terryb

Next Year at Gurston Down - nr Salisbury

You may have seen my posts regarding my exploits at the weekend - click here for details and my guide for getting started - click here for guide details

I am going to propose to the Committee that run this event near Salisbury -click here for details – that they consider a Subaru Impreza Turbo class for next year - but will obviously only happen if there is a certain level of interest.

So that's what I'm after now - Gazza, Mike and Dave have already mentioned it - but can I please ask you to formally register your interest on this thread - I'll start a list as I like them..

No commitment obviously, but just a general interest - maybe worth reading my guide before registering an interest so that you know what to expect - we are talking about 4 races per year on a Sunday - April, June, July and September.

Cheers

Terry

Updated list of interest

1. Terry
2. GerryH
3. RobD
4. Ben1413
5. Moomin
6. Tannan
7. Mass
8. C 8HEP
9. Steveeee
10. WaveyRA
11. Beanieboywrx
12. Dyney
13. Poxy
14. Gazza
15. Justin
16. Steve R
17. Neilo
18. Stormy

I tell you what - It's good to see so many interested in driving their Scoobies as God intended them to be driven - and not just waxed and left in the garage.

Well done guys..

Dyney

Me, me, me!!
Add me!!

Carlos13

terryb - can't access the guide without logging in - any chance you can post it on here?

terryb

Nice one Iain

Carlos13 - just for you mate

A few have asked me for info after hearing of my exploits and Ben has even suggetsed a Hampshire Subaru Hillclimb Challenge.... :shock: :shock: :shock:

Anyways, it wan't too easy to find the correct info I needed to get started - so I will now share the facts with you.

Firstly you will need to apply for a "Non Race National B Competition Licence" - this costs £32 and is purely an administration exercise (no medical although they do ask certain medical questions and ask for your Doctor's details). For this princely sum you get your licence and the Racers Bible - the MSA (Motor Sports Association) Yearbook, or Blue Book as it is known. You can apply for the licence by downloading the application form - by clicking here


Then you'll need to join the BARC (British Automobile Racing Club) which costs £30 and an extra £15 to join and affiliate with a centre (Gurston Down is part of the South West Centre) - so that's another £45 in total here. For more info click here

Then.... You need to enter an event and these are £80 a time at Gurston Down - see www.gurstondown.org for more details.

So then you are ready to go - except that you need the correct racing overalls and helmet. The information regarding the types of items allowed (and the scrutineer will not let you race unless you have the correct items) is in the Blue Book - mentioned above. A search on ebay will reveal overalls for anywhere between £50 and £300+. A brand new set will set you back at least £50 to £60 if not more like £100. Then a helmet is going to cost about £60. These have to be FIA approved. I have the regulations if anyone needs them. But basically any items sold on www.demon-tweeks.co.uk should do the trick.

Preparing for the day

You will need to ensure that you have the correct overalls and helmet as stated above.

Your car must have a clearly defined earth lead on the battery (yellow tape on the lead to identify it)

You need to make a timing strut and attach to the most forward point of your car - see the pics of mine and other cars and you'll see what I mean - this is used to break the timing beams to start your run/ finish and record your speeds, etc.

Keep your fuel down to half tank at the max and use octane booster as you will be caning the car for 40 seconds at a time - especially on the final ascent to the finish line - very steep and you are racing as fast as you possibly can.

The day starts early - 7.30am for competitors to allow them to walk the hill (always recommended before racing) and signing on.

On the day you will get 2 practice runs before lunch and 2 competitive runs in the afternoon. You run in batches and you are only competing within your own class within that batch - Scooby's being over 2000cc saloon cars (turbo means a 40% increase in cc size to make things fair).

I think that's pretty much everything covered - a useful site is here - http://www.bighairy.demon.co.uk/Sprinting/

Cheers and hope some of you will join me next year - I plan to run all 4 races next year so it would be good to see some more of you involved.

