New Track in South Wales?

[I Rosputnik]

Here's the news.

Sounds interesting, and should complement Anglesey Circuit once it's built, but attracting the WTCC and Moto GP to Wales sounds ambitious to say the least.

[JurekB]

This was announced a while ago so I assumed it had died a death but it's interesting that they've managed to get the funding together. The key point in the article however is, "Consultation with residents has begun". There is a massive housing estate right next door to this and even if the locals agree now I wonder how they'll feel when it's up and running 6 days a week with various unrestricted noise weekends.

I really hope it works but can't help thinking thinking this is a white elephant in the making.

[Tim the Grey]

I can see it as a Rockingham...
Huge ambition, lots of govt. funding, and retrenchment to a smaller scheme that actually does work.

[chunder]

Rockingham was doomed for many reasons, mainly because some bright spark decided not to take the advice of the people that run these tracks all the time, Americans, and made the banking too shallow! So for some parts of the track you couldn't run side by side, which made the racing dull for the faster oval formulae namely CART and ASCAR.

And they used the wrong cars for ASCAR, the ones they used were built mainly for short tracks, and the Rock is rather large! So from the start engines were blowing and the cars wer too easily written off.

Sadly the track never really caught on as a national venue, the F3 flying debacle never really helped neither did the pathetic attempts at safety for the BSB where numerous riders were injured due to makeshift surfaces and corners being setup and very poor safety measures in-front of the walls.

Fair play though, it is now running quite happily as a corporate venue, it's justa sahem that those magnificent facilities are not being used for something like F1, WEC, WSBK or stuff like drag racing or rallycross.

Is a shame, but I am struggling to know how a new venture like this could ever take off. The promises they must be making for jobs and infrastructure must be gigantic!

I do hope it works, considering the gigantic level of employment and the legacy of engineering this country has in motorsport, it's staggering that so few tracks have been approved in recent years! In fact we are struggling to keep a few of them open like Croft and Combe, and rarely due to reasons of economy, usually due to nimbies and a few idiots who ignore sound rules.

[DaveGT6]

There's already a race track in south Wales - Pembrey - and that is a god foresaken hole that can't attract sufficient business to drag it into the 20th century let alone the current. How on earth will another track generate sufficient income to survive?

[chunder]

I think Pembrey ahd potential in the 90's but was just left to rot in all honesty

Its in an awful location and if Anglesey can manage to to do what it's doen, why can't this place?

There are far mre people in South Wales and let's face it Anglsey is hardly in a prime location for travel!! But they make it work.

Wales has the potential to be a decent economy, especially South Wales. I think if its done properly and used for the right events it could work, and business could do mwell if enough benefits are offered for firms to go there.

[JimW]

ttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BXXLW52xgQ

Not that I don't wish the new enterprise all the best, but this was just so funny/apt when it first screened.

Jim

[kipper]

Originally Posted by chunder

I think Pembrey ahd potential in the 90's but was just left to rot in all honesty

I think that probably highlights the problem this new circuit faces. I would assume that BARC have considered investing in improving Pembrey's facilities over the years, but hasn't. Presumably due to a lack of viability. As such, the need for a new circuit can be questioned. That said, it would be nice if it happened.

[flagwaver]

What I don't understand is how they come up with such ridiculous numbers for employment the new venture will bring, and that people believe them.

[chunder]

Well, remembver the Olympics was going to cost around 2 billion!!

The Millenium Dome was going to be staggering!

Salesmes are very good at what they do when they are after capital.

[midgetman]

The plan is to attract race teams and WSB teams to locate there...but the planned circuit is 30 minutes from the M4, and a further 30+ from the Severn, and you're still miles from any major motor sport let alone the continental ports.

Interesting that the directors of the company on the web site are from the east of England. Looks like a sad case of some high flyers trying to milk what they can from government subsidies before flitting off leaving someone else to pick up the tab.

[chunder]

I didnt know that, and yes, from that your analysis sounds spot on!

WSB teams, for Gods sake, are you having a laugh, we dont have any in the UK!

Sounds like some idiots who know nothing about motorsport to me, why isnt it being built in the South West or Norfolk, or the North West?

Can you imagine what Palmer what do if anything like this opened near a MSV track!"!

[Dan Friel]

Originally Posted by chunder

Sounds like some idiots who know nothing about motorsport to me, why isnt it being built in the South West or Norfolk, or the North West?

Because the land is virtually worthless and getting permission to build anything that "regenerates" this part of south Wales should be a cruise...

But, and as Max says, it's not exactly accessible.

[chunder]

I know WHY they might go there, as the pand is very cheap, but you have to more than the fact the land is cheap surely?

there has to be a sound, properly costed business plan.

And there simply can't be for a race track in the middle of nowhere, unless you are going to do the same as Anglesey!

