|
This is the latest information for the upcoming race meeting at Rockingham Raceway next weekend. RIP Rockingham You have probably already heard the sad news that Rockingham has been sold; and that the new owners do not intend to operate it as a race track. RIP Rocky – it’s a circuit that we’ve certainly enjoyed racing and testing at; and it feels like quite a loss to us, given the quality of the facilities there. This means that our second Rocky 24hr is likely to be the last ever 24hr race at Rockingham. This newsletter is mostly on the upcoming 24hr and 3hr races. Rocky 24hr – would you like to drive the safety car? As something of an experiment, we offered a chance for people to drive the safety car in Rocky I. It all went swimmingly well; and we had so many volunteers that instead of the 8 that we asked for, the 20 or so people who volunteered all seemed to enjoy the experience; so we are going to do it again! As per last time, neither previous experience, nor a race licence is needed, although you do need a normal road licence; all you would have to do is follow the instructions of the marshal in the car with you. As usual, it’s going to be first-come, first-served. Please email meyrick@c1racing.club to volunteer.
Rocky Timetable – be in the right place at the right time BARC have now published the full weekend timetable, which can be found here. We will not have access to the paddock until 1900hrs on Thursday night; and need to clear the paddock completely by 1000hrs Monday morning. Rockingham has very kindly agreed to open the Diner on Monday morning so you can have a bacon buttie to speed you on your way.
Group photograph – make a little piece of history We are going to repeat the group photograph of all the C1 Race Cars at the weekend. This will take place immediately after the warm up for the 24hr race: please would the 3hr cars line up in the hot pitlane during the 24hr warm up; we will then guide all the 24hr cars to join them, rather than going back to the pits; and hopefully it will be as bright and sunny as on the test day for the photographs. We will take pictures, first with and then without drivers (although one driver should get in the car, so as to be able to move the cars promptly once we’ve finished, so we would be grateful if all drivers (both 3hr and 24hr) could be in their race suits with their helmets for the photo shoot. We will aim to clear all the cars from the hot pitlane by 1110hrs, so that it is clear again for the SEC Tin Tops race, which starts at 1120hrs. It’s going to be tight, so please all be there on time.
Passes & Paddock policy Each 24hr car will be allocated two vehicle paddock passes and 16 access passes for team members; 3hr teams will get the usual 4 access passes, but no vehicle paddock passes. Drivers should park their cars in the outer paddock. If you are sharing a garage, please be considerate of the other team; and don’t, for example, grab all the parking spaces just behind the garage. The paddock police will not be accommodating and may remove passes from those being inconsiderate…
Club HQ & Signing on Club headquarters will be in garages 35 and 36 for the entire weekend. Membership cards will be available from Club HQ on Thursday evening: you will need them to sign on for the test day, and for the race weekend. Club HQ is also where breathalysing and Club signing-on will be; you should already have a HuTag, which you will need to bring with you, those that do not have one will need to purchase one (£10) from the Club. HuTags need to be worn on the right wrist all weekend. Teams will also need to collect and pay for their pitlane bibs (£40) from Club HQ. BARC signing on will be in Race Administration (within the school building at the rear of the inner paddock). At least one driver in every car (not team) needs to be a member of BARC, so please ensure that you have joined before the day. The Clerk of the Course will be in Race Control, which is located on Level 2, Stairwell 6; which can be accessed from the paddock via the tunnel next to garage 36, there is a lift next to the Diner; although we hope none of you will be summoned to visit.
Drivers’ briefings There will be separate drivers’ briefings for the 3hr and the 24hr, which will take place immediately after qualifying in the scrutineering suite for the 3-hour; and in the Rockingham Welcome Centre at 1530hrs for the 24hr on Saturday. The first part will be for all drivers and team managers in both the 3hr and 24hr races; the second will be for those drivers that are starting both the 3hr and 24hr races and will follow immediately after the first briefing. Entrance to and exit from the briefings will be recorded by means of the HuTags, so there will be no getting out of attending the briefings. If a team manager does not attend, the team’s drivers will not be allowed on circuit; if a driver does not attend, they will not be allowed on circuit.
Weighing There will be a different procedure for weighing this weekend. We will shortly publish a timetable setting out half hour time slots during which you have to present your car for weighing. Please present your car full of fuel with all the drivers (in their kit with helmets and HANS devices) present, so that we can manage this efficiently. Please also ensure that, if your car has not already got a yellow weight tag, the drilled bolt is oriented with the hole at the top, and ideally in the rear outer corner of the ballast tray. Each car will be allowed a test and a check weigh only, so you will need to bring with you any ballast that you need, as the club does not supply it.