Terry

terryb

Updated list of interest

1. Terry
2. GerryH
3. RobD
4. Ben1413
5. Moomin
6. Tannan
7. Mass
8. C 8HEP
9. Steveeee
10. WaveyRA
11. Beanieboywrx
12. Dyney
13. Poxy

terryb

Updated list of interest

1. Terry
2. GerryH
3. RobD
4. Ben1413
5. Moomin
6. Tannan
7. Mass
8. C 8HEP
9. Steveeee
10. WaveyRA
11. Beanieboywrx
12. Dyney
13. Poxy
14. Gazza
15. Justin

terryb

Updated list of interest

1. Terry
2. GerryH
3. RobD
4. Ben1413
5. Moomin
6. Tannan
7. Mass
8. C 8HEP
9. Steveeee
10. WaveyRA
11. Beanieboywrx
12. Dyney
13. Poxy
14. Gazza
15. Justin
16. Steve R

I tell you what - It's good to see so many interested in driving their Scoobies as God intended them to be driven - and not just waxed and left in the garage.

Well done guys..

Dyney

How many cars run on a day?

Neilo

i may very well be interested in this too.....got the track bug

terryb

Thanks for your questions.

The cars on the day are split up into classes which are then grouped into batches. At Gurston Down each batch goes one at a time. As it's a hillclimb - you have to come back down the way you go up (reversing round all those bends on the way back down the hill is a bit tricky... ). All this is done before the next batch run.

Each class has different numbers obviously. The class I was in is the over 2000cc saloon (turbo = +40% on cc) and there were 5 cars in that class. If we have our own class and it has at least 9 at each event then there will be 3 trophies up for grabs - 1st, 2nd and 3rd.

I'm not sure but I guess there must have been about 100 cars on the day if not 120. Wide range from mini's to Le Mans racers to ex F1 cars and just about everything inbetween.

The next event is on Sunday 17th July and then 27/28 August and 11 Sept - so would be worth while going along to one of them to get a better idea of what it's all about.

Cheers

Terry

Andy S.

Nice car on the gurston web site

terryb

Updated list of interest

1. Terry
2. GerryH
3. RobD
4. Ben1413
5. Moomin
6. Tannan
7. Mass
8. C 8HEP
9. Steveeee
10. WaveyRA
11. Beanieboywrx
12. Dyney
13. Poxy
14. Gazza
15. Justin
16. Steve R
17. Neilo
18. Stormy

STI5300

iTrader: (4)

Missed this but count me in

STi5300

Thanks for trying to organise this
Andrew Meek

911

If it doesn't clash with the Championships i do then I would be very keen to race.
Graham (911)

911

I am personally involved with organising hill climb events at Loton Park in Shropshire. The motor club has it's own mile long hill climb track in a deer park.(www.hdlcc.com)

You will face a few probs organising this one solely based on a big field of cars that all look the same in the eyes of Joe Public. We frown on masses of Westfields although they are fast. Similarly the Porsche Series where you can have 40+ 911's....people get bored even though we adore them!

BUT, try!

We know a few names to call on too if you get stuck.

The idea can work well if you ask them to run the class in their B meetings. More room for the masses!
If you are interested in doing a South/Midlands/North type campaign then Gurston/Loton/Three Sisters will certainly give the competitors a variety of challenges

Graham.

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

Oh it would be rude not to

Could always try a sprint event to test the water?

Graham I will look forward to blowing you into the weeds if I ever get things back together and don't have a huges pile of bits left over

Mark A dusting off his race suit and gloves

Mark A

iTrader: (1)

Oh PS could I request Lydden as I don't want Graham having previous track knowledge

Mark A

911

Oh dear, typical Hill climber banter. Tut tut

This would be a good day out, but don't underestimate the effort.

In a normal hill climb there are about 120 cars, and the over 2 litre class is typically 6 strong.
At Loton there will be about 50+ single seaters....and about 5 over 2 litre tin tops.
Getting entries can be very hard, we turn away nearly 1 in 2 entries!

