Street Circuits

[pete55]

Some people saying how much V8 supercars have done for motorsport in this country. Take Adelaide for instance. What does racing on the streets of Adelaide do to Grass Roots motorsport in SA. Not a great deal i say.
Why can't CAMS insist that if you run a street race in a state you must also run a race on a permanent circuit. Therefore permanent motorsport facilities in that state might benefit. Also i hear Qld next year might only have one race, the one at Surfers. The possibility of 2 rounds was to be one at Darlington Park. Darlington Park i am told is not interested, so will Qld get 2 rounds next year. Seems AVESCO is holding Qld Raceway and Qld motorsport entrants and fans to ransom.

[racer69]

I'm personally not really that interested in street races, i realise that some of them seem to be a success (Adelaide, Melbourne), but Canberra proved that just because it is a street race doesn't make more people interested, also in the case of WA.

I can put up with Adelaide because of it's history, but fully agree that street races do nothing to help motorsport, only some of the classes competing.

That would be a great solution, if you have a street race you must also run a round on a permanent circuit. It would also have to be ensured that the same effort would be put into the second event as would go into the street event.

[William Dale Jr]

I remember the rumours about Townsville getting a V8 street race, and as good as that would be, I would much rather they built a good, permanent circuit. However, I don't know whether there would be enough people up here interested in racing to sustain such a venue. It would benefit me greatly, though

[pete55]

Don't think it would happen in The Strand area now William. Too much money spent there to do it up in last few years.

[Rob29]

Not sure where you Aussies are coming from.You have 3 of the most beautiful circuits in the world-Alelade,Albert Park & Surfers Paradise and your moaning that they they dont spend enough on the old bush tracks?

[Armco Bender]

The best street circuit you guys have is Bathurst..

[Bomn]

And all four are locked away only to be wheeled out for the elite to play with.

[Josh]

I disagree totally Pete55 !

I find Adelaide a great track and it does not lack facilities. Personally I find the "Normall Tracks" pretty boring to watch compared to Street Circuits.

[pete55]

Josh, you missed my point completely. I didn't say that the Adelaide Street cricuit lack facilities. My point was that this does nothing for grass roots motorsport in SA. How many times per year can the competitors in SA use this track. Money is put into Street Circuits, they run sucessful meets on them and in the meantime the permanent circuits lose money. Where does that help motorsport in SA. Where do the SA competitors race if they end up with no permanent circuit. Maybe you have an answer to it but i don't.

[Champ69]

I have to say may fav tracks are the street races.

Also keep spint rounds on perm tracks and let them run enduro races on street tracks.

But I agree that street circuits do nothing to help grass roots motorsport other than bringing the racing to the people rather that the people to the racing.

[Ozenigma]

Pete I think you have to look at the fact that if it wasnt for the street curcuits then some states wouldnt even have a round, In SA no money was being spent on the track and old Bob a job had his nascar and the "I will rule the motorsport world" attitude going. Last i saw the track wasnt in great condition for a national event, I have heard some money has been spent but in the long run it is up to the owner/promotor to put a submision in and prove they can run the meet. If they have done that I dont know about it but i doubt they have.

The point is that it is not allways EVESCO that make the decisions to race or not race at a track.

[Bomn]

Last year Mallala wasn't good enough for a round but it was ok for pre qualifying.

[Ozenigma]

Thats right it probably isnt good enough for a round, Pre Qualifying is a different story and I am sure the track got the rent money.

[Bomn]

But good enough for Konica cars?

[pete55]

If the money put into the street circuit was put into Mallala it would be a lot better circuit and all of SA's competitors would get the benefit of it, 12 months of the year.

[Bomn]

But would the South Australian Government put that sort of money into Mallala.

[pete55]

Probably not, but can governments see past the end of their noses anyway.

[DNQ]

Just my two cents worth - I much prefer permanent facilities over street circuits. Sure, Adelaide is pretty good, and Surfers is alright, but Canberra was ****, and Melbourne isn't anything exciting.

There is no point on spending $$$ on street races, whilst letting tracks like Lakeside, Mallala, Calder Park, Amaroo Park and Symmons Plains sit there doing nothing. These are the tracks that are going to produce the drivers of tomorrow, not some second gear 50mph concrete jungle.

