Silverstone/Donington kerfuffle...

[Tim the Grey]

It seems a certain vertically challenged rich bloke has taken his bat and ball away from Silverstone, and given it to Donington, as of 2010.
So, what's the impact to sports car/GT racing.

Well, LMES and FIA GT should be 2 of Silverstones BIG draws for the next few years. We may well see a LOT more work to push spectator numbers.

I wonder if Silverstone will take the F1 standard fencing down, so we can actually see the cars?

[Aysedasi]

Bearing in mind the number of threads that have been opened (and some closed) on the Silverstone/Donington issue today, can I please ask you to keep strictly to Tim's topic - sportscar effects only!

[Aysedasi]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

I wonder if Silverstone will take the F1 standard fencing down, so we can actually see the cars?

No chance - we have them at Le Mans - once up, these things never come back down again......

[Tim the Grey]

Well, we might at least get to keep the few spots that aren't 'en-meshed' as yet...

I wonder if they will keep the Diamond Vision screens?

Would it be too much to ask for a Leaderboard, around the track?
Used to do it years back, like a Cricket scoreboard, so electronically, it should be easy, and relatively cheap, now they don't need to spend on new pits etc?

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

well I prefer Donignton Park, the LMS race there in 2006 was fantastic, FIA GT/ETCC meetings of the defunct SuperRacingWeekends were great too !

[HORNDAWG]

Originally Posted by Aysedasi

No chance - we have them at Le Mans - once up, these things never come back down again......

Well that is very unfortunate, as if Tim states, it detracts largely from the ability of the fan to view the race. Especially as they will need to increase the draw of fans to other racing series as they have lost the one that caused the fencing to be there in the first place.

L.P.

[ss_collins]

Sportscars do not bring in the numbers in the UK so no there probably won't be any investment

[SALEEN S7R]

Originally Posted by ss_collins

Sportscars do not bring in the numbers in the UK so no there probably won't be any investment

Dont be so sure, from what I have read over at crash.net Dorna are considering moving the British round of Moto GP from Donnington to Silverstone. Now that isnt news, Dorna have been thinking about this for a while now. If Moto GP does switch to Silverstone I think we could well see some investment. Moto GP generally pulls in the same sort of crowd numbers that F1 does.

[ss_collins]

Yes thats true.

[JAG]

I've always thought Silverstone had far better viewing spots than Donnington.

This year the Silverstone LMS race should see much more promotion from the manufactuers and organisors, but if Silverstone does actually lose the F1 event they themsleves will have to make better use of their other events.

I'd be dissapointed if the Silverstone LMS weekend doesn't attract upto, maybe more than 30k, which is what they did in the Group C days, even a few well promoted BPR GT events, and is better than most BTCC events attract these days.

[minimangler]

With promotion they could make their money back, but I think large amounts of said money would have to be silver, or black with lions on

[Kai]

What are the chances that the LMS will got back to Donnington now that it is to be modernized?

[The Badger]

Imo , Donington is a better track , but Ive never been to either . Let Brands Hatch have the LMS race !!! ..... I would travel to GB for that one .

[Subaru_WRX_STi]

Originally Posted by The Badger

Imo , Donington is a better track , but Ive never been to either . Let Brands Hatch have the LMS race !!! ..... I would travel to GB for that one .

how ? the padock is really small !! now they have WTCC and WSBK, but I can't imagine a +50 cars at Brands, it is very short and narrow

[The Badger]

I realise that ..... makes one wonder how in hell they used to hold Group C races there , and they needed lots of room ?

Im just saying that I would like to see the LMS at Brands , is all .

[Speed-King]

Originally Posted by Subaru_WRX_STi

how ? the padock is really small !! now they have WTCC and WSBK, but I can't imagine a +50 cars at Brands, it is very short and narrow

Well, it's 2.3 miles, which is actually not that short. A lot of classic sportscar tracks(like Laguna Seca, Mid Ohio, Road Atlanta, but also Jarama and Dijon) are in the same ball-park or only a little bit longer...

So I guess it would be possible if it wasn't for the limited number of noise-days Brands Hatch has for the full circuit.

As for the Group C races: The group C fields normally weren't as big as todays LMS fields, mostly between 25 and 35 cars...

[Aysedasi]

Brands was magnificent for Group C's! For my money the 1000kms there were infinitely more exciting than at Silverstone. Watching Jags and Porsches down Paddock Hill Bend or bursting out into the 'arena' from the GP circuit - stupendous! Speed-King is right, of course, the number of cars were limited by the circuit - Le Mans always had a much bigger field than anywhere else - Silverstone was no different. If they could get the LMS to Brands Hatch I'd book my ticket now........

[minimangler]

Eurgh, don't let Palmer have the LMS. I like going, and don't fancy remortgaging my life to get there. Brands is ******** with Palmer at the controls, and Donington doesn't do nearly enough promotion for my liking.

