[socram]

As one of the board of directors of the NSCC who ran the re-opening car meeting May 1977, I have a soft spot for the place. (I wonder if they'll celebrate that reopening May 2017 - especially as I should be around!) I have had a lot of race organisation experience since, but my last visit to Donington as a spectator was for an AMOC meeting two or three years ago.

What a disappointment that was, compared to the 1970's/early 80's. Stuck behind wire fences and very little shelter from the heavy rain is not much use for those wanting to watch, or take photographs.

If much of that fencing was installed to bring the circuit up to F1 standards, then I sincerely hope JP rips it out where it isn't necessary.

Getting home after dark Woolley, I sympathise with, but the only other meetings I have been to in the UK and Europe over the last few years were at Goodwood and the Monaco Historics.

Both are extremely frustrating for the same reason and also have an effect on Woolley's problem and also are the reason for sky high entry fees.

They are obsessed by running to the clock. Any analysis of actual track time compared to the length of the meeting will show an extremely poor percentage. They could run two or three extra classes quite easily.

We have just had another successful Festival of Motor Racing here in NZ and on most two day meetings, there are 12 classes/grids, with 12 practice sessions and each driver gets three races per class. (Some enter in more than one class.) For the mathematically challenged, that is 24 sessions per day. Each driver gets 4 lots of track time. OK, sometimes a bit tight for time, and practice sessions are quite short but all meetings are normally over well before 6pm.

You do not need to be a mathematician to work out where break even is for running a race meeting, but I'll never go to a Monaco Historic meeting ever again.

Goodwood only redeems itself because there is so much to see off the track, but if you are stuck out on the far side, there is a huge amount of down time between track sessions. Seeing cars do just one practice and one race over 3 days isn't exactly spectator friendly.

But hey, who really cares about the paying spectators?