If it was me, I would have protested it many meetings ago. Put your £100 down and away you go, if they throw it out there and then (which I would expect them to do the first time) then take it to an MSA tribuneral, more money, but given you've just spend thousands between you, it's a cheap way to maintain a FAIR competitve advantage.

Perhaps the "road going" audi would like to have functional lights, wipers, uncut shell, metal panels and perhaps a noise test, maybe even an MOT.

To me the audi is an impressive car, but it should be up against the likes of the Dialynx Quattros, and maybe the Gould/Xtrac Puma.

Paul

 

I am not familiar with the cars in question, but this sort of thing does seem to happen in all 'loosly' specified formula.

I am involved with the Time Attack series as part of a pitcrew, and this has an established tuning firms car, running in the Clubman class, whilst developing this for the Pro class!
And at the last round a fully race prepped Viper turned up in the normally aspirated Clubman class.

As well as 'stealing' wins from genuine clubman drivers, i just do not see what sense of enjoyment these people get winning with vastly superior equipment.

 

Epynt hillclimb photos at TRIDENT-SPRINT FORUM :: View topic - Pictures - Epynt photos by Mark Griffin

No Subs sorry!

 

Paul:
I can understand your point of view, but i think the A4 is exactly to the Championship rules.
Hillclimb rules are surprisingly loose, yet the A4 is right there. The only part I think may be iffy is the plastic windscreen, but I think Roger wears a helmet with visor, so it is OK.

Personally I don't mind the A4 in the class, but i do object to the class definition, which is nothing to do with the A4.

Rob and Pete/Geoff all know my feelings (as does Roger; I've said my piece to him months ago on the topic)

I believe there should be 2 classes for the 'Over 2000cc' level
Class C1:
Road Going cars, MoT where needed, lights/horn etc even cats!
Saloons or sports cars, Impreza's or 911's etc.
Tyres: List 1B max. Full interior.

Class C2:

Quattro SWB's, the A4, and anything roached out that is a true production car, be it saloon or sports car, A4 or 911.
Tyres: Anything you like.

The Puma should (and is raced in ) the Sports Libre class as it is a true one-off special (ie 6R4 et al)

Dare I say it sounding like an old fart that I am:

Just like it was 10 years ago!

I think that is fair and square.

Graham.

 

But I'm on one of the pics!
Graham.

 

The A4 is pretty much within the class regs, Roy and I had a good read through them together pre-season and apart from a few minor things which they could easily correct at one of their mid meeting Saturday night visits to Dialynx in Swindon whilst making good minor things like engine fires and wishbones falling out.

The eligibility of the car is not really the issue, the graces given to it by event organisers and the disgusting tactics employed by the main driver at Prescott however are an issue, but we all know nothing will be done no matter how much of a fuss we cause about it.

Team A4 can only hope it doesn't rain again, and the every single meeting break downs remain fixable within the Saturday night, or it's Ash Mason's championship.

 

The car is quick and roger is quick, it takes nuts of steel to take a car like that up any hll! and according to everyone its within the rules. I am very new to this and must admit i knew this A4 was coming onton the sceen! and didnt actually say anything to keith (who built it) while i was stood infront of it about the fact its a little bit of a sledge hammer to crack a nut! I do think graham is correct its more the class regulations fault than rogers! but still in my mind it was built knowing we all had road going cars to just walk it! Its not happening im going to chase that car down! Rob and i have huge plans, I mean im running 400 hp and the car is around 1300kg's(without me in) and im a threat!?!?!? im still on a standard turbo!! antilag, bigger turbo, and a sequential gearbox, is ahead of me! The audi will hit a limit and i will be waiting!

I would like to stress that im not angry at roger at all i like him, we get on! im saying that rob and I are going to get quicker and ARE going to get that audi.

Pete

 

Nothing like having a target!

Good luck to you both in the coming months (and next year?).