Penalties & Pitlane Speed limit – stick to it! There will again be a pitlane speed limit of 30 kph, which corresponds to a little under 4,000rpm in first gear, and will be rigorously enforced with the Club’s radar gun. For those of you who haven’t read the Club’s fixed penalties, they can be found here. There is a new penalty for drivers who do not stop and register their HuTag on the exit of the pit lane. This is so as to ensure that teams with 4 drivers are not at a disadvantage to those with fewer drivers. Pit wall etiquette All team members on the pit wall will have to wear a C1 Racing Club high visibility bib at all times, four of which will be available for each car. No pit wall shelters will be allowed, as it would hinder the visibility of teams further down the pit lane; nor may any pit boards be attached to the pit wall. LED pit boards are not allowed.
Car numbers A brief reminder on car numbers: all 24hr cars must display reflective race numbers as required by Section Q 11.4 of the MSA Yearbook. Touring car style and high visibility race numbers are not permitted.
Pits for 3hr teams The 3hr teams will not have a pit allocation, unless their team is also running cars in the 24hr race. They will be based in the outer paddock, along with the SEC Tin Tops and Modified Saloons teams; and will only be able to bring fuel, tyres and a working tool box to the pit lane. We suggest that the remaining 3hr teams pair up with a 24hr team, to be located in front of their garage. We would be very grateful if those 24hr teams would help out those 3hr teams with tools and by providing some space if possible.
SSRs – please read them Finally, please make sure that you have read the SSRs for the 24hr race, which will be published on the BARC website shortly, and any other bulletins that come out. All the Club directors have been published as DSOs and Judges of Fact for the event; and you will see us, especially at the first corner, sporting our identifying pink DSO bibs.
Come and join us for a drink on Thursday evening We will be arriving on the Thursday night and will be staying at Rockingham for the whole weekend, so please come and join us for a drink the night before – although bear in mind that the club breathalyzer will be in action again for drivers, pit crew and team managers throughout the weekend. See you then. The C1 Racing Team |
This is the latest information for the upcoming race meeting at Rockingham Raceway next weekend.
RIP Rockingham
You have probably already heard the sad news that Rockingham has been sold; and that the new owners do not intend to operate it as a race track. RIP Rocky – it’s a circuit that we’ve certainly enjoyed racing and testing at; and it feels like quite a loss to us, given the quality of the facilities there. This means that our second Rocky 24hr is likely to be the last ever 24hr race at Rockingham. This newsletter is mostly on the upcoming 24hr and 3hr races.
Rocky 24hr – would you like to drive the safety car?
As something of an experiment, we offered a chance for people to drive the safety car in Rocky I. It all went swimmingly well; and we had so many volunteers that instead of the 8 that we asked for, the 20 or so people who volunteered all seemed to enjoy the experience; so we are going to do it again! As per last time, neither previous experience, nor a race licence is needed, although you do need a normal road licence; all you would have to do is follow the instructions of the marshal in the car with you. As usual, it’s going to be first-come, first-served. Please email meyrick@c1racing.club to volunteer.
Rocky Timetable – be in the right place at the right time
BARC have now published the full weekend timetable, which can be found here. We will not have access to the paddock until 1900hrs on Thursday night; and need to clear the paddock completely by 1000hrs Monday morning. Rockingham has very kindly agreed to open the Diner on Monday morning so you can have a bacon buttie to speed you on your way.
Group photograph – make a little piece of history
We are going to repeat the group photograph of all the C1 Race Cars at the weekend. This will take place immediately after the warm up for the 24hr race: please would the 3hr cars line up in the hot pitlane during the 24hr warm up; we will then guide all the 24hr cars to join them, rather than going back to the pits; and hopefully it will be as bright and sunny as on the test day for the photographs. We will take pictures, first with and then without drivers (although one driver should get in the car, so as to be able to move the cars promptly once we’ve finished, so we would be grateful if all drivers (both 3hr and 24hr) could be in their race suits with their helmets for the photo shoot. We will aim to clear all the cars from the hot pitlane by 1110hrs, so that it is clear again for the SEC Tin Tops race, which starts at 1120hrs. It’s going to be tight, so please all be there on time.
