JV Comment...

[GTRMagic]

Which class of the sport is being talked of Here???

Originally Posted by Jacques Villeneuve @ Autosport

JV: There is a huge lack of excitement. They are all lovey-dovey. They are all best friends. There are no gladiators. When I watch sport I want to see battle, I want to see gladiators going at it. I am not saying they should kill each other, that is not the point, but they should want to outperform the others in a mean way. That has to be driving you, and it doesn't seem to be driving anyone out there. It is amazing.

I would say that this is something V8Supercar might do well to take note of...

[Trevor]

Absolutely

[V8 Fireworks]

But Jacques has gone down to Argentina to race in a series that's even more spec than V8 Supercars... It's that V6 series where the DTM/sports sedan style cars are completely identical (including the engine) apart from choice of Passat, C-Class or Mondeo bodies and sponsorship from that "manufacturer". Having more owner drivers like Johnson, Seton, Jones, Bright etc would help build the passion in building a race team and getting a result I guess?



Anyhow, is the implied point that every new V8 driver should attend a course by Paul Morris on how to be a hard and proper V8 driver, and not a 'lovey-dovey' accumulator of points?!

[Gaz170]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

Anyhow, is the implied point that every new V8 driver should attend a course by Paul Morris on how to be a hard and proper V8 driver, and not a 'lovey-dovey' accumulator of points?!

Well he does have the facilities to run such a course

[ForumNick]

Facilities... OK

Ability... Skill... Knowledge... Etc. Not So OK

[Just Do It!]

Considering JV struggled to get out of bed for any sponsor function, with the exception of BAT events, for the whole time that he drove for BAR, he could be struggling to find any sponsors if he is even really looking.

When you get paid US$20 million a year to drive for BAR, all non-BAT events become far less important on the Effort Application scale.

Good luck JV - you might just need it

[GTRMagic]

I think you are missing the point, read the words.. dont slag the speaker... read the words...

This is fundamentally the piece of V8Supercar that is missing.

There is no personality-based rivalry, no clashes, no anger... not since Murf vs Ambrose @ Bathurst amongst others

There isnt any genuine rivalry being portrayed to the public...

"After you sir, no after you, oh no I do insist, after you..."

Or am I watching a different series?

[peckstar]

think you want a bit of WWE (F) need a black hat and a white hat to create an interest.

Has not the whole triple 8 thing this year done that?

I really look forward to Jamie vs Will racing, but they are mates and also very clinical

[Falcadore]

Attempting to make a person as sunny as Craig Lowndes as the black hat is just ridiculous.

Love the black hat idea. How do you convince a corporate sponsor to give a black hat 3 million?

If V8 Supercar wasn't so damned expensive the drivers would be free-er to actually express an opinion other than how they like their coffee.



And here's a question? Who's the last guy to arc-up? Cameron McConville. And this forum lined people up bagging him for it.

Damned if you do. Damned if you don't. Why be damned at all just shut up and take one for the team.

[peckstar]

Read the forums falc. Jamie already has the black hat on. (craig lowndes is so last decade, he like hulk hogan in wrestling terms)

Cam mcconville is also so last decade

Black hats are meant to get bagged though. We hate them and that creates the press and the story that GTR is suggesting

[KineticEnergy]

Classic example of "you can't please all of the people all the time"

How often when someone gets turned around through a little overzealous leaning on each other, do we get the screaming from the bleachers, and nicknames like BPB etc. cast.

[peckstar]

not disagreeing with you KR.

i think back (my life time) we had brock vs moffit and the brock vs johnson. and then we moved through to a time of ford vs holden(carried over) and ambrose vs skaife and murphy etc.

But now the top two drivers in the series are nice blokes (ex housemates) who have both driven for the otherside so its hard to truly dislike them as we barried for them once and they brought us some good times.

Still i hope Frosty and FPR step up next year and start walking the talk. And he hangs crap on the turncoats (both of them) and then maybe we can get a bit of trash talk going and then some scores settled on the track

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Just Do It!

Considering JV struggled to get out of bed for any sponsor function, with the exception of BAT events, for the whole time that he drove for BAR, he could be struggling to find any sponsors if he is even really looking.

When you get paid US$20 million a year to drive for BAR, all non-BAT events become far less important on the Effort Application scale.

Good luck JV - you might just need it

He hated doing any kind of public or sponsor appearances. And ultimately I think that is what has made it hard for him to have a good continuing career in motorsports. There are a lot of drivers out there that kept careers going or revitalized them after a down period simply due to having a good rapport with fans and sponsors.

