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24 Jul 2012, 21:23 (Ref:3110977) | #76 | ||
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No they wouldn't because Finns don't care if it isn't about F1 or WRC, or MotoGP on smaller scale. Well okay one-off like that would get some column inches in trash magazines, a 2 minute clip on sports news and raise up some nerdy comments on internet forums just like the Nascar gig did but that's it, after that everybody forgets the whole thing I think most of the non-infant, non-senile Europeans know about the Monaco GP, as well as Le Mans (by name) but Indy doesn't say anything |
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24 Jul 2012, 21:31 (Ref:3110981) | #77 | |
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^ It must be a dream to live in a place where you say motorsport and people dont think NASCAR.
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24 Jul 2012, 23:49 (Ref:3111017) | #78 | ||
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JHamilton, you're REALLY oversimplifying here, to your detriment.
1. The AsLMS is NOT going to have the sort of grids that the ALMS has, so it is FAR less likely that a combined event would hit the track maximum in those cases. 2. Neither Philip Island nor Fuji have an extreme, extended choke point, like "the Esses" at Road Atlanta. 3. Road Atlanta is 2.540 miles, while Philip Island is 2.765 miles, and Fuji (F1 layout) is 2.835 miles. That extra length does make a difference in terms of traffic density. 4. Apart from the length, Philip Island and Fuji have something else that WILL correspond to their maximum field sizes being larger than the 53-car limit at Road Atlanta: track width. I'm pretty darn sure Philip Island is a minimum of 12m wide the whole way around. Fuji, having been redone for F1, is no less than 15m wide at any point around the lap, and the pit straight is a bare minimum of 18m wide, while at some places, it may be as much as 25m wide. Road Atlanta, on the other hand, is NOT so spacious. The last few turns, the pit straight, and the first turn or two may have been widened a bit (to 40ft/12m) in the 1998 updates; however, from Turn 3 around to the end of the back stretch, I'm fairly certain the track remains at the old width: 30ft or so (roughly 9 meters). That makes a HUGE difference in how much racing surface you have to work with. (One component in calculating a track's maximum field size is a variable with a set of possible assigned values that is applied to an equation. The value is based upon how narrow the narrowest part of the track is. So, Fuji would use the value corresponding to 15m, Philip Island the value for 12m, and Road Atlanta the value for 9m. Not surprisingly, the values increase with greater width, allowing for a larger field size, all other variables being the same.) |
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25 Jul 2012, 02:58 (Ref:3111073) | #79 | |||
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Chris |
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25 Jul 2012, 12:51 (Ref:3111229) | #80 | |||||
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Compare that to the first ever GP, 1906 French. That race would be barely recognisable to a current GP. Back then, that race was more like a cannonball run. As a result, the race loses sentimental value. If you get what I'm saying? When the 500 has also got 15-20 years longer history that Monaco and Le Mans, it's without a doubt, the single biggest car race in all of motorsport. It's just going through a trough atm. You have a point with the lesser races. But with Sliverstone, Spa and Monza, they're not big enough on their own? They don't have to be equal to Le Mans and Sebring, but they're still pretty good, aren't they? Last edited by formerf1champ; 25 Jul 2012 at 13:11. |
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25 Jul 2012, 13:21 (Ref:3111235) | #81 | |||
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Similar proportion applies to majority of Europe. Maybe in UK Indy is slightly more popular, but on the other side of the Channel when you say "Indy" people add "Jones", not "500", in their mind. |
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25 Jul 2012, 13:48 (Ref:3111239) | #82 | |||
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*Waiting for the response "Monaco." |
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25 Jul 2012, 14:46 (Ref:3111269) | #83 | |
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I don't know how this debate has started in this thread, but sod it, I'm easily led so I'll join in. I don't think that the Indy 500 is "the biggest race in the world". For the same reason that I don't think that the Super bowl is "the biggest sporting event in the world". Essentially that reason is because they are the highlight of a national championship, not a global one. It is a claim Americans seem to like to make about things, and is usually based on statements such as "this is being televised in 350 countries across the globe" regardless if anyone is actually watching in those countries, still less if they care about the result or understand the rules! Also, it is a curiously American thing to have one event pumped up above the level of the rest of the series. In F1 Monaco is nice but it’s the Championship that counts, there's only really Le Mans that compares as a stand alone event. I'd say Monaco wins though in terms of global fame, current relevance and numbers watching on TV's everywhere. Daytona loses out as it is only relevant to Americans wearing big green John Deere caps, a 'DeWalt' T-shirt, a red chequered shirt and ripped up jeans.*
*Joke* |
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25 Jul 2012, 14:54 (Ref:3111271) | #84 | |
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To get back on topic. A sure fire way of improving the 'WEC' would be for someone at the ACO or FIA to get on the blower to Luca di Montezemolo and beg him to let whatever used to be Ferrari's test team to use the overflow from their budget since caps were introduced in F1 to build a prototype. A sure fire crowd puller. Plus, if Ferrari came back a race in Italy would have to come back, whch would never be a bad thing. Surely Luca owes Jean Todt a favour or two for all his hard work, its the least he could do.
