Mondello entry fees

[Podd37]

Am i the only person to notice that entry fees have risen by 15euro over last year? I appreciate that the circuit has to make money but how do they justify that? 375euro for 2x15 lap races is plain daft. And why are the Libre folks getting 2 races for just E320?
There is lots of interest in the circuit from trackdays and the racing school but people will run a mile from those prices and not cross over. Why dont they try reducing the entry fees to see if they can encourage people into or back to the sport rather than just pricing the few that are left out of it.
Rallying is booming here with most events hugely oversubscribed. While at the front end it's massively expensive, for the clubman it's affordable and good value.The Monaghan stages in April cost E540 for approximately 80 mins of competitive action. That much track time in Mondello would cost around E900!

[Al Weyman]

Same over there as well eh? Tell us the same old story, I think there is a hidden agenda and its all to do with property prices, price all the racers out and then you can justify closing the circuit and selling it to developers or am I just an old cynic?

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by Podd37

Am i the only person to notice that entry fees have risen by 15euro over last year? I appreciate that the circuit has to make money but how do they justify that?

A little thing called inflation perhaps? Could say the same about just about everything in Ireland over the last year.

Originally Posted by Podd37

And why are the Libre folks getting 2 races for just E320?

Perhaps they did a deal? Perhaps someone is sponsoring the series by subsidising entry fees?

Originally Posted by Podd37

There is lots of interest in the circuit from trackdays and the racing school

Both of which generate considerably more revenue for Mondello than a race day. Case in point, the Monday of St. Patricks weekend the weather was terrible, sleet in the air, ice on the roads there was a track day on the Monday, basically lads throwing scoobies and civics around the track. By the middle of the morning the grandstand was fuller than I've seen for many a race meeting, at a conservative estimate there were at least a thousand people in the place, and they had PAID TO GET IN TO WATCH!!!!! So if that kind of money can be generated with people almost begging to pay to throw their cars around and people coming to watch them then where's the incentive to run race days to attract spectators when the average grid for a race is just that.... average.

Originally Posted by Podd37

Why dont they try reducing the entry fees to see if they can encourage people into or back to the sport rather than just pricing the few that are left out of it.

You partly answer this yourself in the next paragraph:"Rallying is booming here with most events hugely oversubscribed." so the focus of motorsport and the promotion of motorsport in Ireland is based around rallying. Also, the small grid size and the (in my opinion, and I'll get hammered for it) stupid choices of racing classes in Ireland mean that a lot of people will race in the UK instead. Why pay X thousand for a 10 round race series in Ireland that consists of 8 rounds at Mondello and 2 rounds at Kirkistown when a 10 round series in the UK could be on 10 different circuits with 10 different challenges.

Now, back to the racing classes..... Ok, it's getting a bit better now with FF1600 making a comeback and of course Historics and Libre on the upsurge, all three of which are basically "open" classes. However for "single make" racing, what was the idea with Strykers when the Caterham was already available, is a similar type of car, and.... has an existing following / series in the UK that could be tapped into. Then we have the Fiat Punto Arbath class..... What was wrong with Clios? or Cupras? Again tap into an existing UK class and then people can race in both, look how popular Rallycross is with people going to and coming from the UK to take part? Why? Because they CAN!!!

[Podd37]

Probably not as cynical as you think Al!!

MagnetON, to the best of my knowledge, Libre have no sponsors, nor did they last year when they also had cheaper entry fees. I couldn't agree more about the ridiculous classes full (!) of cars that you cant use or sell anywhere else. Motorsport Ireland have a hand in the downfall in racing too by allowing those classes in.
My point regarding the rallying and the popular trackdays was that surely some of the people that cant get entry's to events or want to try racing would turn to racing or even rallycross (again tiny grids compared to 10 yrs ago) if the basics like entry fees were cheaper. It's about value for money.
As I said before I can understand the circuit's need to make money. It is a business after all. But surely the Ryanair example of 'make it cheap and they will flock' idea could be tried. I'm sure if it worked Mondello would welcome the extra revenue. Or am I really that naive?

