No Brands for GT's?

[forzaf1]

Why when I check out the schedule is there no GT or F3 at Brands this year???

Thanks,
Alex

[Kicking-back]

Because organisers SRO failed to reach a deal with MSV to run at any of their circuits.

Jonathan Palmer has arranged a special GT event for Brands Hatch though.

[TheNewBob]

Special GT event should be quite good, it's supporting the A1 Grand Prix race isn't it? I'd like to pay a visit to that but I don't know the dates

[JAG]

And what about all of the fans the series is alienating in the North with no race ot Oulton and only GT3s at croft.

[mcurtis26]

It is a shame, but I think MSV were very stubborn, they waive the circuit hire fees entirely for BTCC, so it seems unreasonable to ask SRO for the amount they did.

[TheNewBob]

The BTCC probably brings in a lot more dosh than the F3/GT meeting. So they could safely waive the fees and still be sure that they'd make money. It's not right, against principle, if one has to pay then all should. What they could have asked from BTCC could have reduced the cost for SRO as a result too, balancing things out. I happen to think the BTCC is vastly overrated...

[mcurtis26]

tbh i was at Oulton for the May BTCC meeting and it was one of the quietest meetings i've seen there...there was less than 10 people stood on the outside of lodge for the first BTCC race. The Brands season close F3GT race pulled in a pretty reasonable crowd despite the weather and was a far better meting IMHO and much better value at less than half the price of a BTCC ticket

[TheNewBob]

That's probably it - ticket prices - they'd bump up the prices at BTCC meetings for everything to make up for a waived fee. I've not seen the BTCC on their own for a long while, last time I ever saw them was at Donington's BTCC/F3/GT mix in 2002 - I don't know what support races they have at BTCC races but I'd so much prefer to be attending an F3/GT weekend instead. It's value for money.

That, I guess, adds to the importance of an F3/GT meeting taking place at Castle Combe. If that goes, then we'd have lost 4 circuits on the calendar in the space of 2 years. I do hope they can sort something out with Jonathan Palmer soon and get GT's back at Brands next year, they'll run out of circuits!

[mcurtis26]

Hopefully Combe will be saved, Marcus Pye was getting behind them in autosport a few weeks back. I actually preffered the supports at the BTCC (clios, porsches and seats) to the main race.

[JAG]

I'm prepared to travel and stay overnight for the Silverstone LMES and FIA GT events, but not for British GTs.

Donningtons not that far to travel, but the viewing and atmosphere is not a patch on Oulton. There always seems to be an above average crowd there as well. The Oulton races also look great on TV.

[TheNewBob]

True. Donington's too spacious and caught up in their international status (like MotoGP) so it seems bigger than it is, and emptier even with a large crowd. I haven't been to Oulton Park since BTCC in '95 (still got the programme ). But your closer to the track, so I wish I could have gone there to see British GT's when they had the bigger classes. I guess Brands is similar? Not been there. Atmos must be magical at tracks like that.

[mcurtis26]

Brands is good from a spectator's point of view, as you can see all of the indy circuit from parts of the track, GP circuit is better tho

[Duffacus]

I think it's a disappointment SRO and Palmer couldn't come to a deal.

I saw the GT's at Oulton for the first time last year and was looking forward to returning this year

Lets hope something can be worked out for next year... this is after all Britain’s premier GT Championship and if it's not visiting some of the best circuits in the UK then that’s a real shame and not exactly good for the Championship either.

[JAG]

Originally Posted by Duffacus

I think it's a disappointment SRO and Palmer couldn't come to a deal.

I saw the GT's at Oulton for the first time last year and was looking forward to returning this year

Lets hope something can be worked out for next year... this is after all Britain’s premier GT Championship and if it's not visiting some of the best circuits in the UK then that’s a real shame and not exactly good for the Championship either.

The only losers are BGT. Fans like myself will travel to see international events, but not BGT, or even the BTCC these days.

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by TheNewBob

Special GT event should be quite good, it's supporting the A1 Grand Prix race isn't it? I'd like to pay a visit to that but I don't know the dates

Sept 25-A1GP,TGP,GTrace,PalmerAudi.

[Ian Sowman]

Originally Posted by Rob29

Sept 25-A1GP,TGP,GTrace,PalmerAudi.

And MSV FF1600.

[TheNewBob]

There's TGP too? I wanna be there! It's shortly after my birthday too - nice prezzy to myself lol.

[MSportUK]

The loss of the MSV circuits from the BGT calendar is a shame because they added a lot of variety. Oulton is just a glorious track for anything so its a shame thats gone, but also Brands Indy was a much tighter track than the rest so gave the lightweight Cup cars a real chance to get in the mix with the NGTs. Snett gave us a fantastic race last year, right to the wire and even though it's always bitterly cold there, it's nice to see the big GTs screaming down the back straight.

Hopefully SRO and MSV will sort everything out for a return in 06, providing the BrandsGT isn't too successful. Hope Combe sort out their nuisance neighbours too. Wouldn't be too fussed if Thruxton got struck off the list tho - never really thought it was a great spectator circuit.

I actually really like Donington (possibly because I spent a ridiculous amount of time there while I was a Uni nearby) and it can sometimes pull in the crowds - the last BTCC race last year was awesome with a huge crowd and a great atmosphere, but it was also a gloriously sunny day, something which the early GT slot sadly didnt offer last year. Went to World Superbikes there a few years ago with an 80k raceday crowd cheering Foggy on - yet to see ANY repeat of atmosphere like that!

[TheNewBob]

Indeed the first GT race I ever saw occured at Snetterton. MSV has under it's control some of the very heart and soul of British racing circuits. So to have cars with such heart and soul unable to play battle there is almost a crime in itself. I'm still praying one day they realise the potential in Cadwell Park and it gets some huge development and upgrades in time for an MSV future British GT deal lol... oh such wishful thinking

[MSportUK]

Its going to need some work! The two ex-BTCC Primeras racing in the Euro Saloons series apparently can't race at Cadwell because they can't get down the ramp to the track. A GT race there would certainly make for a great show!

[TheNewBob]

The fields for the car parks are probably more luxurious than Cadwell's paddock. You get so close to the action at Cadwell, it's so good to see. Mind you I was present at the TVR tuscan event a few years back when a first lap accident needlessly injured spectators - at the spot I usually like to watch from! You can see so much of the circuit - where Brands just needs a contract signing, Cadwell needs a hell of a lot of work but it would be such a great addition to any national racing calendar. MSV are spending money on the circuit, aren't they?

[MSportUK]

They're committed to upping standards at all of them, but I would imagine that it would be their lowest priority of the four. I wouldn't hold your breath!

[TheNewBob]

lol, like I said before, it was wishful thinking. But at least Cadwell won't have much in the way of noise problems - nearest villages must surely be, at the very least, more than 5 miles away? With Louth being the nearest large settlement.

Do they ever complain much about noise at the likes of Brands? I know they do, bizarrely, in Donington village (despite the big huge airport making more noise when international events aren't in their vicinity)