The Place

I think NG have made a big mistake here. Just as the grid was beginning to pick up.


Dear Rider

Castle Combe NG Road Racing Sidecar Championship

Due to the low number of Club Sidecar Championship entries received to date, it is with regret we have had to withdraw these races from Castle Combe. This is largely due to the significant amount of solo entries already received.

Formula 2 club sidecar championship entries will be transferred to The FSRA British F2 Championship where club championship points will be awarded to those crews with 2015 NG Road Racing club membership. If you do not want your entry to be transferred to The FSRA British F2 Championship, kindly let us know by return and your entry will be cancelled with no money taken.
F1 entries received to date have had to be cancelled. No money will be taken

NG Road Racing Club apologises for any inconvenience and disappointment this may cause.

As a gesture of good will, all F1 crews plus any F2 Sidecar crews who chose not to have their entry transferred to the FSRA Championship races, will be entitled to a £50.00 credit redeemable at Thruxton on 25th & 26th July 2015. This credit is not transferable and has no monetary value. To claim this credit, please ensure you print and return this email with your Thruxton entry form.

In addition, all crews entering Castle Combe and/or Thruxton, will be entitled to a significant discount exclusive to sidecars at Anglesey on 14th, 15th & 16th August. Ask in the race office for information and collect your credit note.

We trust this demonstrates our continued commitment to Sidecars and we look forward to your support.



Denise Webb
Membership & Entries Secretary
N G Road Racing

07580 094 577 – Email: raceoffice@ngroadracing.org

"Continued commitment to sidecars" - I find that very hard to believe I'm afraid. Especially as they said this:

"....we have had to withdraw these races from Castle Combe. This is largely due to the significant amount of solo entries already received."

If it had been canceled due to low sidecar numbers - fine - but clearly not. Such a shame that NG haven't even been honest with their sidecar reps either.

And why trust NG? Why consider organising logistics to travel to Anglesey - only to have it cancelled again! And what bad management by NG to offer f2 places on the FRSA grid without consideration to the fact that there probably isn't space!

Before we start a slanging match we need to know how many sidecars were entered.
If it was only half a grid then it is understandable that the club would run a solo race instead.
My bike was entered with Andy Williams on it, who else was entered?

Not entered therefore this does not affect me , however , I am led to believe from social network sites that NG have also cancelled the open newcomers races. So just for my curiosity can someone tell me what races are being put on instead of those that have been cancelled so that there is a greater understanding of the situation

This problem started when NG only received 2 sidecar entries for Castle Combe last year. To fill the perceived gap this year they offered the one sidecar race slot to the FSRA which on the face of it seemed like a good move to get some sidecars at the meeting. However the big mistake was sending out the regs with both Club & British sidecars listed as separate races & then not letting us know there would be time issues with this. Also to be fair they did not know how much support for the class was actually out there until we started to push for it this year. Running the Lansdown Classics was a requirement of the deal for the club to run at Combe at all and has taken any spare time capacity in an already tight schedule, Combe being particularly strict on curfew and noise. Andy King.

Andy pm sent

Playing Devil's advocate here... I understand why NG have cancelled the sidecars but still think it is a shame, and can only lead to more teams losing faith with the Club. Clearly, if the entry is low, there is no financial justification for running the class, especially as Combe was always likely to be oversubscribed from a solo point of view. Let's face it, given the enormous costs involved in running a race meeting, which would you choose, 10 sidecars at £150 per entry or 30 solos at £150 per entry. NG is a business, like it or not, and whether it makes a profit or not, it still has to operate as a business otherwise it will go the way of New Era and very nearly, Derby Phoenix, and countless many others which have gone west in the past. Sidecar entries at their meetings have fallen dramatically over the past few years, possibly due to external forces and the financial incentives offered to teams to go racing with other clubs. As I said, Devil's advocate, but I can still remember being a passenger in the 1970's and 1980's on one of only four outfits on the grid at a NG meeting, yet the club pulled grids back to the point where sidecar grids were full with reserves in the early 2000's. Let us hope they can do so again. Just my perspective, not trying to start a war.

Still awaiting clarification of what is actually going on here. I'm still an entrant (as far as I am aware). Don't know if I have to join the FSRA, some say yes, some say no. Also still not sure that even if I qualify I will get to race.

Hi Steve I am not sure what NG are doing regarding those who entered the cancelled club race I can answer the question you asked regarding FSRA membership if NG are automatically entering you in to the British Championship race you will not be asked to join the FSRA for this round, but you will have to qualify.

Pat,
Thanks for the answer - really appreciated. The grid is max 32, do we know how many entries total? The weekend owes me money before I start as I have non-refundable accomodation booked (more tham 1 room too!). Just trying to see if I stand a chance of getting on the grid.
Regards
Steve

Steve,

I think that is a tricky question for Pat to answer. Quite a few of the FRSA crews have been at the TT and some have had a few offs - so it could be very hard to know who'll turn up as it could depend upon machine and passenger availability.

You are right Andy I could only estimate at the moment how many of the regular registered teams who had entered before going to the Island may not be ready now, although most of them will still make it if there is any possibility they can get sorted, what I don't know from NG is how many NG club sidecars have been transferred to the British Championship races. I will be speaking to NG in the next day or so, so may have a better idea then.

Steve sent you an e mail through this site.

Pat,
Email received, although my reply to you bounced back.
Many thanks
Steve

I'm sorry Steve, we've asked NG to put out a statement answering a number of queries regarding which F2s may be able to take part if they're not part of the British F2 grid, and as yet nothing has been published. We've also asked for clarification about the reductions and offers for F2s at future NG meetings which NG have offered as recompense.

Sorry to say Andy King has cancelled his entry, and I won't be attending any more (although Simon may still race there if he has another passenger). It's been very disappointing that whilst Pat has been very helpful and prompt with her replies, the very club who is meant to be hosting has been rather more 'relaxed' in providing information. Andy and I will keep trying to get answers.

Edit: I believe Pat has 30 registered teams for the FSRA, but as she says, post-TT some may not be attending. The max grid at CC is 32.