[RobinRacer]

Hi Everyone,

Don't know if this subject has been approached before but how does everyone feel about the travelling to EAHORC events? Im personally happy to drive to venues that are about 2 hours drive e.g. LHORC, FLBT, HONK, etc.. but the trip to MBR, Norwich and ECHO are quite a distance and vice a versa. 3 to 3 1/2 hours in a car is quite a while for 30 minutes of racing and that is if you don't get caught in traffic.

If 80 percent of the events were in a central location to all e.g. London would this not save on travelling time and petrol costs for all? Plus it might mean more people would do all 10 rounds and some other EAHORC's may return.

Please post you opinions on this matter. Im just curious to what peoples feeling are on the subject and this thread is not ment to be damaging to EAHORC or Deane.

 

[Gareth]

It is something I have been thinking about too. I love racing but like you say 7 hours travelling to race for 30 minutes doesn't really add up.

I guess it is the problem with trying to have a truly national racing series and I don't really know what the answer is. Everyone wants to have some racing close to home and against the best in the country.

 

[Leet]

Robin, I completely agree with your post, I am still very new to this new hobby of mine and thourghly enjoy the race meets and also a BIG plus for me is the banter\camaraderie that takes place. But when you put it down in black and white that 3 - 3 1/2 hours drive for 30mins of racing does seem a tad extreme. On the petrol front if we from SCHORC all drive down together (like you guys do)thus saving petrol i'm in. But racing against people from all over the country and the socialising count me in.

 

[Julian_Boolean]

The time and cost of travelling is the reason I will not be doing many EAHORC rounds this year, the one time I went to FLBT it was a very long day, I'd love to vist Worthing but it's a long way for me.
I don't know the answer to this problem, London isn't central for everyone, Pinewood which is close to London is still a 3 hour drive for me on the way back, even Yelling is 80 minutes from mine.
But EAHORC is getting good attendances as thing stand, so why change it, more than 20 makes for a very long race day.
I would like to see more HO endurance races, as then the travel time versus racing time equation works better for me.

 

[RobinRacer]

If Yelling is 1hr 20 minutes (not that far really then) then Edmo in London must be about 2hrs tops. Which means its about the same distance for you as it is nearly everyone else.

 

[Gareth]

QUOTE (Julian_Boolean @ 8 Sep 2011, 10:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I would like to see more HO endurance races, as then the travel time versus racing time equation works better for me.

You're right in that you get more bang for buck endurance racing but by the same token it also reduces the amount of people who can race and you have to rely on your team mates to ensure you win/do well which from my experience in kart endurance racing, makes the day more stressful! But still fun!

I personally prefer solo sprint racing for slot racing but that is my taste.

 

[Julian_Boolean]

QUOTE (RobinRacer @ 8 Sep 2011, 10:49) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>If Yelling is 1hr 20 minutes (not that far really then) then Edmo in London must be about 2hrs tops. Which means its about the same distance for you as it is nearly everyone else.

Yes I agree that Edmonton for me takes about two hours, which is the same as most other people, but I don't see why you're making that point.

 

[Julian_Boolean]

QUOTE (Gareth @ 8 Sep 2011, 10:59) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>You're right in that you get more bang for buck endurance racing but by the same token it also reduces the amount of people who can race and you have to rely on your team mates to ensure you win/do well which from my experience in kart endurance racing, makes the day more stressful! But still fun!

I personally prefer solo sprint racing for slot racing but that is my taste.

At the Pinewood 6 hour there were 6 teams racing, if you have 4 people in each team that's 24 people racing, each getting 90 minutes of racing, normal EAHORC meeting is around 20 people each getting 30 minutes of racing.

I really enjoyed the 6 Hour, it was probably the best slot race I've done.

 

[Gareth]

True. I hadn't really thought about it in terms of a 6 lane track.

Funnily enough I think the ECHO meet from last season was the best I've done. Or WHO in June.

 

[Julian_Boolean]

I found the ECHO one the most stressful

 

[marctownsend]

My 1st EAHORC meeting was a home round (1hr) my second Yelling (3hrs) my third MBR (4hrs) and on it goes but my attitude has always been! Yes the travelling is a pain, but that's where the race is.

Pretty much everywhere is a long way for me so Clive and I have begun using Travelodge. Given how early Deane publishes the calendar it is often possible to get rooms near the venue for £20-£30 and sometimes you get to help set the track up complete with the requisite testing, for those concerned with the track time, something I have to confess had never crossed my mind. On that subject, is anyone ever sat around bored at a meeting? If so there iss always some marshalling or race control duties need doing and if you are racing for longer thoise things need doing for longer, do you want to do them because then you are back to the same racing/other things ratio, no?

For those who really feel they cannot commit then the minors championship is a great incentive.

