Should the V8s even go.

Also a Believer · 5 Mar 2005, 11:45 (Ref:1243217)

My question is should the v8s even attend the F1 circus, seems that every year the carnage and I guess this applies to all catagories gets worse and worse and with Adekaide a few short weeks away puts pressure on the teams. Personally I think that a private test session would be better than risking the cars at this event.

OK...................I am in the brace position let em have it.

**GTRMagic** · 5 Mar 2005, 11:53 (Ref:1243229)

It should be a championship round... it should attract points just like any other event.

I was at the AGP on Thursday, you would be amazed how many "average" people wandered thru the V8Supercar paddock for the first time in their lives.

School excursions, people taking days off work, anyone who was free in Melbourne seemed to be at the Albert Park paddock area sometime during the day.

I dont think Supercar takes enough advantage of that either really, to show the product to the masses.... They got 70,000 people there on Thursday... a free day....

... which is a higher "real" crowd than just about every other event AVESCO attends.

They would be nuts to leave that behind....

All that needs to happen is for the 2nd round to be far enough away, that a poor result at the AGP meeting wont ruin the season.

If you thought about it logically, had the test day gone ahead on Feb 19 at Oran Park, instead of the show day at Homebush, the teams would have already shaken down their cars, and not needed a session in front of the mega crowds to look a little unsettled.... Had the TEGA boys got their stuff together this would already be gazetted for next season now.... but thats by the by...

All that is required is to get a format together that the cars can manage at the track (i.e. no pitstops for tyres, or fuel stops) and all will be sweet.

Supercars at the AGP.... Yes please!

Hazza · 5 Mar 2005, 11:56 (Ref:1243232)

Why is it not a championship round? Just because of the pitstops? I thought originally it was because the AGP was broadcast on WIN, but I don't know...

TCR-028 · 5 Mar 2005, 11:59 (Ref:1243234)

As Mr.Magic said, they HAVE to be there as i think it's a great opportunity to show people the V8 Supercar series on a worldwide stage...

I think it should be a points round however - what's the point in racing and risking the cars when there's no championship points at stake ??

Also a Believer · 5 Mar 2005, 12:00 (Ref:1243236)

Even the drivers today commented that they have had enough of being treated like second class citizens. It could never become the first round as the races would never be allowed to be long enough. 10 laps get real.

retro · 5 Mar 2005, 12:04 (Ref:1243241)

from crikey .com

Q: You have one more year of your contract remaining to race at the Australian Grand Prix in 2006. What does the future hold beyond that?

TC: Well right now that’s a difficult question to answer and it is complicated by the fact that next year it looks like the Grand Prix will need to be moved by a month or even a couple of months to April or May to accommodate staging the Commonwealth Games. What until this year has not been the start of our championship season, would now fall somewhere within our championship calendar in 2006, and we already have other contracts to observe within our regular season. So that’s not an easy one for us to solve, but we have already commenced discussions with the Grand Prix Corporation about possible remedies.

Q: Does that leave open the possibility that if they settle on a date with Formula One that has to be met but it provides a clash with your championship there would be no V8 Supercars at next year’s race?

TC: That’s a possibility as a worst case scenario but I hope it doesn’t come to that. But yeah that’s a possibility we can’t dismiss completely as won’t happen.

Q: And beyond 2006 I have heard suggestions the V8’s won’t race at the Grand Prix?

TC: That’s also difficult to answer in that we have had very informal discussions about what both of us would like to do in the future, but we’re still at a very early stage where we don’t really have a position going forward beyond next year.

Q: So stories you are looking to quit the Grand Prix programme are wide of the mark?

TC: Well…I guess it is just speculation at this time. We can neither confirm nor deny our position!

Q: But can you see how you might feel it is better to kick off your season from the start at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide instead of this kind of current non-championship start at Albert Park?

TC: Well definitely from the teams’ point of view that has its attractions. One of the real difficulties that at the moment we have got, there are some commercial issues attached to the Grand Prix that makes it difficult for many of our teams, and we would certainly need to address some of those issues if we were to go forward with a new contract.

Q: Would it be safe to assume that politically South Australia would be much keener for you to launch your new season in Adelaide free of the current distraction of the Grand Prix, where it could be argued Melbourne gets first crack at the V8’s?

TC: Well Melbourne doesn’t count against our championship so Adelaide really is the start of our season, where we only begin racing for championship points then. There are various points of view on this whole question where some people think it is good for us to be involved in the overall Grand Prix weekend and be a vital part of show when Formula One comes to Australia, where we are the leading category motor sport in this part of the world.
Then there is another point of view that believes we would be better off without our participation in Melbourne, and instead we start our season proper on the streets of Adelaide at the Clipsal 500.

Rossi # 46 · 5 Mar 2005, 13:16 (Ref:1243292)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Also a Believer

Even the drivers today commented that they have had enough of being treated like second class citizens. It could never become the first round as the races would never be allowed to be long enough. 10 laps get real.

Drivers is a plural. I dont seem to remember any driver other than Brad Jones saying this.

I think it is good for the V8's to race at the AGP. Foe a lot of people who attend/watch this event, it is their first introduction to motorsport. By not attending they will be missing out on getting in front of a whole new market.

Besides, if not for the drivers and teams, it is certainly good for the sponsors who invest a lot of money to put their name on the side of these cars.

pete55 · 5 Mar 2005, 23:07 (Ref:1243740)

Quote:

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

I was at the AGP on Thursday, you would be amazed how many "average" people wandered thru the V8Supercar paddock for the first time in their lives.

