Prescott Hillclimb review – Feedback request

[judgie]

the biggest problem we have with only 3 runs and having club convoys up the hill is the amount of time it takes to clear the holding area and fill it back up again. trying to get 70 cars and owners to quickly do what your asking is like trying to herd cats!
also trying to get club runs out of the show field and back in again would prove to be very hard work.

[MrSpeedy]

I didn't run this year, as I felt I missed out on a lot last year just 'queing'. Although that seemed to run better this year.

However, as a spectator I was also a little dissapointed (tho not surprised) at the modern content. When I heard the tannoy announcement for space in the afternoon session I immediately thought there'd be some 'modern shopping trolleys' running.
Even my Daughter commented on the amount of modern content, both on track and on club field. My kids have been looking forwards to RRG all year and are again next year, but for the 'new breed' of retro lovers to already be a little dismayed at the moderns is a little warning sign I think.

Personally I think the 'club stand = track eligibilty' ruling is sound in principle, but there really should be more strict control on club stand access. Ie, Retro ONLY. We see Ford Focus RS's every day!

Sorry, I digress slightly.

Back to the track, As hinted at above, maybe a ticket = x amount of runs would work better rather than morning and afternoon sessions?

You know roughly how many total runs you'll get in a day and could divide them up that way?

[oog]

Aug 21, 2013 9:36:30 GMT judgie said:

the biggest problem we have with only 3 runs and having club convoys up the hill is the amount of time it takes to clear the holding area and fill it back up again. trying to get 70 cars and owners to quickly do what your asking is like trying to herd cats!
also trying to get club runs out of the show field and back in again would prove to be very hard work.

Fair play, I must admit one of the comments that someone made when we were discussing this was; "sounds good but I wouldn't want to be the person organising it"

If you don't ask though!

[berendd]

I agree the RS's were in the wrong place on the club stand (modern parking would be a better place), but i would liked to have seen one go up the track at full pace.

[Nardo]

Ok I have been reading these threads with interest. I'm not sure that I am qualified to make any kind of opinion about the running order of the cars going up the hill as I don't really understand what the rules and general protocols are, it sounds like some people did not get enough runs, I can not comment. However as an observer and first timer at the RRG I thoroughly enjoyed watching cars taking to the tarmac and taking on the hill, but I guess you have to figure out the reasons people go up the hill, after all its not timed and its not a competition. Some for sure were in a very competitive spirit and for a spectator that is visually exciting. Some people might just like to see some old cars go up a hill! For me I would liked to have seen some of the cars down on the flat grass go up the hill, like the black VW caddy or the Orange Datsun 120y, these are cars that you don't see on the road on a daily basis. For me I am totally bewildered as to how a 55 plate SLK with what looked like old rave flyers pasted to the roof and rear spoiler made it onto the track I did read that right in an earlier posting ??

For me the Volvo 850 question should not really be an issue as (mentioned earlier) the cars were first made in the early nineties, I don't think the number plate on the car (N `96) should be an issue. But I guess you are going to get cars of a certain age close to the cut off date being `questionable`. For me its not an issue and the fact that it spat fire from its tail pipe was good enough for me ! I think I would be pretty annoyed if I rocked up in a Mercedes Benz 190E 2.5-16 on a late K plate and was told that I could not park in the retro car park or take it up the hill. I think the `spirit` of the event and what goes up the hill should be better defined after all its not a `modified car hill climb event`. As I know from putting on events its difficult to please everyone.

[bstardchild]

Aug 21, 2013 9:36:30 GMT judgie said:

the biggest problem we have with only 3 runs and having club convoys up the hill is the amount of time it takes to clear the holding area and fill it back up again. trying to get 70 cars and owners to quickly do what your asking is like trying to herd cats!
also trying to get club runs out of the show field and back in again would prove to be very hard work.

