Contents: 2023 Regulation changes, end of season video, cost savings, live streaming and much more.
8th December 2022
We have a lot of information to bring to you. Take your time, but please do read this newsletter, the news and regulation changes listed here are relevant and important to your racing with us in 2023. Later in this Classic Lines you can enjoy our end of season video highlights, expertly filmed and edited by Marc Peters.
Cost Savings
Not only are we planning to freeze the vast majority of our fees into 2023, we have also found ways to save some of you money.
Our first round, at Silverstone GP, on 26th February is going to be our cheapest Grand Prix entry ever, priced at just £395 for a 27-minute qualifying session and a 40-minute race.
In years past we have charged £99 to register for the first series and £50 for each additional series. For 2023 we have again frozen the registration fee for the car at £99, but now it includes registration to any/all CSCC series your car is eligible for. This potentially opens up the calendar for many of you. Own a 205 GTi, for example? You can now select Tin Tops, Future Classics, Modern Classics and more, all for the same price of £99 total. So, when you are ready to register, tick as many series boxes as your car is eligible for and that you wish to race in, at no extra cost. If you wish to register an additional car, the same principles apply and you will only be charged £50 for each additional car and nothing for any additional series. Those entering the JMC Racing Special Saloons and Modsports Series only, will once again be charged just £50 registration, given they have less rounds.
We recognise that some of you want to maximise your racing at each round. Previously we offered a £100 race discount, if you entered more than one race at that round. We are now going further, by offering additional races at half price. Using the same example as above, if you enter Tin Tops at Snetterton for £410, you may also enter Future Classics at the same round for an additional £205. That's a lot of tracktime for the money. In the past you have had to tell us you intend to enter more than one round in order to get the discount, moving forwards you don't need to tell us. Just enter all the races you wish at that round and we will give you a part refund automatically (it's a manual process for us in the office, so it might not be instant, but you will get the money back).
2023 Series Registrations
Series registrations are now open and can be completed here.
Please be patient whilst we process your registrations, it is a manual process and may take us a number of weeks before you receive confirmation. With our first Silverstone round taking place in February, we will give priority to those drivers intending to enter here.
Race Numbers: Drivers who registered in 2022 have until 31st January 2023 to re-register and keep their race numbers. From 1st February 2023, numbers will be allocated on a first-come, first-serve basis.
If your registration confirmation has your race number as 'TBC' it is because the number you have requested was allocated last season and therefore, we will confirm whether the number is available later in February.
Regulation Changes
There have been a number of changes and improvements made to regulations for 2023, as a result of your survey results, suggestions from drivers and officials, and constructive conversations between your committee and office. We have highlighted the main changes below, but please read the regulations in full.
Code 60 Penalty - All series The penalty for a Code 60 speeding infringement during the race is being made fairer. Previously, this was a 60-second penalty, regardless of the amount by which you may have sped by. Now, the penalty will start off milder (whilst still reflecting that this is both a sporting fairness AND safety issue) at 20 seconds, plus the amount of kph above 60kph, squared. Sounds complicated? Let's give an example: Someone accidentally speeds at 65kph average over a full lap. They will receive a penalty of 20 seconds, plus 5x5 = 25, so a total penalty of 45 seconds. The penalty gets harsher the higher you speed, so please use the winter-time to work out when you are doing 60, so you don't get a penalty in the pit-lane or on track.
Racing Overseas - All series All series regulations remind drivers that to join us in the States at seasons-end, they do need to support the club, by racing at at least two UK meetings in 2023.
Adams & Page Swinging Sixties Your pit stop remains primarily as 'quick-as-you-can', whilst giving the option to have a 1 minute 30 second pit-in to pit-out, provided drivers tell us before the drivers briefing. The winners penalty will change to a 20 second cumulative, where the penalty can rise and fall, dependant on results. Starts remain a mix of standing and rolling.
Contrary to the series title, our Group 2 classes will, for the first time, welcome 1970's cars too. In a bid to boost and even-up grid numbers, models running on carburettors, up to the end of 1977, will be welcomed in Group 2. Whilst Dolomite's, TR7's, Pinto-engined Escorts will remain welcome in our Advantage Motorsport Future Classics Series, they do have more in common in both architecture and performance, with their '60s cousins. Cars will need to comply fully with Swinging Sixties regulations, including tyres. Talking of tyres, there is now a full list of available tyre sizes and where unavailable, the permitted alternatives. Clarification has now been given regarding original manufacturer wheel diameters, to prevent advantage being gained (please see regulations for exact wording).
