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Old 16 Nov 2003, 22:55 (Ref:785270)   #1
Snapper Baz
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Snapper Baz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridSnapper Baz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
Behind closed doors

Speaking to a Brands Hatch "person" today (Rallycross)he mentioned that he "may" have been talking to the RAC about possible racing next year at Brands "behind closed doors" ie: mid-week/weekends with the legal minimum of marshals (presumably the paid type?)etc-enough to keep the RAC happy. This way meetings which run things like Brircar can have ample track time for the least amount of outlay for the club/competitors....will it work...and who would want it to work?
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Old 17 Nov 2003, 00:34 (Ref:785312)   #2
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People in that sort of series do it in their free time i don't know for sure but most people have to work in the week to pay for their racing !!!!
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Old 17 Nov 2003, 10:17 (Ref:785634)   #3
Snapper Baz
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Snapper Baz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridSnapper Baz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
Your right in that most people do go racing in their free time, but- track hire days days for various clubs seem to run during the weeks with seemingly full turn-outs so there is always someone willing to run mid-week. Personally I wouldn't like to see it but who knows.
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Old 17 Nov 2003, 10:35 (Ref:785650)   #4
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ss_collins should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridss_collins should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridss_collins should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridss_collins should be qualifying in the top 3 on the grid
I get 25 days holiday a year which Is quite a bit but to spen even more of it on the sport means holidays become impossible though that said.....
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Old 18 Nov 2003, 16:59 (Ref:787299)   #5
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Where exactly is the saving?
Will track hire costs reduce? Will organiser insurance reduce? MSA Fees? Timekeepers? Medical staff? This idea will not reduce the core costs of organising a race meeting.

The only saving I can see is fewer stewards managing entry and spectators. What you lose is the income from those spectators. This has the potential to be twice as much as the income from race entry fees (which is a separate and well-discussed marketing issue), so you are eliminating your best opportunity for income to save maybe £5 per entry fee.
A bizzarre way of going about business, or have I missed something?
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Old 18 Nov 2003, 17:04 (Ref:787304)   #6
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ss_collins should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridss_collins should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridss_collins should be qualifying in the top 3 on the gridss_collins should be qualifying in the top 3 on the grid
The UTC ran behind closed doors at Donny last year on a Friday...
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Old 18 Nov 2003, 17:13 (Ref:787319)   #7
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The idea behind no spectator meetings is that it dramatically reduces insurance costs (public liability insurance is basically eliminated).
At many race meetings the vast majority of the people watching are involved (i.e. friends/family/team members) of the people racing.
If the number of tickets issued per race entry was increased slightly I think the idea could work for many club events.
Although it would NEVER work at Castle Combe, where there is always a big spectator turnout.
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Old 18 Nov 2003, 17:31 (Ref:787337)   #8
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I believe that the insurance element of our fees is about £25.
There is no way that will be taken off the entry as there has to be insurance for the friends and family members/drivers/marshals/organisers/timekeepers etc etc.
So what could the saving be? Probaly close to the £5 that HiRich mentioned.
Do the organising clubs get any gate money? I seem to remember that its taken by the circuit.
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Old 18 Nov 2003, 21:01 (Ref:787589)   #9
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I can't believe that the BHL circuits would even consider this as viable.I'd have thought most of them are too heavily committed with race experience days, corporate events, manufacturers days and testing to even consider a mid week race meeting. Perish the thought!!!!!!!
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Old 18 Nov 2003, 21:37 (Ref:787639)   #10
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Not every available mid week date is taken up by race experience days, corporate events, manufacturers days and testing. A few mid week race days at a guaranteed £x grand for opening the gates may well appeal to the bean counters.
As an aside, the MBKC ran a few mid week kart races at Three Sisters in the late 90s'. Maybe Steve27 could shed some light on their success / viability.
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Old 19 Nov 2003, 20:16 (Ref:788647)   #11
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Snapper Baz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridSnapper Baz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
I do wonder if it will ever happen at a "Brands" circuit-There are shop owners who pay a rent-they would have to attend somehow mid-week to make money, food outlets would have to be staffed (unless they stayed closed-then that wouldn't go down well with competitors etc). There would then be the media who need to report on meetings-they would mostly have to take time off...the problems seem to outway the other. I did also hear that at the said meetings-due to lack of marshals-if a car spun and couldn't restart-or ended in a gravel trap...anything relatively minor-the session/race would be stopped to retreive the car. The meeting would take ages to run!!!
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Old 19 Nov 2003, 22:48 (Ref:788806)   #12
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Les should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
hang on though - if you race behind closed doors to save money or because you don't have the support then you don't need the press - who would be interested in reading it?
You wouldn't need food kiosks - well everyone would be rushing around pulling cars out of gravel and rebuilding walls etc because there's hardly any marshalls/circuit staff so they wouldn't have time to eat.

as you might gather I am not that entralled by the prospect of it.
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Old 19 Nov 2003, 23:38 (Ref:788846)   #13
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swift should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Another thought would be if there's no spectators and or press to report upon the event, what potential benefit would that be to any competitors who had sponsors.

No exposure.