[Tim the Grey]

I personally hope that Donington retains it's shape and character.
While Silverstone stops becoming an FIA Boredrome, and re-acquires some of the old character. I'd be happy with that.

Somehow, I expect to be let down in BOTH cases, sadly...

[minimangler]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

I personally hope that Donington retains it's shape and character.
While Silverstone stops becoming an FIA Boredrome, and re-acquires some of the old character. I'd be happy with that.

Somehow, I expect to be let down in BOTH cases, sadly...

Hmmm...

How much further can they move the barriers, i wonder?

[Tim the Grey]

Oxfordshire...

[Tom87]

Originally Posted by Tim the Grey

Oxfordshire...

Most likely Max will do just that in the name of Safety, whilst Bernie will insist that the revamp includes running the circuit right through the VIP dining room...

[Mal]

Silverstone can use the loss of the GP to improve the promotion of events like the LMS. The trouble is virtually everyone at the BRDC is F1 based and they don't seem to understand how to promote / create a sportscar event.

What they need is to put it on the calender as a social event much like Goodwood has done for Historic racing and as Le Mans is - so they need to create a Sportscar Weekend Festival. Create a proper camping site with proper entertainment from Friday onwards and invite all the sportscar car clubs to bring cars along to display at a reduced rate. Give then a chance to parade their cars on the track, set up bars and decent food outlets provide entertainment for kids. Include a music festival in the programme with a couple of well known act to attract new fans. Have a few support races with past sportscars with some real names in the cars.

The only way to attract anyone other than hardcore fans to the track is to create an event around it. I bet the majority of spectators at Goodwood and even Le Mans watch less than 10% of the racing and go there for the 'event'. A long sportscar race is a perfect backdrop for this. Let the race go on for 10 or 12 hours so people have more opportunity to drift in and out of the race and get involved with the side shows and entainment going on.

Keep the admission price cheap (certainly until it is 'established') and then make sure there is plently around the circuit for people to spend their money on.

Create a village with fairground rides TV screens and entertainment and a focal point for the event.

It really just takes a promotor with knowledge and vision and it is more than possible to create a strong 'event' around the race. The whole nature of a long distance race is that you dont have to be glued to it for the whole thing if you dont want to - but the casual fan needs entertaining to keep him there for the duration.

[AstonGeoff]

Plenty of interesting points raised so far, and a few more from me then...

Debris fencing isn't going to go away, and I think for the majority of spectators its not really an issue especially if they are sat higher up in a stand or on a bank, the ones it is an issue for are those of us who want to take photo's! Silverstone has a number of places that can be done over the fencing. Although it would be great if there were a few platforms around the circuit that could be used by us rather than the press photographers, there was one at Copse many years ago.

To be fare to Silverstone they have tried to build a small fun fair and village type situation, it's just not big enough or well supported by vendors, but thats because the crowds aren't big enough! The small fun fairs that they do have are usually free though. It's all chicken and egg stuff really, get the crowds there and the rest will follow, but the crowds don't go because outside of the race there isn't much to see.

What Silverstone does desparately need though is a big electronic position board somewhere visible around the start finish area, with smaller mobile ticker tape type ones dotted around the far side of the circuit. This was all done by blokes with boards many years ago, and the old tower still exists (just about) in the paddock that displayed the postions and numbers, plus there were simple boards with the top 5 or 6 numbers shown around the circuit. Maybe something for Peugeot or Audi to sponsor??

Usually the deal at most circuits is that they hire the place to an event organiser, such as the LMS and so their responsability ends there and so they don't do much, if any, promotion of the event. RWS shows how many people can be pulled in if a Manufacturer gets involved and gives away over 100k freee tickets!

Camping at Silverstone has been a nightmare for years now, maybe if they no longer have the distraction of the F1 circus in the future they can start to think more about providing for motor racing fans... The year that cmaping was allowed in the centre of the circuit the place was packed, so there is a demand for it, and Silverstone certainly has the space for it! As has been said if it is done the right way then the Silverstone 1000k's and Britcars 24 hrs could both become mini LM's in their own right. Entry prices at Silverstone have stayed pretty much the same for some time (outside of the GP), something that can't be said of Brands Hatch, sadly.

Anyway, I'd like to see the 1000'ks get the support it used to back in the Group C days, trouble is outside of the GP almost every meeting has a lot less attendees than it used to back then, there is so much more for people to do on a weekend now. Ban sunday opening of shops I say, and give Sunday back to families!

[Speed-King]

Anyway, I'd like to see the 1000'ks get the support it used to back in the Group C days, trouble is outside of the GP almost every meeting has a lot less attendees than it used to back then, there is so much more for people to do on a weekend now. Ban sunday opening of shops I say, and give Sunday back to families!

Hmm, I just looked up the attendance figures for the Silverstone group C races. You can find them at http://classicscars.com/wspr/results...f_ms_home.html
They usually had crowds between 25 and 35k. Which is actually about as much as the three LMS rounds drew this year, so with a little luck, you might get your Gr.C like attendance figures for this years 1000k.