The BIMF (Bathurst Motoring Festival) thread

[1200Datto27]

Is this really true?

BJR Team BOC Paul Morris (NSW) Falcon AU

Or is there another Paul Morris driving in the ARC?

[the man]

Originally Posted by mtpanorama

Well the organisers have excelled themselves with a replacement on the program for the champ car. We had Paul Morris and Jason Bargwana doing a 3 lap demonstration race....what a joke. Bargs was in the WPS AU and moriss in a VY. Not sure of the exact heritage of the cars, but where is Kelvin when you need him to look at the illegal testing.
I stood on the roof at the start of the GT race and looked at the "crowd" on thepit straight and it would be lucky to have numbered 300 people.
the biggest problem with this event has been the lack of entertainment. Once you have seen a falcon ute do a burnout, it doesnt change the other 3 times during the day. The other problem is that it is Mount Panorama and when cars go out to do demostrtion laps you only see them for 20 seconds and that is it, so you stand around for 3 mins and wait for them to come past again. Also a lack of anything to look at in the pit area. It is that empty out the back they could have set up a small track out there and held races on it.

Yeah it did lack entertainment, I think it was between 12:00 and 2:00 there was nothing on track, but the legends autograph session in the pits. I would of thought they would of rolled out all the parade laps today at once not let them go out at separate times.

Maybe next year they could get more racing from many different catergories from all around australia. Like Formula Vee, Formula Ford, Improved production,Saloon cars etc. Variety is the key i reckon. They could also probaly get lots of car clubs up behind the pit area for shows etc. They had some behind the only grandstand on the front straight. SLR 5000 and falcons with the odd Lotus and HQ Holdens

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by mtpanorama

Well the organisers have excelled themselves with a replacement on the program for the champ car. We had Paul Morris and Jason Bargwana doing a 3 lap demonstration race....what a joke. .

Yeah, it was pretty poor and the amount of times the commentators tried saying, "they are racing for real"

With so little on the program, it was a cardinal sin not to have the Champ Car on track. That was the "jewel" of this meeting and without it, well theres not much to say. Channel 10 were there to do a story on the Champcar for RPM today so they'd be pretty disappointed aswell.

When they announced the Champ Car would not be on, I was quickly looking for the nearest rake to declare Shenanigans.

Originally Posted by mtpanorama

I stood on the roof at the start of the GT race and looked at the "crowd" on thepit straight and it would be lucky to have numbered 300 people.

In fairness, the crowd did build up the day moved on. Not to a huge amount of numbers but more than 300.

Originally Posted by mtpanorama

the biggest problem with this event has been the lack of entertainment.

Yes, this was picked up before the event had even run. However what was really the killer was the hour or so of idleness during the middle of the day. Absolutely nothing on track doing, there was an autograph session in the pits with 9 legends and Neil Crompton but thats not entertainment.

Originally Posted by mtpanorama

Once you have seen a falcon ute do a burnout, it doesnt change the other 3 times during the day.

Wasn't she loud though, there were a few kids in front of me who burst out into tears.

Originally Posted by mtpanorama

The other problem is that it is Mount Panorama and when cars go out to do demostrtion laps you only see them for 20 seconds and that is it, so you stand around for 3 mins and wait for them to come past again.

Also they tried basing the event on mainly demo basis, however they only had 3 open wheelers and about five 60s, 70s, 80s touring cars. Surely somewhere along the line they would have seen this as a problem. The decision for the main screen on the front straight to cross from live coverage to lap times was also a head scratcher.

Originally Posted by mtpanorama

Also a lack of anything to look at in the pit area. It is that empty out the back they could have set up a small track out there and held races on it.

There was a real lack of atmosphere around the place, for the first time in my life, walking around Mount Panorama it didnt give that 'feeling' that the place does. The vast amounts of area in the pits added to that, why they didnt move the Aus GT pits down onto the bottom level with all the other vehicles I am not sure. I did have a minor heart attack when the 427 Monaro was in the pits, as I am sure a few of the competitors did.