In 2022 we allowed Group 1 cars to enter the Group 2 races at the same meeting, as a second, discounted race. As a result of your feedback, we have now made that permanent, with a dedicated Group 1 class in Group 2. As mentioned towards the top of this news item, this second race is now even better value, at half price.
Mintex Classic K Pit-stops remain timed from pit-in to pit-out, with the new, cumulative winners penalty format, that can fall as well as increase. Starts also remain as per usual, with rolling and standing through the season, depending on the circuit.
Please see an article at the end of this Classic Lines, regarding a new FIA homologated tyre from Continental, that is due to enter the market to rival the Dunlop CR65. When these tyres become available to market in early '23 they shouldn't give a performance advantage over the Dunlop's, but what has been promised is that they are round and all the same size! Avon's can't be used in our races, sorry, although given the uncertainty of their future this question may fall away naturally. We will, wherever possible, maintain the 1 hour race format, with the exceptions being at Silverstone GP in May (40 mins), Oulton Park in September (40 mins) and Anglesey in July, where you'll receive 3.5 hours of track time! The only other change is that our over 2700cc class splits into two, separating the V8's and 6-cylinder cars. This should be of particular interest to the big Healey's.
Advantage Motorsport Future Classics Pit-stops have changed and are now a timed, 1 minute 30 seconds from pit-in to pit-out. Overall winner's penalties can now fall as well as rise. This mirrors the regulations the Modern Classics have. Starts remain a mix of rolling and standing.
With the numbers of 1970's cars varying from round to round, we have removed the separate '70's group and it's associated overall winner's penalty. In many cases the 70's cars are able to mix it on equal terms anyway. We have added a dedicated class for the popular, E30 320i 6-cylinder cars. After a brief chat after prize-giving at Donington and a number of chats/survey comments, it's clear that drivers of these cars want different things. Some have their cars in near standard 'championship' trim, others have already modified them, or certainly wish to. Therefore, this class will be specific to this model, cc and engine, but allow a freedom to tinker, as per our other Future Classics classes. Another new class is for cars between 1600cc and 2 litre, that should appeal to a whole host of cars, such as Dolomite Sprint, Escort, Astra, Golf GTi and more. With a degree of creepage occurring over the years and cars joining us from other series, there is a slight relaxation when it comes to neat holes in bonnets, please see the regulations for exact wording. This will be enforced.
Modern Classics
Thank you to Speedpanel for your support over the previous two seasons. At the time of writing there is an opportunity to become headline sponsor for this ever-growing series. Pit-stops remain timed, although now shorter at 1 minute 30 seconds, with the overall winner's penalty now potentially falling away, as well as increasing, dependant on results, as the season progresses. Starts remain a mix of rolling and standing. A new class 'M' for BMW M cars with the 3 litre or 3.2 S50 B30 or B32 engines brings these cars together in one class. This will be of interest to the Boxster S and Jaguars for example , who no longer have the rapid M's in their classes.
As per Future Classics, the silhouette/body rule now allows small, neat holes in the upper surface of the bonnet. These must be flush, ideally mesh-covered and not stick up with gurneys, scoops, louvers or shark-gills. If you currently have anything raised, please remove it before the start of the season or contact us with queries.
JMC Racing Special Saloons and Modsports
The separate classes for both classic (pre-94) and modern engines remains, but the overall winner and therefore winner's penalty for each group, falls away. Only the overall winner of race 1 will have a ten place grid penalty in race 2.
The race format is unchanged and starts are always rolling. A clarification that forced-induction motorbike engines are not allowed in the series.
When we released the detailed calendar some of you gave us feedback that a single race at Snetterton was unappealing. We have worked hard to re-arrange the timetable and can now confirm that at this first round, you will now have a shared, 30-minute qualifying session, a shared 20-minute race, with your more modern 'Slicks' cousins and a stand-alone 15 minute race. Please support your series here, at this first (of five) double-header race meetings.
New Millennium Just two series-specific changes for the New Millennium Series next year:
Starts will now all be rolling, whilst winner's penalties will now adopt the 20-second overall winners penalty, that can rise and fall as the season progresses. We appreciate that drivers weren't given the option to retain the previous 'podium' penalties, but hope they will understand that a degree of consolidation across the CSCC series needed to happen, to aid understanding. Thank you to TrackRoadRace, who sponsored our series during 2022. Please do look at their 2023, low-numbers track days, including Goodwood for the first time, to start their season.