Graham

 

My car might be available for hire if you have a nut to crack

 

Having read the last two pages, it reminds me of when I was driving Peugeots and Cozzys. In my world of sprinting I never raced against Graham and only ever had Roy turn up at three sprints on our championship calendar.

At that time poor old Roy used to get the similar flack that the Audi man gets today. And yes Graham and Rob are correct in thinking the championship organisers have the responsibility in making the classes fair for all.

Personally, I found Roy’s driving and his car inspirational. I run a Scooby in the road class to get me closer to him in the top 10% of the field. I won our little championship last year and everyone expects me to win this year too. I get some stick if I don’t pull a class win. (no chance when I meet you guys).

But I am fully road going list 1A tyres, full interior (including Radio and Air con, standard suspension and transmission) and a long way behind Rob, Graham, Pete and Roy. May be I will step up to your championship 2008 or 2009. What I know is those 4 people have ability, they are focused and technically understand what they are doing. Is it down to £ who will beat the Audi or is it pressure on the class organisers to level the field? I like Grahams split of the class.

Until something like that happens, I cant see me chucking £20k at a car to be making up the numbers…..life has better rewards!

You could all join a smaller championship like the AWMMC and pressure them to set up a more competitive class structure. If the big names do it many will follow.

IF you really feel the Audi was illegal, in the interest of the sport, you could rely on me for a contribution to the RACMSA £100 to find out. But it sounds like credit not criticism needs to go to the man for building a clever bit of kit.

What happened to the Subaru championship that was talked about a year or two ago?

John.

 

Credit to the man for building the Audi for sure, it's just a shame he doesn't have the ***** to run it in the proper class against worthy cars. Sitting on his laurels like he is now will see it not develop in the coming year, and all of a sudden they will be behind. And they will be behind.

 

[quote=Blademaster;7062612]Having read the last two pages, it reminds me of when I was driving Peugeots and

Presumably that was a stretch Peugeot John ??

 

now thats a car that would be really quick on our hills! why dont you have a pop at this audi mate?

 

A picture of the "infamous" Audi at Loton Park:

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...oton-park1.jpg

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h2...on07_05381.jpg

Richard

 

David, no joke. Bramcote Barracks.....jumped the kerb at a T junction at speed, took off and landed with helmet contacting cage. 6 weeks of compressed spine injury helped make the decision to buy something bigger.

Look at this...



Drove it last year and I complained about the turbo lag coming out of the corners....

It was my helmet blocking the air intake!

I must be tallest driver in sprinting.

John

 

It's a great car and is in the right class, I have no objection to it being in our class. I do object to cheating out of desperation and the organisers doing nothing about it.

 

A4 Video......

Video of A4 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

I bet Paul or John's cars would give that a serious run for its money.

 

911 Video (no, not Graham!).........

Video of 911 - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

 

So:
If all the observers above have a view on the A4's 'crown' then come to the next A meeting in the Midlands.

You all have Nat A track license or Nat A speed licenses, the right cars and nearly the right tyres (put Rob's slicks on Pauls car, and Rob in the seat).

I for one would love to see you all have a crack at the sport as like drag racing it all looks sooo easy.
Would be facinating to see if a 500+ x 500 Impreza can do it.

Rob or Pete or I can give anyone the dates, the entries secretaries, or if Rob's driving one of them, he has the entries in already, just give him the car.

How about the 11/12 August at Loton Park by Shrewsbury, not too far from Zen, lots of motorways to get almost on the doorstep.
try The Official Hagley & District Light Car Club Website for details.

As to the Scooby Championship, Terry B dropped it due to work and TA commitments; no joke being an Organiser.

Blademaster:

Tyres and some Whiteline rollbars would see you right there with the car you have.
There are 4 fast cars in the class, but 5th in class is very realistic.

Graham.

ps: That 911 was very very fast. (3.5 non turbo in a 1000Kg)

 

"ps: That 911 was very very fast. (3.5 non turbo in a 1000Kg)"

Yes, I rather like that one!

Martin

 

That 911 is a great car love watching him go.