Final point in my rant, locking the access gates to the top of the mountain to all except the bus driver. Giving you option of $5 bus ride to the top as the only way up there was appalling.

This event has huge amounts of potential, but they didnt show alot of it yesterday (Saturday). The simple things were not completed correctly and it left a bad taste.

On a positive note, I got to see GT cars back on the mountain again after a 2 and 1/2 year absence which was pleasant.

[mtpanorama]

I live in town and have a free ticket to the event a the kids are gone for the day, but I am staying home. It was that much of a waste of time, which is very sad. I would love to see another event get up. What worries me with these events is a lack of consultation between the organisers(BRC) and motorsport personell. Currently in Bathurst we have 2 state champions and a runner up from various catagories from last year as well as another 4 people who are still competing . There is also the Bathurst light car club with huge numbers and as far as i know not one person was asked by the organisers about the event.
I good mate of mine is on council and the organising commitee and when the event was first rumored I put my hand up (and dobbed in a few others) to give them advice on catagories and contacts if they wanted. The message was given back to me via this person from the event manager "No thanks, we know what we are doing". Yeh, look where that has gotten them.
I think there will be a few angry ratepayers in the coming days,weeks, months when the figures come out. I suppose the usual line will come out that it was the first year and it wil only get better. I supppose it might, because it cant get much worse.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by mtpanorama

I good mate of mine is on council and the organising commitee and when the event was first rumored I put my hand up (and dobbed in a few others) to give them advice on catagories and contacts if they wanted. The message was given back to me via this person from the event manager "No thanks, we know what we are doing".

I am guessing you will get a call after the event evaluation process occurs.

[mtpanorama]

D.R.T. ,
The problem is recon myself or anyone else who has expressed an interest WILL NOT get a call. And we will be stuck with the same thing again next year.....maybe

[Dazz]

Looks like Neil Crompton finished second in the little Aussie race cars in the last race. Great effort me thinks as these would not be easy cars to get used to, especially at Bathurst.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by mtpanorama

D.R.T. ,
The problem is recon myself or anyone else who has expressed an interest WILL NOT get a call. And we will be stuck with the same thing again next year.....maybe

You are optimistic that the event shall return for next year..

[mtpanorama]

notice the "maybe"

[GTRMagic]

#10 was at the Calder Easter event... for a live cross with birthday boy John Bowe no less.... did #10 show at the Bathurst festival?

[D.R.T.]

10 was at the track yesterday to film the Champ Car story/laps. Without it I am not sure they showed anything.

[inpitlane]

From the press release:

"Event Director James O’Brien was pleased with the feedback received from some of the 21,576 people who attended the event over the three days of on-track action and looks forward to building on the event in the future."

To those who were there, any chance of coming up with a reasonable explanation for that figure, or would it be just a complete fabrication?

[D.R.T.]

Was anyone present at the track today, as they would have needed a pretty impressive number turnout today to get that number.

[Robert Ryan]

Event Director James O’Brien was pleased with the feedback received from some of the 21,576 people who attended the event over the three days of on-track action and looks forward to building on the event in the future."

Must be the same people who do the head count at the Surfers Paradise event, with it's ever increasing crowd numbers LOL

[mtpanorama]

From the figure quoted in the press release, 21000 people must have turned up today.
As i said earlier i counted about 300 people spectating along pit straight yesterday. There would have lucky to have been 100 there on friday. Bit i suppose the usual counting methods have been used. X amount of competitors and crew over 3 days would add up to a reasonable number. I went in and out 2 times on fri and sat, so i am 4 spectators.

[storyline]

Originally Posted by inpitlane

From the press release:

"Event Director James O’Brien was pleased with the feedback received from some of the 21,576 people who attended the event over the three days of on-track action and looks forward to building on the event in the future."

To those who were there, any chance of coming up with a reasonable explanation for that figure, or would it be just a complete fabrication?