Gold Arts Magnificent Sevens
2023 sees perhaps the largest change in the series' history. Recognising that this series has very few two-driver teams, it moves to a new format, of a 20 -minute qualifying session and two x 30-minute non pit-stop races, on the same day. Those two-driver/two-car teams may still share, with both drivers completing their 3+ laps in qualifying and then a race each. Tyres have been a discussion point throughout the season. After a lot of analysis and discussion, the decision has been made to continue to allow all list 1A/B/C tyres in most classes, for the 2023 season. With Avon tyres' future in jeopardy, it is highly likely that the RT7 and Extreme compounds, plus Kumho V700 will not be allowed in 2024. Classes have been added, or modified. The Group 1 classes, for 1600cc cars has been split, depending on power and type of tyre. Group 2 now has a class for the popular 420R running on Toyo R888R tyres, with a new class for the most powerful cars above 300bhp. There was strong interest in being able to join in with other CSCC series, this is not something we can accommodate now, but your survey answers won't be forgotten, should a suitable opportunity arise in the future.
Starts remain a mixture of rolling and standing, with the group winner's grid penalty also increasing to a 10 place grid penalty with a further 5 places for each consecutive win.
Co-ordSport Tin Tops
The big news is a change from quick-as-you-can, to a timed, 1-minute 30-second pit-stop. Winner's penalties remain the same, with a 30-second, overall, cumulative penalty.
All turbo-diesels move from class A to class D. The Renault Clio class has now become all-French, allowing the 2-litre Peugeot and Citroen cars to battle it out directly with the Clio's, rather than the Honda's. Going yet further, these French classes will be split in two, dependant on whether cars have individual throttle bodies or a single throttle body. This could appeal to those French cars running in other series, where their rules or power-to-weight, restricts them to using a single throttle body. The RX-8 Trophy class moves here from Turbo Tin Tops. Puma Cup, whilst they remain a separate series, will also move across, to race on the Tin Tops grid; both the Puma's and RX-8's are of a similar pace and fit well here. Starts remain the same, a mixture of standing and rolling, depending on the circuit.
Turbo Tin Tops Pit-stops will now be a timed, 1-minute 30-second affair, with overall winner's penalties a cumulative 30 seconds, that last the season.
Starts will be a mix of standing and rolling.
As mentioned above, the RX-8 Trophy class slides across to the normally-aspirated Tin Tops series. Other than that, there are few other changes. The series continues to grow each year, so thank you for your support.
Thanks to our friends at The Motorsports School, for sponsoring the series since its inception. They move on to new projects, but remain our recommended school for ARDS tests and race coaching.
Liqui Moly Slicks Pit stops remain timed, but are now shorter, at 1-minute 30-seconds from pit-in to pit-out. Starts are unchanged and will always be rolling.
Gone are the podium penalties, now a 20-second overall winner's penalty is served as part of the pit-stop. This penalty can fall away or increase, depending on the success of that driver/car in future rounds.
To protect all competitors, a line has been added to the regulations, allowing organisers to remove cars likely to be too slow. The largest overhaul is with the Slicks Series' classes. A good deal of analysis has taken place, looking at the cars we have, the market place and your comments. Your positivity is welcomed, suggesting that we generally have the right mix of sports, saloon and GT cars, whilst politely declining sports-racers and Sevens. Inevitably, we have one or two cars that are on the cusp of what we will allow, such as the Mosler and Solution F BMW and Volvo. Again, thank you for your positivity towards these cars and teams, they remain welcome, but we recognise that their remarkable performance required a class re-think. Please see the regulations for full details.
Verum Builders Open Series Starts for this series will now always be rolling. Race length and format will vary through the year. During pit-stop races there will be a mandatory 1-minute 30-second timed stop.
Whilst lap times on these treaded tyres are slightly slower than in the Slicks Series and we know that members enjoy the Open as an extra race, or means to gather a signature, we have added a line that protects competitors if we feel that a car may be too slow for its own and other driver's safety. This might be something like a standard C1 or 2CV, for example.
Puma Cup The Pumas have always raced with the CSCC since their inception. The team at EMC are still very much involved, but have asked the CSCC to fully adopt the series and drivers. With the help of Abi Clare, who has done a great job, we will promote the Pumas as a great place to race on a budget. The series will race on the same grid as the Co-ordSport Tin Tops.
Class B, for modified Puma's has been removed, keeping the series for Pumas in series specification. The series has never had any class B entries, but in any case a modified Puma is most welcome in Tin Tops.
The regulations have been transferred to our usual format, with the removal of text that suggested an FHR (HANS/Simpson) was optional (they are mandatory for cars of this age). All other Puma Cup regulations remain the same as per 2022, including the 1 minute 30 pit-stop, which is what the Tin Tops competitors will also be doing in 2023.
