Ribbles new format - For better or for worst?

[Team mad rat!]

Hi fellow Ribbletonians.

Just a few thoughts on the new racing format that was trialed on Friday evening.

Been speaking to a few of the regulars and they seem disappointed in the new format. Yes we all agree that more needs to be done to help get the track away but surely there is a better way to do it than cut down racing time and 'punish' racers.

Like a previous post has stated, people travel from far and wide to visit Ribble which has built up an excellent reputation. People, (in my opinion) will soon get fed up of travelling all that way to spend more time building and dismantling tracks than actual racing time.

Yes people need to help with the track but people also will expect a minimum of 3 heats and a final. Whether these be shorter heats or not I think 3 heats and a final is a good starting point. People were having problems with the over crowded heats and therefore not having chance to get full heats in. 10 or 11 in heats is far to many.

Why was it decided that numbers weren't limited at the AGM? Is it a case of get as much money in as possible rather than concentrate on the quality of racing? It certainly feels that way. Yes, it's not nice to turn people away but when you have people attending all year round who stand by the club feeling like its not really a members club its more like a money making business something seems wrong to me.

Allowing as many racers to enter as we want will surely back fire. The regulars that attend week in week out will eventually get fed up of over crowded heats, shorter track times and more breakages and will look elsewhere to race, then when all the 'not so regulars' go back to racing outdoors the club will have no one to race there.

Out of interest, how much does the club make on average per week, after rent of hall etc? Ive been attending now for 3 or so years and the only new things I've seen are marshalling buckets and a meter square of astroturf. Could we not spend some money on improving the track, different surfaces, jumps, new equipment to lay the track out with, maybe reducing breakages etc?

I can hear you all saying you should have brought this up at the AGM but due to work commitments I couldn't attend.

All of the points above seem to be a common feeling with a few members of the club. Ribble is a great club, but it has alot of potential to be an excellent club if it concentrates on the right things rather than raising as much money as possible.

Feel free to reply with any comments if I'm wrong or any thoughts or ideas as to how we can maximise numbers of racers with maximum track time as a happy medium.

Lots of love

Cheers, Nice one

XxX

[andy110m]

Hi Bud,

It wasn't a permanent change, just something which was trialled on the night due to high numbers and people arriving late, myself included, due to the M6 problems.

I'm sure we'll be back to business as usual so to speak this week.

Just to answer your point about the AGM not limiting numbers, I think everyone at the AGM felt this is a friendly club which is a platform for beginners to get what is likely to be, their first taste of racing. We agreed on that basis to turn people away wasn't in the sprit of the club.

Again the other points are consistent with things I've thought for many years but don't anymore. Once Nathan started racing I realised Ribble isn't trying to be a Southport or a Bury. Its successfully being something else where newbies can come and learn without the pressure environment of a serious meeting. Now we all love to race and would love Ribble to be a Worksop or Chadderton, of course we would but then how does the new blood get into the hobby?

If you've got to the standard that you need a higher level of competition, all those more racing focused venues are brilliant and open to you. That isn't to say please go to those and not Ribble, it isn't, but if you come to Ribble and expect Southport you've missed the point.

Anyway you should have brought all this up at the AGM

[singin pete]

Andyyou are right on one point but wrong on another.

The format is not permanent it had to be done for the reasons you stated.

There were two proposals from the committee at the AGM, both restricting numbers in the heats, therefore having a cap on the number of racers. It was the feeling of most attending members that the club shouldn't turn anyone away.

I wont apologize for the club keeping its head above the water, if this isn't done we don't have a club.
We charge £4 for adults to race and £2 for the kids, not a lot to race.
Lets say we cap numbers to 40 racers 15 of these are under 16 the club would pull in £130, when you take out the hire of the hall, tape, printer toner, paper, floor cleaner, ect, this is before we replace the broken track. You can see we need a few more people racing to keep the club running, but I agree we don't need 69!! this is why the committee suggested lowering number on the night.

Peter

[spennyy2k]

Either you have your fees wrong Pete or I'm owed a refund!

[singin pete]

Adult members can buy 5 race tickets for £20 = £4 per race

Under 16 members can buy 5 race tickets for £10 = £2 per race

I know its late but I think I've that's right.

Janice will put me right if I'm wrong.

Peter

[spennyy2k]

Makes more sence, i dont buy tickets so is £10 for me and the boy £6/£4 I assume.

[singin pete]

Members pay £5 if they don't buy tickets

£6 for non-members

So you get your £5 membership fee back in 2.5 weeks if you buy tickets.

Under 16's get an even better deal with 5 races for £10.

Pretty cheap Friday nights racing.

Peter

[spennyy2k]

Ok, anyway getting off topic, long and short is hopfully last night was a one off or a very limited occurrence

[Jlc57]

Ways in which we could use the time better on Friday:

1. Everyone to book in on-line or send a message on Facebook by Thursday evening 9pm (the PC can be set up fully)
2. Members buy tickets so quicker to book in
3. Normally we don't book in straight away because we want people to help with the track, but we could book in as soon as system ready
4. Cut off booking in by 7:15 so can get the heats sorted and printed off, latecomers could then just be added to heats (provided not too many)
5. If heats ready then no practice and start racing.

[MattK]

As mentioned above this was discussed at the AGM.
It was calculated that if we limited the numbers we would of had to have turned people away from 3 meetings in the last year.
It was on this basis that it was agreed to leave the numbers as they are and allow the commitiee the power to decide what is best on the night.
I agree its dissapointing not to get the full rounds in on the evening, but better that than not being able to race.
We all know winter is the busiest time and it will drop off during the summer but the ones that turn up all the time will be people like myself who cant race anywhere else and the young future champions who are learning their craft.
I agree its difficult with alot of cars in the heats and I dont like it but I would hate to see people turned away. I also find that I get taken out more by the more experienced racers than the novices as we are a more equal speed fighting for the same bit of track.

[spennyy2k]

Get out of the way faster then matt

[MattK]

Damn!, I have been rumbled!!!

[ericd2477]

Hi guys, only seen this post this morning. Not unexpected that there would be a reaction to the trialing of the new format. I am a little disappointed in a couple of the comments about "Money Making" and "Spending nothing" . The club spends on a weekly basis about £140 on the hall and consumables, we have bought a new Laptop about £400 , New Track pieces to replace broken ones about £300 per year , New printer £100 new loan transponders £1000 only last week. Trophies £800 only last week. Also we are donating ALL PROFITS from the Chris Rand series to a cancer charity which looks like being £500.

So we are spending money, we are not trying to make a profit but what we make during the winter tends to pay for the lower numbers in the summer.

The committee have tried to get a limit put on the number of cars on track and a cap on total numbers but it was voted against at the AGM.

We will obviously take the comments seriously and try to meet your expectations.

Eric

[morpheus2010]

Back to Normal Last Night, With 7 Heats Running. Difficult to manage larger numbers and stay on track Time Wise.

If people pre-booked online it would save time, yet many don't.

Regarding other issues its easy to complain but assisting with getting the track set up and packed away is a more practical way of helping.

Ribble has a core of people including the committee who carry the lions share of effort and put in the time to making Ribble successful.

There are Section Representatives who can be lobbied prior to the AGM if one is unable to attend.

But please don't forget that the people running the club are volunteers and give of their time and effort freely, without which the club would not survive.