Messing with / Fixing the 2011 Calendar

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by bella

i just can't see beyond the reaction to a1gp on the idea of marketing a nations cup. ok, it was probably handled all wrong especially in the financial sector but on the face of it, everything was right. and still they struggled to get people to bite. i suppose a major limitation of that was that the cars were fast and single seatery, which does help attract a certain group but it creates practical problems. i suppose the best thing to do would be to put a roof on it!

A1GP comparisons would be made, but A1GP had several issues as a format. Firstly, one car teams created a situation where there wasn't so much a national team, just one person. Like Superleague Formula, the commentators couldn't decide if Robbie Kerr was racing Tomas Enge, or GB was racing Czech Republic. Having a genuine national team of three drivers would aid this.

Secondly, A1GP had a spotty global coverage in terms of national teams. A1GP never had a representative team from Belgium, any of the Nordic countries, Eastern Europe had little representation (and later none), Japan was rarely there, and there are a few other examples. It was done on a basis of selling franchises to qualify, rather than a promotion and relegation system with all nations having the opportunity to enter, without having a franchise system. That's why I'm proposing a low cost set of technical regulations for it, a junior single seater set of rules so that there can be as many teams participating as possible.

It was also just like any other series in terms of scheduling - from April to September with eleven events. If any other sport's top nations event was strung out like this you could understand why it didn't work. A one off, once a year World Cup would be a different propositon.

i guess you have to look at the davis cup in tennis though - that works, but it doesn't at the same time.

I think it's main flaws are the fact that it's drowning in a see of tennis, literally, the calendar is full.

[bella]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

I think it's main flaws are the fact that it's drowning in a see of tennis, literally, the calendar is full.

therein would lie your problem with any form of nations cup style competition i fear... look at the f1 calendar, or the single seater one - there may be gaps of 6 weeks in many of them but they don't coincide. at least when a1gp was run as a winter series you could engage drivers who would have otherwise been enjoying the slopes, apres ski and the company of their gym equipment for 6 solid months.

[duke_toaster]

December or January is virtually entirely empty - I think that's the perfect time - it's on the off-season, but it's not a winter series, because it isn't a series.

[bella]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

December or January is virtually entirely empty - I think that's the perfect time - it's on the off-season, but it's not a winter series, because it isn't a series.

which is really just exactly what happens with the nations cup in the roc, and that's ok as a novelty event but it's bitterly cold in many countries at that time of year that have the facilities to hold the event. isn't it in china at the end of this year, for example?

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by bella

which is really just exactly what happens with the nations cup in the roc, and that's ok as a novelty event but it's bitterly cold in many countries at that time of year that have the facilities to hold the event. isn't it in china at the end of this year, for example?

2010 was in Germany, no idea about 2011. Obviously December at Silverstone is not exactly warm, but you could go for venues in southern Europe, the Middle East or Southern Hemisphere.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Intentionally wet races do sound a bit extra time multiball to me...

that’s the best most exciting part of a pinball!

i know its nontraditional but in terms of growing the sport, having an event that focuses on ‘video game’ style/type challenges could be a unique way to bring in a younger generation...having just suggested that i feel like im morphing in a old undecipherable Italian with an odd sense of style.

[duke_toaster]

That is a thought, although that would be possible with less radical things like making better use of the data from cars, I'd like to see much more used on the TV feed. I see little reason not to use some form of smaller version of the rev counter/speed/pedals display for all onboard shots.

[cmotd]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

2010 was in Germany, no idea about 2011. Obviously December at Silverstone is not exactly warm, but you could go for venues in southern Europe, the Middle East or Southern Hemisphere.

i think the only reason driver's teams allow them to compete in the ROC is because it takes up so little of their time, and being indoors is very very safe. It would be extremely difficult to get F1 teams and others to allow their drivers to compete in a series in the off season

however it would be awesome to see all the F1 guys in a one make series, and no doubt great for the drivers in the slower F1 cars as it would give them the perfect opportunity to show off what they are really capable of in a fair fight against the other guys

back in the early 80's there was an F1 support category that used BMW M1's and a lot of the F1 drivers used to compete in it as well as doing the GP - and from what i've read it was a great series with really close racing, and a lot of the guys who didn't figure in the F1 champ. used to beat their faster F1 rivals in the M1's

[Another Bob]

TASMAN CUP

That's what F1 use to do in the 60's out of season.

Ship their cars to Oz & NZ and RACE!!!

At the end of the program they would then try to sell their cars which is the reason why Australia & NZ have such a rich history now in open wheel historic's.