750MC at Silverstone / Club racing generally

[brands hatch]

Originally Posted by brickkicker

I read a thread (think it was in the marshals forum), saying the best meeting so far this year was the BRSCC meeting at Brands a few weeks back as they had big grids with 'normal' cars. And you dont normaly see the words 'big grids' and 'BRSCC' in the same line.

I agree with the fact that it has been one of the best meetings all year...but i disagree with the point about "BRSCC" and them having "small grids". I admit it does depend on the championship...but championships such as The caterham roadsports always attract good entries as does the ford fiesta championship, the mighty mini's and the formula jedi championship.

Originally Posted by brickkicker

At the moment in the UK the best race championships by far (in my opinion) would have to be (in no specific order) Stock Hatch, Sax Max, Formula Vee, Ma5da Racing, Mighty Mini's, Legends. None of which have V8's, in fact I was at the masters a few weeks ago, they had V8's but the numbers were very very low and the crowd was even lower.

There is some cracking club racing out there at the moment even with the credit crunch (something like 70 stock hatch per meeting).

I agree with what you say here...although IMO the locost championship would be in there too!

[brickkicker]

Originally Posted by brands hatch

I agree with the fact that it has been one of the best meetings all year...but i disagree with the point about "BRSCC" and them having "small grids". I admit it does depend on the championship...but championships such as The caterham roadsports always attract good entries as does the ford fiesta championship, the mighty mini's and the formula jedi championship.
I agree with what you say here...although IMO the locost championship would be in there too!

I knew that id missed one, yes locost are top notch.
The BRSCC do have some championships with top grids as we have mentioned and I wasnt trying to start an argument about which is the best club (that been done loads of times), but I do think one problem is that they continue running championships which should be axed, without trying to sound to harsh. At the end of the day those championships who field good grids are paying for the ones that dont.

[brands hatch]

Originally Posted by brickkicker

I wasnt trying to start an argument about which is the best club

Neither was I, we all have our own opinions about clubs/championships etc

Originally Posted by brickkicker

but I do think one problem is that they continue running championships which should be axed, without trying to sound to harsh.

I agree...BESCR comes to mind!

Originally Posted by brickkicker

At the end of the day those championships who field good grids are paying for the ones that dont.

yep very true!

[brickkicker]

Originally Posted by brands hatch

I agree...BESCR comes to mind!

Fiats, anyone else want to throw one in. Only joking lets not start that either

[R59]

Hang on a minute. You are all enthusiasts, you all understand some of the better "lesser" formulae that produce good racing.

What I was talking about was Mr Joseph Public, Mr Sun Reader, etc... the person who has a passing interest in motorsport - ie: who would watch it if on regular TV at a normal sensible time (not a 3am on Channel 5).

These are the people that the sport needs to attract.

We can keep saying "Saxmax is best", or "Formula Vee's are brilliant", yes, great. That's preaching to the converted.

If they're so great - where are the spectators for those races? at that busy meeting, there may have been a lot of people watching, but how many were paying spectators - most of those people were with someone competing.

Look at it from a different angle - look from the outside in, not the inside out.

[Al Weyman]

Originally Posted by brands hatch

As a regular at brands hatch i have noticed the opposite...Club events such as the BRSCC 2 weeks ago and the BARC/CTCRC last weekend seem to be attracting fairly decents crowds (for the size of the event), where as the A1GP and WTCC meets seemed much less well attended than previous years. Could this also be a sign of the credit crunch?...spectators are not willing to spend as much for national (such as BTCC) or international events (such as A1GP or WTCC) so are more attracted to the smaller (and i must say often just as exciting!) club events?

Maybe its because the racing is better with varied race cars, it was a good meeting actually and the Austin Healeys were great as well as the CTCRC races. I am currently the only V8 car running CTCRC apart from Classic Thunder and I like it like that, I would not want to race in a series full of them and the club weight/cc regs make sure I have no advantage running a V8 it also means I can run my car on a very reasonable budget and still finish in the top 6.

Sunday trading does not help the cause and talking of Sun readers I had the pleasure of racing at one of the Sun Free Race days in the 80's and it was brilliant with big crowds, lets see some more please.

[brickkicker]

Originally Posted by R59

Hang on a minute. You are all enthusiasts, you all understand some of the better "lesser" formulae that produce good racing.

What I was talking about was Mr Joseph Public, Mr Sun Reader, etc... the person who has a passing interest in motorsport - ie: who would watch it if on regular TV at a normal sensible time (not a 3am on Channel 5).

These are the people that the sport needs to attract.

We can keep saying "Saxmax is best", or "Formula Vee's are brilliant", yes, great. That's preaching to the converted.

If they're so great - where are the spectators for those races? at that busy meeting, there may have been a lot of people watching, but how many were paying spectators - most of those people were with someone competing.

Look at it from a different angle - look from the outside in, not the inside out.

