New Provisional Timetable for Donnington
 

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME
THE 2009 SIX NATIONS CHAMPIONSHIP
DONINGTON PARK 28-29TH MARCH 2009

SUPPORTED BY THE DONINGTON PARK RACING ASSOCIATION CLUB

SATURDAY 28TH MARCH

09.00-09.15 ACU Bill Boddice F2 S/Cars Qualifying Practice Timed
09.20-09.40 MotoSix Open 600 Free Practice Untimed
09.45-10.05 MotoSix Open 1000 Free Practice Untimed
10.10-10.30 MotoSix Sidecars Free Practice Untimed
10.40-10.55 Lansdowne Classics Qualifying Practice Timed
11.05-11.25 Ducati Desmo Due Qualifying Practice Timed
11.30-11.40 Pro-Bike Open Solos Free Practice Untimed
11.45-12.05 Dutch Ducati Dealer Cup Free Practice Untimed

INTERVAL

12.35-12.50 Pro-Bike Open Solos Qualifying Practice Timed
12.55-1.10 ACU Bill Boddice F2 S/cars Qualifying Practice Timed
1.20-1.40 MotoSix Open 600 Qualifying Practice Timed
1.45-2.05 MotoSix Open 1000 Qualifying Practice Timed
2.10-2.30 MotoSix Sidecars Qualifying Practice Timed
2.40-3.00 Dutch Ducati Dealer Cup Qualifying Practice Timed
3.05-3.35 Lansdowne Classic Race 1 (R1) 8 Laps
3.40-4.10 ACU Bill Boddice F2 S/cars Race 1 (R2) 8 Laps
4.20-4.50 Pro-Bike Open Race 1 (R3) 8 Laps
5.00-5.30 Ducati Desmo Due Race 1 (R4) 8 Laps
5.35-6.00 Dutch Ducati Dealer Cup Race1 (R5) 8 Laps

SUNDAY 29TH MARCH

09.00-09.15 Suzuki GSXR / Formula 600 Qualifying Practice Timed
09.20-09.30 ACU Bill BoddiceF2 S/cars Warm Up Untimed
09.35-09.45 MotoSix 600 Warm Up Untimed
09.50-10.00 MotoSix 1000 Warm Up Untimed
10.05-10.15 MotoSix Sidecars Warm Up Untimed
10.30-10.50 Suzuki GSXR / Formula 600 Qualifying Practice Timed
10.55-11.20 Dutch Ducati Dealer Cup Race 2 (R6) 8 Laps
11.25-11.55 MotoSix 600 Race 1 (R7) 10 Laps
12.00-12.30 MotoSix 1000 Race 1 (R8) 10 Laps
12.35-1.05 MotoSix Sidecars Race 1 (R9) 10 Laps
1.15-1.40 Lansdowne Classics Race 2 (R10) 8 Laps

INTERVAL

2.10-2.35 Pro-Bike Open Race 2 (R11) 8 Laps
2.40-3.05 ACU Bill Boddice F2 S/Cars Race 2 (R12) 8 Laps
3.10-3.40 MotoSix 600 Race 1 (R13) 10 Laps
3.45-4.15 MotoSix 1000 Race 1 (R14) 10 Laps
4.20-4.50 MotoSix Sidecars Race 1 (R15) 10 Laps
4.55-5.30 Suzuki GSXR / Formula 600 Race 1 (R16) 20 Mins + 1 Lap
5.35-6.00 Ducati Desmo Due Race 2 (R17) 8 Laps

one race Sat and 1 Sun...good luck.

Dont forget your clear visors, Headlights optional......Not only the motoGP boys that race at night is it......LOL

Just like Castle Combe
and it looks like its going to be a mixed grid as less than 40 entries in total received by New Era earlier today

you have got to be kidding me!!

20 mins practice Saturday before lunch
2nd to last race of the day on Saturday
last race on Sunday finishing at 6pm!

according to metcheck sunset is at 6.10pm!

I thought we were also going to have a Class B grid and Class A with another class??

Not with less than 40 we wouldn't, and as only two other classes had 8 lap races I didn't fancy sharing the grid with Pro-bikes as we were bound to get lapped and if it was wet it would have been worse. The only other class down for 8 lap races was the Lansdowne classics.

