How do we increase the gate at meetings

[HiRich]

OK, some thoughts on activities.

Information
I see four media:
- Race programme
- Commentary
- Results sheets
- Face-to-face with competitors
1) Most programmes feature the entry list and perhaps some generic copy. There should be more information on interesting cars and drivers, championship standings, drivers to watch out for, technical elements. The printing schedule can accommodate a late, tailored preview that's worth reading, provided everybody sticks to the schedule. A race rep should be nominated to issue a 200 word report in an agreed format direct to the creative team. If images are to be included, have a gallery on your computer. Marginal cost: £0
2) Commentators need information. I've mentioned already that there should be a race rep at each meeting. Entrants should be badgered to write (and update) a good fact sheet. Include a photo. Include a space to write in class and race number. Race rep collects and collates, adds a summary & preview, presents to the commentary team. As a result, the commentators have a greater understanding of the race they are trying to describe, and a wealth of facts to fill in the empty airtime. Marginal cost: £0
3) Get a rep in the commentary box. Keep pushing for this. They don't have to be on air, even, just able to point out issues and be available to add depth. Marginal cost: £2.50 for a pen and pad of notepaper (to pass notes to the guy on air).
4) Get the competitors on air: Radio mike, or run up there (while the mechanics push the car back). Provide a primer (don't swear, be pally with everyone, sound excited, that sort of stuff). Fills air time. Marginal cost: £0
5) Race results (and practice results): These are already being prepared for the teams. Photocopy an extra 200 and make them available to the public. Mention it in the commentary and tell them where to collect them. If spectator areas are distant from the paddock office (say Bombhole), install a dispenser (£200 of wood plus carpenter), send someone off on a monkey bike to fill it. £200 Capital, plus marginal £20 per race (includes practice and race).
6) Club stall. Have a team of people to talk to, whether general interest or potential members. Sell stuff. Direct people to visit particular teams. Make notes to send follow-up letters and emails. Marginal cost: £100 for a batch of sweatshirts with "Ask an Expert" printed on them. £200 for contact cards.
7) Paddock display. Look at the GRM paddock. The cars are correctly grouped and neatly presented (even the plebs paddock). We're supposed to be grouped at every circuit. We should be stricter. First arrival should mark out the space and direct later arrivals to present the cars in a row, trucks and towcars behind. Put up a series banner. Put the fact sheet placards on or beside each car.


Accessibility
8) Talk to people. If someone stops to look at your car, tell them about it. If the cars are presented well, you can point out differences, special cars, your nearest competitors. Let the kid sit in the car and have their photo taken. Those people will appreciate it and be following you in the race.
9) Organised Tours. Get more pro-active. During the lunchbreak have one of the volunteers on the Club stand take a party around the paddock. Point out a range of cars with interesting facts. Grab the driver to explain a bit more detail. Marginal cost: £0

Contiuous Activity
I've already mentioned several opportunities to exploit the commentary, providing more information to fill the gaps. The other opportunity is to regiment the commentary. Improve the relationship between race control, commentary team, and Assembly Area.
There should be a standard amount of time between chequered flag and release from assembly (let's say it's ten minutes). The commentary team know that they should assume 5 minutes reviewing and 5 minutes previewing.
Now clearly the time between races is very dependent on the amount of clearing up necessary. There should be a constant contact from race control to commentary box and Assembly Area giving an estimated countdown to release of cars (T minus X minutes). If there is a delay, the commentary team can lengthen their review. The countdown can also shorten, but once you reach T-5, it becomes fixed. At T-5, the commentators know that they must now be talking preview, and how much time they have to fill (and what they must cover, such as grid reading).
With the same contact down to Assembly, marshals and drivers also know whether to climb in the car or not. You remove the panics (which can then cock up the exit onto the grid, risking more delays). For those that want to do it, you can also streamline the procedure for completing countdown boards in Assembly rather than on grid, e.g.:
- 5 min board: Get in car, please
- 2 min board: Start engines. Alert any problems
- 1 min board: Release to grid or onto green flag lap, in grid order
F1 runs a very strict restart programme (IIRC it is always a minimum 7 minutes), and it works well. Too often at Club level I've seen loads of drivers standing around scratching their bum, followed by a marshal frantically waving their arms and sending out cars rag-tag.
Improve the communication and you get both a better presentation to the spectators, and a more composed (and therefore often faster) release of the next race.

[ss_collins]

I agree though an engine start time is a dodgy business - vees and 750 trophy cars cannot really sit with thier engine running.

that said I agree broadly with all of the above

[JohnMiller]

One point, circuit entry at Rockingham includes concert as well as racing.

IIRC there have been one or maybe even two superstar acts that involved extra cash but that is very rare...

[Ian Sowman]

Race programmes:

In general, in serious need of improvement. They are very often badly laid out and copy is minimal; if it is there it is often of a poor quality. If you rely on championship reps to submit something there will be a lot of sub-editing that is required to get it to a standard for publication. Better not have to have any copy than to have something that isn't fit for purpose.