[moffman]

Went to the first race in Canberra,paid good money for pit straight grandstand tickets & could not see **** all.Never went back again.I think TC is pushing the main show towards street circuits & Konica towards permanent tracks.I for one do not like this.

[05forever]

What a load of hogwash "governments cant see past their noses"

It is in fact "some posters cant think outside the square"

When the race moved from Mallala to Adelaide the crowd figures went up 500% the whole point is governments have an event budget to make things happen, to bring people to the state. It is not a dicretionary Motor Racing budget to be spent on a circuit if not on a street race. The investment they make (I believe the end shortfall in adelaide is some $1.-1.5M) is about generating economic activity and having a significant event. It is not about having somewhere for club racers.

Motorsport has to have a mix, some where they run at traditional circuits and other larger events, and now some overseas rounds. You have to look at the package and not the individual components. Some circuits are OK for Konica's simply because they dont have compulsory pitting under race conditions and dont require the same facilities.

As for access to the tracks it is the same as any major sporting venue, when was the last time the local B-4 C&S Cricket team got scheduled to play at the SCG,WACA or MCG? Some venues are major event only in all sports, not just motor racing.

As to the usual dribble about what have V8's done for the sport in general. The answer is twofold

1. Plenty - HV, QR, Bathurst, BR & OP have/will all had significant upgrades as a direct result of V8's being there. They are also the only event at some circuits which generate a cashflow surplus over pure track hire to keep them alive for everyone to race at. They also have raised the profile and opinion of the sport to the highest levels ever.

2. AVESCO is a private company - CAMS is the peak organising body in Australia funded by Govs, and also all forms of racing in Aust. They should be the ones that lobby for improvements and funding. The image has been built for them to leverage off, it seems that no one there is ready to take the opportunity.

[Pure GT]

Originally posted by pete55
Josh, you missed my point completely. I didn't say that the Adelaide Street cricuit lack facilities. My point was that this does nothing for grass roots motorsport in SA. How many times per year can the competitors in SA use this track. Money is put into Street Circuits, they run sucessful meets on them and in the meantime the permanent circuits lose money. Where does that help motorsport in SA. Where do the SA competitors race if they end up with no permanent circuit. Maybe you have an answer to it but i don't.

I thought a portion of the profits from street circuit meetings was handed back to the relevant state association?

[pete55]

05 you answered your own hogwash in some points there.
Who's money is it paying for the upgrades of circuits. Yours and mine, not the private company taking the profits away from the sport. I think it is you who should look outside the square.

[mmciau]

Forum,
Having attended all Adelaide F1 and now V8s, I believe that SA lost the F1s because of the "poor attendance/economic benefits to SA" debates in the "mid years". Big Red sensed the vibes and trotted off to see Bernie and Premier Arnold could not have cared too much.
If any "current" government gets negative attention from press/electorate re the V8s, that will go too.

We have enough trouble each year with the "Parkland saviours" as it is so it wouldn't take too much to can the V8s.

In the mean time, the promoters are taking all the cash and running as per usual!!!!

Mike

[pete55]

Pure GT, maybe somebody knows if this is the case.

[05forever]

Pete, yeah mate our taxes are going into some tracks. Once again in balance that is not a bad thing, they build football stadiums cricket pitches, basketball courts etc. They are responsible for much of the stadia that we utilise, why cant they spend some taxes on motorsport when it is the second largest sporting industry in the country?

Again, AVESCO has also taken lesser payments to appear at some venues so they could invest in upgrades, isn;t that responsible?

As to your claim of a private company taking profits away from the sport again incorrect, the company plows back 75% of the profits to the teams that compete, much of that is reinvested in the activity of those teams.

The facts are that Sweeney Sports Research listed the direct economic activity in Australia as $490Mill that means that the Various Govs could just put back the GST of $44.5Mill and they would still be better off with Income and company taxes.

If your negative view on private companies is one of philosophy then why aren;t PROCAR, Phil Wards Legends, F3, ASTEM and others mentioned as well? Again I say AVESCO are not Gods but they are also not the devils that many of you claim. Everyone has roles in our society - AVESCO's is to promote V8 Supercars, indeed I believe their Articles of Association limit them to this. CAMS are to promote, administer and run motorsport in general and Governments to run there electorates in a way they see fit answerable to the community from time to time.

Maybe someone in the link isn't doing their job but it sure aint AVESCO.