Over the last week, New Era have received one more entry for DD so I think that makes it 36in all.

gutted for you guys

That will be GMT, by Sunday we will be on BST

yeah you are right, we can pack up in the dark instead ;)

I can understand the mixed grid as we have so few entries - maybe a case of catch 22 as people didn't want to pay good money and have a **** weekend but the timing of our races seems to be pretty damned **** it has to be said.

I appreciate someone has to be last, but to be 2nd from last and last on both days does seem to be a bit poor. The timetable is very very tight with only 30 minutes for lunch so any incidents or delays could mean we are impacted, especially on Sunday.

Is there a cut off time for racing at Donington?

Friends and family are hardly going to make 2 trips, so I preferred the initial format of Sat qually and 2 races on Sun.

But it doesn't matter what people prefer, things just get changed and we have to abide by it.

I seem to recall last week that there was enough class B to have a grid of there own and class A were going where ever they were being put. So how come now there isn't enough for class B.

Goal posts are planted in Muesli, for ease of moving methinks.:mad:

6pm usually unless a council extension is applied for
remeber last year at wsb lily? we were the last race out on the 1098 and just got in in time by 2 mins.

It is my first race ever, and i am looking forward to it, but without whinjing on too much, it is getting grim. No real provisions for delays, very tight schedule, getting that second race in may be..well...we'll see i spose. I hope the rest of the years arrangements are better than this. :(

Still, we'll be having fun no matter what happens, & If we dont get that second race...that halves my chances of falling off! :rolleyes:

Keep smiling, we'll all have fun! (We've got 2xCadwell Rounds :devil: )

:rodent:

Like you Phil we all received a email on Friday 6th March, listing 24 class B entrants and 11 Class A, my understanding is that in the 10 days since then there has only been one more entry.

As DD was initially allocated a single 40 place grid at which many compalined about saying it wasn't enough and that we should have two grids due to our numbers, well it now seems that 40 places on a grid is more than enough, just as it was in 2007 when we had a combined grid

As the 1st provisional timetable for Sunday was

SUNDAY 29TH MARCH

09.00-09.15 Suzuki GSXR / Formula 600 Qualifying Practice Timed
09.20-09.30 ACU F2 Sidecars Warm Up Untimed
09.35-09.45 MotoSix 600 Warm Up Untimed
09.50-10.00 MotoSix 1000 Warm Up Untimed
10.05-10.15 MotoSix Sidecars Warm Up Untimed
10.30-10.50 Suzuki GSXR / Formula 600 Qualifying Practice Timed
10.55-11.20 Ducati Desmo Due Race 1 (R5) 8 Laps
11.25-11.50 Dutch Ducati Championship Race 1 (R6) 8 Laps
11.55-12.20 ACU F2 Sidecars Race 1 (R7) 8 Laps

INTERVAL

12.50-1.15 Pro-Bike Open Race 2 (R8) 8 Laps
1.20-1.50 Lansdowne Classic Race 2 (R9) 8 Laps
1.55-2.20 Dutch Ducati Championship Race 2 (R10) 8 Laps
2.25-2.55 MotoSix 600 Race 1 (R11) 10 Laps
3.00-3.30 MotoSix 1000 Race 1 (R12) 10 Laps
3.35-4.05 MotoSix Sidecars Race 1 (R13) 10 Laps
4.10-4.45 Suzuki GSXR / Formula 600 Race 1 (R14) 20 Mins + 1 Lap
4.50-5.15 Ducati Desmo Due Race 2 (R15) 8 Laps
5.20-5.50 MotoSix 600 Race 2 (R16) 10 Laps
5.55-6.25 MotoSix 1000 Race 2 (R17) 10 Laps
6.30-7.00 MotoSix Sidecars Race 2 (R18) 10 Laps

It looks like they may have council permission to go up to 7pm

Well I suppose we can't complain about the Mixed grid if we dont have the numbers, Although I do have an e mail From CB stating that we have seperate Grids....LOL
It does sound to me Like NE are telling Chris what he wants to hear and doing as they please.
Would'nt a fair way to run the meeting regarding timings be reverse the race order on sunday....Last out sat = first our sunday.
I have a stick in my hand and at this very moment in time its quite smelly at my end.........

