2020 Supercar Events

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by Sandgroper

This season is cooked sadly, I hope Im wrong but cant be a Championship based on 3 months

You are wrong.

For it to be an Australian Championship (ie ATCC) or Australian Series, it needs to be contested over a minimum of six rounds in not fewer than four States unless otherwise approved by Motorsport Australia.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by bludvl_x19

You are wrong.

For it to be an Australian Championship (ie ATCC) or Australian Series, it needs to be contested over a minimum of six rounds in not fewer than four States unless otherwise approved by Motorsport Australia.

Supercars themselves presumebly could still award the Supercars Championship, as opposed to the ATCC, based on whatever guidelines that mob want to apply

Is it a breach of a deal if Supercars don’t do enough events to satisfy the awarding of the ATCC?

[GreenMachine]

I think October is a bit of a stretch. Crowds are one thing, budgets are another.

Will there be enough money sloshing around for a full field?

I think that will be a big question for the 2021 12 Hour even, given the amount of private money required there.

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by one five five

Supercars themselves presumebly could still award the Supercars Championship, as opposed to the ATCC, based on whatever guidelines that mob want to apply

Is it a breach of a deal if Supercars don’t do enough events to satisfy the awarding of the ATCC?

100% they can, and probably will. But the Supercars title means 'nothing.'

This year is a year that I could see Motorsport Australia making some sort of exception for the ATCC though.

[Sandgroper]

Sorry but they are suggesting lockouts/lockdowns until October now. I think 6 months is very positive at this stage and "my personal opinion" is that you cant really crown a Champion within 3 months if its finished by december (yet to be seen) but only my thoughts and opinion.

[GTRMagic]

I would be more concerned about how many teams might still be able to participate with a 7 month layoff.

Virgin is looking for a government loan/bailout, it’s international capacity is now down to zero, and domestic is at less than half. On top of standing down 8,000+ employees from its flight crews and terminal teams. If the business doesn’t ramp up again soon, it may not be in a position to return to full service. Meaning the income to VASC, and the flights package could (if they haven’t already) completely stop.

We have seen in the news most recently around the NRL having stopped receiving payments from its FTA broadcaster in #9 because there is no series being broadcast. It is not beyond the realms of possibility that either Fox and/or #10 would consider (if they haven’t already done it) halting payments to VASC for lack of content.

In both those scenarios, money to teams from VASC will likely be restricted/stop.

The other challenge for teams is around their own commercial platforms.
888RE sells parts to other teams, so does KRE Engines, WAU Engines, SupaShock, the merchandise purveyors, Dunlop Racing etc etc
No racing means no using up engines, no income, and at some point, a staff reduction possibility in those enterprises as a logical conclusion.

Team sponsorships may also be at risk, even if there is a legal contractual obligation to pay, how solid is the business model now so many industries are in lockdown. I can think of one sponsor at least that is in startup, relying on the hospitality industry, and to a lesser extent the retail sector, both of which are either turned off completely, or a shadow of their former selves. Plus those squads relying on multiple partners for individual round sponsorships. No rounds no cash.

While it’s true the consumables don’t get burned up when a round doesn’t run, the people touching the oily bits are still there, expecting a pay check, so are the landlords who rent the teams their workshops, so are the finance companies leasing them their trailers, so are any of the businesses they contract a supply of equipment to that at the moment aren’t nscessary and won’t be getting paid.

We have already seen that NRL players are being told their compensation packages will be substantially reduced in this COVID19 world. What does that show up like for the starts of our favourite sport who also earn more than the average wage to perform 15 or so weekends a year?

Or equally the liabilities the contributing drivers have to make.. are they contractually bound to keep paying despite no racing, or are their force majeure clauses strong enough to prevent it.. with other downstream consequences for teams..

Stand downs or taking annual leave in all these spaces are possible. And happening already. And crying out for new work in some cases. Except.. if there is 7 months in this.. the game is up.. and people will have to be exited. There is no other choice.

If the money stops coming in the door, and it still leaving the door.. the grim reality is likely to be a significant change in the series from his the year started.

The teams supported by patrons might be okay in this scenario.
The ones that are not.. will have some significant risks to their operating capabilities

We haven’t seen Archer Capital Comment on this as yet... they may be able to help with ex-gratia payments, or even with possibly providing loans against the RECs at discounted rates, to keep the show rolling.

The show goes on. Maybe. It is a genuine risk that it might not too.

[one five five]

Maybe that’s what local motor racing needs, a complete reset?

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by one five five

Maybe that’s what local motor racing needs, a complete reset?

If you mean total decimation... it might just be a fraction too far.

[Tourer]

All this could likely have a fundamental impact on many sports and similar entertainment businesses in the medium-long term (clearly impacting in the short term).

Rugby Union for example, only went professional for players in the mid 90s - 25 years ago. You could say the same for motor sport in this country although my view is that it really ramped up in the early noughties. Rugby League has seen explosions in player payments in the same period, as has AFL.

In all cases, players / team admin / mechanics either couldn't earn any part of their living from playing sport or were able to earn part of their living - compared to these days where it is a full-time role and provides their total income, more or less.

Whatever happens with COVID-19, I can't see any sport being able to pay those taking part or administering the kind of remuneration they've become used to over the last 20 or so years once sport starts being played again. Just seems too far-fetched an idea.

