Birkett Six Hour Relay at Silverstone
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Date28th October 2006
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PlaceSilverstone Circuit, Northants, NN12 8TN
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Web
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The Birkett Relay
The Birkett Relay is the last race of the season for many people involved in club racing.
There will be 50 teams this year, racing over six hours!
We can be nicely partisan as we have two friends taking part - Gail Hill and Graham Paddick, both from Oxfordshire. Gail is in a ladies team called "Les Femmes Fatales" and Graham is in a team called "The Grunties". You will have to decide whether to be a Gail's Groupie or a Graham's Groupie! I gather there is also a team of XKs so you might want to support them instead!
We will congregate near the paddock at the end of the old runway (see map).
For those of you who are diurnally challenged please note that this event is on a Saturday and not a Sunday as many others are. If you go on Sunday you will be late!
Should be a lot of fun - don't miss it! Please come in a classic vehicle if you can!
We can be nicely partisan as we have two friends taking part - Gail Hill and Graham Paddick, both from Oxfordshire. Gail is in a ladies team called "Les Femmes Fatales" and Graham is in a team called "The Grunties". You will have to decide whether to be a Gail's Groupie or a Graham's Groupie! I gather there is also a team of XKs so you might want to support them instead!
We will congregate near the paddock at the end of the old runway (see map).
For those of you who are diurnally challenged please note that this event is on a Saturday and not a Sunday as many others are. If you go on Sunday you will be late!
Should be a lot of fun - don't miss it! Please come in a classic vehicle if you can!
The Birkett Relay (Unexpurgated Version!)
The race is a unique event in the world of motor racing and was originally conceived to give cars of
differing performance the opportunity of competing on "equal" terms in a long-distance race.
The concept obviously worked and it has proved to be one of the most popular events in the UK.
The event is based upon a free relay system for teams of cars. Working on information provided and many years of experience, the handicappers decide upon which team they consider will complete the most laps within the 6 hours - this is the "Scratch" team. The remainder of the teams are given credit laps according to their estimated performance in comparison to the Scratch team and these credit laps are added to those actually completed.
Should the Safety Car be used, then the credit laps are proportionally adjusted. The results of the race can be affected by the tactics of the Team Manager just as easily as by the performance and reliability of the cars. If one car in a team is significantly faster than the others, the handicappers may assume that that car will attempt to do more than its fair share of the racing; in that case there may be a limit placed upon the number of laps which that particular car is permitted to complete. If that car does more than its permitted laps, the team faces disqualification from the handicap results, or can opt out of the handicap and simply race for the overall win.
During the length of the race, cars will break down out on the circuit. The Team Manager has to decide by how long a car can be "missing" before sending out a replacement. If the "missing" car has simply spun and rejoined the race, no laps are scored whilst two cars from the same team are racing. Results are issued at 60 minute intervals to show the current placings both on handicap and actual.
Whew!
The event is based upon a free relay system for teams of cars. Working on information provided and many years of experience, the handicappers decide upon which team they consider will complete the most laps within the 6 hours - this is the "Scratch" team. The remainder of the teams are given credit laps according to their estimated performance in comparison to the Scratch team and these credit laps are added to those actually completed.
Should the Safety Car be used, then the credit laps are proportionally adjusted. The results of the race can be affected by the tactics of the Team Manager just as easily as by the performance and reliability of the cars. If one car in a team is significantly faster than the others, the handicappers may assume that that car will attempt to do more than its fair share of the racing; in that case there may be a limit placed upon the number of laps which that particular car is permitted to complete. If that car does more than its permitted laps, the team faces disqualification from the handicap results, or can opt out of the handicap and simply race for the overall win.
During the length of the race, cars will break down out on the circuit. The Team Manager has to decide by how long a car can be "missing" before sending out a replacement. If the "missing" car has simply spun and rejoined the race, no laps are scored whilst two cars from the same team are racing. Results are issued at 60 minute intervals to show the current placings both on handicap and actual.
Whew!
The 750 Club
In case you're wondering the 750 club was founded in 1939 for people racing 750cc Austin 7s.
They now organise 20 or more races over more than a dozen classes.
Whew again!
Location Information
Silverstone Old Runway
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AddressSiverstone Circuit
Northants -
PostcodeNN12 8TN
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OS 1:50 000 Map152
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National Grid RefSP 678 427
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Miles from Oxford25
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Lat / LonN52 04.28 / W001 01.00
Silverstone Circuit is the home of the British Grand Prix and is very well signposted.
From Junction 10 on the M40 follow the A43 North for about 6 miles to Brackley.
Look out for the speed cameras!
There are three roundabouts on the Brackley ring road.
(The first has the A422 to Banbury and the second has the A422 to Buckingham.)
Stay on the A43 towards Northampton.
About 5 miles after the third roundabout you will see the signs for Silverstone Circuit.
Once you're inside the circuit follow the map to "A".
