There is a bit more to it than that Mike - hopefully the history washaving talked to committee members is how,controlled
fun ok racing no no no
explained to you...
I'm happy to give some more info as to why this is the case. This has
been discussed for years, and no good solution has been found. Please
note that I'm paraphrasing from a number of club committee discussions
over the past few years... and some opinions may be my own, not the
club's - but some are based on legal advice. If anyone has better
suggestions, please let the committee know.
WHY THE CLUB DOESN'T HOLD RACING EVENTS
1. If racing events are held under the coordination of the MX5 Club of
NZ, the MX5 club would need MANZ affiliation. We would need to do this
to adhere to NZ law.
2. If the MX5 club of NZ is affiliated with MANZ, pretty much all
driving events would theoretically have to be run under MANZ rules
(possibly including drives out to Raglan...). How would we determine
what was a Manz type event and what wasn't? Does a Driver Training Day
require MANZ regulations?
3. Costs would go up, requirements for safety would multiply etc etc.
Roll Cages? Fire Extinguishers? External Battery Cutouts? etc etc
4. People attending Manz affiliated racing events would most likely not
be covered by their road insurance.
WHAT THE CLUB DOES AT PRESENT
The Club holds Driver training days. These are not racing events and
include no timing or speed tests. Drivers are instructed not to exceed
normal road speeds. The club holds public liability insurance*, employs
onsite medical staff, towing and recovery vehicles/staff and
professional instructors for the days, recruits informed volunteer
assistants & marshals, and uses flags and radios for communication. No
Manz rules or regulations in sight.
Most members will find that their personal vehicle insurance will cover
them for events such as this whereby they are taught driving skills in a
well controlled and safe environment. This has legal precident in a
number of cases (including at least one involving a club member).
The club used to make a profit from Driver training days. Now, it
usually breaks even, or returns a small loss (made up by club membership
fees, raffles etc) because of the costs involved above in staging the event.
WHAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST
In many committee meetings in the past, various people have suggested
ways to hold racing events. One option a while ago was an MX5 racing
series, a subset of Members from the Main Club, but not as part of the
existing incorporated society (MX5 Racing Club of NZ?). This group
would be Manz affiliated (including adhering to all the rules/regs, and
paying the Manz fees). Two persons volunteered to run this at various
stages, but both have now left the country.
Another option is the NZ club partnering with another Manz affiliated
club for motorsport events, but that has never really been persued.
People just tend to join a motor racing club as well as the NZ MX5 Club
if they want to race.
A third option is people who belong to motorsport clubs just telling
others when events are on (e.g. via this list!) and that has what
happened recently with the Manfield open day, and often happens with
Auckland Car Club events.
I hope that helps
Cheers
zorruno
(with) Vice President (hat on)
Mazda MX5 Club of New Zealand
*This is in place for club members, in case they are attending an event
and accently damage something large & expensive that they don't own...!
and their personal insurance won't cover it.