Silverstone GP in February
Our season begins in less than 3 months! What a way to start, at the longest circuit in the country, the full 3.67 mile modern Grand Prix layout, on Sunday 26th February. Sure, it's not going to be hot, but as a 'winter bonus' we are setting your entry fee at just £395. For that you are getting 27 minutes of qualifying (the curfew doesn't quite allow the full 30 minutes) and 40 minutes of racing. Those of you with eligible cars may enter a second race here at just £197.50. Entries will open on Thursday 5th January at 15:00. If you plan to enter this round, it would be very helpful if you could ensure your membership and registration is completed asap.
Live Streaming
Our live-streamed rounds are very popular with you, but they come at a considerable financial cost too. We don't want to charge extra on your race entry fees (besides, not everyone wants it) and our series sponsors have been as generous as they can, but this still leaves a considerable shortfall. We have come up with a package where we will be live streaming the following: Silverstone Grand Prix, February 26th Snetterton 300, March 25th/26th Anglesey International, 24 Hours, July 1st/2nd Donington Park GP, August 5th/6th Donington Park GP, September 2nd/3rd (Gold Arts Magnificent Sevens) At all rounds we aim to have our resident video highlights expert, Marc Peters, to bring you the best bits after the event.
Dinner Dance and AGM Before talking about this years event, we'll ask you to add next years date to the diary. We will return to the Chesford Grange on Saturday 18th November 2023, with the AGM the next morning. You won't be able to book hotel rooms at the CSCC discounted rate just yet, for now, please just keep this date free.
This year, we had one of the highest turnouts in the club history, with 233 members and their guests, plus valued volunteers, all enjoying themselves. Tiff Needell was as entertaining and amusing as you might expect, from a man who has spent more than 50 years racing and broadcasting.
As has become customary, this was the time when the season's end highlights video is premiered on the big screen. You can now sit back and watch this in full:
There were a whole host of awards given out on the night. Congratulations to all of our winners. We do get asked why we don't have overall winners or publish points. We run race series, not championships, therefore there are no overall winners or accumulated points. Any winner's awards are given, based on a whole raft of categories, including presentation (car, driver and team), a lack of contact, helpfulness to others and so on.
A selection of photos of the evening can be viewed and downloaded at no cost, here.
Our two most prestigious awards given on the night were:
The Members Trophy, also known as the 'Spirit Of The Club' award. This is given each season to the member or members who best embody the ethos of the Classic Sports Car Club, as voted by your committee. Shaun Ely and Blair Roebuck were joint recipients, after many seasons of positively helping members with advice on Facebook, showing great loyalty to the club and for also helping a member in need and down on his luck and finances, by building him an engine at their own cost and time. Drivers will know all too well that they can't race without the help of others and therefore recognition is also given to their partners, Danielle Cundy and Jenny Roebuck. Neither Shaun, nor Blair could be there on the night, but were dressed for the occasion and accepted their award from Tiff via a live video call.
The Barry Carpenter Award
An annual award given to the non-member/volunteer, who is recognised for their outstanding contribution to the club and its members. This year the deserving winner was Charlotte Rushforth. One of our younger volunteers, who worked long days at most race meetings, to help both drivers and Clerks, in the pursuit of fairness and justice. As a young lady, thrust into a testosterone-charged atmosphere, she has learned to balance politeness with a degree of assertiveness, working both with and independently from her Father, and former CSCC Chairman, Tony Rushforth. Charlotte has helped developed the role of Driver Liason from its inception, passing that knowledge on to a second team, comprising of Susanne Williams and Barry Tapping (who were also nominated for this award, but Sue is a CSCC member).
Chairman's Report
John Hammersley delivered the Chairman's report at the AGM, that took place on Sunday 27th November 2022. To read the Chairman's report, click here.
Treasurer's Report
Richard Wos delivered the Treasurer's report at the AGM. To read the report, click here.
Vice Chairman
We have a change of Vice Chairman, with Paul Anderton stepping down from this role but remaining very much involved as a valued CSCC Committee member and Series Representative for Turbo Tin Tops. Paul agreed that after a number of years in the role it was a good idea for another member of the committee to experience the responsibilities and title, as he did from predecessor Tony Rushforth. Thank you Paul.
Stuart Levers is the CSCC's new Vice Chairman for 2023. Stuart first raced with the CSCC in 2010, competing in Honda CRX, Peugeot 205 and Clio 172 for a few years, before joining the committee and taking on the role of Driver Representative for Tin Tops (a role that Stuart will continue with). Thank you Stuart.
Cheques and Cash
This is a just a friendly reminder that we no longer accept cheques. From next year we won't take cash at the circuit for race numbers and backgrounds, but we will have our card machine.