For starters -

Officials: probably 200-400? (pure guesstimate here - anyone have a closer figure?) - flaggies, scrutes, firies, timers, race control (this latter group usually accounts for nearly 20% of all officials doesn't it?), commentary (if any), admin staff (another 20%), security, gate staff etc etc

Drivers - 11 total entries on track - usually worked out at driver plus 6 crew per car - so this accounts for around 777 people.

Plus demonstration teams - another 100?

Media - from all accounts probably around 2 dozen?

this gives between around 1100 and 1300.

Kangaroos, wallabies, wombats?

Ahhh - forgot - local police, ambos and general population that live inside the precinct.

Ahhh - forgot Mtpanorama's 3 day rule - actually as this was a four day meeting they would probably have used that - so between 4400 and 5200 accounted for...

[Robert Ryan]

this gives between around 1100 and 1300.

Kangaroos, wallabies, wombats?

Ahhh - forgot - local police, ambos and general population that live inside the precinct.

From these awsome statistics...they have signed a deal for the Festival to go for another 3yrs. Fairyland stuff.

[D.R.T.]

The deal was signed before the event.

I am sure the event will continue in 2007, however hugely different form.

This is because the BRC needs a 2nd event at Mount Panorama.

[Robert Ryan]

The deal was signed before the event

DRT...now it makes sense. I guess there will now be a lot of angst amongst those involved in that deal, why they were so hasty to sign it, without witnessing the proceedings of the first event.

[D.R.T.]

This event has HUGE potential. An event can work at Bathurst over Easter, it just needs the right mix.

What worked and didnt work over this weekend will hopefully be noted and 2007 should be a bigger and better event. Many of these are common sense things.

I cant see anyone backing out after year 1, more looking at what can be done for year 2.

[Robert Ryan]

This event has HUGE potential. An event can work at Bathurst over Easter, it just needs the right mix.

What worked and didnt work over this weekend will hopefully be noted and 2007 should be a bigger and better event. Many of these are common sense things.

I cant see anyone backing out after year 1, more looking at what can be done for year 2.

DRT Nothing worked.No spectators; no support races; a 12 lap sprint for GT cars...they have a massive job to get anything up on that.

[Robert Ryan]

DRT in your OWN Words:

10 was at the track yesterday to film the Champ Car story/laps. Without it I am not sure they showed anything.


Yeah, it was pretty poor and the amount of times the commentators tried saying, "they are racing for real"

With so little on the program, it was a cardinal sin not to have the Champ Car on track. That was the "jewel" of this meeting and without it, well theres not much to say. Channel 10 were there to do a story on the Champcar for RPM today so they'd be pretty disappointed aswell.

Yes, this was picked up before the event had even run. However what was really the killer was the hour or so of idleness during the middle of the day. Absolutely nothing on track doing, there was an autograph session in the pits with 9 legends and Neil Crompton but thats not entertainment.

There was a real lack of atmosphere around the place, for the first time in my life, walking around Mount Panorama it didnt give that 'feeling' that the place does

This event has huge amounts of potential, but they didnt show alot of it yesterday (Saturday). The simple things were not completed correctly and it left a bad taste.

[D.R.T.]

Robert were you even there ?

While things obviously werent spectacular, you make statements like "nothing worked" without experiencing what went on.

2 GT races, 2 ARC races and 2 Historic races, 2 Ute races. Those categories put on a good show, that side of things worked well. It was the lack of anything else to fill in the rest of time which was the issue.

They do have a massive job ahead of them, but with a few common sense and easy changes the event has a bright future.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Robert Ryan

DRT in your OWN Words:

As I stated, these things are fixable. There is no need to cut contracts and call things off, which was what you were alluding to.

[Robert Ryan]

As I stated, these things are fixable. There is no need to cut contracts and call things off, which was what you were alluding to.

Well from that list you mentioned there is not much that is going for it. I think organisers will be having second thoughts