Powertour - got it right, or spectacularly wrong?

[Graham]

Dunno 'bout you, but Powertour just doesn't work for me. I want the racing to go on as long as possible and have a good number of races on race day. I definately don't want the best racing to happen on a Saturday with the headline acts (for sheer spectacle value) to be on a different day. Qualifying on Saturday, racing on Sunday is the preferred method. It works. Do the support races benefit from being on a different day - I don't think they do.

I don't see how Powertour could get new spectators into the sport if the tickets cost £15, to get into the paddock cost £5, the programme is £5(!) and food is about 40% more expensive.


I like the flowing nature of Powertour though - as soon as one race finishes, we're accorded a few minutes to write results then it's go with the next race. Certainly beats having the F3 crowd 'assemble' on the grid for 1/2 an hour while you want it to be over and done with as fast as possible to get back to more interesting stuff.

If you arrived early (like I always do) what the hell do you do for 6 hours other than wander around and around the paddock until you're knackered? Don't arrive early you say. Well, setting off at 6 or 7 am will beat the traffic, allow you to drive fast and smoothly along the country lanes and ensure you arrive without too many tiresome delays.

Whatcha think? Thumbs up or down?

[fatbloke]

They have the basis of a good package - I just hope they listen to the complaints of fans.

Starting the racing at 1pm with just five races on the card is bloody pathetic - especially seeing as they ran three races on the Saturday! (mind you, with eight cars entered in F Vauxhall you can see why!)

Don't like the idea of timed races either (with the exception of the GT race which is more of an endurance thing anyway.)

Pricing ? If they ran everything on the one card it'd not be too bad, but there's no need for the 'free' radios - knock it off the ticket price...

[Carrie]

They've certainly not got it all right at the moment. 15 quid is a lot when all you're getting is half a days racing, paying that much I'd expect a full days racing, so why couldn't they have Saturday for qualifying and Sunday for racing, as it was I was only down at Thruxton for the Sunday and so felt like I'd missed half the racing. Also, 5 quid on top of that for the paddock, erm, no thanks.
I could quite happily live with the set running time for each race, although you might end up feeling pretty ripped off on that if the safety car ends up out for any length of time.
I liked the idea of leaving all the podium ceremonies to the end, means they can get on with the racing - the little bit of it that there is!
Are they planning on giving out those radios at every round? They'd do a heck of a lot better to reduce the price of the programmes.
One final negative point - those bloody fecking majorettes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TimD]

Thanks for raising this, Graham.

I was hanging back from the Powertour to see what the reactions were first. I'm not sure I'd enjoy the spectating experience from all accounts.

From what you say, you're like me - arrive at the crack of dawn, catch everything in the paddock, and hang around till the last of the gravel is swept back into the traps at the end.

This works best at big clubbies - last weekend at the Vintage Sports Car Club at Silverstone, I actually didn't have time to get all the paddock shots I needed before the racing, because I was too busy chatting with drivers and teams.

So if the Powertour is to work for me, it needs racing sooner in the day to make up for lack of access to the big name competitors, or alternatively, a substantial closing of the spectator/star divide to tempt people into not sitting around twiddling their thumbs and getting bored.

And as for the entry price?

For five races????

When the VSCC gave me 11, including classic F1 cars, and the Listers, D Types and Maseratis in their own endurance sports car race.

Hmm. Thinking caps back on again, folks.

[Graham]

The timed races is a difficult one - if cars are averaging fast lap times, we get more racing laps. But, as Caroline says, if the Safety Car comes out (it did twice during the [ahem] day, didn't it?) the 'stopwatch' isn't halted to compensate.

It was funny listening to the commentator talk about new spectators to motorsport. At those prices, you're likely to turn away the hardcore fans as well as Joe Public.

I didn't get to see Minis! THAT is the major negative point. I'm used to events where, if there are races on Saturday, it is because there just wasn't any room in the Sunday schedule to accomodate them.

Tim, I'm very much like that. I'll happily wait around until the last of the results is read out - even if I'm the only one left.

I think I'll enjoy myself a lot more at Combe this weekend AND spend a lot less doing so. AND get some better pics.

Majorettes are NO use on an airfield. Or anywhere else

[fatbloke]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
Majorettes are NO use on an airfield. Or anywhere else
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

I can think of one use for cheerleaders... but not at a racetrack

[Graham]

As the rather worn-out Austin Powers phrase goes :

Ooh, behave!

