Cochrane's TV appearance

[jhayden]

How far is the Shanghai circuit from the centre of the city? If Tony Cochrane is going to say that one of the reasons that they dropped Phillip Island is because it is too far away from Melbourne, I hope the journey to China is worthwhile!

Then again, I'd rather Cochrane had the guts to say that it was a financial decision to benefit AVE$CO and the teams... but I can't quite see that happening....

[simon5574]

what about winton!!

[mjt57]

If PI is too far from the city, then what about Winton? And how far are the other tracks from their states' respective capitals?

Anyway, what relevance does the distance from the city have, as long as where they're racing has the facilities to accomodate all the people?

I might call for a revolution. Or failing that, stop watching the V8s. That'll teach 'em...

[Bomn]

Originally posted by simon5574
what about winton!!

Most people think that Winton isn't far enough from the city.

[ford boy]

Saying that Phillip Island is to far from the city is a dead set joke.
People are willing to travel to be at a event, I travel 3 hours to Oran Park, 2 hours to Bathurst every year and use to travel to the Canberra 400. There have been record crowds at every event this year so you can't say people are'nt driving to see the races.

[Wayne Kerr]

Have there been record crowds or have they just been saying that.
The figure they said for Oran Pk was about 10,000 more than the place will hold.

[RaceTime]

Remember that crowd figures are for the three days and include paying spectators, officials, teams, corporates, security, cleaning staff, desanitising staff, helicopter pilots, police, ambos, doctors, nurses, strippers, massage workers, family, friends, cats, dogs, elephants, wild geese, turkeys but, unfortunately, no unicorns.

Oh - and they are counted seperately each day (so 500 officials equates to 1500 over three days!)

And forgot to add in the list of people counted - TC - counts as 10 every day...

[Wayne Kerr]

But how many people does TC claim when he tells the ATO?

[Average Punter]

Originally posted by RaceTime
strippers, massage workers...

Thanks RaceTime. Now I know why they have such good crowds at Indy!

[Mattracer]

Next TC will be building his own V8 Superarks series with two each of the "animals" and others you name RT and floating those boats to China.

Seriously, who cares about kids rides etc, it's a motor race not a day at the show!

[jetsetter]

I've got agree Matt, when i go to watch a motor race i prefer to hear they're going to have great on track action rather than the great off track attractions they have.

[mjt57]

Originally posted by jetsetter
I've got agree Matt, when i go to watch a motor race i prefer to hear they're going to have great on track action rather than the great off track attractions they have.

Sorry, but I tend to disagree. If you want to limit your demographic to Single White Males with the Occasional Girlfriend, then you're going to see a rather dramatic drop in crowds.

Also, each circuit needs to maximise its revenue. Having "sideshows" is one such way of doing this.

You, as a racegoer and motorsport enthusiast, don't have to partake of the off track entertainment/festivities, if you don't wish to. However, the fellow with his wife and kids may be thankful that the kids, who may be easily bored, have something else to do, while he can enjoy the racing.

[Mattracer]

Stiil it's part of AVESCO's own deal- they are promoting and running their own "event", and billed it as the "Main Event" or somesuch which does have a show-biz feel to it.

I suppose you're right, if I want to watch racing all day, I can. Tha's why I go- I love it. Only problem is the car parks on the way out with all the "extra" people.

[MickAU]

Originally posted by Mattracer
Seriously, who cares about kids rides etc, it's a motor race not a day at the show!

I disagree wholeheartedly and think thats a fairly narrow minded viewpoint. All you have to do is look towards what they are doing in England at the moment.

At Rockingham, they had a concert with the Sugababes and a couple of other pop bands in conjunction with the F3 racing and BTCC or GT (not sure which). It attracted a crowd of 42,000, bigger than when even Champ car were there!!

If you look at the letters in Autosport, it worked. The fathers would take their daugters along, who would go watch the concert so dad could watch the motor racing. Of course the daughter, who'd never been to motor racing before enjoyed herself greatly, did watch some of the racing and was begging her father to take her next time!!

The upshot of that is, you get x fathers back at $50/head with y daughters @ $25/head and z daughters friends @$25/head.

Pretty smart really....

[racer69]

Isn't the aim of the whole thing to attract more people to want to watch motorsport.

If the sole purpose of sideshows is to give the wife and kids something to do while the dad watches the car racing, then all that is doing is bumping up the attendance (there's why TC is promoting all this stuff for Eastern Creek), and basically revenue raising. Why pay all that money to get in if you aren't going to watch the races?

[mjt57]

Originally posted by racer69
(there's why TC is promoting all this stuff for Eastern Creek),

Where's Cochrane hail from? I wonder if he's a Sydneysider, and hence like our erstwhile PM, who governs for, and lives in Sydney, when he's s'posed to have the nation's interest at heart....

[RaceTime]

Who's a labor voter then (or Susan Davies???

[Hybrid]

Because some of us are under the thumb, a day at the races is also seen as a quality time with the kids and sometimes mum in tow. Any added attractions to keep them busy so that I can watch the races is a bonus as far as I'm concerned

[MickAU]

Why pay all that money to get in if you aren't going to watch the races? [/B]

Therein lies the point - TC and AVESCO couldnt care less if you watched the races, sunbaked or even sat in the car all day, once you have paid your money, they have it in their pocket and could not care less what you do once you are inside the gate!

[Mattracer]

Hopefully more people will find it interesting and as a result the category grows fatter by the day.

It's still a motor race though and that should be the primary focus of it, not a motor sideshow.

[sevi]

Are tickets anymore expensive because of the extra sideshows?
If so, OK point taken, but if not isn't it better to cater for all the family?
TC is in the entertainment industry, tell me what promoter cares less what you do once your in the gate and paid your money?

[Onlooker]

I am interested in the better food aspect to,about time,really if they have all these superscreens etc then good on them,everyone wants to winge about the bad facilitys so here is a fix,embrace it I reckon.TC has gone out on a limb and has said this will be an example for other promoters who say it's all to hard.If AVESCO can afford to lease the track and run a race and make a profit whilst increasing the facilitys then it will maybe show up a few others.
Better than "we are going to slash the price,half the # of dunnies and downgrade the food"
Some people are never happy,I don't have kids who will be attending the race but it is good to cater for those that do,plus if they are off on the jumping castle they aren't annoying me

[Hybrid]

Maybe as instead of purchasing just one ticket for myself, the extra five tickets that I have to purchase to take the family is all it will take to keep the prices the same.