No sponsors?
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Old 19 Nov 2003, 23:54 (Ref:788864)   #14
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diz should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
No press coverage - not a problem swift

At present, the coverage given to grass roots classes [i.e. not manufacturer ££ backed classes which tend to be well supported by the comics I wonder why he adds sarcasticly ??? ] is abysmal - see other threads on poor magazine coverage.
So do what is the only thing available to get the meeting / your antics covered. Send your own report to your local rags. OK nobody reads them, but you will get lots of column inches to show your sponsors.
If all drivers did this, motor racing would be all over the local papers. If anything "very good / spectacular" was featured, it could be picked up by the nationals and eat into the valuable column inches they devote to football.
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Old 20 Nov 2003, 00:03 (Ref:788872)   #15
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swift should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Good idea, Diz; hadn't thought of that. Wonder if I could convince Gus to increase his column inches, if you know what I mean.

Anymore reports from him and I might consider put his name down for the Pullitzer prize.

Seriously though, I have heard of a few club competitors who have managed to make friends with their local sports writer and got decent coverage to boot. Would there be any mileage in inviting anyone from the North West press down to an Oulton meeting next year for example? Oh, and by the way, what ever happened to Duncan Measor?
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Old 20 Nov 2003, 00:08 (Ref:788878)   #16
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diz should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
I don't know about Duncan, but Frank Hall came to an Oulton meeting this year.
Good idea to involve Gus, as a cute, cuddly, furry journo would add to the interest for younger readers.
BTW nice to know that Gus is a male. The column inches bit gave that one away
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Old 20 Nov 2003, 08:16 (Ref:789157)   #17
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goforit500 should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Diz/Swift,

I speak to my local papers' motorsport chap regularly and he gives us great coverage in the local rag. Usually 1/3rd to half a page.....

Haven't gotten any sponsors out of it but it is nice to see !!
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Old 20 Nov 2003, 20:49 (Ref:789963)   #18
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carrera should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
I did 8 races this year and had 12 reports in the local press plus pics, one was even in colour. They all get photocopied and presented to the sponsors at the end of the season.
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Old 20 Nov 2003, 22:28 (Ref:790034)   #19
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Ian Sowman should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridIan Sowman should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridIan Sowman should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
I can't agree with you Diz. People do read the coverage in The Hinckley Times, which I am heavily involved with. We've had a lot of favourable reaction to it.

Over the last few seasons we've been lucky enough to have Jamie Green and Robbie Kerr competing in F3 and F Renault, but we also cover all the Mallory car meetings - in words and pictures - and include regular news on other local drivers. I'm very proud of the coverage in the paper in recent years and am grateful to the Editors and Sports Editors at the paper for giving plenty of space over to develop it.

Ian thinks a bit more....

I can agree with most of what Diz says, just not the bit about nobody reading the local press!

What you really need is a sports editor who is interested and you need something that can go into the paper with them not having to touch it if they don't want to - something reasonably well-written. If anyone wants any help with anything like this, please PM me.

Last edited by Ian Sowman; 20 Nov 2003 at 22:30.
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Old 20 Nov 2003, 23:56 (Ref:790102)   #20
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Ian,
Sounds good that the HT is interested, though probably more through your efforts rather than their own.

I've done a bit of journo stuff. Used to do a lot of Muttering Screws in the 70s. Some years ago I did a "my day driving a racing car" type piece in the Formby Times. Quite a big spread if I recall. Included was a very simple quiz to win a day at the race school. You know the type, if you can spell your own name you're in with a chance. Total entries received = 4. Now if the quiz [without any accompanying article] had been to win a replica football shirt, the entries would have flooded in.
Solution to poor crowds could well be to lay a football pitch within the circuits. Charge them to come in and watch. If they sauntered over to the spectator banks to see what the noise was BONUS.
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Old 21 Nov 2003, 14:27 (Ref:790684)   #21
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Quote:
Originally posted by diz
... if you can spell your own name you're in with a chance. Total entries received = 4. Now if the quiz [without any accompanying article] had been to win a replica football shirt, the entries would have flooded in.
Diz,
That is the going rate for a local paper quiz. Even "Win Free Sex With Liz Hurley" would struggle to raise a couple of dozen entries.
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Old 21 Nov 2003, 14:53 (Ref:790709)   #22
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PaulSands should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridPaulSands should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
I've only submitted a couple of items to our local, Grantham Journal, and each time the report and a photo have been printed. I think the interest is there but people have come to expect not to see it...or many times dont realise they have local drivers
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Old 21 Nov 2003, 15:29 (Ref:790743)   #23
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And if drivers can't get sponsorship due to the meeting not being seen by the public..... Motorsport could decline more well done Brands another great idea....

I can see it now..... The Britsh GP being held at Mallory Park, the only circuit left running at weekends and with volunteer marshals....

Can't advertising /sponsorship be wrote off against tax... so if your advertising to no one.. is that still advertising?? What would the tax man make of that??
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Old 21 Nov 2003, 18:56 (Ref:790944)   #24
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JohnMiller should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridJohnMiller should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Quote:
Originally posted by mark ch


I can see it now..... The Britsh GP being held at Mallory Park, the only circuit left running at weekends and with volunteer marshals....

I tell you - if that happened it would be the best GP for years.
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Old 21 Nov 2003, 19:32 (Ref:790972)   #25
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Checked yesterday. Apart from Thruxton and Pembrey, BARC gets no gate income.

The deal is that the circuit charges for hire and makes the rest of their required income from gate money.

I assume therefore, that by severely increasing them, they are now happy with the hire charges alone.
This assumption is from all the above posts, where little or no promotion is apparent.

What about the drivers taking responsibility for the promotion, and pocketing the gate money? It's a risk, but if it worked it would offset the increased entry fees.

If we are not willing to do it, why expect anyone else to?

John

Last edited by johnw; 21 Nov 2003 at 19:39.
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