Commentators:

Yes to better commentator information sheets, but these need to be available online in advance of the meeting so that the commentator can prepare and transfer notes to his programme before the start of racing. Talking directly from a sheet isn't an ideal situation, you need to know what it says before you open your mouth!

Commentators need to prepare thoroughly in advance, especially if they are not familiar with the championships that they will be commentating on. The magazines, internet and championship co-ordinators are all useful sources of information.

A rep in the box can be handy, but can also be a distraction. Probably come into their own in less frenetic races or red-flag periods.

[MikeHoyer]

Never generally had a problem with commentary, the BRSCC meeting at Snet in September seemed very well informed.

[Truckosaurus]

The only problem with commentary is that you can't hear it when a car goes passed.

[Andrew Hornsey]

With regards to commentary, get Brian Jones to teach them! Having used him for karting events (I know, a step down from his usual activities), he is the model that all others should aspire to.

He made it HIS business to find out info on each team, and did a superb job.

I do like the idea of getting a series rep to collate info for the commentators - as their job does often start early, so at a big meeting they could have trouble getting round to see everyone.

And to any other commentators here that do a job as good as Brian - no offence meant.

[Ian Sowman]

Some do, some don't. In his prime Brian was one of the best circuit commentators I've listened to, and there is much he can pass on.

[diz]

Originally Posted by Ian Sowman

Some do, some don't. In his prime Brian was one of the best circuit commentators I've listened to, and there is much he can pass on.

IMHO he is still in his prime

[pitcrew]

The only problem with commentary is that you can't hear it when a car goes passed."

they need to have small radio transmitters at each circuit

[Al Weyman]

there is one big problem with all these ideas and plans and that is the British climate, no matter how grandious the plans a good old summer downpour will always scupper the lot. The last meeting I entered an expensive two day at Donington the entire weekend was fogged off so if someone can do something about the weather it can be like America over here.

[BillyT]

Originally Posted by Andrew Hornsey

With regards to commentary, get Brian Jones to teach them! Having used him for karting events (I know, a step down from his usual activities), he is the model that all others should aspire to.

He made it HIS business to find out info on each team, and did a superb job.

I do like the idea of getting a series rep to collate info for the commentators - as their job does often start early, so at a big meeting they could have trouble getting round to see everyone.

And to any other commentators here that do a job as good as Brian - no offence meant.

Brian is definatly my favorite commentator. My favortie quote is how he always says "come out to play" . Top comentator. Brands wouldn't be the same without him.

[Woolley]

He is good, isn't he. I quite like David Addison too who knows his stuff and talks about it entertainingly.

[MikeHoyer]

Having thought about it, it was Brian at the meeting I mentioned. I like him, and the guy he is usually teamed up with. At Brands once they kept me interested with old stories when there was nothing going on.

[BillyT]

Yeah David Addison is also good. Brian Jones at the Formula Ford festival is classic if you havent been go along.

[ss_collins]

The weather is a factor but not so much as suggested again at the short ovals - they still get good albeit reduced crowds.

[Anuauto]

Originally Posted by btracer

Brian is definatly my favorite commentator. My favortie quote is how he always says "come out to play" . Top comentator. Brands wouldn't be the same without him.

I thought his most famous phrase was "high wide and handsome"? ...but the one time I tried that at Paddock I needed a new shell....

[HiRich]

Race Start
SS, as a 750Trophy man, I know all about special cases! So why don't we write (and follow) slightly different procedures. I note that at GRM, they have a final briefing once the cars are in Assembly. Why don't we have a 60 second meeting with the gate marshal, just so everyone (marshal included) know a strict procedure, with timings.
We have problems in the Trophy with push started cars, and cars that oil up quickly. Practising what I'm preaching, I intend to try this at an event this year, just to show people how easy it is.

Race Programmes
Ian, this is a tricky one. Whilst I accept your concerns, I take the view that I should challenge people with what should be possible. Then I say "Don't tell me you can't do it, tell me how you are going to do it, or the best you can offer me". As an example, those Comet ads that you see in the Saturday papers are finally briefed at noon on Friday (Comet advise which items are to be included, and the prices). Eighteen hours later, people are reading them. All it takes is a clear procedure, a creative chap pre-booked for the afternoon, a proof reader, and someone at the paper's editing room in the loop. I've seen a TV ad briefed at noon, actually broadcast at 8pm (though everyone involved said "please, never again!"). In that context, seven days to dress up a programme should be chickenfeed. I say:
- It's worth doing
- It's achievable
- There are dedicated people like you who will support it.
- We can build in safeguards (like emergency, generic copy on hand in case email crashes, or someone's being lazy)
- So why don't we do it?

Commentators
There are many issues here. I should clarify that my main concern is (normally) with maximising use of the dead periods between races. I note that the great commentators (Walker, Motty, the chaps who do the horses) do write their own crib sheets, though they have the time, money and reputation to justify this. We've lobbed up a few ideas, but really we should talk to the pros, and ask them what they want, and in what format. Why not draft a format and template and see what they think. Make their life easier (give them the information, rather than expect them to come asking). If we give them a pack, in an agreed format, they will have the morning to browse and mark it up. If the race goes off perfectly, they may not use it. But if the red flag comes up, it will be a godsend for them.

