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25 Dec 2009, 11:19 (Ref:2604934) | #1676 | ||
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Saw that news this morning. No mention of the great Walter Mitty himself but i wouldn't discount the possibility of Gillett popping up with another harebrained scheme in the future claiming, as our great leader Gordon Brown does !!, that non of it was his fault and this time everyone will make money.
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25 Dec 2009, 12:17 (Ref:2604944) | #1677 | ||
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I would like the track changes to go ahead. I never liked the fogarty esses as they were before, and would like to see the run from Coppice head straight into the Melbourne hairpin. I would still want a "national" Goddards chicane so that they could cut through much like they did in the past however.
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25 Dec 2009, 22:19 (Ref:2605030) | #1678 | ||
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Somehow I think making changes to the layout is the last issue worth worrying about, unless the track has been cut up so much it wouldnt make any difference anyway!!
For me, as mentioned in anotehr thread, leave the glory days behind, get rid of the loop and have a solid club venue. You can still have BTCC and BSB without spending the insane fees that Flammini and other series want for their "world "rounds. WSBK this year has many UK champions past and present and as yet no UK round!! It should be at Donington, will Silverstone etep in? Or maybe Plamer to run it at Brands with the bargaining stick of all those champions and no track to see them on! |
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25 Dec 2009, 22:59 (Ref:2605038) | #1679 | ||
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Not the news any of us wanted to hear, but all of us in our heart of hearts knew this was going to be the end result. Donington as a race circuit is finished, under present conditions fairy Godmothers are a bit thin on the ground. It is quite some time since the sun shone on an event I attended there, the last probabley the 50th anniversary of the XK engine, still have the small commorative plaque those who attended the dinner received. Shame on those who are responsible for this very sad outcome.
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25 Dec 2009, 23:38 (Ref:2605041) | #1680 | |||
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Quote:
Do the maths and see that a sensible operation could make a decent business case. We're not after fairy godmothers, just a club or business with vision and a modest bit of money working together with a family keen to see the circuit recover and willing to accept modest rent until the damage is repaired. Modest track day activity plus some club racing from mid-2010 and full development in 2011. Regards Jim |
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26 Dec 2009, 11:52 (Ref:2605112) | #1681 | ||
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Agreed Jim, all they need to do is lower expectations, perhaps sell some of the land, keep doing markets, keep using the exhibition centre, open up the museum, increase the prices there and have school visits etc, soon get people back.
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26 Dec 2009, 17:34 (Ref:2605169) | #1682 | ||
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i still dont know why they stepped the old pitlane....lost the fia gt and lms races just down to that...dumb!
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26 Dec 2009, 18:08 (Ref:2605178) | #1683 | |
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A lot depends on what kind of lease the Wheatcrofts are prepared to offer... and whether they will foot the bill for rendering the circuit suitable to race on. If they offer terms similar to Gillett had... and the circuit as is, it will be big ask for anybody to take it on as a commercial enterprise.
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26 Dec 2009, 19:10 (Ref:2605195) | #1684 | |||
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And anyway, if a "stepped" pit lane works at Brands, why not Donington? Jim |
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26 Dec 2009, 19:14 (Ref:2605196) | #1685 | |||
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Jim |
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26 Dec 2009, 19:17 (Ref:2605197) | #1686 | ||
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so wat wil silverstone do? hav the new pits stepped n drive away fia gt and lms?
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26 Dec 2009, 19:33 (Ref:2605199) | #1687 | ||
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It was built purely for bikes and is totally unsuitable for the LMS cars/F3 etc. |
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26 Dec 2009, 19:42 (Ref:2605202) | #1688 | |
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In this current economic climate, it wouldn't be unreasonable for the landlords to offer a lengthy rent free period in addition to presenting the track and facilities in full repair. Anyone taking this on as a commercial proposition would be looking at such a situation as a starting point and negotiating from there ! I'm currently in the process of negotiating a very large commercial lease and to say its a tenants' market is an understatement.
