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Proposal: New European trophy modus

Joined
9 December 2002
Messages
2,252
Location
Buehlertal, Germany
IMO the actual way to shoot out the European Honda trophy managed by the European NSX- & Honda Sportscar Club is becoming more and more a joke. Cars like nearly race prepped Integras run in the same class as slightly modified NSXs or S 2000s, the rules to put a car into the categories "standard", "modified" and "prototype" don't guarantee any equality of chances, some drivers come with professional equipment and team, the two 30-minute-races at each event with all the preperations and qualifying are eating track time for the others, the costs for participating are too high, the point system with bonus points for simply participating at all events is unique in the racing world, some competitors are driving as they could win a 10.000 Euro jackpot and risc damages, the P 1 and P 2 of the last two races in Dijon were Porsches (in a Honda trophy!).

Result: The number of participants decreases from year to year.

My proposal: A time trial like Doug Hayashi's "Open Track challenge" in U.S.A. At every event every car on the track gets a transponder in the morning. Now it's free driving 'til the evening. At the end of the day everybody gets a printout with his lap times and a sheet with the fastest laptimes of all cars. Then you can compare yourself with whoever you like - a system that the Swiss club SAR uses at his free practices.

Do we need any classification? No. Do we need big expensive golden cups for places 1,2,3 in a class with 3 participants? Surely no. Couldn't we just give one cup big golden cup for the fastest driver of the year with the most best lap times? Yes, if you can't live without a winner ceremony.

Any opinions welcome - also If you think I'm a bit weired.
 
Hi NSX-racer,

I agree with you that, unfortunately, the euro NSX club trophy is becoming less interesting as the years go by. I'm a club member since 1996 and can remember the days when we had nothing but NSX's running together during the races.

Sadly times have changed. Most NSX members have seen it all often enough and no longer attend. Since 2000 other Honda models can enter. At first this worked, but with the high cost of membership and trophy entry fees, I wonder how long it will last.....

Your proposal is interesting, I like it. Right now, the 2 x 10 laps races are terrible for standard and even modified cars. The charge for free practice + racing is enormous. I would also like to propose the possibility to go out and have fun an hour at the time. 6 hours of free practice available? Great! I'll have two please. That would make it much more apealing for existing and new, prospective members.
 
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Hi Guus,

good thoughts, great picture (must be from last century). The only thing I didn't get: If we had 6 hours of free practice why will you only take 2? Less inscription fee?

BTW: I missed you the last few events - hope you don't have the old problem no more...
 
(sorry for messing up the photo above, I attached it back here)

The 6 hours thing was just an example. I meant it as "let me have 2 for the price of 2"


ps. I'm doing well, thanks for asking. Just have to be careful with long trips. Don't want to take risks again....
 

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This is a nice idea. As there won't be any wheel to wheel racing, it could prove safer. If it percieved as being safer, then more people may enter.


If it didn't cost so much I may consider entering. As it is now, I can do the practice sessions, but not the races.
 
Exactly!

More people will attend because they can go out on the track per hour instead of per day.
They will get to know the club and feel what it's like to have fun at a race track.
Then, hopefully, the Trophy charges will go down too because we have more participants.

I can bring this to the attention of Mr. Zucker, our club president...
 
The Trophy fees can also be decreased if it's a time trial as I proposed - not only because the increased number of inscriptions but also because the lack of additional costs (only the timing and printouts have to be paid - no cups).

The only problem with mother goose's suggestion: Who can and how should it be checked if someone is only on the track during his "paid" time period? It seems to add more administrative work to control that. What may work is dividing the day in two halfs. You get a sticker on the car for the morning and another for the afternoon. If someone runs the whole day he has two stickers on the windshield. That works only if someone of the club or the race track is checking the stickers in the pitlane before the cars enter the track.

We'll need a bit more thought on that...
 
Administration would not have to be difficult I think.
When you pay you get the transponder. You go out on the track and after you paid-time is up you are flagged in. Then you are required to hand over the transponder. If you want to drive again, you have to pay to get a transponder again. That way, the organisation can also make sure that everyone can get track-time even when there are not enough transponders.
Another possibility is to literally divide the track-time in sessions of about, let's say, 20-30 minutes. After the time, everybody will be flagged in. Then 10-20 minutes to switch transponders if need be and then a new line-up of cars for the next sessions. That way you could still have that competition-feeling because everyone starts at the same time.
I believe the last issue of the NSXCA magazine Driver as a nice story about a similar type of match. Teams travel from one track to another and on every track the fastest three laps are recorded for points. After the visited the ten tracks you know where you stand.
 
I don't think it is necessary to allow people to have short sessions. Admin would be more complicated, and time could be wasted becuase of it. People may miss the drivers briefing at the start of the day etc etc.

Anyone that does a track day will pay for and complete a full day. This is normal.

What I would like best about a time trial format, is if it doesn't cost twice as much to enter, like the races do at the moment, and the safety of it not being a race. These two things alone could raise the number of participants.

Also safety may be a concern if you are letting people out on track for an hour only, to go as fast as they can, especially if they are new. In fact it may be better to only count laps in the afternoon, after people have practiced in the morning, for the points.

I am offering my thoughts and opinions here, but I am not a member of the club, nor have I competed! I did go to Spa last year though. But, I may be one of those people that you are tyring to attract to the race, so here is why I give my thoughts.
 
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