Passes & Paddock policy
Each 24hr car will be allocated two vehicle paddock passes and 16 access passes for team members; 3hr teams will get the usual 4 access passes, but no vehicle paddock passes. Drivers should park their cars in the outer paddock. If you are sharing a garage, please be considerate of the other team; and don’t, for example, grab all the parking spaces just behind the garage. The paddock police will not be accommodating and may remove passes from those being inconsiderate…
Club HQ & Signing on
Club headquarters will be in garages 35 and 36 for the entire weekend. Membership cards will be available from Club HQ on Thursday evening: you will need them to sign on for the test day, and for the race weekend. Club HQ is also where breathalysing and Club signing-on will be; you should already have a HuTag, which you will need to bring with you, those that do not have one will need to purchase one (£10) from the Club. HuTags need to be worn on the right wrist all weekend. Teams will also need to collect and pay for their pitlane bibs (£40) from Club HQ. BARC signing on will be in Race Administration (within the school building at the rear of the inner paddock). At least one driver in every car (not team) needs to be a member of BARC, so please ensure that you have joined before the day. The Clerk of the Course will be in Race Control, which is located on Level 2, Stairwell 6; which can be accessed from the paddock via the tunnel next to garage 36, there is a lift next to the Diner; although we hope none of you will be summoned to visit.
Drivers’ briefings
There will be separate drivers’ briefings for the 3hr and the 24hr, which will take place immediately after qualifying in the scrutineering suite for the 3-hour; and in the Rockingham Welcome Centre at 1530hrs for the 24hr on Saturday. The first part will be for all drivers and team managers in both the 3hr and 24hr races; the second will be for those drivers that are starting both the 3hr and 24hr races and will follow immediately after the first briefing. Entrance to and exit from the briefings will be recorded by means of the HuTags, so there will be no getting out of attending the briefings. If a team manager does not attend, the team’s drivers will not be allowed on circuit; if a driver does not attend, they will not be allowed on circuit.
Weighing
There will be a different procedure for weighing this weekend. We will shortly publish a timetable setting out half hour time slots during which you have to present your car for weighing. Please present your car full of fuel with all the drivers (in their kit with helmets and HANS devices) present, so that we can manage this efficiently. Please also ensure that, if your car has not already got a yellow weight tag, the drilled bolt is oriented with the hole at the top, and ideally in the rear outer corner of the ballast tray. Each car will be allowed a test and a check weigh only, so you will need to bring with you any ballast that you need, as the club does not supply it.
Penalties & Pitlane Speed limit – stick to it!
There will again be a pitlane speed limit of 30 kph, which corresponds to a little under 4,000rpm in first gear, and will be rigorously enforced with the Club’s radar gun. For those of you who haven’t read the Club’s fixed penalties, they can be found here. There is a new penalty for drivers who do not stop and register their HuTag on the exit of the pit lane. This is so as to ensure that teams with 4 drivers are not at a disadvantage to those with fewer drivers.
Pit wall etiquette
All team members on the pit wall will have to wear a C1 Racing Club high visibility bib at all times, four of which will be available for each car. No pit wall shelters will be allowed, as it would hinder the visibility of teams further down the pit lane; nor may any pit boards be attached to the pit wall. LED pit boards are not allowed.
Car numbers
A brief reminder on car numbers: all 24hr cars must display reflective race numbers as required by Section Q 11.4 of the MSA Yearbook. Touring car style and high visibility race numbers are not permitted.
Pits for 3hr teams
The 3hr teams will not have a pit allocation, unless their team is also running cars in the 24hr race. They will be based in the outer paddock, along with the SEC Tin Tops and Modified Saloons teams; and will only be able to bring fuel, tyres and a working tool box to the pit lane. We suggest that the remaining 3hr teams pair up with a 24hr team, to be located in front of their garage. We would be very grateful if those 24hr teams would help out those 3hr teams with tools and by providing some space if possible.
SSRs – please read them
Finally, please make sure that you have read the SSRs for the 24hr race, which will be published on the BARC website shortly, and any other bulletins that come out. All the Club directors have been published as DSOs and Judges of Fact for the event; and you will see us, especially at the first corner, sporting our identifying pink DSO bibs.
Come and join us for a drink on Thursday evening
We will be arriving on the Thursday night and will be staying at Rockingham for the whole weekend, so please come and join us for a drink the night before – although bear in mind that the club breathalyzer will be in action again for drivers, pit crew and team managers throughout the weekend. See you then.
The C1 Racing Team
Following a significant level of comments from you all, we have been working with Rockingham, BARC and the MSA to be able to use the International Circuit at the second Rocky. We have now secured all the consents that we need to be able to do that, and are delighted to announce that we will be running that slightly longer layout, which incorporates Gretton, Turn 4 of the oval, and puts a chicane in Turn 1; but eliminates the rather fiddly chicane at Brook and the pit entrance.
To help you all get used to it, the Test Day at Rockingham on 16th August will also run this layout. We have some spaces left and at £195 for the day it’s great value, whether or not you are planning on doing the 24-hour. We can run it under a mix of track / test day regulations, with overtaking wherever you like, ability to time using the in-car timers, but no pit boards. This will allow drivers without a race licence to take part; and allow you to take passengers with you. We know that the test day at Snetterton was not what everyone hoped for, but this one is much more under our control; and we can pretty much guarantee that you will get a lot of track time.