Roll on Anglesey :)


Sorry i can't make Donny... Working in south Wales :(

Good luck to you all and have a good one :)

Glyn I think a few people made assumptions about the numbers, with 24 Class B entries out of a possible 41 already in a week before the closing date and about half or the Class A riders entered by that time it looks like the assumption was made that we would end up with more than 40 riders, so CB started applying pressure on New Era to give us two grids something that woul have been needded if we had 6 or 7 more entries, after all 42 or 43 out of a possible 60 odd shouldn't have been to hard.
As it is it hasn't happened and it may well work against us later in the year as the RC campaigned for two grids from new Era and then didn't come up with the entries to fill one combined grid.

Just like the first round last year at Mallory where we put out the smallest grids at the meeting as i mentioned previously here.

http://www.ducatisportingclub.com/sh...t=78617&page=5

and when you look at the top of the page it looks like Donny will be a Mixed Grid with 36 riders and no reserves

Well the no reserve thing is a good thing, At least all who entered will get a race.

difference is Kev at Mallory there were many other races which could be entered on a DD bike

Yet we still had the smallest grids even when you take out the DD bikes from the SoT or the Class B bikes from Class A.

We can't keep telling New Era we need two grids and then barely put out half a grid in each class, or in Class A's case a quarter of a grid at Donington, its not going to help us influence any of New Eras decisions.

If we want split grids we need to justify it with numbers or expect the costs to go up.
Say a grid of 36 at a cost to New Era of £120 a grid place its worth £4320 to New era
Split that between 24 class B riders and its £180 a head
Split it between 12 class A riders and its £360 a head
But split between 24 Class B and 12 Class A its £120

I know the Supermono's use to pay for a full grid and then divide the cost between the entries, that way they knew what they were getting every time, so they knew they had untimed practice, timed practice and a long race.

Considering New Era is a business that lost a lot of money last year we have to realise they are going to do whats best for THEM and the best thing we can do is get our entries in as early as possible.

Thankfully not all circuits are as costly as Donington where its hard for New Era to break even, at other circuits the grid spaces cost them less and if they fill enough at the right price they can make a profit and afford to be a bit more generous with their grid allocations, hence the chances of getting two seperate grids at the likes of Angelsey, Pembrey, Snetterton, Mallory and Cadwell are pretty good and not many of those offers Garages and electric

So where does that leave our team & spectators?

Last race of the day and only one on Sunday seems alot for people to fork out for.

How many times do we get the late races at big meets. I remember my first meeting at Oulton 2006, it was 6pm by the time we'd finished. Looks like we still get the ****'est times 3yrs on.

Andy

appreciate the point about mixed grids, but think thats a different one to the issue I'm describing.

2 days for 2 races and 1 practice and no option to enter another race seems unfair in the extreme for a series which has contributed to NE for a reasonable period of time and mostly filled their spots.

Yes its a business, and its too late to chnage anything now, and probably promises were made to the RC of seperate grids (which would have meant you could have entered the other class for some extra track time) but it hasnt happned.

I have no right to speak of, as I'm not racing this year, but am planning to spectate at most rounds and TBH will not be at Donny for this. As its Craig's 1st, I wanted to be there to offer my kind of support, but I have to weigh up everything and on balance will be seeing him at the next one (coz he will bring it home safe!!) but not this.

I guess someone has to race last but to get Sat and Sun that’s just ****. I was looking forward to sitting down and relaxing after the race but looks like all that will be in my Van on the M6.

Same sort of deal for Pro bike open although they paid more and got a extra Free practice but have 3 outings on Sat and one on Sunday
F600 now only seem to be on track on the Sunday for Free practice, timed practice and one longer race sharing the grid with the GSXR Cup guys
125s seem to have been dropped altogether.

So the New Era classes aren't doing that brilliantly out of it.
Maybe we shouldn't have bothered with Donington this year and either had 2 rounds at Mallory or started the season at Angelsey.

