together at the end of season not driving just for themselves but for a cause.....their region....
The rules can be so simple.....you score points for your region etc etc

I say that we need input from drivers....make sponsored drivers attend and help like they used to at the Juniors etc etc - sorry them may still do this as they should.....
Get the main sponsors involved and get top drivers there as a commitment for the input etc etc

Just an idea that I personally think would not only work but could actually work very well .....could be indoors or outdoors - either would work but with input of the main sponsors, clubs, BRCA, regional reps and of course if the drivers fancy such an event......

Even if drivers or people say this is rubbish, I think a fresh idea is always good and if it sparks off another or better idea then all great I say.....

Regards to all, Tony Evdoka (yes! the blast from the past)

[DaveG28]

Originally Posted by RudeTony

I suggested this years ago and I will do again to all the drivers here and if all like, agree and fancy the idea then why not have it suggested at the BRCA AGM at the end of year.... although I feel it needs backing by many drivers and not just one person throwing an idea around....hope all can follow the following.

We all (or the majority that are not F1 drivers) do regionals in our areas.
The drivers that qualify for the F2/3/4/5 do a end of year event - all great and normal so far and everyone drives for themselves and the best they can do - again all good so far.

All as above but add this as well.....
At the end of year in addition to the F2/3/4/5 finals, also have ....lets say an Inter-Regional Finals Event for the regions to fight for a title of ....lets say Best UK Region !!!
I feel this will achive lots of things...
It will blend friendship and union between better class drivers and beginners which I don't see often enough.....the top drivers will be supporting their regional beginners to do better for that event to hopefully beat the other regions....better for the beginners that will learn from them, appreciate the better drivers input and hopefully make them better drivers etc etc .....
Also the regions N-S-W-E will have a great get together at the end of season not driving just for themselves but for a cause.....their region....
The rules can be so simple.....you score points for your region etc etc

I say that we need input from drivers....make sponsored drivers attend and help like they used to at the Juniors etc etc - sorry them may still do this as they should.....
Get the main sponsors involved and get top drivers there as a commitment for the input etc etc

Just an idea that I personally think would not only work but could actually work very well .....could be indoors or outdoors - either would work but with input of the main sponsors, clubs, BRCA, regional reps and of course if the drivers fancy such an event......

Even if drivers or people say this is rubbish, I think a fresh idea is always good and if it sparks off another or better idea then all great I say.....

Regards to all, Tony Evdoka (yes! the blast from the past)

I stand to be corrected but I thought the indoor finals, and F3/4/5's or F2/3/4/5's were already a competition between regions? I think the top 2 from each grade or top2 overall from each region count to the regions scores?? It'd probably need more counting to get a real "regional gang" feel, but unfortunately some regions have sod all entries so then wouldn't stand a chance.

Unless I dreamed all this....

[RudeTony]

Agree they are SUPPOSED to be like that or they were but are they really ??.......separate the 2 events and I think it will be better......get the top sponsored drivers to support the event and then you get the link to the beginners etc etc .....if you have a region that has less drivers then sort out a system that makes it more equal or something........I am sure that there are very cleaver lads out there that can think of something......it's only an opinion of course......the main think is there have to be interest by the drivers.....no interest and you get cancellelations like we just have had and clubs then start to suffer and really don't want to put on main events etc.... I really feel for the club that had to cancel.....must of been weeks if not months of trying to organise a good event and they just didn't get the interest......like I said it's only an idea to try and get better union to bridge the cap and get the drivers enjoying events - like it used to be in the states some years back in 1/10th off road - Losi on one side and Associated the other - they all liked each other but they were competitive to win - I don't see any reason why this can be between regions - cheer, scream for your drivers in your region etc etc etc

[DaveG28]

Also, on the topic(s) here, it's a shame the indoor finals are cancelled, and it's difficult to know what to suggest, I have got really into this hobby again in the last 2 years but even I am getting "hobby fatigue" at the moment, and ummed and ahhed about entering the IF, feel like I need a break!!

I think on another thread Rich Lowe said how he'd not had chance to just do a relaxed local clubby for ages, I wonder how many thats true for, I know I'm whacked out after all the weekend races so don't make it to a club in the week!

I know this is only a "PR" comment, but I've always found it odd that its called the indoor finals, and not something like "British Indoor Championships", maybe if it was bigged up a bit more it would be more popular? Or if it was regional based going down the route rude tony suggested, rather than a standard meeting making it something totally different like the finals being the top 2 from each region in their f grade or something? So like an F5's final, F4's final, F3's final etc at the end of the meeting? How many regions are there? Something like that could be made time for by dropping to a single practice round (so you still have the normal finals and everyone gets a race?)

Sorry, just a brain dump!!

[DaveG28]

Originally Posted by RudeTony

Agree they are SUPPOSED to be like that or they were but are they really ??.......separate the 2 events and I think it will be better......get the top sponsored drivers to support the event and then you get the link to the beginners etc etc .....if you have a region that has less drivers then sort out a system that makes it more equal or something........I am sure that there are very cleaver lads out there that can think of something......it's only an opinion of course......the main think is there have to be interest by the drivers.....no interest and you get cancellelations like we just have had and clubs then start to suffer and really don't want to put on main events etc.... I really feel for the club that had to cancel.....must of been weeks if not months of trying to organise a good event and they just didn't get the interest......like I said it's only an idea to try and get better union to bridge the cap and get the drivers enjoying events - like it used to be in the states some years back in 1/10th off road - Losi on one side and Associated the other - they all liked each other but they were competitive to win - I don't see any reason why this can be between regions - cheer, scream for your drivers in your region etc etc etc

Your right, and its a good point, I was a bit dismissive before, just posted an idea on how to emphasise the regional aspect!?

Other things can spice meetings up too, I thought the reedy format at the players was ace, and one thing that occured to me after the practice day there was you could have a meeting where you qualified based on single fastest lap or something?? Each racer gets 2 "slots" of time (like 5 min rounds) to set laptimes, then everyone getting 3 finals?? With someone like MCDC commentating I think it could really work as a tension builder??

I know its getting off topic but I just wonder if maybe these different formats could help? I know I've liked FTD stye at Bury, makes a nice change?

[RogerM]

I think the nail was firmly struck very early on in this thread.

The sole reason I didn't enter the event this year was financial. For the price of doing both days at this meeting, tires, staying overnight and obviously the travel I could do 4 summer regional rounds!! In my current financial situation I'd rather have the 4 days out in the summer than 1 weekend away.

I really wanted to go other than that, predictions were for a really entertaining track.