SANTA POD RACERS CLUB AND
Joint Riders and
Drivers Meeting held on Sunday, 12 February 2006 at the Diamond Centre,
Irthlingborough, Northants
Present
: Paula Marshall (PM) Wendy Talbot (WT) Annette
Mason (AM)
Yvonne
Tramm (YT) Kathy Taylor (KT) Kjell Pettersson (KP)
Chris
Isaacs (CI) Ozzy
Steve
Johnson (SJ) Ian Marshall (IM)
(Chair)
1. Minutes
of the meeting held on
Proposed by
Chris Emms and seconded by Don Irvine
2. Matters
Arising
None
3. National
Championship Dates
|
Meeting |
Date |
Track |
Official Closing Date at |
|
Power
Nationals |
1-2
April 2006 |
|
|
|
Easter
Thunderball |
14-17
April 2006 |
Santa
Pod |
|
|
Shakespeare
Nationals |
29-30
April 2006 |
|
|
|
FIA
Main Event |
26-29
May 2006 |
Santa
Pod |
|
|
Summer
Nationals |
17-18
June 2006 |
Santa
Pod |
|
|
All
Star Nationals |
26-28
August 2006 |
|
|
|
FIA
European Finals |
7-10
September 2006 |
Santa
Pod |
|
|
National
Finals |
30 September
|
Santa
Pod |
|
Other Events
|
Meeting |
Date |
Track |
Official Closing Date at |
|
Big
Bang |
|
Santa
Pod |
|
|
Bug Jam |
|
Santa
Pod |
|
|
Extreme
Performance Bike Weekend |
16-17
September 2006 |
Santa
Pod |
|
At the Main Event and
European Finals 10.50 bike will not run.
This is because it has not been supported over the last year and it is
felt that it is pointless running the class.
IM advised that we have several problems at each track with too many
classes. Over the next 2 3 years we
will be looking at the classes that we are running and how many are entered for
each class. The computer system is the
problem as it cannot cope with more than 24 classes. Santa Pod currently have
26 classes and
4. Entry Fees and Late Entry
(a) Entry Fees
As in previous years our insurance fees have gone up. ACU have advised that their fees will not be
as high as in previous years. The fees
have been high because our racers are paying for the high number of claims from
road racers. Also the price for
paramedics has gone up. The entry fees
will therefore rise by £10 across the board to cover costs. Junior Dragster entry fee will go up by £20
and eventually over the next 3 to 4 years will come into line with fees paid by
the Sportsman racers. This is due to the
fact that they have the same amount of track time and equally have the same
amount of pit space.
The new entry fees are
listed below for 2006 :
|
Class |
1-2 day meeting |
3 day meeting |
4 day meeting |
|
Sportsman Bike |
105 |
115 |
125 |
|
Sportsman Car |
100 |
110 |
120 |
|
Junior Dragster |
75 |
85 |
95 |
(b) Late Fees
Many people
have been good at sending in their entries on time. However, there are a few who wait until the
last minute. If you are waiting for
parts it is easier to enter and cancel allowing your entry to carry forward to the
next meeting or be given a refund.
Entries need to be received three weeks before the meeting. For those that leave it until two weeks
before the meeting the entry fee will be double. Terry Gibbs asked if there is anything that
can be done when there are two or three meeting in one month. IM advised that it is possible to send post
dated cheques. PM noted that you must
allow time for the cheque to go through the bank i.e. one week, this will be
accepted. Mark Flavell asked if the
clubs are working towards being able to accept entries on line. IM advised that SPRC are not as yet. Asked if we would offer a discount for a
years entries IM said that if we were to do that it would look as if we were
overcharging for the events. OE said
that APIRA will look into it. We can
look at this for maybe next year.
Entries received during the week before the meeting will not be
accepted.
(c) Prize Fund
It was noted
that the prize fund will go up by 2½% across the board for 2006 and 2% next
year and every subsequent year.
5. Proposals from the Floor
(a) Paul Wright Outlaw
(b) Don Irvine asked if SPRC would be running
Junior Drag Bike at Santa Pod to be advised no.
