Time for Surfers Paradise to go????

[grange54]

Is it is time that this event either go or major changes to the track.
In excess of $1m of damage to cars, I doubt that many of the teams that have suffered these high damage expenses can afford them.
Just asking the question.

[peckstar]

i quite like it, racing is always interesting

great place to go as a spectator, because you get a holiday in surfers

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by peckstar

i quite like it, racing is always interesting

great place to go as a spectator, because you get a holiday in surfers

Agreed-as a UK fan-always wanted to go there-I reckon its the best circuit in Australia.maybe drivers need to learn to drive

[Langers]

Out of interest, are these cars insured? If so, what is the excess? $100k?

[Tim Falce]

I think my daughter would like to see it go, she was online last night moaning about the traffic problems it's causing.
As for damage, most of what I saw was caused by the raised curbs at the chicane, why put them there when the drivers don't seem to slow down anyway?
Keep the race, until at least I get out there to watch it.

[Bell_End]

Originally Posted by grange54

Is it is time that this event either go or major changes to the track.
In excess of $1m of damage to cars, I doubt that many of the teams that have suffered these high damage expenses can afford them.
Just asking the question.

Do we have a reliable sauce for that damage estimate? They all love to talk it up IMO.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by puma

deleted post

Well, that was polite - not! 20 posts in, you might like to try being a little nicer.

So why does this course cause more damage than other street courses? I think around Surfers, to be quick you need both aggression and pin-point accuracy. Perhaps one or two drivers are being found out?

[Umai Naa]

The damage bill is talked about at all street circuits. Nothing new there.

I think the track needs some alterations and refinement, just as they did to Adelaide. I'd like to see it opened up a bit more.

[pigs fly]

Originally Posted by Tim Falce

I think my daughter would like to see it go, she was online last night moaning about the traffic problems it's causing.
As for damage, most of what I saw was caused by the raised curbs at the chicane, why put them there when the drivers don't seem to slow down anyway?
Keep the race, until at least I get out there to watch it.

YOU have better hurry Tim contract renewed for 3 more years only a couple of months back.

[GROUPA]

The best solution if possible is to extend it back to Indy spec same with Adelaide too, extended to F1 specs.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by GROUPA

The best solution if possible is to extend it back to Indy spec same with Adelaide too, extended to F1 specs.

do either of them stop the damage? No!

[Buckshot]

I really thought the new format of continuing with the co-drivers from Sandown and Bathurst is a great idea rather than the lucky dip of the internationals. Hope they stick with it.

[GROUPA]

Originally Posted by peckstar

do either of them stop the damage? No!

No, but with more track there could be more passing possabilities - yes more accidents too but there has got to be more room to race as well.

Ever raced yourself ? It's one of the reasons why we like the extended tracks more

[Umai Naa]

Someone mentioned not so long ago about DTM switching to shorter track variations, to keep the cars closer, the fans closer, and that it looked better on the Teev.

I think the theory has some merrit, but I'm a bit of a tradionalist though.

[GROUPA]

We need something like the Avus track or Norsing also make Albert Park a championship event.

[Bell_End]

Originally Posted by Umai Naa

Someone mentioned not so long ago about DTM switching to shorter track variations, to keep the cars closer, the fans closer, and that it looked better on the Teev.

I think the theory has some merrit, but I'm a bit of a tradionalist though.

and more laps per set race distance means the fans get to see more.

[one five five]

Can they do something about the kerb hopping, it was disgraceful the way justabout every car was doing it nearly every lap, Turn 1 was especially bad....

...perhaps restore the kerbing to something like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaAdsfvscLs

[FAS33]

Originally Posted by one five five

Can they do something about the kerb hopping, it was disgraceful the way justabout every car was doing it nearly every lap, Turn 1 was especially bad....

...perhaps restore the kerbing to something like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaAdsfvscLs

BORING...leave the kerbs, and leave Indycrap back where they belong, in America.

[champcarman]

There is a lot wrong with this event.

The track being a car destroyer is the least of these problems.

The Sunday crowd this year was way down on 2012, it was not one of V8 Supercars brightest ideas to pursue an extension of it's contract for this money losing event.

If the race must continue it should do away with the two driver format and shorten the races.

Worldwide exposure for the Gold Coast and Queensland is basically zero without a major International category, the return of Indycar or perhaps TUSCC would ensure great exposure in the US and fill up a lot more accommodation in the economically depressed Gold Coast.

[Accident]

It's one of my favorite tracks on the schedule, I love seeing the cars on two wheels coming off the curbs. These rough street circuits are really what made me fall in love with the series, and while the new cars don't quite "dance" as well as the old ones did, as an American a roaring V8 powered full size sedan on two wheels is about as good as it gets when it comes to racing imagery.

I think I'd like the idea of placing tractor/loader tires to keep them from taking too much curb. They are just as likely as concrete to take you out of the race, but don't obstruct the view as much and would still have some give for safety concerns. While I love aggressive use of curbs, I don't really like it so much when track boundaries aren't respected. These guys are supposed to be professionals, so "don't hit the big things on the inside of the chicanes" shouldn't be too tough of an ask. I thought Moffat's comment about the chicanes being a game of "how much **** you can take" was pretty spot on

If not that, then the system from Adelaide that pings the drivers for taking too much curb, and only allow them so many times before drive-throughs start rolling in.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by FAS33

BORING...leave the kerbs

Drivers cheating at every chicane is exciting??

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by champcarman

The Sunday crowd this year was way down on 2012, it was not one of V8 Supercars brightest ideas to pursue an extension of it's contract for this money losing event.

Was the crowd really that low?

Originally Posted by champcarman

Worldwide exposure for the Gold Coast and Queensland is basically zero without a major International category, the return of Indycar or perhaps TUSCC would ensure great exposure in the US and fill up a lot more accommodation in the economically depressed Gold Coast.

If they could get Indycar back that would be a shot in the arm for the event and with the proposed Indycar off season - october or november scheduling wouldnt be an issue.

[peckstar]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Was the crowd really that low?



If they could get Indycar back that would be a shot in the arm for the event and with the proposed Indycar off season - october or november scheduling wouldnt be an issue.

Total crowd was bigger than last year, which was bigger than the year before

[FAS33]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

If they could get Indycar back that would be a shot in the arm for the event and with the proposed Indycar off season - october or november scheduling wouldnt be an issue.

they can't even fill seats in America (bar 1 race), Indycrap is dying a slow death, the cars are ugly, the drivers are amateurish, and the tracks are boring. If they were to come back there, watch the crowds disappear. Indycars are the povo version of F1.

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by peckstar

Total crowd was bigger than last year, which was bigger than the year before

Where did you get your figures?
Local sources are quoting a total weekend crowd of just over 175000 against 182000 last year. They are blaming reduced grandstand space because of track work on the light rail.
A fairly significant business figure told me it was a bit rich. A present and future disaster being blamed by an old disaster for making things worse.
By the way this guy was a big supporter of the event when it was open wheelers.
Personally I doubt if the current Indy circus could attract crowds like the Champcars did.
The problem with the current event is not so much car destruction as the fact that it is nit delivering the crowds of visitors, the big spenders or the International TV coverage. And those are the reasons for it being subsidised and it isn't working. It has in fact become a drag on business rather than a boost.