When we host a round we go all out to provide an enjoyable day/track in the hope the travellers consider it worthwhile, we also try to ensure plenty of local HO irregulars show up as I feel that and the support/commitment of the FLBT rergulars justifies our inclusion. I hoped we were convincing a fair few of you to join us next month and I hope, negativity breeding negativity as it does this has not harmed that.

I really don't know what you can do when people from places as disperate as Wiltshire, Ipswich and Brighton want to meet. Most places are a long way for most of us but what are you guys thinking? Do you have an idea I'm not picking up on?

 

[slowracer]

Strangely this brings me back to some thing I discussed with Deane some18 months ago, and I said 'EAHORC Regional', where you race within your region for a place within a regional team, to go to a Quarterly National Meeting, format to be decided, which kept racing regional but National and the expense of it is reduced along with the travelling.

 

[montoya1]

Actually, the end game you suggested was an annual national final, not quarterly. That would mean we would all meet up only once a year, plus the AFX 6hr.

At the time I said such a system would only really be needed if there were more clubs, more racers and a bigger geographical spread, and to me that is still the case.

If one looks around the topics on the forum, a common theme is events involving travel, sometimes to other countries or even continents. Everyone has to find their own path, like Marc I wonder how this thread helps with that, and those of us who organise the meets will continue to work as hard as we can to make the traveling worth while for those who attend.

Myself I have never worried overly about the travel, except in the last three years or so from a cost perspective. Most months I spread the travel over two days, which I acknowledge is a big factor, but when a hotel room is a tenner...

Despite the longevity and success of EAHORC, I remain grounded, and am always grateful to the sacrifices everyone makes, regardless of whether they see them that way or not.

 

[marctownsend]

You see the endurance thing and the 'EAHORC Local' come from the same place philosophically, the six hour was great and I'm pleased someone else enjoyed it, I was under the impression the day had been ruined for everyone by one team trying to win it and the wrong number of bolts on the F40 split rims. Trouble is it was a room full of the converted, who ever made their debut in an endurance race? Were it not for Deanes open arms policy to any and all how many of us would be doing this? For a cautionary tale in this regard look at BSCRA.

The regional thing only has credence if you have a strong local scene and I don't and we all know it would not be long before a Derby/Chesterfield situation arose where people wouldn't bother travelling because of rules or some other disagreement, so no I'm not alright jack.

We have a good thing going here please don't talk our way out of it for your own ends.

 

[montoya1]

Marc mentions

The Minors

(5 rounds to count from six), but there are also area championships and racing in your local round for the fun of it (and be exposed to new opponents). These enable a racer to do 1-6 rounds and still be part of the national scene.

Nonetheless, there are guys who enjoy doing a whole season, and I hope there always will be.

 

[Julian_Boolean]

I think EAHORC should continue as it is, it's getting a good number of racers so must be doing something right, I don't really understand the reason for people bitching about the travelling, if you don't like the travelling, don't do it and just race locally, that's the decision I've made.

I really appreciate the distance that everyone travelled to Kesgrave this year and hope you all come again next year, but if you can't make it I won't hold it against you, I'll try and organise a meal for anyone who comes over on the Saturday afternoon if we get the track set up in time.

EAHORC is a national championship, and if you want to be a national champion you have to make the commitment, due to other factors in my life I currently don't want to make that commitment but I may do in the future.

I think this years EAHORC season could shape up to be one of the best yet, with some new champions by the end of the season, the new LMP class is also a good idea.

I'd love another 6 or 8 hour race in the year, I can organise it if people are interested, but I don't think there's enough interest or a suitable gap in the HO calendar.

 

[montoya1]

Julian's 'suitable gap' raises a good point.

At the moment there is a great deal of harmony between the club within EAHORC and EAHORC itself, but I can that changing one day, if for example those that don't want to travel start organising more weekend meets of their own. I would not be as arrogant to say the national series should have the weekends to itself, but that IS how it has been (for the most part) for 20 years, and it works.

 

[woodcote]

What Marc said (both times) is spot on.

We have a healthy club scene in Worthing, but - in my opinion - that makes the nationals all the more important, because they are a step-up for those who want more racing and to test themselves against the best.

Mike D is nowhere near the top of our club championships, but he rocks up to Yelling and takes second in F1. That works for me

Yes, we all have different commitments, stuff comes up and we can't make all the races all the time. Rising fuel costs do make car-pooling essential.

I hadn't thought about it before, but Yelling was the first EAHORC meeting I've ever missed - and that includes three and a half on public transport and one hire car.

 

[Julian_Boolean]

QUOTE (montoya1 @ 8 Sep 2011, 15:41) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Nonetheless, there are guys who enjoy doing a whole season, and I hope there always will be.

So do I, any events I organise will always be on a different weekend to EAHORC races as I'd like to see as many of you as possible, the EAHORC regulars are a great bunch, though I suspect there will soon be regulars I haven't met.

 

[slowracer]

who edited my comments off, priceless