Photography David Stallard will remain the CSCC's official photographer, we will promote him exclusively and encourage you to support his loyalty by purchasing his race photos. We do recognise that times change and we will therefore open up our social media groups, to allow other photographers, amateur and professional alike, to share and where relevant sell their images through the season (within a fair use policy).
CSCC Tree Fund
For the last three seasons some CSCC members have voluntarily donated to a CSCC tree fund, at the same time as entering a race. We are pleased to say that these small increments of £10 have added up to £1060. A modest sum, but this is 100% from members who have chosen to give extra to this cause, as we don't feel it is the place of the club to otherwise use member’s monies for such a scheme. With donations slowing down demonstrably in this third year, it was the natural time to bring this fund to a close.
The initial intention was to donate the monies to the Woodland Trust, to plant new trees and have an area dedicated to the Classic Sports Car Club, something that should potentially outlive all of us. Over the Covid years, both the Woodland Trust and the National Forest had suspended new planting and dedications, beyond individual trees, although both organisations have been very helpful with advice. As a result, a long-standing CSCC member stepped forwards and discussed a plan with us to re-generate an otherwise unused scrub/grassland area, as part of a farm in Essex, to plant trees, with all important animal control protection (mostly deer fencing, to stop their nibbling).
Proper planning and consultation has gone into this project, to provide long-term care for these trees, along with a farm-building roof fed pond, something that this summer's heatwave proved would be essential. Tree stock has been carefully selected, from UK saplings wherever possible, to reduce disease transmission and travel.
Groundwork has begun.
The plan is to plant three groups of 9 oaks, grown from acorns from the tree pictured above, centre-left. This particular Oak is marked on a map from 1777!
Three other enclosures will soon be ready for trees, but these are not yet 100% deer-proof.
Finally, there will be four or five native fruit trees as well. We welcome the variety of native planting and likely bio-diversity this will encourage.
The pond is filled from water captured from the roofs of farm buildings.
The project will have a plaque on behalf of the CSCC members. It is on private land, therefore we will aim to give you an annual update as the trees and area matures. For the avoidance of doubt, neither the club, nor its members own the land or the trees, with the funds being given as a one-off donation, to go towards the tree stock, labour and pest prevention. Thank you again to all of you who donated, it may be a tiny gesture towards cleaner air, but you have done something positive.
Two members have brought up our carbon footprint this season. Every member has an awareness of the fuel and tyres they consume and many will have taken steps in their private and business lives to reduce their own footprint. The CSCC office invested in solar panels 12 months ago, which, whilst helping to reduce our carbon footprint, has also resulted in a visible reduction in our energy costs this year. The withdrawal of printed programs and printed results has saved the consumption of many boxes of paper. We will continue to look for areas to improve, however, after Committee discussion earlier in the year, we don't feel it is appropriate currently, to adopt carbon offsetting/credits, or otherwise spend members money in this way. We are a racing club first and foremost, but going forward we shall be looking at other ways to reduce our effect on the environment, alongside Motorsport UK.
Anglesey Accommodation
One of the many upsides of our Anglesey 24 Hours event, announced yesterday, is the pleasant climate we'll hopefully receive in early July. The island is a popular holiday destination, therefore the circuit recommends those who need accommodation, to make a booking now, whilst availability and prices are sensible. You will be able to stay on-site throughout the event, or you may choose to make it a part of a mini-break. Those of you competing are likely to be tired afterwards, even though each series will be finishing through Sunday morning and by 14:00 at the latest, staying on the Sunday night may be good for your health and safety.
Mintex Classic K Tyres
Following the series survey, a number of drivers asked whether they could run the Avon CR6ZZ in place of Dunlop L/M CR65, because of quality and longevity. The UK Appendix K racing market, including Mintex Classic K, does not generally allow the Avon. This has now resolved itself, because it is highly likely that Avon are closing their Melksham factory later in 2023.
In positive news for our racing, Continental, who own Hoosier, the largest manufacturer of cross-ply (bias) tyres in the world, have had their tyres homologated by the FIA and plan to introduce the "L" version in early 2023. These will be in the same sizes as Dunlop but they promise a higher and more consistent quality. These new Continental tyres are unlikely to be cheaper than Dunlop, but it's great to now have a choice, with these tyres being accepted within both the CSCC Mintex Classic K and Adams & Page Swinging 60s regulations.
The CSCC team would like to wish you all a Happy Christmas and New Year, whatever your plans. The office closes on Friday 23rd December and re-opens on Tuesday 3rd January.