[fatbloke]

arse

[Ross]

There is no way I will be going to see Powertour! 4 races??????

The touring car circus may be going through the mill at the moment but at least you get a good DAY out.

If powertour is going to attract new fans to the sport it had better re-think it's strategy.

[fatbloke]

Ross, despite me continually slagging off PowerTour at every opportunity, we still have to remember that it was race one - Rome wasn't built in a day, and all that. I am sure that they will get it right in the end. If they don't they deserve shooting.

I can't help feeling that the weak links in the TOCA package is the touring cars themselves - the rest of the card is superb, so this proves it can be done. The guys running this new competitor, should take note.

[Peter Mallett]

When one considers the quality of drivers, (Cleland etc.) and the cost of entry at £15.00 it makes one wonder how we in the BARC/CSCC Championships can pull spectators. The Mallory Park races this weekend have an entry charge of £11.00 (I think). Brands Hatch Circuits categorises its meetings from A to E and prices accordingly. A class E meeting (which the CSCC races on) is £11.00. Do we provide better value? If so, why don't we get the spectators?

I suspect that the PowerTour needs to get a few more meetings under its belt. Lets be fair here, Thruxton is a great (very fast) circuit but its a driver's circuit, not a spectators circuit. Wait until Pembrey, Oulton etc. before making a final judgement.

[fatbloke]

Frankly Peter, yes your lot do provide better entertainment - and a full days racing - what use is starting the day at 1pm ?! Why don't you get the spectators ? Because you don't spend thousands and thousands putting out propaganda about just how brilliant the show is! And maybe this is part of the PowerTour's problem too ? People who were promised a brave new world turned up so see the same old product, only less of it

I don't care what Graham et al think of the F3, i'm not afraid to admit I think it's a fascinating series. GT's are reasonably good, Supersport were pretty good, especially if you were stood at Noble on the first lap... However the NSC does nothing at all for me i'm afraid.

I don't understand the reasoning for putting two sets of mini races and the Formula Vauxhall (which was always good fun last year!) on the Saturday - not a good decision.

The way I see it, I might be persuaded to go to my local circuit (Brands, Thruxton) again, but I very much doubt that i'd be persuaded to trek the length of the country to Croft or even Donington to see a half day's racing

[Graham]

'Tis me again. (don't groan!)


Peter,

How many spectators were at a cold and rainy Combe in October? Quite a few I thought. The BARC/ CSCC package is good because it's (a) cool cars, (b) relatively cheap, (c) good racing and (d) the drivers are approachable in the paddock. The above Powertour (at the moment) only has one of those criteria - the cars.

I'm not sure about why you don't get many spectators, but I reckon it's because you go to the same damn circuits over and over again (like Mallory). Which is miles and miles away from a large number of Southern fans like myself.


________
PowerTour
--------

I agree about it being only the first meeting but if they change it to what fans truly want, what will be different about 'Powertour'? It'll be the same as other packages (which isn't a bad thing).

Imagine you're Joe Public and you've just paid £15 to get into a circuit for the first time - which would you rather have :

- a small number of races of 'headline' championships with things 'falling out of the sky'; or

- a large number of races of a variety of cars with constant on-track action to keep you amused

?

I want the latter.

I think I'll just sit back and watch what happens for now. I'd like it work and I'm desperate to see Caterhams or Minis on the same day as the GTs. But will that happen?

[redshoes]

I was going to say that Thruxton is usually expensive for paddock access / programme but looking at the PowerTour site it's about the same as other tracks. Bargain of the year has to be Croft - 2 day ticket is £10.

The 'free' radios are going to be at most circuits. Didn't actually see that many people using the radios. Most race fans already take their own radios (well I do at least) and what happens if you're a couple with kids - would you buy multiple programmes?

I totally agree with Graham re the timing. Move the start time back to noon and run another 2 races. Didn't think the paddock walkabout was very well organised either. At previous GT meetings (as with BTCC) the drivers sit at desks to chat and give out autographs. This time many of them just sat at the back of the team area - hardly that accessible. I guess I'll just have to remember to get there later in future.

Marching bands and stunt displays - no thanks. Fine if you are standing near the pit straight but anywhere else and it's just a wasted ten minutes. Terry Grant's Legend is very entertaining but makes very poor radio.

No idea who John Griff or Tania Baker were but thought they did a good job. John Griff in particular did well to get Addipose to explain things for the benefit of newcomers. One question though - where are these newcomers coming from? The only ads I've seen were in Autosport/Motoring News which is preaching to the converted.