Series Rep
It surprise me that this isn't more common. Too often I see rumours, confusion, apathy, all leading to misunderstandings and cock-ups. Series should consider asking someone to volunteer to be the 'point man' for that day (in fact, at Club level, the best person is actually a mechanic or team member, rather than a driver):
- Try and get all the competitors in the same part of the Paddock
- Identify themselves to Race Control
- Verify start procedure
- Present briefing notes to the commentators (if, as Ian suggests a club is on the ball and has them online, he/she can print them off, and then arsekick the few dopey ones)
- Check session times and make sure everyone knows
- Writes a post-practice report for the commentators
- Arrange/lead final briefing in the Assembly Area
- Perhaps write a summary report for the Series website
- Generally acts as the font of all knowledge for the day
I appreciate that this is rather easier with 15 cars than 60 Stock Hatches, but if the job regularly rotates, there's not that much work involved in a single day (exlcuding race report, barely 30 minutes through the day, surely). It will:
- Benefit spectators and commentators
- Benefit the drivers (every time it avoids one cock-up)
- Benefit the organisers
Again, I intend to practice what I preach (even though I know it will end up as my job every time I attend!)

Weather
Total washouts are rare, but miserable days are quite common. This actually reinforces my argument that event promotion (advertising off-site) needs to be a rolling programme, gradually building in size as you get income to reinvest.
If you threw everything at a single event, you are putting all your eggs in one basket. If it's a miserable day and no-one comes, you lose a bundle. Worse, they have no idea when the next meeting is, so they won't come out until they see another campaign.
However, if your entire campaign highlights other future events as well. Customers may plan to visit one meeting that they have seen advertised. When they look out the window on the morning, they go straight back to bed. However, the concept is still in their mind. Next week, they see another ad for the next meeting. That reminds them what they missed. That weekend is sunny, and they come out to play. Broadly, it doesn't matter that they did not attend the event that you originally targetted them for - what's more important is that, eventually, you coverted them into sales. You have spread your money more thinly (so it has reached fewer people and had less impact), but you have also spread your risk over more weekends. Awareness will build, slower than the 'big push' alternative, but stable (the 'big push' will cause huge peaks and troughs).

[Spectator]

I have read through all the posts with interest. I usually only visit the rally and rallycross threads and was interested to see both have had the same sort of concerns about the cost of entry fees, circuit owners taking all the gate money and the problem of attracting more spectators. Rod Birley has already mentioned the rumoured entry fees for rallycross.
Brands at the end of last season ( Show piece event?) ran at a loss even though it attracted possibly the largest entry field of the year and probably the largest number of spectators.
There was the usual motoring press advertising and BBC SE news had a spot on their 18.30 Friday night programme promoting it with interviews with the top drivers and a quick shot of a supercar on the rally school course.
I think that there is a more basic problem in motor sport which is that there are so many other attractions/ diversions/ TV coverage of top flight events that we are all chasing a diminishing live audience.
I love my motor sport but if the cost for the clubman keeps rising I am certain that we will all witness the slow demise of the sport.

[Rod Birley]

Unfortunately, "Spectator", I think you are right. Matt James wrote an interesting editorial in last week's Motorsport News proclaiming club motorsport will soon be extinct. Like everyone who has contributed to this thread, we all hope that this does not happen, but I am beginning to wonder. I helped produce over 3000 fixture leaflets for the January shows, persuading the printer to wait until the last minute which he did. We are now looking at several date changes and one prime date being removed, through no fault of our club. So what do we do, print the leaflets all over again!!

[rbs]

Motorsport news are helping to kill club motorsport.reports on club race meetings are getting shorter and shorter, more page space is being given to some of the minority
sports at the expense of club racing and rallying.Some reports from Anglesey and
Silverstone Stowe circuits only name the race winners.If Motorsport News were to
publish better reports and help promote the smaller meetings we may see more of the
public coming through the gates.Personally I would rather see more column inches on
main stream motorsport than Banger racing.

[Spectator]

Could not agree with you more 'rbs'.
The point I was trying to make was that even though Rallycross had possibly the best advertising, albeit local, it had received all season and probably the largest crowd it still ran at a loss due to the large overheads.
Underlying this is the fact that the paying public has a far greater variety of leisure pursuits at there disposal than ever before so everyone is chasing a smaller market.
Added to this are the constraints placed upon circuits by local authorities' regulations, noise curfews Etc

[Ian Sowman]

The length of reports in Motorsport News has not really changed since 1997, when I started writing for them.

[Spectator]

Ian
Re reports in Motorsport news and rallycross.
Sometimes only the supercars get a mention and the bread and butter guys in the skock hatch etc feel a bit neglected.
No reflection upon your professional expertise

[Ian Sowman]

Rallycross isn't my thing though...