Winter Series at Hog Hill

[Graham O]

Chaps,

How does this work. If I start in the 4th only race, can I switch to the 3rds and 4ths later in the series. I suppose the alternate question applies as well...

Ta,

Graham.

[Michelle]

Well I thought that you couldn't race outside your own category.

So 4th cats race together, 3rd cats race together, 2nd cats race together....etc etc.

Only when the race is advertised as a mix (eg E1234) can you all muck in together.

Can a 4th Cat race in with the 2nd Cat races? I know for sure that a 2nd Cat can't race with the 4th Cats

[Graham O]

Yip, but advertised races as follows;

12.30 Regional C + 4th Cat only. 40 minutes EOL £10
13.15 Regional B 3rd/4th category 1 hour EOL £12

As a 4th I could enter both. Obviously not on the same day...

I guess that I would have to drive up there as well...its flippin miles away...

[Andrew G]

I'd imagine that the shorter 4ths only race is primarily geared towards novices so they don't just get their legs ripped off by strong 3rds straight away and have no idea what's going on, and there is also more of a chance that if it's your first race then you won't be the only person in the same boat. SL did some like this at Chertsey in winter where the 4ths race was basically neutralised for x laps so novices could get used to riding in a bunch etc - they don't all belong to clubs with 70-100 out for each week. There was also a patron in the bunch to keep an eye on things and offer advice - PVT did it once I think, Warrick Spence another time. Then it was only a race for 2 or 3 laps at the end. Think they did one or two of these early winter and then it was normal racing after that.

[kieran]

Graham, if you're looking for points then do 4th only, if you're thinking of training and getting a work out with more oppertunities to learn race craft do the 3/4th. If you were in at the end of the B race sprint finish then I think you would be up to the 3/4th race, if you didn't do the race then if you know you're around the same level as the guys in it then you would be ok.

[Toks]

[quote="Graham O"]Yip, but advertised races as follows;

12.30 Regional C + 4th Cat only. 40 minutes EOL £10
13.15 Regional B 3rd/4th category 1 hour EOL £12

As a 4th I could enter both. Obviously not on the same day...

I guess that I would have to drive up there as well...its flippin miles away...

[Graham O]

[quote="kieran"]Graham, if you're looking for points then do 4th only, if you're thinking of training and getting a work out with more oppertunities to learn race craft do the 3/4th. If you were in at the end of the B race sprint finish then I think you would be up to the 3/4th race, if you didn't do the race then if you know you're around the same level as the guys in it then you would be ok.

[Paul on the Pearson]

I'll probably do the same Graham. Do the 4th cat race, see how it goes and at some point in the series move up to the 3/4ths. Will they be on the same circuits? Isnt there a shorter one that avoids the hill?

[kieran]

there is a shorter route, mainly to be used for children racing! and even some of them want to use the full version.

Grahame, where are you based? Hog Hill is just a little closer to Forest Hill/Crystal Palace than Hillingdon is (18 miles v 20 miles). One route is through dodgy west London and the other is through dodgy east London. Whay can't we get a closed year round road circuit in South London!!!

[Graham O]

[quote="kieran"]
Grahame, where are you based? Hog Hill is just a little closer to Forest Hill/Crystal Palace than Hillingdon is (18 miles v 20 miles). One route is through dodgy west London and the other is through dodgy east London. Whay can't we get a closed year round road circuit in South London!!!