On the whole the racing was actually quite good, but I think I preferred the old F3/GT/NSC/TVR/Minis/Best of British format.

[Carrie]

Has anyone heard anything on what the crowd numbers were like? It looked pretty quiet to me, but then I'm only comparing it to Thruxton in the height of summer for the BTCC. I guess the time of year / weather would partly account for what appeared to be a small crowd.

[fatbloke]

Does anyone remember the days when BTCC used to go there at this time of year, and the crowds that used to attract ? I'm not saying that there should have been that many people there the other day, but having just three cars in front of me in the queue to get in, and being able to drive (sideways) straight out of the carpark at the end, indicates that it was nowhere near.

[Peter Mallett]

Graham,

We have to travel to other circuits because its a national championship. (We've discussed this before). Combe is renowned for its good crowds but I think that's based on the circuit management rather than the championships that visit.

Redshoes,

If the racing is good then £15.00 for the day would be good value. As it is less than half a day for that price seems steep.

Fatbloke,

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I've mailed this thread to our comittee. See if it can be used with the BARC.

[Rache]

When was the qualifying then if it wasn't on the Saturday? Friday? If so that is a bit sh*t because some ppl like to watch the qualifying cos it is a good indication of who is gonna be strong for the races, but not everyone can get Fridays off work!

[Graham]

So ... err ... if it's a national championship, why do you visit Mallory twice?

Why couldn't one of those meetings be at a different circuit - like one beginning with 'C'?

[Dan Friel]

Things seem to be hot while I've been away..

I was there for both days!!! (Being a marshal, rather than completely sad...)

The organisation on saturday was dire (almost as bad as your average TOCA qualifying day), but it was the first ever POWERTOUR day - so perhaps another chance is deserved..

One question - why did the minis (with full grids) race on saturday??, whilst the paying public got Supersports (12 cars) and MGF's (15 cars) on Sunday!!!! Made no sense to me, but made my saturday a little more bearable!!!!

Was amazed that on Sunday the schedule ran true and we were finished by 5.30 - you won't be seeing many red flags at these meetings this year!!! But I do think the public were kept entertained, as one race quickly followed the previous.

But for five races (15 quid)???, you need packed grids - the supporting races need to be considered more carefully otherwise it's a slippery slope.....

[Peter Mallett]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Trebuchet MS, Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Graham:
So ... err ... if it's a national championship, why do you visit Mallory twice?

Why couldn't one of those meetings be at a different circuit - like one beginning with 'C'? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Well, we used to go to Croft but for some reason they've never asked us back again. You have to remember that we are run by the BARC so some circuits where the organiser is say the BRSCC don't have many free dates for us. We go to Knockhill this year.

We quite often get Snetterton twice in a year, but only one Silverstone event.

[Truckosaurus]

I supposed I'd better speak up as well

Being as badly organised as usual, I didn't ring up for advanced tickets until the end of last week, only to be told that I couldn't pick them up on the gate like I have done at other circuits. (The advanced ticekts are good value @ £20 for both days plus extras like the pitwalk).


I decided to go for both days as I could stay over at my folks' place in Dorset on the Saturday night. I drove down from Cambridge late Saturday morning and arrived to catch the last few minutes of the MGF qualifying. The £7 Saturday ticket got you into the paddock, so I got to check out the cars without the crowds...

The Mini racing was as good as ever, especially as they all fell off the track when it started raining (both and )

The later start on Sunday was good for me as I didn't have to get up early, the £15 entry is not as significant as the £50 of petrol I burned over the weekend , so Value-For-Money is not really an issue (perhaps if I was buying a family ticket....)

I've no preference for timed or 'lapped' races, but it was good to see each race following on fairly quickly.

Perhaps they should run one of the smaller races after the final 'hero' (daft name) race, so that the congestion at the end of the meeting is reduced, as plenty of people would go after the last major race.

My suggestions for improvements, free or very cheap tickets for children, free paddock access on the Sunday, extend the 'guest' races to some clubman's series so that the occasional racefan can see how entertaining the races are at that level. Also, offer a discount on other races at the same track on presentation of your race ticket to encourage first-timers to come back.

It'll be interesting to see how big the crowds are at Croft, I only made the trek to Thruxton as it was the season opener...

[Lee Purnell]

I was thinking of getting to a power tour meeting sometime, I might give it a miss now
I'll see what the reaction is after the next one!