Why cant we continue to say they are some of the best in uk club racing? They are! Or maybe we should convince ourself that a poorly supported but V8 powered championship is best? You know only to well the problems with SCSA/ASCAR/V8 trophy (and all the other names it went through).
The reason they dont attract the punters have already been highlighted, and thats they dont know they are there. As clubs have no interest in promoting it as they get no return and tracks dont want the hassle of public at there venue as that means paying staff to monitor gates look after grandstands, clean up etc etc. But coming back to SCSA, look at the crowds they used to pull in when it was supported by the venue and the organiser, but the money never lasts forever.

[westfieldbend]

Originally Posted by R59

Hang on a minute. You are all enthusiasts, you all understand some of the better "lesser" formulae that produce good racing.

change good to the best.
club racing will probably continue to generate small crowds for the foreseeable future. IMO this is by no means a bad thing as i would much prefer to be at a circuit where your not fighting for the best viewing spot or squeezed in amongst hundreds of people.
Some 'casual' spectators dont know what there missing out on though!

[Al Weyman]

Did you see the GP today, watching paint dry I would say.

[westfieldbend]

Originally Posted by Al Weyman

Did you see the GP today, watching paint dry I would say.

erm it wasn't as bad as the one last week, at least it was a decent track (Spa). Valencia was racing between two blue walls and chain link fences around an industrial compound, with no overtaking or anything.

[JackN]

Exactly R59. Im 19 and have followed F1 madly since i was 6, but i never knew all this real racing existed until i signed up to be a marshal. I think (back in the day) there was a fair amount of motorsport on BBC Grandstand wasnt there? Nowadays, other than F1, you have to KNOW where and when the motorsport will be on in order to watch it. I.e. you need to have Motors TV, or you need to know that there will be 6 hours of BTCC coverage on ITV4. "Mr Sun Reader" wont know any of that, so will watch F1 then go down the pub and watch the footy on Sky.

I mean, this is clearly just a random idea, but imagine if the BRSCC invited the Top Gear guys to race in a Stock Hatch race for the tv. MASSIVE car/f1/motorracing/fun fan exposure and entries and spectating would shoot upwards. Im not saying that this is possible or anything, but I really dont think it would take much to get crowds to motorsport. But it needs something.

Also, the BTCC coverage is great for BTCC. But then the fans are "treated" to hours of Porsche Carrera Cups and Ginetta G50s with 10 car grids. DULL! Im a marshal, but if im watching the BTCC meetings on telly i only watch teh BTCC and maybe Ginetta Juniours, the rest is rubbish.

It's just sooooooo dissapointing that there is so much good racing out there, and so many people who would enjoy it, but no link between the two.

[Al Weyman]

I mean, this is clearly just a random idea, but imagine if the BRSCC invited the Top Gear guys to race in a Stock Hatch race for the tv.

It was done several years ago by the CTCRC with the Hampster out in a Rover SD1 to commemerate the end of manufacture of the Rover/Buick V8 engine and very good TV it made as well. In fact I think it must be one of their most repeated episodes as I was at my sisters in Spain a couple of months ago trying to explain what I do, turned on the TV and there it was the exact championship I run in and I was watching repeats on Dave yesterday and it popped up again so I was able to show my wife what I get up to.

Also by coincidence this is the 2nd time this weekend that CTCRC races have been shown on TV as Part 1 of our Lydden Hill meeting The CTCRC/Autoglym Historic Festival was on at 9:15pm Friday night on Motors TV. This is to be repeated again on terrestial Channel 5 at 2:15pm Tuesday morning (I agree damned silly time) so set your recorder because you are in for a treat and trust me there was packed grids in every race (look out for the Camaros actually there was two in the Post Historics including mine). I am really looking forward to Part 2 which is on shortly as I did better in the race and also got a startline interview.

[kipper]

Originally Posted by JackN

I mean, this is clearly just a random idea, but imagine if the BRSCC invited the Top Gear guys to race in a Stock Hatch race for the tv. MASSIVE car/f1/motorracing/fun fan exposure and entries and spectating would shoot upwards. Im not saying that this is possible or anything, but I really dont think it would take much to get crowds to motorsport. But it needs something.

A number of TV presenters have raced at a club level, with their exploits being features on Top Gear/Fifth Gear. Examples being the Top Gear and Fifth Gear teams in the Britcar 24hrs, Richard Hammond in the Citroen 2CV 24hrs and racing a Rover SD1 with the CTCRC. I also seem to remember Vicki Butler-Henderson racing in Road Saloons and Locosts, whilst Tiff Needell's Metro Cup appearence has also been televised. It is probably fair to say that such examples, on their own, have not delivered substantially more spectators.

In my view, for such an idea to work it would need to publicised significantly in advance (e.g. adverts saying 'Come to Snetterton and see Celebrity X race) and then for future events to be similarly advertised (such as 'Racing at Oulton features Championship X - as seen on Top Gear). As such the problem of circuits not needing to promote their events and clubs gaining no financial benefit returns.

I have my doubts that such an idea would have wider benefits beyond the one or two championships features on TV, afterall a programme probably wouldn't recycle the same feature week in, week out. Therefore, in my view, any future promotional activity should focus on the 'advantages' of club racing over the higher levels of the sport, such as a mixture of racing, interesting cars and easy access to the paddock.