Come and join us, there’s the usual friendly Club welcome with a BBQ at lunchtime for everyone. We look forward to seeing you there. We will have both our cars out testing some tyre variants for wear, entertainment and grip, and we’ll let you know afterwards how we get on. The C1 Racing Team |
Snetterton Update After an eight-week break, it was good to be back out on track again, wasn’t it? Snetterton 300 is a brilliant circuit, and it was quite amazing to see 53 cars starting the four-hour race: the largest grid ever seen at Snetterton. It turned out to be quite a race, as well: Old Hat did a terrific job in qualifying, going nearly a second quicker than everyone else; and watching Dan in the early stages of the race, you could see why: consistent, smooth and accurate, which is exactly what’s needed to make a C1 fly. It didn’t stay that way: McAttack and Absolute Alignment played the safety cars to perfection and managed to get in front of Old Hat. We were all treated to a brilliant battle for the next few hours, which got more and more tense as the race progressed. It was always going to be really marginal on fuel with one stop, but both of the front-runners took the gamble. It paid off for both of them, but there was an extraordinary twist at the end. Declan McDonnell had been asking if it was legal to finish the race in the pit lane, but decided not to take the gamble in case his driver missed the pit board on the last lap. With only a 50-second lead from the hard-charging and in-the-zone Chris Dear, McAttack came into the pits with just six minutes of the race left. In the pits, you could cut the air with a knife. They made it out in front of Absolute Alignment. Just. But that didn’t last long, and Dear made it past at the Wilson Hairpin. In the pits McAttack faces fell; but then a red flag came out. A car had rolled at Agostini and the Clerk decided that it would be safer to red flag the race. The directors gathered with Dorothy, our wonderful Clerk of the Course, to discuss the outcome. If you’re familiar with the regulations, it did not turn out to be particularly controversial. In a race that is red flagged, the result is taken from the end of the lap before the red flag. McAttack had pitted, and had completed their mandatory pit stops. Declan had what must be one the shortest stints in race history, completing maybe 50 yards to the finish line in the pits – which, as we all know, is part of the race track. So McAttack won the race in the pit lane at approximately 40 kph (we had the Club’s speed gun on him). Extraordinary. We also saw the world’s longest stop / go penalty. One unfortunate driver was penalized for speeding in the pit lane and leaving the pits under a red light; compounding his error with missing the black flag for a total of six laps. A four minute and fifty second stop / go was a long, long time, but then the miscreant had to get out of the car for a leisurely chat with Gary, the Deputy Clerk of the Course, before strapping in and continuing his race. Its well worth having a quick look at the fixed penalties in the Club Regulations; mostly to know what not to do. Its going to be really tough trying to win a race if you are parked in the pit lane for 5 minutes Lastly on Snetterton, thank you to the volunteers who helped us: to Adriana, Christine, and Jill, to the marshals, the scrutineers, the Clerks and course staff. We think that they did a great job and in baking hot weather. Thank you to each and every one of you.
Spa News We look forward, later in the year, to seeing rather more teams at Spa on 5th-7th October. After extensive negotiations with our Belgian friends, they have been kind enough to let us have some more spaces, so all the reserves have now been promoted to full entries and we will see 55 UK C1s starting the race. We may even be able to squeeze a few more in, so if you don’t already have an entry, and want one, it’s probably worth getting a deposit in and joining the reserve list. It really is an epic circuit and great weekend. Our policy is that deposits are refundable if you are on the reserve list, so there is little or no downside. For those who have confirmed entries, the deposits are no longer refundable, though.
Race of Remembrance Further out, C1s are also eligible for the fantastic Race of Remembrance, held at Anglesey on the weekend of Remembrance Sunday, 10th / 11th November. If you haven’t done this race, you really should. It’s a brilliant end of term party for one; it’s another rare chance to race at night; and it’s held in order to raise money for our supported charity, Mission Motorsport. Some of you will have seen Mission Motorsport at some of our events: it exists to help servicemen and women that have been injured in the course of their duty, whether physically or mentally, back into the workplace, using motorsport as a beacon, training medium and therapy. Take a look on: http://www.raceofremembrance.com/ where you will find some of the most moving video footage ever recorded. You’ll also spot a few C1s; and there will be a class again in 2018. We’ll be out there racing, with a serviceman or woman in the car. If you want to come and, particularly if you would like to have a beneficiary in your car, contact our chairman, Meyrick, on meyrick@c1racing.club ; and no, we aren’t usually the slowest cars there, especially in the wet, which it usually is at Anglesey. The C1 Racing Team |