The Great Race Annual at an end ??

[Trev Campbell]

Hey guys, has anyone heard if Chevron are releasing an annual for last years event. There is nothing on the website about a new annual. They just sstop at 2011. Is this another aussie motorsport publication that has died ????

[Axeman444]

believe it is no longer Trev

[Reload]

Originally Posted by Axeman444

believe it is no longer Trev

That's what I have heard also

[Downoz]

There is to be The Great Race, 50th Anniversary, to be released in May.

Can be pre ordered, I assume from Chevron.

[Alan52]

Aaron Noonan had a Big Pond "column" in which he mentioned about 2 weeks before last years race that the book would no longer be published.I have since found out that the book was still a profitable proposition however the guru's at Next Media who are running Chevron into the ground decided it wasn't worth the effort.A tragic low point in the history of Australian motor sport publishing.

[alfacors]

Because we all know that print is dying... or rather, it's being forced upon us ..... IMHO no Kindle or e-book reader could ever reproduce holding a Great Race Annual.....

[NinnyMan]

It's a known fact that those in charge at NextMedia are morons.

They killed off Motor Racing Aust when they "merged" it with Motorsport News.
Then in their wisdom they boned the online edition of Motorsport ENews
leaving just the printed copy which is so far dated before it's released it's not
worth the cover price. I don't know anyone who buys it. I certainly wouldn't
waste my advertising dollar on it.

[formerf1champ]

MRA was good. Not for it being up to date, but a lot of good articles. Australian Motor Racing Year was great as well.

[NinnyMan]

Originally Posted by formerf1champ

MRA was good. Not for it being up to date, but a lot of good articles. Australian Motor Racing Year was great as well.

I subscribed to MRA and still have every issue.
I didn't care that it wasn't up-to-date as it was never pretending to be a
results or event specific magazine. The glossy images and the indepth
behind the scenes stuff was great.

MNews pretends to carry on the MRA legacy but fails miserably.
The dull stock they use is a real turn off too.

Chevron made a fatal error in selling to the numb-nuts at Next Media.

[formerf1champ]

You're very lucky to have them. Make sure you look after them.

[PVDA]

I think the big question is the Great Race still a Great Race that justifies a book about it??

[brendonwood1]

I emailed Next Media a few weeks ago to find out if the Great Race series was to be published this year, and unfortunately they confirmed the rumours that there won't be a Great Race book covering the 2012 race.
However, they did say the 2012 race will be covered in the 50th anniversary collection to be released around May.
Even though print media isn't as profitable as it used to be, perhaps there is an opportunity here for some other publisher to step up and publish an annual on the Bathurst 1000?

[pug205]

Originally Posted by PVDA

I think the big question is the Great Race still a Great Race that justifies a book about it??

Maybe Next Media were worried about being sued for misleading advertising?

Well when you have a 300 page book to cover a race for just 29 cars, it lacked the variety and interesting stories that the original books had.

[Dingo]

Originally Posted by pug205

Well when you have a 300 page book to cover a race for just 29 cars, it lacked the variety and interesting stories that the original books had.

Could be that the race itself is lacking the variety and interesting stories that the race originally had...?

Add to that, the fact that the series is incredibly homogenized, and that you can access nearly every bit of information, video and photography, moments after the end of the race, and why would you need a printed and bound coffee-table book?

[db120176]

Originally Posted by PVDA

I think the big question is the Great Race still a Great Race that justifies a book about it??

Why wouldn't it?

[Amaroo Park]

Another motor racing institution gone by the wayside that is very sad news.

[DAVID PATERSON]

I'm currently reading Bill Tuckey's 1983 Great Race annual. What a great read, so much info. I think there was so much more to write about then, with so much diversity between the cars, the teams and the drivers. Today's B1000 is far more homogenous; having just over half as many cars doesn't help either.

Tuckey has a unique writing style that really paints a picture and adds to the emotion and drama of it all. He doesn't mind pouring a bucket on the television coverage either.

[Trev Campbell]

Yes the Tuckey writing style was certainly entertaining and evocative, And I have to admit that reading the books as a youngster the way he gave the track and the mountain its own personality was one reasons I had to make the trek to Bathurst to see it for myself.

I also find it a little sad that the first few years I went there it was everything that Tuckey had described, the place was ALIVE, and as with the books over time becoming more homogenised and less evocative so has the race and the atmosphere around the place. Due to the corporatisation and the need to fit in !!!

Very sad indeed.