Images From My Past - Nigel Watts Collection

[John McKechnie]

Historic Sports Sedans and Invited Allcomers would have loved to also take advantage of the low entry fee, but we missed the cut for this meeting.
Nigel...will you be at Puke Sat 13th or are you doing HD both days?

[nigel watts]

Historic Sports Sedans and Invited Allcomers would have loved to also take advantage of the low entry fee, but we missed the cut for this meeting.
Nigel...will you be at Puke Sat 13th or are you doing HD both days?

Hi John,

No I'm giving both events a miss this year. I pretty much stopped going to Pukekohe when they erected the fences and concrete barriers etc and I find endurance racing a bit boring from a spectating point of view - so I'll spend some time in my garden instead!

[Andrew Metford]

Another reason that may account for a few missing entries - It's Bathurst weekend!!! I mean who in their right mind has a race meeting on Bathurst meeting?? 51 other weekends to choose from............

[nigel watts]

[nigel watts]

[nigel watts]

[nigel watts]

It's hardly surprising that spectator numbers are disappearing. I've been trying to find out what classes are racing next weekend at Hampton Downs without success. Even the TACCOC page has no information!! Has motor racing finally passed away without me noticing?

[Spgeti]

Hi Nigel, the programming of this season has been very difficult and drawn out.
We were at least 6 weeks behind getting our programme confirmed for this season.
Even at the moment for instance TACCOC cancelled their October 28th Meeting due to falling competitor numbers.
We HMC/HSC have reduced grid numbers due to variance of issues and I don’t see them increasing for this season.
We were down 50% on our entry for TACCOC Spring Meeting and looking at MG I would say close to 30% down.
This will have an ongoing effect on costs to the promoters where they will need to look at increasing entry fees or increasing the classes to get the numbers hence making a meeting drawn out and again expensive.
Spectators come due to grid numbers and if they are down so are the spectator numbers.
Lack of advertising does not help but again that costs as well.

Roll on electric car racing.....and we will all go home..

[nigel watts]

The Oct 28th meeting is cancelled?? This is the first I've heard this - I was planning on going up for it. This is my point - communication is a bit lacking. Shame really as classic racing is all I'm interested in.

[Spgeti]

I am sure one of the members on here can shed more light on it Nigel.
We were not doing that meeting but are doing the meeting on the 9th December at HD.
I most likely again will come up for it.

Regards

[John McKechnie]

The Oct 28th meeting is cancelled?? This is the first I've heard this - I was planning on going up for it. This is my point - communication is a bit lacking. Shame really as classic racing is all I'm interested in.

.

Nigel- on #1708 of this thread I posted this for everyone as everyone looks at this thread-

"Auckland Car Club Summer Series Round 2 is at Pukekohe Saturday October 13, Historic Sports Sedans and Invited Allcomers will be running there as our Oct 28 meeting has been cancelled."


Historic Sports Sedans and Invited Allcomers will be next at MG Manfeild November 9-11.
We have some SI guests whose cars should fit your bucket list Nigel.

I would also agree with Spagetti that this years program has been the most difficult to achieve, though MG Manfeild has been the easiest.......so far

[nigel watts]

Yes I see that now. For some reason I misinterpreted that to mean HSC & Allcomers were not going to attend. Sorry to say that I won't be at Manfield. Next meet for me will be at HD in early December. Just recently I've been looking through my old photos and posting some to the race cars in sheds facebook page. There must be hundreds of cars sitting in sheds.

[ERC]

There will be an increasing number sitting in sheds too Nigel.

Far too many rules and regulations aimed at F1 and Aussie V8 levels and trampling totally on the amateurs and what they want and need.

HD's change of ownership hasn't really helped and if rumours are to be believed (and they come from solid sources), some of the responsibility of increased costs and compliance has to be laid squarely on their shoulders.

MSNZ hasn't helped nor an overly harsh reliance on so called Health & Safety issues.

Our (ERC) membership registrations are down as are the numbers actually turning up for meetings. I don't know how long the series can justify 2 grids at a meeting and if they were combined, even if they were combined with Alfa, some would walk away as the speed differential is now way too high, thanks to a few throwing a lot of money at it at the top end which puts off slower drivers.