If we look at motorsport in Oz, I don't see this as something that is going to impact Supercars and no-one else. You'd have to look at other categories that have been running as well and whether or not their model of operation is going to be sustainable after a COVID-19 hit.

It's not necessarily all doom and gloom but I can't imagine that it'll simply be "business as usual" once racing starts again.

[thunderbolt]

how would some of them like going from $$$$ a week to the jobkeepr $750 a week ?

[Casper]

Originally Posted by thunderbolt

how would some of them like going from $$$$ a week to the jobkeepr $750 a week ?

If enough of the skill that runs a team leaves then there will be a problem at the resumption of racing, this applies to all classes of motor sport of course.

[banksie]

David Reynolds said on Ten news Sunday night that he has taken a 50% pay cut for the year.

[mayhem]

Originally Posted by Mixer

Without Foxtel there is not Kayo.

While thats true at the moment, the country is signing en masse to Netflix, Stan, Amazon Prime, Apple and Disney. Foxtel is bleeding cash and really dont offer anything outside of sport to get people excited. While the business model of Kayo essentially means that in the short term a lot of their customers are switching off Fox to get Kayo, long term their strategy looks to be a streaming service. Before this pandemic, their numbers were looking pretty healthy.

I'll tip that your current IQ Box may well be your last.

[Alan52]

Kayo numbers have been falling.Every Foxtel subscriber that moves to Kayo is the financial equivalent to the business of losing 2 subscribers.It has not caused a massive influx of non Foxtel customers to the business.

[mayhem]

No, it's shifted their current customer base into their future platform though, it could be argued.

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by mayhem

No, it's shifted their current customer base into their future platform though, it could be argued.

That was never meant to be the point of Kayo.When it was launched they were very specific about hoping that current Foxtel customers stayed with Foxtel because on average the Foxtel customer was paying 3 times the $25/month of Kayo.
The whole business is bleeding and everyone paying $25/month does not make it viable.

[Casper]

Foxtel is bleeding in two ways, customers deserting a sinking ship and then they have to service debt with shrinking revenues.

[rik]

Originally Posted by Casper

Foxtel is bleeding in two ways, customers deserting a sinking ship and then they have to service debt with shrinking revenues.

Which will result in a massive decline in broadcast rights fees flowing to all sports.... including Supercars, AFL, NRL, Cricket, F1, etc, etc....

[Langers]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

II can think of one sponsor at least that is in startup, relying on the hospitality industry, and to a lesser extent the retail sector, both of which are either turned off completely, or a shadow of their former selves.

Easy enough to fix - everyone here go and buy 6 cases of Ned.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Langers

Easy enough to fix - everyone here go and buy 6 cases of Ned.

Errrr.. no.. thank you for the offer

[GTRMagic]

So... what of the noise out the back.. about a certain French/Japanese brand bringing Supercar a different kind of deal to go racing.. live & on track..

There is/was a suggestion that this importer, in conjunction perhaps with a recently former Supercar team, may have floated an idea around lining up a couple of dozen of their sports hatches into a one-make championship.

Idea apparently would be similar to a one make championship from the mid 1980s, with proper race cars, prepped by the teams to give them something to do in the rest break, and run with control suspension settings in a series of races across a two, or even a one day event, operating with officials but without a crowd, or hangers on.

Prize money for the drivers and teams, and picking car numbers out of a hat at the start of the weekend to ‘fair it up’...

The challenge of factory supported drivers may be a moot point with Holden soon to be out, and Ford soon to exit the Focus platform here.

It would be more than good to see drivers and teams using strategy and race craft and strengths and weaknesses of their cars as they prepare them out on a real track rather than simulated entertainment... Might get Fox enthused around having proper content on the teev too, with the thrills and spills real and live...

Could be interesting.. the Yoplait Follies

[Armco Bender]

A bit like zero strength beer....

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

So... what of the noise out the back.. about a certain French/Japanese brand bringing Supercar a different kind of deal to go racing.. live & on track..

There is/was a suggestion that this importer, in conjunction perhaps with a recently former Supercar team, may have floated an idea around lining up a couple of dozen of their sports hatches into a one-make championship.

Idea apparently would be similar to a one make championship from the mid 1980s, with proper race cars, prepped by the teams to give them something to do in the rest break, and run with control suspension settings in a series of races across a two, or even a one day event, operating with officials but without a crowd, or hangers on.

Prize money for the drivers and teams, and picking car numbers out of a hat at the start of the weekend to ‘fair it up’...

The challenge of factory supported drivers may be a moot point with Holden soon to be out, and Ford soon to exit the Focus platform here.

It would be more than good to see drivers and teams using strategy and race craft and strengths and weaknesses of their cars as they prepare them out on a real track rather than simulated entertainment... Might get Fox enthused around having proper content on the teev too, with the thrills and spills real and live...

Could be interesting.. the Yoplait Follies

Another one make series.Yawn regardless of who the drivers are.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

A bit like zero strength beer....

As opposed to watching a video game, played by other people?
If Christmas or birthday celebrations are anything to go by, the kid without the controller in his hand sure gets bored quick...

[Speedy400]

Just buy the NED and stop smoking the pipe