School excursions, people taking days off work, anyone who was free in Melbourne seemed to be at the Albert Park paddock area sometime during the day.

I dont think Supercar takes enough advantage of that either really, to show the product to the masses.... They got 70,000 people there on Thursday... a free day....

... which is a higher "real" crowd than just about every other event AVESCO attends.

I have the answer, just open the gates. Then TC's figures might actually make sense As for the V8 race i doubt it will ever be a round of the championship.

racer69 · 6 Mar 2005, 06:34 (Ref:1244078)

Instead of running 2 short races and a middle distance race, why not go back to the old format of 1985-1988 at Adelaide, a single long race (120km or so), for big bucks on the saturday afternoon. Give the race a title or something (The Dick Johnson GP Trophy or something, in honour of him winng the first support race at Adelaide for Touring Cars), and make it a regular occurance each year.

That would make it much more worthwhile and abit more meaningful.

MRJUCY · 6 Mar 2005, 06:37 (Ref:1244079)

I like having a non championship round to start the season I'd hate to see such mickey mouse races count towards the championship & think they should stay on the program as is.

Rombles1 · 6 Mar 2005, 11:41 (Ref:1244359)

I like the idea of being able to get the cars out and see how you go against the other teams, as a competitive test, without running the risk of ruining your season by not getting a swag of points (notwithstanding the risk of ruining your season by damaging your car).

I am sure PWR and several others would prefer more than two weeks break before the first Championship round, though.

Rossi # 46 · 6 Mar 2005, 11:54 (Ref:1244372)

Quote:

Originally Posted by racer69

Instead of running 2 short races and a middle distance race, why not go back to the old format of 1985-1988 at Adelaide, a single long race (120km or so), for big bucks on the saturday afternoon. Give the race a title or something (The Dick Johnson GP Trophy or something, in honour of him winng the first support race at Adelaide for Touring Cars), and make it a regular occurance each year.

That would make it much more worthwhile and abit more meaningful.

Falcadore · 6 Mar 2005, 11:58 (Ref:1244375)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hazza

Why is it not a championship round? Just because of the pitstops? I thought originally it was because the AGP was broadcast on WIN, but I don't know...

AVESCO, probably quite rightly, will not hold a championship round at any event they are not the lead category.

**GTRMagic** · 6 Mar 2005, 20:44 (Ref:1244909)

But they fixed it at Indy... and if they have the "pulling power" TC believes the series has, should be able to thump out a better deal at the AGP!

emjaya · 6 Mar 2005, 22:36 (Ref:1245044)

F1 won't allow rounds of national series at any grand prix,Crompton said yesterday
Races must be non championship rounds.

f1 is the main event,everything else is just a side show!

Chucky · 6 Mar 2005, 22:54 (Ref:1245057)

Yes, that's the issue. FOH won't allow any races that count toward a championship to be run at an F1 event. The only notable exception is the F3 Euroseries round at Monaco.

I don't care how much "pulling" TC does, he'll never get that up.

mac · 7 Mar 2005, 00:59 (Ref:1245125)

I agreed with Skaife when he said "if you can't be the biggest show in town, you sure as hell want to be with the biggest show in town."

It would be foolish if the V8s weren't there.

If TC is serious about increasing the series' international exposure, leaving the AGP would be a touch contradictary, wouldn't it?

bahodie · 7 Mar 2005, 06:31 (Ref:1245239)

If they're worried about damaging their cars before the first round, why don't they just rock up in Aussie Racing Cars in proper liveries, that would be a sight to behold!

mac · 7 Mar 2005, 06:41 (Ref:1245244)

The Aussie Racing Cars have a first round to worry about too!

Though it would be cool to see them on the GP track.

D.R.T. · 7 Mar 2005, 12:20 (Ref:1245511)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Also a Believer

Even the drivers today commented that they have had enough of being treated like second class citizens. It could never become the first round as the races would never be allowed to be long enough. 10 laps get real.

Slightly ironic isn't it. V8 guys complaining about being treated like 2nd class citizens. I think someone left the perspective glasses at home.

On the subject of no championship round being allowed to be held at a GP. Is thus a somewhat new regulation. As I could have sworn the BTCC ran championship event at the British GP in the mid 90's. (Correct if misguided.)

Chucky · 7 Mar 2005, 22:42 (Ref:1246152)

No, it's an unwritten rule or condition of runing a GP going back to the 80's. The Brit F3 Championship ran a couple of championship rounds in the late 90's at the British GP but that was more a contractual oversight that they decided to honour rather than an exception to the rule.

hml2777 · 7 Mar 2005, 23:45 (Ref:1246198)

I think that they need to practice before the series starts, so they should continue to be a prt of F1.

hml2777 · 7 Mar 2005, 23:48 (Ref:1246202)

Do the v8's get television overseas because they are part of F1

Chucky · 8 Mar 2005, 01:03 (Ref:1246254)

No, they have their own deal through Motors TV. Not sure if they bother with the GP support.

racer69 · 8 Mar 2005, 07:38 (Ref:1246374)

Chucky,

The BTCC ran support races at the British Grand Prix (and European GP's that were held in Britain, eg 1993, where the European GP was at Donnington, and the British GP at Silverstone) for many many years up until 1996, and they all counted for points in the British Touring Car Championship.

In 1996 Bernie decided to block the BBC (even though they showed F1) from showing the BTCC rounds a week later. In response to this the BTCC didn't return to the BTCC in 1997, or after.

This year, at the US Grand Prix, the IRL Infiniti Pro Series is running as a support race, and it is counting for their national championship.