Herding cats....... Brilliant

[retromk11]

Me (white mk1 Golf) and my dad (silver Audi 5pot) did the morning session and were very pleased with the whole process and organization of it all! can't fault it at all! It all went seamlessly and the time between runs was perfect as it allowed enough but not too much time so that the car could cool and we could check fluid (human and car) levels. As said on the day (think it was to you bastardchild) thanks to everyone that made the morning session so good, be it drivers for staying on the black stuff and allowing everyone to get a good load of hill sessions in and mainly to the people running the hill, it really did work extremely well! We really did have a awesome time and the price for amount of runs we did was spot on! I would also like to thank the chap on the start line, he was epic! A proper old school racing gentleman!

If anything the sign on time could be a tad earlier but saying that, we managed to sign on, get our bands and be in the first line for the hill with no issues...

[HoTWire]

Can I just point out quickly that whilst we are looking at it .. of the 150 cars that we got up the hill, it seems that around 8 were considered a bit modern by some people.

[retromk11]

A solution to make sure everyone get’s the same amount of runs would be to mark off each car as they line up that the start of the hill, this could be done easily and quickly by two methods:
-chalk pen on the windscreen to create a tally of runs.
-ticket or sticker on the widescreen with boxes on that get stamped off. This method would prevent tampering so that drivers don’t achieve more runs that allocated

[CR500Dom]

I thought it all went pretty well, a bit lacking on the Tannoy for what was coming up in the afternoon, which was a bit difficult if you were wanting to shoot something further up the hill, but all in all a great event.

I was discussing with some friends, the possibility of having a stand next year with all out cars on it and running up the hill.
But that could range from:
My Kadett
Jase`s 911 GT3RS
An ex Clio-Cup trackday clio
one of Phils trackday Golfs, 2.0l 16V Mk1 or a MK2 with a 300hp 1.8T
Alex`s Series 1 Elise

They may not all fit the "Non modern" requirements, but they would all put on a very good show, as the boys are not shy at using all of them as many visitors and passengers at Marham over the years can attest to.
Now to my mind, as a "Show" that would be far more in keeping than something retro but standard driving up the hill.

(Look at the response to the amazing quattro this year)everyone just stopped and watched / listened to it with a big stupid grin on their faces

[alexcrosse]

I thought it was very good, probably the most enjoyable car show I've been to.

I think the line needs to be drawn somewhere with regards to 'retro'. Although it may annoy some people who own post 91 (or whatever the cut off date is) cars, there has to be a line.

Also, the lack of scrutineering really worried me. I don't think a tax disk and MOT is enough to prove the car is worthy of going up the hill. After all... everyone knows a friendly MOT station. It doesn't take a minute to have an MSA scrutineer look over each car briefly.

I overheard a marshal say to the 'sprint beetle' owner that his car was leaking oil. To which the owner replied "I know" and the marshal said "OK" and allowed the car to continue racing. The amount of oil left on the floor under that fiat and beetle was unbelievable.

[bstardchild]

Aug 21, 2013 11:30:53 GMT retromk11 said:

A solution to make sure everyone get’s the same amount of runs would be to mark off each car as they line up that the start of the hill, this could be done easily and quickly by two methods:
-chalk pen on the windscreen to create a tally of runs.
-ticket or sticker on the widescreen with boxes on that get stamped off. This method would prevent tampering so that drivers don’t achieve more runs that allocated

It's not about the number of runs, early birds get morning slots which is slightly longer..... We are all about fair and balance as some of the drivers will confirm we balanced out some of the drivers who got more runs. The number of runs in the morning was down to the good behaviour of all the participants keeping it on the tarmac......

The afternoon session had behaviour been the same would have had between 3 and 4 runs....

Excluding guest cars and tax dodgers i think we got 550 runs up the hill, average 1 car every 30 secs in morning and 1 car every 40 secs in afternoon

[stevecrx]

I seem to remember that there was a couple of spare places for the morning run advertised over the tannoy, and it's been said in this thread that there was also spare room on the afternoon run. Therefore, if people with retro vehicles don't want to fill these places then shouldn't they be available for more modern stuff?

As for using a cut off date for vehicles, I don't see that as what Retrorides is all about. I'm of the thinking that as long as its modified and interesting then it's in, as has always it seems, been the way with the forum.