What JV says is right. You need rivalry with drivers, not just for the "story", but for good action on the track. I don't think V8SC is that bad but it is getting a little too bad with some of the drivers being a bit PR soundbitey and friendly. The indycar series in contrast is a total love in with the drivers, the weirdness of which has totally turned off the american public.

[opinion8head]

Originally Posted by peckstar

not disagreeing with you KR.

i think back (my life time) we had brock vs moffit and the brock vs johnson. and then we moved through to a time of ford vs holden(carried over) and ambrose vs skaife and murphy etc.

But now the top two drivers in the series are nice blokes (ex housemates) who have both driven for the otherside so its hard to truly dislike them as we barried for them once and they brought us some good times.

Still i hope Frosty and FPR step up next year and start walking the talk. And he hangs crap on the turncoats (both of them) and then maybe we can get a bit of trash talk going and then some scores settled on the track

Agreed Peckstar
Nothing like a bit of good old fashioned "gamesmanship" to bring the game alive.
My mates a Holden guy,I'm not,those old rivalries MADE the races for us.

[Holly Wood]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Love the black hat idea. How do you convince a corporate sponsor to give a black hat 3 million?

Ask Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing how to get corporate sponsors for a 'black hat' racer. The MARS corporation don't seem to mind it at all, rotating between their M&Ms, Snickers, and Pedigree brands throughout the season... all of which are relatively wholesome/family products.

Kyle may be the most hated driver in NASCAR, but the strength of his 'brand' means he's got more fans than most. And at the end of the day, I'm not sure it matters whether fans are cheering or booing, as long as they're watching...

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by Holly Wood

Ask Kyle Busch and Joe Gibbs Racing how to get corporate sponsors for a 'black hat' racer. The MARS corporation don't seem to mind it at all, rotating between their M&Ms, Snickers, and Pedigree brands throughout the season... all of which are relatively wholesome/family products.

Kyle may be the most hated driver in NASCAR, but the strength of his 'brand' means he's got more fans than most. And at the end of the day, I'm not sure it matters whether fans are cheering or booing, as long as they're watching...

Supercheap have with Paul Morris

[mac]

I don't necessarily think that it is clashes and rivalries that are needed - though rivalries aren't a bad thing. I think there definitely needs to be greater emphasis on the entertainment aspect - and I'm not talking about having a sprint tyre available for one race over a two race weekend, but only on weekends that VESA deems appropriate...

I'm talking about drivers celebrating victories (donuts, climbing fences, stopping to high five the crowd...), showing some personality in interviews, non-cringeworthy podium presentations for a change...

The broadcast partner needs to be open to it though... ie. allowing time to see such victory celebrations...

I can't stand Paul Morris, and I love it. I "nothing" most of the rest of the drivers...

He is who he is and screw anyone that tries to change that...

You don't have to mess around with the racing to create an entertaining proposition.

[V8 Fireworks]

It doesn't look like the currents driver are all that passionate about victories in a sprint race at Winton though. Right-o driven around, won the race, save the tyres for testing, thank the sponsors, thank the fans for pouring $ into HRT merchandising despite a largely insignificant rivalry with Ford... it's all a bit mundane isn't it.

Parities great but if Ford and Holden each come to the track with real efforts to homologate a superior racing car (wind tunnel tested aero, independent rear suspension based on the latest XR8 Track edition etc.) and smash the rival marque it would be a lot more of a real rivalry.

[Henry]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Attempting to make a person as sunny as Craig Lowndes as the black hat is just ridiculous.

Love the black hat idea. How do you convince a corporate sponsor to give a black hat 3 million?

ask Allan Moffat.

[mac]

Originally Posted by V8 Fireworks

It doesn't look like the currents driver are all that passionate about victories in a sprint race at Winton though. Right-o driven around, won the race, save the tyres for testing, thank the sponsors, thank the fans for pouring $ into HRT merchandising despite a largely insignificant rivalry with Ford... it's all a bit mundane isn't it.

You are 1000% correct. There would need to be a creativity and imagination transplant within V8Supercars to create a scenario where teams and drivers are passionate about race wins...

With the exception of Bathurst and maybe the 500s, all the drivers seem to care about is points accumulation. Look at F1, Indycars, NASCAR, MotoGP and the joy those competitors get from winning - bring back the passion.