There is a good chance of getting this going by trying a sprint venue where formal entries are sometimes very low and 20 Imprezas will be most welcome.

The best known one is Curborough near Litchfield, well known to many but not in the south area.

Go for it!

Mark, be gentle, I only have a small engine and gearbox.
And I'm twice your age.(ish)

Graham.

terryb

Graham

Thanks for your input here mate. I have come to the comclusion that Gurtson Down will not entertain a new class for Scoobies. So my plan now is to go for official 'club invites' at about 6 races in 2006 - a mix of sprints and hillclimbs. As SIDC are affiliated with the MSA then I can do this.

I'll keep you all posted on developments.

Cheers

Terry

ps - Mark A - sorry but no 10 second cars allowed - already told Pavlo that one...

Phil

Looks like you have plenty of interest Terry

Keep me posted

terryb

Cheers Phil

I will keep you posted - as discussed before I'm sure there's more than enough interest to make this into a success.

Cheers

Terry

911

I am not interfering with this excellent idea Terry, but if you want to talk to a real expert on the organisational side you can do a lot worse than talk to our Competition Secretary for our Club.
We organise 8 hill climbs and 2 sprints each year to full National A status championship level, all MSA etc etc.

His name is Dave Parr and his number is on the www.hdlcc.co.uk site.

you can get him on the Club phone from 9am to 5pm as he retired early! (bast@rd!)

Tell him Graham 'with the slow Subaru' sent you please as that will help. (we race against each other in the same class)

Dave and I are on the Club's committee, and are both time served Officials.

Graham.

terryb

Thanks Graham.

Your input is indeed appreciated and I will talk to Dave

Thanks again.

Terry

911

If you call Dave Parr (01902 89 6699) quickly there is a real chance of a Subaru Class at a Hagley and district meeting in September.
I cannot make it due to holiday, but the entry is low and there is a good chance to establish a Class.

This is a formal MSA meeting so everyone would need all the right stuff as you have clearly stated.
Just thought you might like a go.

I know it is not in the south but it could get things started?

I know Dave well so I took the liberty to tell him you MIGHT call him...no obligation.

Graham

terryb

Thanks Graham

I will defo give him a call, but I won't have the time to organise anything for September as I am on the Stelvio Tour in September - a week in Europe.

But I'll call him to pick his brains for future reference..

Thanks mate

Terry

911

No probs
Enjoy the twisty bits!
Graham.

phelpsa

We're very interested.

btw visit http://www.hillclimbsprint.co.uk for more detailed hillclimb questions.

Adam

LeMans

Terry,

Please add me to the list - like Graham (911) I already hillclimb in my Subaru and have been doing so for four years now, so would love to come and join in the fun !.

You will all get the bug and want to do it more and will end up spending more and more money on the car.

But don't expect to turn up and do fast times straight away as you won't - even now after four years my times are improving.

It is completely different to a sprint. A sprint is mainly down to BHP but not with a hillclimb as it is a combination of experience, finesse, power, handling set up and as Graham will tell you tyres - he runs production class (or did) whereas I run modified with soft sticky Avon hillclimb tyres as well as all the other mods allowed.

Graham, how are you doing this season ?. At last I am competing with those dreaded Evo's; a combination this year of more power; total decat, uprated intercooler, mappable ECU, Walbro fuel pump, adjustable fuel regulator, better handling; motorsport polybushes all round, etc, and of course those lovely sticky Avon's.

Perhaps meet up with you at this planned hillclimb event next year - we can show the novices a thing or two !.

Any assistance I can provide I would be pleased to assist.

Regards

Stuart

terryb

The more the merrier

Houghton

iTrader: (1)

Thought you guys would like to know there's a sprint organised for Sunday 2nd October. I've started a thread here:

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...16#post4963616

There's a link to SIDC with the original invite

See you there

Gerry