[Dan Friel]

They are hoping that the race circuit will be the central feature, and that will attract other businesses, create a business / high tech "Park" and then the land value will soar... and jobs are needed in south Wales, so politically they'll get support.

[JimW]

Originally Posted by chunder

Well, remembver the Olympics was going to cost around 2 billion!!

The Millenium Dome was going to be staggering!

Salesmes are very good at what they do when they are after capital.

And Donington was going to host the GP!

Jim

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by chunder

.......
there has to be a sound, properly costed business plan.
........!

they had one of those for the Nurburgring too.....

[chunder]

The thing about the Ring is this. That track the Nordschliefe will always make a stack of money. you couldput up the lap tickets to 30 Euros right now and it wouldnt make any difference to the numbers.

Its the GP track that struggles, and only because the NuroDisney idiots thought they knew better than fans.

The facilities there are fabuous, put any track in the UK to utter shame, and it is nice to go there and wander round the museum, the eateries. But to build that with complete disregard to everything thatw as already there was total idiocy, and that is the problem, because Ring people are loyal and very supportive of the local economy, that will always remain.

As for Wales, well they could in theory make this work. All you need (as someone said) is the right salesman to get the boxes ticked and you will get the money. And a much lower and much less ambitious model is working at Anglesey, that place is doing pretty well and it's in the middle of nowhere?

So, although it's easy for me to be pessimistic, if you offer teams, organisers insanely cheap rates to be based there, why wouldn't you go? All you have to look at is are the rates chepaer than the fuel you are going to spend going to tracks from Wales instead of where you are? I doubt it with the pathetic attitude of this government towards fuel costs, but it might work out cheaper eventually with newer cheapr fuels etc long term.

and if you have a test venue with low noise restrictions and a deal on cheap access, you might even get road car people getting involved.

Motorsport is a huge business in the UK after all, and there is no de facto base for it all other than Middle ENGLAND! Having a proper base is a good thing, but it has to be worthwhile for everyone!

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by chunder

The thing about the Ring is this. That track the Nordschliefe will always make a stack of money. .....!

not if you have to service a half billion euro loan...

[MGDavid]

Originally Posted by chunder

The thing about the Ring is this. ..... you couldput up the lap tickets to 30 Euros right now and it wouldnt make any difference to the numbers.
.....

it almost is, IIIRC it's around 25 € - and aren't the numbers well down on last year?

[chunder]

The numbers tend to fluctuate

I imagine a lot of people may have been affected by the economy, but this palce will always be able to make money, as will the hotels and eateries around there.

It's an awesome place and long may it continue, just a shame the NuroDisney twerps couldnt just realise what they ahd and improve it in stages

[storm chaser]

If I can add my two pennies worth on this?

I am thinking about moving my business up there when all of this does kick off and as a consequence I have been speaking very closely with Chris Herring who is the director of the project, Chris has been involved in running the Factory Honda motorbike team for a fair number of years and has a lot of knowledge about race circuits from all over the world so in all fairness I believe the right person is in place as opposed to someone who has no relevant interest in motorsport. I have also been to several of the community consultations and the general consensus from most is very good. There has been high unemployment in Ebbw Vale since the steel works closed over a decade ago now and this in all honesty is what the area needs. The circuit will be serviced by the heads of the valley road which has good access to the M4 and with the area already being developed in preparation for the increase in traffic plus also access from the M50 is not too far which gains access from the midlands as well as the south west I would be very surprised if this does not come off. Pembrey circuit is as said just been left for too long to warrant any money being spent even though I make the journey there from Bristol to watch some of my cars competing. Personally I am all for it and I think that more people should give it their backing when you consider that we could have another world class race circuit in the UK

[DaveGT6]

All club series and championships struggle to get entries at any UK circuit that is outside of the normal middle England established circuits. Anglesey has seemed to do well but has been featured as the test track for TV series and I'm not convinced that it pulls regular big grids. I just can't see how a new circuit with no provenance will attract any level of support. Seems like a fool's errand to me. From my experience any meeting at a circuit that is not within a couple of hours from London and with easy access can struggle. Competitors will always travel to classic circuits (mostly on the continent) and GP circuits (I'll include Brands and Donington in this) but will not bother with the rest except for the real club level events. Nothing wrong with that - that's where I'm at but it doesn't pay to support a new venture.

[funkimunki]

I honestly think that they are looking at alot bigger fish than having to rely on club racing to balance the books. By all accounts its going to be a multi purpose facility. Why put all your eggs in one basket?

[GORDON STREETER]

Originally Posted by funkimunki

I honestly think that they are looking at alot bigger fish than having to rely on club racing to balance the books. By all accounts its going to be a multi purpose facility. Why put all your eggs in one basket?

Like Portimao !
http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news...-being-decided