NSW SS on the rise!!

[Toymax]

Ignore the capacity references HTC, they were messed up all weekend. The Oz Trucks are 6.2 litres, but we were happy to have them run as they have a sealed control engine that is limited to 500hp. Most of the other capacities were way out though - ever seen a 6347cc Datsun 1200 coupe before?

[Ricey88]

Anybody know what Logbook the Oz trucks run under ???

[Phast Phil]

I must say that I do not see using sports sedans as a "dumping ground" for cars that do not fit in any other category as a great success.

The last thing we need in Aussie grass roots motor racing is more categories. The CAMS manual and the tech regs state all the current classes and rules....why would you buy or build a car that fits in with none of them and expect to get a run anywhere?

I would think it would be a positive thing for all state sports sedan associations to reject non complying cars and work on building the real sports sedan base otherwise it will become to tempting for a new competitor to NOT buy or build a sports sedan and that will be the beginning of the end.

In any case my congratulations go to all in the Jameson family for their win.

[Toymax]

Ricey - OZ Trucks are log booked 3D Sports Sedans.

Phil - State sports sedan associations hardly see themselves as dumping grounds. The simple fact is that in NSW only 12 months ago the very real possibility of there not being a state championship at all was present. Without a category to race in, those few sports sedans that were getting around at the time would really have been pointless, a situation hardly encouraging to someone who did want to enter motor sport by buying or building a sports sedan. It wasn't the beginning of the end Phil, it was the end.

A lot of work went into encouraging owners and drivers of "the real sports sedan base" to get there cars on track. The response wasn't that great - the overwhelming majority complained of not wanting to come and race because they had nobody to race with. Now there's irony for you.

The situation in NSW has since been reversed, with the strategy of getting more cars onto the grid, no matter what type of cars. With more cars on the grid, more people in sports sedans actually wanted to come and join in. By making our category one that drivers actually enjoy racing in, we also hope to encourage those competitors in other cars to make the change into a "real sports sedan" and continue with the category.

It's a far better position to be in, rather than being at risk of closing down altogether.

[Htc Motorsport]

Im not sure i agree with logging them as Sports Sedans as being the correct way to go. I can see your argument Toymax as to keeping numbers up, thats always number one, but couldnt they have been classified under some other category. We have very little Sports Sedans running here in Adelaide but when one of them does they stick us in with another category ie, Sports Cars but under our Sports Sedan title......a race within a race.
I agree with Phil on his points.....i would like to see this addressed and have them reclassified ...who would have classified these UTES as Sports SEDANS anyway..

[Ricey88]

Don't know why CAMS waste our money and there time on printing rules.
It’s probably a good invitation category just like Trans-am were.
So now we get all the ex Ute series fu(ked
rejects coming into 3d. Cams seem to want to turn 3d into tintop libra.
Thanks CAMS.

Spelling edit

[toranaracer]

Phil,
What happened to any changes or revisions to our regulations and approved vehicles having to go through the NSSC process?

When TransAm cars were tabled for inclusion, we all had input and voted accordingly.

Why would this not have been raised and discussed at the last NSSC meeting?

Has our relationship with CAMS slipped back to the bad old days where those who had contacts got what they wanted or did not want? :o

Will these cars be eligible to enter at the NSW National/State round later in the year?

Are these "things" likely to breed any more numbers?

After all, Sports Sedans are Sports Sedans..........................................................

toranaracer.

[FalconEL]

I agree that these Oz Trucks should not have been issued with a 3D Log Books as they are not Sports Sedans. I will be taking this matter up with our Motor Racing Executive representative, Trevor Llewellyn at the next State Council/Motor Race Panel meeting.

In CAMS Queensland State Championship events, we (the QLD Promoting Clubs) invite Sports Sedans "and Invited Cars" to compete with us. To further clarify, we (the QLD Motor Race and Speed Event Panel of which I am a member) did the same thing for the other nine or so State Championship categories.... eg. Improved Production "and Invited Cars". It gives potentially non-complying cars a place to compete within the CAMS system which is potentially a good thing in assisting to increase field sizes and lure those competitors back to the CAMS fold from the alternate "sanctioning" bodies. It was done purely to get numbers back, because as a promoter, spectator (or even competitor), there is nothing worse than a field of 6 cars plugging around a race track...... So we've had a selection of other cars, from ex-Supercars to Production Cars on slicks that have competed in Sports Sedan events with us for a few years, whether this is the right or wrong thing to be doing, I don't know. An Oz Truck would fit in as an Invited Car in our events (provided it meets the criteria defined in the Schedules in the CAMS Manual for general safety and eligibility to compete).

toranaracer, I can't see an Oz Truck racing with us at National Series Level as our Sporting Regulations detail eligible cars that are invited to compete.

[2002 turbo]

I am a bit surprised at the reaction here, these "truck things" aren't going to take over far from it!

Maybe a bit of background info will help. The trucks are from the old Craftsman series which was wound up in the USA a while back, they have not been built here in Australia. They are essentially a NASCAR chassis under a truck shell but with cheaper running gear and less power/performance.
They were imported by a few people with the vision of a series being one day started for them, if that ever happens is debatable. And yes I agree the last thing we need are more racing categories!

Anyway they were keen to have a run and approached ASSA NSW to race on an invitational basis.
Obviously with a CAMS race meeting you need a log book before you can run and given their construction method the only thing they could be logged under was 3D. CAMS also log Touring Car Masters, Commodore Cup and Kingswood 3.3 litres as group 3D and I doubt ASSA was ever consulted on that one either!!!!

Considering ASSA NSW was told our state championship was going to be revoked due to a lack of numbers the club has been more open to letting other cars have a run to keep the fields up. For instance last year at Wakefield a Commodore V8 Ute had a run and didn't put any noses out of joint
with our competitor base.
Fact be known if it wasn't for the combined round at the final Oran Park race meeting in 2009 the NSW Sport Sedan Championship wouldn't have existed in 2010! Don't know about you guys but me & a few mates weren't keen on having to travel interstate so we could run in some else's state championship. Plus there is no use having a race car worth thousands of $$$ if all you can do is run it at super sprints or wait for it to be awarded historic status!

Really it is hardly a new thing for other cars to run in our class either. For those with short memories less then 10 years ago a 911 GT3 Cup Car, Ford Mondeo Super tourer and Holden VS V8 Super car all ran at a round of the national championship at Oran Park, last time I checked a Porsche 911 isn't anywhere near a sedan either!!

[jd yort]

It am still stuck on why the F people would want to try and start racing them here. At $74,000 US (http://www.oztruck.com/pricing.php) they are hardly cheap when there is no guarantee the series will ever get off the ground. It is just seems incomprendable. I am having flash backs of that ute series they tried to introduce back in the 90's. Think they ended up with 5 of them.

How did they go 2002?? Would they have been further up or down the grid if it had been dry??

(Nadz the FVee driver was Matthew Harrison, there is a Vale on their website).