Quote:
Originally Posted by CDM
Don’t believe that just because its not on the TV3 news or the back page of the NZ Herald that things don’t happen.
The SI Endurance Series is actually organised & run by just one unpaid volunteer, and it’s a ****ing huge job. I know that because that person is me!
Im sorry that I couldn’t post the live updates from the Teretonga circuit as we normally do. Im sure you know how **** the reception is at Teretonga, especially when the weather is poor, and I posted this once I had reception on Sunday a.m.
Im sorry that I couldn’t release immediate race reports. I had to drive 7 hours home on Sunday & then I had to sit down & write them both
Im sorry that all the media outlets I sent those reports to didn’t publish them. Im unsure how to fix that.
Im sorry I couldn’t edit & upload the 200+ pics to our facebook page until Monday night. I do have a day job as well.
To be honest I think that given our limited resources we do a bloody good job, remembering that we are a series that caters for the drivers more so than the fans. Its public knowledge that we have a massive prizemoney pool but every single dollar of that goes straight back to the competitors so Im sorry we are no frills in our series promotion.
Have a look at the massive amount of updates on the SIERDC facebook page (www.facebook.com/sierdcnz) both pre and post race, excluding the race day as above, and I would be surprised if ANY series posts as much Series info as SIERDC.
Comparing it ….. Its only a few weeks until kick-off of the NZTC season and there is only ONE post since July 5th on the NZV8 fb page and ONE since Aug 9th on the V8ST fb page. Only one item of news since June on the NZV8 website and the V8ST site doesn’t even seem to exist anymore.
I totally agree that the top end of racing in NZ is hurting and yes numbers in the 3hr were down. You quote above how hard it is to get competitors all the way South, but the Teretonga 1hr race was oversubscribed and we currently have a waiting list for Levels. We should also have well over 20 3hr cars at Ruapuna next weekend and there are definitely more than a ‘handful’ of top cars when the race winner qualifies 8th at Teretonga.
I also agree that the lower levels of motor racing are flourishing. I also know this as am the Chairman of 2K Cup South Island and we have upwards of 80 entries that will be competing on the day after the Ruapuna Enduro
Love to debate this more but I am still organising things for 3 events over the next 3 weeks. I also hope to finally get to unpack my bag from Teretonga tonight J
Chris.
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Chris, thanks for your very informative post, I readily admit to being somewhat ignorant of your organisation's structure, which is why in a weird way you have found yourself "hoist on your own petard' as it were, because the build up to your first event via social media was excellent, and because of that I found myself, like many others desperate for news, but there was none, and I now understand why.
Hopefully you can find another volunteer with some basic media skills as those of us that actually can't or will not be at your next two events does not mean we are not very interested in whats happening and the results as soon as they come to hand.
The problem we have at the top end of our sport in every category is one of cost versus reward, which is why people like Hugh Gardiner, will travel all that way to Invercargill to have a very good chance of winning a one hour race, rather than find another driver to help with the considerable additional costs of running in a 3 hour race, with full crew, refuelling etc.
Its also the exact same reason we also took the much lower cost option when we ran Gene Rollinson in the Pukekohe 1 hour race in the Mosler, and also the reason we pulled the plug on running any future proper 2 handed endurance races.
Certainly the lack of television makes it virtually impossible to raise a decent budget, and there is no question Owen and I tried but failed to raise any meaningful sponsorship in order carry on. The sad fact is without television there are only ever going to be a small number of wealthy guys, that can afford to bank-roll buying, and running a competitive GT3 car, which becomes the limiting factor to top end domestic endurance racing competitors.
Keep up the good work Chris,
Cheers,
Mark.