[Cryos]

Another case in point lads, as explained at nearly all open forums the way MSI and Mondello are insuring people now is different, where as before your insurance would cover you for something like 2 months reduced pay after; This now covers several more months than that.

You have to look at insurance costs and public liability for mondello, you have a bunch of lads throwing their scoobies around; alot of which do not have roll cages etc...

The risk with open libre is reduced.

Another case in point, i creamed myself (magneton can verify) a few years ago in mondello, im still here today because of the roll cage and helmet! If you were to put someone in the exact same accident in any of the various cars people bring to trackdays; i could nearly gaurentee you they would not be here today; Point being that the safety standards are not as great between a trackday and open libre are non compairable and it unfair to compair the two.

[graeme]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

what was the idea with Strykers when the Caterham was already available, is a similar type of car, and.... has an existing following / series in the UK that could be tapped into.

Don't know the ins and outs of the decision, and it'd be rather unfair to tell current racers to throw away their cars now (!) but how about a Styker vs Caterham race at Mondello? Or similar with saloons?

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by graeme

Don't know the ins and outs of the decision, and it'd be rather unfair to tell current racers to throw away their cars now (!)

That's not what I was suggesting, my point was that Caterhams already existed as a UK race series when they decided to bring in Strykers, which aren't.

Originally Posted by graeme

but how about a Styker vs Caterham race at Mondello? Or similar with saloons?

HUGE difference between staging a one-off / non-championship event (was successfully done last year with UK and Irish spec Vees) and being able to compete in the whole of a series.

[ALEX SINCLAIR]

Motorsport Ireland has raised the cost of personal accident insurance from €9 to €16. This is to provide for a weekly benefit (after 4 weeks) of €500 per week for 50 weeks and a capital benefit of €125,000. Full details are in January 2007 Motorsport Ireland bulletin. This can be viewed on www.motorsportireland.com
Hope this helps.
Alex Sinclair

[EvilPumpkin]

Does that apply to marshal insurance as well Alex? Or only drivers?

[MagnetON]

Originally Posted by EvilPumpkin

Does that apply to marshal insurance as well Alex? Or only drivers?

February bulletin says it applies to officials too.

[ALEX SINCLAIR]

The Personal Accident Insurance covers officials also, without the necessity to pay a premium. Once you sign on you are covered. See details in February bulletin.
Alex Sinclair

[Podd37]

Thanks Alex, that explains some of it. Now I just want to know why Libre races are E55 cheaper for 2 x races than everyone else!

[Cryos]

Originally Posted by ALEX SINCLAIR

The Personal Accident Insurance covers officials also, without the necessity to pay a premium. Once you sign on you are covered. See details in February bulletin.
Alex Sinclair

Top man alex, always setting us straight! Fair play

[Doc Hollywood]

Originally Posted by Podd37

Thanks Alex, that explains some of it. Now I just want to know why Libre races are E55 cheaper for 2 x races than everyone else!

Good point! The Libres dont provide a full grid as yet so why don't Formula Vee and Formula Ford get some reduction if they have around 25-30 cars per round?

[MagnetON]

Why not make the entry fee PER CLASS, then the drivers can divide it up between themselves and then the classes that have the big numbers get cheap racing and "Formula We've Four Cars But We'll Take Up Track Time Anyway" have to pay through the nose!

Oh, and any class that can't field more than 10 cars has to pay each marshals €20!!!

[Doc Hollywood]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

Why not make the entry fee PER CLASS, then the drivers can divide it up between themselves and then the classes that have the big numbers get cheap racing and "Formula We've Four Cars But We'll Take Up Track Time Anyway" have to pay through the nose!

Oh, and any class that can't field more than 10 cars has to pay each marshals €20!!!

The Park ran last year on the basis of a per class fee and it seemed to suit very well. It encouraged larger participation as the more people got involved the less expensive your weekend got.

I don't think classes with less than 10 cars should be allowed to race.

In fact I don't think entries should be accepted for less than 15. But I'm sure the powers that be have the bigger picture in mind....

[GORDON STREETER]

Sounds ok in theory but it will finish up a one class race and still won't have enough cars to try to fill the grid !