But a few months ago the choice of race dates were very thin when having to try and make a decision, as there was only one Cadwell, No Oulton and Pembrey wasn't confirmed leaving 3 Mallory's, 1 Angelsey, 1 Snetterton, 1 Castle Combe and 1 Donington.
Take Donington out of that lot and its not the best looking race Calendar and bearing in mind there is no race format at that time what are you supposed to do.

Then maybe another club should have been a better option, especially as we had no ties as Assen was off. We've been loyal, but its not the same other way, eh!

I see why people have left / moved on, cant say i'll continue this pallava next year. There's better options now, especially with televised cb500's elsewhere.

Andy

I'm with Andy

....And that's why I bought an R1 :D

From what I recall WJB said the Mallory Thundersport meeting was spread over Friday, Saturday and Sunday so far from being the better option for some.

But hey I can go race elsewhere any time I want, not as if I haven't done it in the past and still have the bikes for it.
But as it will be my only time racing on the GP circuit I'll tolerate the late finish and then hopefully pack up the van and make the 2 1/2 hour trip home.

I still wish we could have done Assen this year even though it is over 3 days with cut short trackday/practice sessions on the Friday, two timed practice sessions on the Saturday, followed by one race on the Sunday, followed by an even longer journey home.
But as not enough would commit to entering its another Grid we have lost

that timetable is a bit sucky... ultimately though, no one wants to be last out, and everyone has to have they're turn, so perhaps you'll be luckier with pembrey/anglesey etc.

now i have a dillemma... go on sunday as i had planned, sit around all day and watch 1 dd race, or go on the saturday, watch the excitement of 1x qually then wait around all day to watch 1 dd race...

It kind of all fits together now. Moto Six nations event, sort out their races, see what else they can shoes horn in, job done. Wish I'd seen that one coming, would have given me more time to prepare for Anglesey

And maybe if the RC had known back in December how the Donington meeting was to be run things may have been different and we may have found ourselves racing at Mallory this coming weekend.
But trying to see it coming from 3 months away (briefing note 1 issued on 17/12/08) is nigh on impossible.

I was at the New Era meeting on feb 14th and so many things were still up in the air at that point and points they thought they had sorted then had to be resorted due to riders/members input.

Am I suprised? Not at all. new Era told me categorically it was ALWAYS going to be a mixed grid weeks ago. Maybe I'm wrong but if we are racing on Sunday dont we have to have a warm up session on Sunday too? I understood we were having an untimed practice on Saturday too Kev, obviously thats out of the window too I guess.....I'm with Andy and Harriet.....DD needs to move clubs.

Honestly! ;)

If you folks won the pools you'd still punch the postman :D :D

Really Matt? That doesnt sound like a comment from you after what you were saying to me the other evening ?

Whilst I agree that there have been more than a couple of issues that have raised concern towards the organisation of the series this year, this is not one that you and I have discussed David. My post was really in reference to the fact that newera could do no right at all last season amoung the dd'ers, they have made a lot of changes to the format for the Donnington meeting but still nobody is pleased.

When you sent your entries into newera for this meeting did you send it in on the understanding that it would only be ok so long as you weren't last race of the day for example?

If people don't like it, either make suggestions to newera on how to improve things, or go to the meeting like Skidlids did. If people are not willing to do any of those then either withdraw your entry or put up with it.
I just dont see how any of this on here helps the situation and what does this show to new people who are thinking of joining the series.

My comment wasn't aimed at anybody in perticular, it was just the impression that I was given having seen all the stuff from last year and seeing it all now too.

Jeez! Am I glad I'm not ready for Donington....:(

....although I must admit I was really looking forward to it and I'm ****ed off that I will probably never get the chance to race there before it changes forever.

Roll on Anglesey :roll:

Blooming heck Matt, how come the box this head came out of was not around last year:D


Chris:burn:

No requirement for Sunday Pactice unless the rider wasn't out on track on the Saturday.
NG have been running two day events for years and on the Sunday they have practice sessions for Sunday only entrants and anybody that fell on Saturday can usually blag a practice ticket along with a few of those who beg for a practice pass


My entry form said races D1 and D2 so that told me it was likely to be a mixed grid it also had in print 2 races and 1 timed practice. and thats exactly what we are getting. So its no suprise to me either

Are You Racing it Jon ? :)

he might do.. if it stops scaring the poop out of him :lol: