Quote:
Originally Posted by one five five
Even a drop to 14 events must be considered a worry. Any time an event is added to the schedule it is lauded as what great shape the series is in. Any drop in events numbers must be judged to the same extent, it is hardly a positive sign, especially given how well Mr Seamer keeps telling us everything is going....
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Personally I suspect that there might be more to this than meets the eye - but I could be wrong (and often am). The teams as a group have always been very resistant to increasing the number of events beyond 14. Even when the 14th round was then a non-points AGP, the teams as a group often weren't keen but a BIG appearance fee from AGP and sponsor preference for many teams would get them over the line. Even when the series didn't go to the AGP, the end result was that a massively increased appearance fee was offered and accepted for the following year after AGP worked out how much not having Supercars cost the event financially.
The team RECs were written initially back in those days (I can't recall if the document was updated after the Archer buy in) and as a two-way document, the number of events is in there as a commitment for the teams AND for the series organisers. In the olden days, if the series organisers wanted to add rounds above the number listed in the REC, then the teams needed to agree to that increase. If that is still the case, it's possible that the teams - even without the majority shareholding of the pre-Archer days - may have put their collective feet down and said "14 and no more".
If that is the case, it is simple arithmetic that some events need to go and the decisions then flow from that point. With Supercar having its own event arm, it's likely that part of the decision process revolves around risk and reward financially for that part of the business too.
The decisions on what existing rounds to trim with SMP coming back will have a number of factors - not least being that if QR is chopped, then Qld teams lose their existing test track and if PI and Winton are dropped, then Vic teams lose both their test track options. A decision either way is likely to cause significant headaches in that area, unless there are plans to change the testing regime for next year.
To me the biggest problem though with the REPORTED changes is moving the 500 from Sandown to the Bend (if true). Whilst it might make a little sense in the short term, in my view it is a huge mistake to move it before it is absolutely necessary - was done previously & other than generating a stronger relationship with the Qld government, did not deliver. Again, may be more happening behind the scenes IF the SA govt has tied Adelaide 500 funding to a larger event at the Bend (a facility into which the SA govt has tipped money) but still I feel a mistake for the sport overall IMHO.