Which circuit should Muscle Car run on??

[David Towe]

If the rumours I've heard are correct and crowd numbers are falling for Muscle Car Masters, is it a case of spectators don't like to watch racing on the extended circuit? Should MCM take the top from Top Gear Festival and switch to a shorter circuit with more laps per race?
Your thoughts please?

[peckstar]

just asking if maybe its more to do with the novilty of event.

it was a fun idea and atracted some reasonable crowds, but it doesnt mean all spectators want to do it every year.

I dont have a preference with the track

[Alan52]

Absolutely.Go back to the original circuit.My extreme negative thoughts about the circuit extension from the point of view of both spectator and competitor have been posted on here a number of times so I won't repeat them.I can tell you I know regular attending spectators at the circuit who will now not go to any event held on the extended full circuit.Don't use the short North Circuit either as it takes out one of the best corners(Turn 8) and one of the main overtaking points(Turn 9)
While they are reviewing things tell them to reduce the rip off $25 car parking charge for the area inside the circuit.The price jump meant it was only a quarter full on Sunday this year.

[GTRMagic]

Sandown?

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Sandown?

Don't think so.There is a very long term co-ownershp contract in place between ARDC and Next Media.If Sandown wants to start a new event up from scratch they are welcome to do it.

[mayhem]

The short track makes sense to me, spectators can see the cars more often, downside is that perhaps that will condense the crowd too much? I'd love to see the event at Bathurst but there's probably a host of reasons why that's probably not feasible.

[one five five]

Run it bi-annually, alternating with the Tasman Revival?

[David Towe]

It's no secret that I love racing on the extended circuit as it brings lap times much closer between the big boys and the 2.0L boys but crowd's feelings are all important in making the event viable each year.
Perhaps they need to bring the prices down and possibly do a two day deal as there is racing on both Saturday and Sunday which I'm sure they could make some mileage out of. Pricing seems to be one of the major bug bears of the event from the spectators I've been speaking to.

[jd yort]

Originally Posted by David Towe

is it a case of spectators don't like to watch racing on the extended circuit?

Nothing to do with the extended circuit. In fact it is one of the only major meetings that runs on it so it would be more of a novelty if anything. The problem with MCM is the gouging on parking and the actual programme on a Sunday.

The Bathurst grid spectacular was a joke. May of been a novelty for the competitors but who goes to a race meeting to see cars parked on a grid for an hour? This combined with the Display laps where the spectators have to watch groups of X series Falcons being driven around at snails pace is mind numbing for the majority sitting on the hill.

The spectator numbers on a Saturday would of more than doubled in the last 3 years as it is back to back racing like a Race meeting should be.

[nafe!]

Originally Posted by jd yort

Nothing to do with the extended circuit. In fact it is one of the only major meetings that runs on it so it would be more of a novelty if anything. The problem with MCM is the gouging on parking and the actual programme on a Sunday.

The Bathurst grid spectacular was a joke. May of been a novelty for the competitors but who goes to a race meeting to see cars parked on a grid for an hour? This combined with the Display laps where the spectators have to watch groups of X series Falcons being driven around at snails pace is mind numbing for the majority sitting on the hill.

The spectator numbers on a Saturday would of more than doubled in the last 3 years as it is back to back racing like a Race meeting should be.

I completely agree, theres nothing at all wrong with the extended circuit as far as spectators are concerned as most of them cant see what happens behind the hill anyway.

Its got much more to do with stale programs on sunday and I do think that there are only so many times that one can attend annually before it becomes a very repetitive event.

Unfortunately david the effort you put into racing the m3 isn't reflected by a lot of your competitors (which is just a fact of life when most of the cars are owned by enthusiasts) and as a spectator you really can only watch a couple of group c and a events before the novelty factor wears off and it becomes painfully obvious of the lack of of genuine racing albeit with a few cars at the front including your own.

If people want to look at road cars they can look at them in a static display, its just a waste of track time to see a bunch of them trundling around.

Making the master blasts sessions a competitive affair could also be interesting with period cars trying to do a better lap time then the other etc?

Getting the kumho series on board would probably be a good idea as well.

[David Towe]

Interesting feedback guys, thankyou.

[fordo]

Move it from state to state on a yearly basis so different people have a chance to see it. Not everyone can afford to travel away to events to spectate. I for one would rather go to see this at either Willowbank or Lakeside than the 888 series at Willowbank or Surfers.

[David Towe]

Please Fordo, not Willowbank.

[one five five]

Originally Posted by fordo

Move it from state to state on a yearly basis so different people have a chance to see it. Not everyone can afford to travel away to events to spectate. I for one would rather go to see this at either Willowbank or Lakeside than the 888 series at Willowbank or Surfers.

Given that Eastern Creek (or the ARDC) are part-owners of the MCM, a venue move is highly unlikely.

[David Towe]

Agreed, but I do like the idea.

[pigs fly]

Originally Posted by fordo

Move it from state to state on a yearly basis so different people have a chance to see it. Not everyone can afford to travel away to events to spectate. I for one would rather go to see this at either Willowbank or Lakeside than the 888 series at Willowbank or Surfers.

Agree with moving it around to other states (circuits) like Lakeside or Morgan Pk but not Willowbank please anywhere but there.

[Alan52]

A far bigger threat to crowd numbers at the event is the decision by Touring Car Masters not to run at the event and instead be a support to the V8's there 2 weeks before.I know that people are going to say that there is more to the event than this 1 class (and they are right) but my best guess is the crowd will be halved in 2014 because of this.See you back on this thread in September 2014 to see if I was right.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by Alan52

A far bigger threat to crowd numbers at the event is the decision by Touring Car Masters not to run at the event and instead be a support to the V8's there 2 weeks before.I know that people are going to say that there is more to the event than this 1 class (and they are right) but my best guess is the crowd will be halved in 2014 because of this.See you back on this thread in September 2014 to see if I was right.

Its certainly not a positive... however is there anything to stop the organisers having a non-championship race for TCM spec cars?

Or conversely if you could get the 'stars' of TCM (Richards, Bowe, Miedecke & Crick etc..) into Group N cars, or maybe the NZ Central Muscle Cars if they return, then the effects of TCM absence is lessoned.

[Scrut]

Why not try the Kumo series with retro (original) paint schemes ?

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by racer69

Its certainly not a positive... however is there anything to stop the organisers having a non-championship race for TCM spec cars?

Or conversely if you could get the 'stars' of TCM (Richards, Bowe, Miedecke & Crick etc..) into Group N cars, or maybe the NZ Central Muscle Cars if they return, then the effects of TCM absence is lessoned.

The TCM cars will not be there.They do not do races outside their series and the calendar announcements mentioned they wanted to shrink their number of events in 2014.Also they are at Eastern Creek 2 weeks before at the V8 round and race 1 week after the MCM at Sandown.
I am sure that their contract with V8SA for 2014 must restrict them from running races away from the V8 series as the rounds they have run at Shannons Nationals,Top Gear and Muscle Car Masters have all disappeared.From the ARDC's point of view these cars would be more value to them as the headline act at the Muscle Car Masters than as a support at the V8 round.