Spectator Numbers

[ActiveMS]

Now this may sound like a silly idea to some, but as we know spectator numbers at UK car events is dwindling, but bike meets are soaring.

Is there a good reason why bikes and cars couldnt run at joint events? (... because you dont like bikes is not a valid reason, before anyone asks)

[mark ch]

Bikers don't crashing into raw armco. So for bike races straw bails need putting out. (but cars could launch if the straw bails were left out thou) Bikers also run different curcuit varations to cars, ie at Mallory, Rockingham, Cadwell...
Two sets of organising officals ACU and MSA needed...

And some car marshals aren't keen on doing bike meetings. They prefer the drivers to stay inside a protective car. rather than bouncing across the ground..

Joint meetings do happen though at the Boxing day plum pudding meeting at Mallory for example

[johnw]

I think it's a great idea, but believe that safety barrier requirements are different. I don't know how easy it would be to overcome this on the day.
Also read somewhere in this forum that the bikers understandably don't like racing where there is a possibility of fluid on the track.
It certainly used to happen at Brands when I was a lad, and very good it was (the racing - not me being a lad!)

[BertMk2]

Rallycross and super moto ran side by side for a while (certainly at Lydden - not sure about other circuits) so there's probably no reason why they couldn't run on the same bill.

From a personal point of view I'd prefer to keep them seperate - I'm not into bikes at all, if there was a race meet that was 50% cars and 50% bikes I'd probably not bother going (unless it was a seriously good car series, then you can use the bike races for getting food, wandering round the paddock etc.).

To some extent it's the same with open and closed wheel cars - I'm not really that interested in the open wheel series, from a spectating point of view I find that the open wheel stuff just doesn't have that spark that keeps me interested (I know there's lots of close racing, overtaking etc. etc. but it just doesn't hit the spot).

So getting back to the point - bikes and cars could run side by side but I don't think it really works from a spectator point of view.

[graeme]

At most car races when I'm competing, I rarely watch the other races. But on Boxing Day I made time to watch some of the bike racing... A few combined meetings might encourage some "cross-fertilisation" of spectators, though the races would have to be right (follow-my-leader car races wouldn't convince bike spectators that car racing can be exciting...) - Caterham races perhaps!? I'm sure a combined TOCA/Brit Superbikes meeting would be good!

[Ian Sowman]

Certainly the Caterham races at Mallory on Boxing Day should have got them hooked, I just hope the commentary didn't put anyone off!

[KayBee]

On the theme of joint car and bike meetings I do know that a joint meeting was mooted for the Gold Cup Anniversary meeting at Oulton Park last year. However, this only got as far as the idea stage because of the differing straw bale requirements of the cars and bikes. Too much valuable track time would have been wasted whilst the bales were removed and replaced to the circuit licensing requirements.

[Bob Pearson]

The CSMA Classic meeting at Brands includes a bike race. Many years ago SUNBAC used to include races for solo m/cycles and sidecars.
I'm all for it.

[Sheila M]

Originally posted by johnw
I think it's a great idea, but believe that safety barrier requirements are different. I don't know how easy it would be to overcome this on the day.
Also read somewhere in this forum that the bikers understandably don't like racing where there is a possibility of fluid on the track.
It certainly used to happen at Brands when I was a lad, and very good it was (the racing - not me being a lad!)

It's a great idea - and having been part of the organisation at the Plum Pudding Meeting I saw how easy it was to organise. The safety requirements worked very well because we put the cars out first, then changed the barriers for the bikes, had a bit of a break before racing so the barriers could be changed back and then after the car races swapped again.

We had two organising Clubs but officials from both blended in well and jobs were shared by all.

However, you are correct in what you say about fluid on the track - bikes and slippery stuff don't go well together.

Maybe if we could guarantee that the cars wouldn't spill anything and the riders promised not to fall off we could do more of this kind of meeting. Personally, I'd love to see more of them.

Sheila

[Dave Brand]

Originally posted by johnw
Also read somewhere in this forum that the bikers understandably don't like racing where there is a possibility of fluid on the track.

Bikes spill fluids as well! Although the ACU requires catch tanks to contain spillages, if something goes bang oil's going to go everywhere. The biggest oil slick I've ever seen was a bike - John Reynold's Suzuki at Oulton in 2002.