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26 Dec 2009, 21:41 (Ref:2605232) | #1689 | |||
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your money not suggestions for other peoples money. Ammounts in cash reaching Telephone number proportions are just a little difficult to come by, I do not have to do the maths, 1-3/4 million GBP minimun is a lot of money, The Wheatcroft family will have a debt to settle with the Inland Revenue you add it up comrade, and then make it pay with a dozen or so cars [silenced] twice a week testing and all the good trade at Silverstone. |
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26 Dec 2009, 22:19 (Ref:2605247) | #1690 | |||
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Why would the Wheatcrofts have a debt to settle with HMRC? DVLL might have but they are in administration and about to go into liquidation. Tough luck HMRC, not Wheatcrofts. Indeed the Wheatcrofts might well have their losses (of rent from DVL) to set against tax. For this sort of business £2M is really quite modest. Six months gross income? Regards Jim |
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26 Dec 2009, 23:01 (Ref:2605255) | #1691 | |||
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Dr. Palmer was in a different position when he acquired the Octagon set up, he had the added benifit of access to 'the clubhouse' where chaps of a similar disposition gathered and it suited their purpose to save those circuits. So I discount any involvement from that source as it is not in Silverstones interest to 'save' Donington. The flightpath another obsticle, and of course the Sunday morning lawn mower brigade, can not have nasty motor cars disturbing the peace. If you succeed in your mission to save Donington, best regards, you can add 2 & 2 at best you will get 3, more problems than mere money. |
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27 Dec 2009, 22:50 (Ref:2605491) | #1692 | |||
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Your right on one thing it's not in the BRDC's intrest to have any circuits that can compete with their baby (Silverstone) but like all businesses you don't get progress without having competition that pushes you forward. The Flight Path is anything but an obstacle to the circuit as the jet noise actually helps the circuit avoid the sort of NIMBY noise restrictions that plague circuits like Brands, Croft and Oulton. We all have a right to our own opinions but if all you want to do is pull Donington down then with all due respect please do so elsewhere and let those of us who care for what is widely regarded as one of the UK's top circuits discuss ways we can try and help get racing back where it belongs. Trust me if I had the sort of money to make the difference I would but sadly this is a Race Circuit not a lower league football club that can be bought by a fans consortium with many small shareholders. Or wait maybe we could follow the example of Your racing car?? |
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27 Dec 2009, 23:02 (Ref:2605494) | #1693 | ||
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By the way p261brm please don't take my above reply as a personal attack or an attempt to stem debate but as someone who has given up a considerable amount of my spare time to ensure that racing can take place at Donington and other circuits (as a Marshal before people ask) I am getting a tad fed up of all the negativity surrounding Donington from many of the posters on this site. I am sue we all have the same feelings about Mr Gillett and what he did to the circuit and yes the British GP should be at Silverstone (but why Spain has 2 GP's and Britain only 1 I will never know) but was it wrong for Donington to dream and try and save the GP at a time when the BRDC had rejected the contract Bernie offered? Maybe just maybe if the financial meltdown hadn't occured Donington could have turned into a circuit that F1 would have been proud of. The sad fact is it didn't work out and many of us simply want to discuss ways to try and save the circuit. The time for negitivity has passed along with DVLL, now is a time for positive thinking and prayers that a great circuit isn't lost forever.
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27 Dec 2009, 23:34 (Ref:2605504) | #1694 | ||
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id still love to see the new loop being built....shame to loose all the earthworks that have gone into it!....would bring other top motorsport back too...be great to see gt racing back
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27 Dec 2009, 23:40 (Ref:2605508) | #1695 | |||
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I'd be sorry to see the longer loop go ahead, the last thing club racing needs is longer circuits. Regards Jim |
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28 Dec 2009, 02:01 (Ref:2605527) | #1696 | ||
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yeh if you look at the circuit plans the inner loop would still allow the current national circuit to exist albeit with a larger last chicane and 2 optional smaller circuits
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28 Dec 2009, 10:42 (Ref:2605611) | #1697 | ||
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Ubique personally attack if you wish, I am not a great lover of Donington I admit nor cock a hoop re Silverstone either, If Oulton or Brands, Spa, Ring, so threatened I would admit to getting a litle excited, and to see Solitude re-used, not for the faint hearted that one. I have never wished or wanted to see Donington close, all I have tried to do is further debate and not in a direction you, Jim and others might agree, and as you point out that is my right, and for most part the 'negative' is the bit that bugs me. For neck end of 50 years I have been involved in this game, and had a lot of fun, and in that is where a lot of the problems within the sport lie. As one driver remarked since BE the F word has gone FUN, even whether freezing marshalling on the Measham, or soaking wet watching the greatest protagonist [in my humble opinion] from the pit lane at long distance racing plying his trade at Brands 1970. To the worst moments of seeing John Hine cartwheel in a ball of flame in front of me at Silverstone, or Zandvoort 1973 to Attwood winning the Glover 2004. I wish you and others God Speed [if you have one] in your efforts to see your dream realised. Still think you have more problems than rebuilding a Porka 908/3 gearbox.
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28 Dec 2009, 11:54 (Ref:2605625) | #1698 | ||
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What was the 'longer loop'? There are a few issues that I could foresee with generating rapid income at Donington as it stands. At the moment the land supports the off-airport long term parking operation, the Sunday market and the Museum/Cafe/Shop as rebenue generating options. The track, as we know, would require some investment and weeks of work to refurbish but could then represent reasonable cash flow, one assumes, quite soon on completion. The Exhibition centre is a different propostion by the looks of it. I would guess that much of it has been stripped out - certainly the fencing at the front has been trashed and partly removed. From what I could see last time I was at the circuit I imagine the interior has been 'liberated' as well. If so it may take more than a little work to make it usable again and even longer to make any arrangements for bookings that would start to generate income. On the plus side, if that is the right term for the building as it was, at last the demolition of the primary structure does not seem to have been started so something could be done, presumably, without the need for first building a structure. What puzzles me about the work that has been carried out was that the earth works alongside the 'Dunlop' straight (where the new pits complex was to be) are quite high. Indeed they are some way above the current track level. If what is there is indeed the planned ground level for the planned pits complex there must have been more to the plan that there appeared to be from my reading of the drawings. But I can't see how that would have worked well with the height restrictions related to the airport operations. Makes a pretty good viewing platform though ... |
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28 Dec 2009, 15:01 (Ref:2605685) | #1699 | |||||
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I was referring to the new track which would use close to the existing Melbourne loop (which I have always thought a mistake or, at least, badly executed).
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The museum position still has to be clarified publicly. I'm working on the assumptions:
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Just my speculation. Regards Jim |
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28 Dec 2009, 15:06 (Ref:2605689) | #1700 | |||
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Regards Jim |
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