Got some new rims courstesy of Paul at Zen.

I will put the slicks on these as they will get the most use through the season and will look good all the time unlike my white comp's which get dirty if you just just look at them. I will be putting wets onto the comps and I want to run a 1A tyre as I will only use them in extreme wet conditions to shift standing water and also to widen my class options if I ever want to do some events in the road going class.

What do people advise as the best 1A tyre, I know a lot of you guys run 1A's so any advice would be appreciated.

How do you rate the Marangoni's Graham? They are certainly cheap at £50 each, but Roy seems to think they are no good and the only difference between yours and his is the tread pattern according to David at BMTR so I would be interested in your take on things, also did you not consider the 215/40/17 instead of the 205?

Cheers,

Rob.

 

nice wheels

 

Video of Graham - Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

These are the 1A's in the semi wet, udersteer/screams and generally naff (compared to Kumhos at nearly 3 x the cost)

In those really wet conditions? They were great.

I wouldn't bother with 1A's just go straight to Kumhos. Wish I had now!
Graham.

 

It's only extreme wet and some road driving I want them for, Kuhmo's £570, Marangoni's £211.50, It's some difference. I will have to give it a good think over.

 

Look at how well Pete did Rob.
On that first wet run:

Pete
54.11 (kumho)
GL
53.32 (Manrangoni)
Roy
52.10 (Kumho)

Wet/damp 2nd run:
Pete
49.48 (Kumho)
GL
52.22 (Marangoni)
Roy
50.11 (Kumho)

I would still go for the Kumho if I had the £££.
In hindsight, I would have the Marangoni's shaved to Kumho depth. All the tyre noise is from block shuffle.

 

New wheels are on with list 1A Toyo T1 R's, which were not much more than the Marangoni's, car is getting MOT'ed next week and should be road legal again by next weekend, my main reason for this is the hassle of trailering up for short journeys (like to ZEN) which have to be taken at low speed due to my van being on the limit of it's towing weight with my car on and it gets very scary anything over 55mph. I will still trailer to Loton and the 2 day meets but 1 day B's, work to be carried out etc. I can drive there low hassle. The cost impact is also better now I have found a way to insure it for next to nothing.

They will also be wet's for extreme conditions like Prescott last weekend, and who knows, track days, drag stips, road going class in sprints/climbs, they open a lot of doors. After all we have stupidly fast road cars yet are racing against race cars, it would be nice to drop down and race your real 'peers' every now and again.

I thought I would love the look of the new wheels but must say I prefer my white ones, so the slicks stay on them, they still look good though.


Rob.

 

That 54.11 was a complete tip toe test run i left tons of time on the track, remember its the first time i had ever driven on kumhos in the wet and the second ever time i have driven prescott in the wet. Roy is a better marker to go off i think 52.10 in the soaking wet is a good time and would have won him the metting had it kept raining. The kumho's would be the better buy if you ask me! Also it was a 49.40 Graham

Shelsley 30/06/07

Lots of rain as it was forcasted, around 10 cars in the class a porcshe 911 rs 2 westfields and other cars wasnt really paying attention. Soaking wet practice running in the 35's just taking it easy dad was having a hard time on his slicks we still led the class. When the competetive runs came round it had stopped raining just enough to let the main bulk of the standing water run off the track still some bad parts. Gave it the beans in run one set a 34.04 then a 33.70 enough to win me the class ahead of dads 34.6 and get around the 5th fastest time of the day.

 

Nice work bumface.

See when they don't give me an entry at Shelsley It pisses down, 2 missed entrys, 2 wash outs.

I hope they learn!!!

 

I've only just caught up on this thread - been about 2 weeks behind until just now.

I'm disgusted by the antics of the A4 driver to buy time to get a run in drier conditions. I would have thought that if your car wasn't ready when it was your turn in your class that you shouldn't get another go - absolutely ridiculous.

I think a complaint should be made to the organisers to hopefully ensure something like that never happens again.