6. Any Other Business
(a) Pro ET
Paul Marston
asked about limiting the Pro ET class to 32 cars is this a competitor
issue. He asked if the class wanted to
sacrifice a qualifying round for an elimination round would this be
acceptable. IM said that if you did this
on a 3 day event could cause problems if other factors had to be taken account
of. KP said that it may be that you
would have to lose the qualifying round anyway.
Paul said that it could be that a new person gets turned away and it
will look as if you are penalising them.
Carla Pittau said that when we have 32 cars every racer gets a race if
we had 64 cars and lose a round you have to qualify and makes it better and it
is not good running against someone who can not run the numbers. We have discussed this and most people said
that this would happen. It gives meaning
to qualifying. Mike Lacey asked if there
are alternates. Yes the first
available for a slot would be qualifier number 33.
(b) Street Eliminator
Street
Eliminator are in the white book but are not part of
the National Championship this year. It will be reviewed for next year
but if they are then part of the Championship they will not be at the Main
Event or Euro Finals. They will run at Bug
Jam and possibly another meeting to be advised.
(c) 10.50 Bike
If 10.50 bike get no entries this year we will discuss if it exists
in 2007. David Warren asked if this
happens will there be an 8.90 class? No
(d) Electronic Devices Super Pro ET
Roger Sinclair
asked about the use of electronic devices which are prohibited in Super Pro
ET. However, with racers entering in two
classes there are cars entering the Super Classes that have these devices who
are also entering into Super Pro ET. What
is being done about checking that they are not being used illegally. CI said that if the trans
brake is on the steering wheel it is easy to see. Roger asked who is going to police it. DP said that he will bring it to the
attention of Phil Evans and Geof Martin and see what they say. Steve Saunders said that when you are
scrutineered why is it not brought up then. IM said that we should say to people as you
go through scrutinneering you should say you are entering Super Pro ET. IM said that it is a perceived problem. Paul Marston said that it is easy to see a
person using a throttle stop.
Air Shifters
Carla Pittau asked about these. It was
noted that it is a safety item because you do not take your hand off the
wheel. We will arrange for this to be
discussed at the next Tech meeting. IM
said that it was felt as a safety item.
Jeff Bull advised that Brian Huxley was asking about this at the Dinner
Dance. Fred Hone asked if the consistent
cars do not have electronic problems what is the problem. DP said that it is whether it is legal. IM said that it is best to leave it as it is.
(e) Rule Book
Laurie
Gatehouse asked what the situation is with the new rule book. IM said that it is with the printers. However we are waiting for a couple of
advertisers to get their adverts to us.
(f) Dropping Classes
Spencer Tramm
asked what specific classes are you looking at. IM said that we are looking at all classes.
(g) Dinner Dance
IM said that
this year the Dinner Dance was the first joint presentation. We would like some feedback from yourselves
as to how you think it went. Andy Rogers
said that it was the best Dinner Dance yet.
Apart from people who would not shut up at the back. Terry Gibbs said that if it happens next year
then removed. Spencer Tramm said that
having the quiet room was good. IM said
that as long as it is not being used for another function then it will be used
again next time. Don Irvine said that it
was difficult to get from the back to the front of the room. Also the PA could not be heard at the back of
the room. Terry Gibbs said that the
Committees should be congratulated for the Dinner Dance organisation.
(h) Flex Plate Shields
It was asked
if there had been a relaxation on flex plate shields. IM said the current rule is 5 years. We will refer this to the Tech Committee and
Tech crew.
(i) SPRC Club Championship
IM advised
that once again the winners of the SPRC Club Championship will receive free
entry to each of the meetings this year.
It was asked if this is transferable and it was advised that if you are
not racing this year then you will lose it.
The VWDRC racers who were Championship winners will have free entry to
the Big Bang and Bug
(j) Scales
Mark Flavell
advised that he had weighed his new car one way and then turned it round and
weighed it again and there was a significant difference. IM said that it is not the scales but the
ground they are on. They are tested
every year but may be the site needs to be looked at. Test it again next time at the track
(k) Avon Park May Day Bank
Spencer Tramm
asked about the meeting at
Meeting closed at