A decent alternative would be for Luca to say "hmm, no, Ferrari's place is in F1, but we'll build one anyway and slap a Maserati badge on it instead". |
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25 Jul 2012, 15:21 (Ref:3111283) | #85 | ||
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According to a survey done by National Geographic, the 24 hrs of Le Mans is not only the biggest and most important motorsports event of the year, but the biggest and most important sports event of all time.
Maserati? Why not Alfa Romeo? |
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25 Jul 2012, 15:40 (Ref:3111293) | #86 | |
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Well, either would do me to be honest, I just thought Alfa were more of a Touring Car 'brand', apart from the 8c.
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25 Jul 2012, 16:10 (Ref:3111311) | #87 | ||
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Personally, I would love to see a P1 with an Alfa badge on it.
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25 Jul 2012, 16:21 (Ref:3111318) | #88 | |||
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Shelsley Walsh, in Worcestershire has been a speed event host for 109 years now... And LM is, IMHO, better known GLOBALLY than Indy. Largely because of the recent fortunes of both. |
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25 Jul 2012, 16:23 (Ref:3111319) | #89 | ||
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I'd take ANYTHING right now that can RACE an Audi.
Steamrollers are boring. (Apart from REAL Steam Rollers, which are great things....) |
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25 Jul 2012, 16:41 (Ref:3111326) | #90 | |||
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25 Jul 2012, 18:01 (Ref:3111355) | #91 | |||
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But today, I'd say that the greatest is LM24. Of course it depends on the point of view, but I dare to say that LM24 win is worth to a non-North-American exactly the same as Indy 500 win to a North-American. |
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25 Jul 2012, 23:10 (Ref:3111442) | #92 | ||
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Le Mans is much more heard of than the Indy 500, for sure. Just talking about it to your average fella or fellaress in England - I'd say 1 in 4 have heard of Le Mans, 1 in 5 or maybe 1 in 6 of Indy. None of my friends have heard on Indycars.
Le Mans is something everyone has heard of - yet so few know what it entails. It is truely staggering, I find, that the ACO has something like Le Mans, a brand that is so well-known, and yet it still fails to sell itself properly. The ACO needs much more help in promoting the WEC, because it doesn't do a good enough job in the blue-riband event. You need good highlights packages, promotions, you need to get the word out there about what the WEC is all about. |
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25 Jul 2012, 23:26 (Ref:3111445) | #93 | ||
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The Indy Five Hunnert is definitely the biggest race in the world, Southern Indiana that is, although the good'ol Hoosier 100 and Crown Royal presents the Your Name Here 400 at the Brickyard powered by BigMachinerecords.com comes close.
Back on topic, I agree with G4J, the ACO needs to promote LM24 and give the event the attention it deserves. I can ask anyone what they think of when they hear 'Le Mans' and they'll say "a car race in France" but after that they have no clue. NatGeo rated it the greatest SPORTING event in the world, I think they went too far, but it just shows the potential the race could have on the global stage if marketed correctly. |
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25 Jul 2012, 23:34 (Ref:3111449) | #94 | ||
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FF1Champ, I think you'll find at least a partial answer to your query in my latest posts in the "ALMS 2012 Discussion" thread.
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26 Jul 2012, 02:35 (Ref:3111478) | #95 | |||
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However, it is not the biggest sporting event in the world. There are events with larger attendances, considerably larger international appeal, more sponsorship, and better media permeation globally. And I don't think Nat Geo was speaking to the race in terms of its international popularity. Le Mans has a dedicated niche following, albeit a typically well-to-do, worldwide following that is very radical in their support of it. Chris |
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26 Jul 2012, 08:49 (Ref:3111541) | #96 | ||
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I think like most non-F1 Motorsport, it has become a ‘niche’ event, and that’s not to devalue the event, just a case of realism. This year there was no clash with F1, yet the mainstream coverage didn’t improve. The days of BBC 5Live having hourly updates are over. Similarly, the newspaper coverage was nothing to write home about. If it hadn’t been for ‘former F1 driver’ Anthony Davidson’s accident, would it have got half the coverage it did? I do wonder whether the ACO realise, or even care what everybody thinks – 200,000+ still turn up. But having seen Eurosport’s TV figures for last year they were a little depressing.
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26 Jul 2012, 09:15 (Ref:3111551) | #97 | ||
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In Europe having gone there the average Joe has a good idea of what you are watching when he shows up in the hotel lounge. Here evern Nascar viewership is dying. ALMS and Le Mans is such a niche in America. In the same way Americans have a understanding that Nascar exist. Germans are aware of DTM, Europeans of Le Mans and N24 probably. |
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26 Jul 2012, 09:31 (Ref:3111557) | #98 | ||||
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Last edited by formerf1champ; 26 Jul 2012 at 09:43. |
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26 Jul 2012, 11:30 (Ref:3111589) | #99 | ||
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"Snob" may be too harsh. But definitely, there's a haughty nature "It's European, so it's better" nature. If you were wondering what FIGJAM means **** I'm Good. Just Ask Me.
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26 Jul 2012, 12:24 (Ref:3111619) | #100 | ||
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In reality, going by the same standards that ranks any other type of world sporting events the "BIGGEST RACE IN THE WORLD" is whatever Formula 1 race gets the highest television ratings. Which is typically Canada because of TV times in addition to 300,000 attending over the weekend.
Canada wins again. |
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