I'm an optimist by nature but also a realist and overall, it doesn't exactly look good for the future. Too many people in authority who aren't exactly aware of the chaos they are causing.

Personally, I'm glad I have retired from active participation and to be brutally honest, it has got to the stage where rather than spend say $12,000 on a full season of racing (and that is cheap by the way), I'd rather fly business class to the UK and despite my criticisms of the event's scheduling, spend 3 full days taking photographs at the Goodwood Revival and visit a few car museums, collections and factories.

The monthly Caffeine & Classics and the upcoming Caffeine & Gasoline meets are going to be better than sparse grids at a circuit - or maybe I'll go to Speedway on a Saturday night.

[John McKechnie]

Nigel...its a shame you arent coming down, there are some sheds you could come and visit with us.........

[Spgeti]

Yes I see that now. For some reason I misinterpreted that to mean HSC & Allcomers were not going to attend. Sorry to say that I won't be at Manfield. Next meet for me will be at HD in early December. Just recently I've been looking through my old photos and posting some to the race cars in sheds facebook page. There must be hundreds of cars sitting in sheds.

Had a look at your photos Nigel. Some great Alfa’s in those shots. All of them still around and one now in the UK.

[Reeceracer]

[quote="ERC"]There will be an increasing number sitting in sheds too Nigel.

Far too many rules and regulations aimed at F1 and Aussie V8 levels and trampling totally on the amateurs and what they want and need.

HD's change of ownership hasn't really helped and if rumours are to be believed (and they come from solid sources), some of the responsibility of increased costs and compliance has to be laid squarely on their shoulders.

MSNZ hasn't helped nor an overly harsh reliance on so called Health & Safety issues.

Our (ERC) membership registrations are down as are the numbers actually turning up for meetings. I don't know how long the series can justify 2 grids at a meeting and if they were combined, even if they were combined with Alfa, some would walk away as the speed differential is now way too high, thanks to a few throwing a lot of money at it at the top end which puts off slower drivers.

I'm an optimist by nature but also a realist and overall, it doesn't exactly look good for the future. Too many people in authority who aren't exactly aware of the chaos they are causing.
(Quote from post #1727)




Unfortunately Ray, you have some good points there.....on the subject of ERC speed differences, what is your experienced opinion on the complete ignorance of the speed bar rule at every meeting as stated in ERC Series Rules 5.6?? Why is it not enforced at all? Surely keeping a grid within a certain "classic car" speed range is safer for all? There have been some very close calls when there is a 13 second per lap speed difference........

[ERC]

Regarding the speed bar Reece, the current convenor decided to eliminate it as three or four 'serious' racers were exceeding it.

I installed a Speed Bar over 20 years ago when I wrote the initial series rules, as it was an attempt to encourage people to NOT develop their cars too far and also to keep costs down - hence the reliance on handicaps.

There are differences of opinion as to whether or not this current move was a good call or not. It would be unfair of me to comment, but I am sure that Chris, being a lawyer would have updated the rules by now.

Speeds seem to have increased over the years, across the board, often due to little more than tyre technology - and therein lies another issue...

Sorry Nigel.

[Reeceracer]

Regarding the speed bar Reece, the current convenor decided to eliminate it as three or four 'serious' racers were exceeding it.

I installed a Speed Bar over 20 years ago when I wrote the initial series rules, as it was an attempt to encourage people to NOT develop their cars too far and also to keep costs down - hence the reliance on handicaps.

There are differences of opinion as to whether or nor this current move was a good call or not. It would be unfair of me to comment, but I am sure that Chris, being a lawyer would have updated the rules by now.

Speeds seem to have increased over the years, across the board, often due to little more than tyre technology - and therein lies another issue...

Sorry Nigel.

I believe that's one reason the class is dropping numbers....what you had set up was fantastic for older cars and "gentleman racers". If guys want to break speed records in their "classic" cars GTRNZ is a great class to satisfy their needs....funny thing is when I applied to join in my new car I was informed that the class only wanted mid field runners and no super fast hotrods. I thought fair enough as I have the Imp if I want to do 1.12's so I 'detuned' the Merc to fit into the lap time range preferred but now I wonder why?

[nigel watts]

[nigel watts]