Personally, I had a great time (I was on the afternoon session), and thought that the marshals did a good job of getting everyone an equal amount of runs. It's unfortunate that there was a couple of incidents on the track which slowed everything down but thats just the way it is. Track days are the same.

[bstardchild]

Aug 21, 2013 11:52:52 GMT alexcrosse said:

Also, the lack of scrutineering really worried me. I don't think a tax disk and MOT is enough to prove the car is worthy of going up the hill. After all... everyone knows a friendly MOT station. It doesn't take a minute to have an MSA scrutineer look over each car briefly.

Really..... This is a non competative event an experience of a hill climb, no helmets no timing its for curse word and giggles. The three of us in the paddock and all the marshalls are on the look out for anything that might cause concern, the cammo mgbgt was getting bored with me asking him if his bonnet was shut properly

Requirement was for drivers to have valid licence, car to be mot'd and insured. Prescott surprised us with the tax disc check but I had no issues with that

[alexcrosse]

Not to be competitive... just to be safe. Oil on the track isn't very 'curse word and giggles'. Nor are parts falling off, I have seen one picture on a set and its of a bolt just after the start line (hope it wasnt mine... lol).

Don't get me wrong, the marshals were absolutely awesome, great to talk to, very polite, kept the grids moving so quickly, could answer every question, kept asking if I was enjoying it, bit smiles all round. But even if it is non competitive, it's still motorsport. And cars should be safe, both for the occupants, and the vehicles behind. Anyway... that's just my feedback, my opinion.

[bstardchild]

Aug 21, 2013 12:18:35 GMT alexcrosse said:

Not to be competitive... just to be safe. Oil on the track isn't very 'curse word and giggles'. Nor are parts falling off, I have seen one picture on a set and its of a bolt just after the start line (hope it wasnt mine... lol).

Don't get me wrong, the marshals were absolutely awesome, great to talk to, very polite, kept the grids moving so quickly, could answer every question, kept asking if I was enjoying it, bit smiles all round. But even if it is non competitive, it's still motorsport. And cars should be safe, both for the occupants, and the vehicles behind. Anyway... that's just my feedback, my opinion.

It's not motorsport..... You could take the hill at your own pace no competion involved.... I understand your viewpoint and appreciate your feedback but safety is first and foremost the responsibility of the driver.

[prey]

some kind of system for X amount of runs would be ideal, as some in the morning got 6 runs but a friend of mine queued the entire afternoon and only got 2 - very frustrating.

admittedly a ticket/stamp/punch system would be more expensive but it would save a lot of hassle with which row next, which row to put people in etc - and that seemed to be where the problems occurred.

[alexcrosse]

My point is the lack of safety of one driver could effect the safety of another. Leaking oil on the track is a no no, its also dangerous on the road let alone a motorsport venue, this would fail an MOT. Why accept an MOT certificate if the car is visibly not MOT worthy. Anyway, doesn't matter.

[bstardchild]

Aug 21, 2013 13:07:05 GMT alexcrosse said:

My point is the lack of safety of one driver could effect the safety of another. Leaking oil on the track is a no no, its also dangerous on the road let alone a motorsport venue, this would fail an MOT. Why accept an MOT certificate if the car is visibly not MOT worthy. Anyway, doesn't matter.

We still talking about the beetle?

[smurph323]

seems to me the only real arguing and upsetting points to the majority are
1) fair amount of runs
2) fair booking (ie alot of people didnt get to run at all)

i was more than happy with my 3 runs, as i mentioned earlier a simple hole punch on your session ticket would work ideally there. no matter which queue your in once your 3 runs are up you leave paddock. (the paddock woudl slowly empty during this process and further tickets become available for the rest of the day in which your entitled to queue in paddock and take your 3 runs before lunch.. if any left eligable to take them in afternoon.)

fair booking only one 3 turn ticket per person. no one would get more or less than 3.

as for pre booking its a nice idea and i would happily put my name down for it, the only trouble would be if people cant make it. so a list woudl have to be kept and people ticked off during sign on. any leftovers slots people didnt turn up to fill sold on.