[V8SC09R21&22] The Island 300, Phillip Island

[grange54]

It will be very interesting to see the crowd numbers, especially on Sunday with a total of 2 hours track time and a 3 hour plus gap in the program. I guess with the beach so close and November being somewhat warmer (may reach 20C at the island) VESA may throw in a beach walk as well as a pit lane walk.
I would be surprised if 5000 turn up for the 2 days.
Appears that the unemployed will have to fork out the full entry fee as only student and Age & Disability Pension concession card will be accepted.
The diehard fan will have also spent their hard earnt reddies at the mountain event a month earlier so I very much doubt that they will have the cash for this event.
My tip is a 3000 crowd and that may be counting the legs of the fans that attend.

[Matthew Ronke]

Good luck to V8 Supercars and Phillip Island. Putting together an event in six weeks is not easy.

[Rachel Richards]

Originally Posted by Matthew Ronke

Good luck to V8 Supercars and Phillip Island. Putting together an event in six weeks is not easy.

Matthew, please dont take this forum for fools.....

Winton did it in 8 weeks with a full support card.

All the infrastructure [including grandstands] will be sitting there after the Moto GP.

All the administration gets rolled over from 2 weeks ago, the only challenge will be officials.

Also, there will be bugger all catering issues, because noone will be there watching......

[Alan52]

Perhaps V8 Supercars are trying to replicate the size of the Bahrain crowd so that it really feels like a replacement event.With A1 likely to fall over before Surfers,this joke of a "meeting" and a Barbagello support card with only one national category(and that being Mini's-the weakest link) V8 Supercars are really limping towards the finishing line this year.

[RotorFan]

Originally Posted by F J Nedos

So they are now going back to Phillip Island in November to replace the Bahrain round, due to it being part of the opening rounds next year.

Who here can think of a better track to go to? Remembering this is a one off... and we've not long been to Phillip Bloody Island?

Call me old fashioned, but for a one off, I'd prefer:

• Lakeside, QLD
• Wakefield Park, NSW
• Oran Park, NSW
• Mallala, SA
• Calder Park....
• Even a night race at Eastern Creek!

Thoughts?

Couldn't agree more. Especially about Mallala, or a Calder Park night race. They don't have anything to lose with this round, since they got the fee already for the round. Why not use the opportunity to do something a bit different - experiment!

What could be worse than returning to PI? They were just there. Lost opportunity.

[Trevor]

Originally Posted by Alan52

Perhaps V8 Supercars are trying to replicate the size of the Bahrain crowd so that it really feels like a replacement event.With A1 likely to fall over before Surfers,this joke of a "meeting" and a Barbagello support card with only one national category(and that being Mini's-the weakest link) V8 Supercars are really limping towards the finishing line this year.

ouch!!!

[rich07]

Originally Posted by RotorFan

Couldn't agree more. Especially about Mallala, or a Calder Park night race.

A Calder Park night race would be awesome! I remember being at the last one, a great spectacle!

They havent been back there for a while but it wouldnt hurt to give it a go.

[F J Nedos]

Exactly. It is clearly a one off, so I would have thought VESA could have tested the waters somewhere, done something a bit different - and perhaps give something back to the fans who can't make it to the big rounds.

Mallala would be something good. The time gap in between this and clipsal would be large enough. So would physical distance difference from adjoining rounds.

I guess anything in NSW would be out of the question due to round proximity. Same goes for QLD I guess. Still, Wakefield park would be a blast for a one off. They did run the development series there for some time. As a one off, I am sure the teams could cope! You wouldnt have a 60,000 strong crowd there, so logistically it wouldnt be a nightmare.

Maybe there are some other tracks around the country which I have forgotten etc which could do something similar. Somewhere in Tassie perhaps? We could knock down all the bloody houses and rebuild Amaroo Park for a one off

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by rich07

A Calder Park night race would be awesome! I remember being at the last one, a great spectacle!

They havent been back there for a while but it wouldnt hurt to give it a go.

Calder is out, the main reason being that there is no CAMS track licence, and no hope of the owner wanting one.
Track condition is another, picture your typical back road with its repaired potholes, and thats similar to what the track looks like up close.

I do like their reasoning behind cancelling the Bahrain round, that it would mean two visits there in such a short period of time....where have they just been again?

[rik]

Originally Posted by F J Nedos

Mallala would be something good. The time gap in between this and clipsal would be large enough. So would physical distance difference from adjoining rounds.

A few people here have suggested that the Clipsal event contract requires it to be exclusive V8 event in SA. Sounds likely to me.

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by Tourer

Well, going off your list:

Lakeside - not up to it any more for this level - pit lane not even big enough to fit the field into - shame but there it is.

Wakefield - be interesting seeing them around there.

Oran Park - had thought of it too if it is still available but probably too close (time and distance) to Homebush - this might impact on choosing Wakefield too.

Mallala - similar problem to Lakeside

Calder - no cams track licence, poor relationship and can't ever see them going there while Bob still runs it.

Eastern Creek - nah, same problem as Oran Park

Phillip Island is OK but the racing there can be a bit ordinary - maybe it was simply a case of going with what was available?

Actually, someone else posted that mallala wouldn't happen because of the contract the Clipsal500 organisers have, that they are to be the only SA event or something along those lines.

[inpitlane]

VESA are out looking for support categories. According to a regular GT series competitor I spoke to, they have been offered a non-championship race at PI in November.
Quickly produced posters were on show at PI this weekend advertising the Supercar round.

[rdmdog]

Hmmm, kinda seems like we need more permanent circuits hey!

Would there be a reason that a Night race, or one that finishes at dusk, on Saturday at PI is out of the question (current program modified to suit).

Surely there is scope for a little change.

[Average Punter]

Given that PI Mk II is at the business end of a long Championship haul, I doubt they'll fiddle with the format too much.

[V8Bobby]

Originally Posted by Alan52

Perhaps V8 Supercars are trying to replicate the size of the Bahrain crowd so that it really feels like a replacement event.With A1 likely to fall over before Surfers,this joke of a "meeting" and a Barbagello support card with only one national category(and that being Mini's-the weakest link) V8 Supercars are really limping towards the finishing line this year.

So because other series don't have depth or adequate financial backing, V8 Supercars are somehow to blame?

[Jacob Black]

Reading this thread, and others, im wondering why people are even bothering, anyone would think you guys don't actually like watching motor racing, certainly not many of you seem to like the V8 Supercars. Its a good sport, the racing is close, it's maybe sometimes sterile, and yes, in this modern climate, money is the key, but seriously guys, how about dropping a little bit less whingeing and a little bit more talk about actual racing?
There is always room for improvement, but I believe the sport is heading in the right direction, Tony Cochrane is a pretty straight shooter, (crowd numbers aside) and I think has good ideas. There are some issues with personel in the land of admin and officialdom (what's new?!) but the package overall is a strong one.

We just had a largely green flag race, decided on the final lap, with a series of battles on track throughout the entire 500kms, as a motorsport fan, if that doesnt satisfy you then nothing will.

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by Jacob Black

Reading this thread, and others, im wondering why people are even bothering, anyone would think you guys don't actually like watching motor racing, certainly not many of you seem to like the V8 Supercars. Its a good sport, the racing is close, it's maybe sometimes sterile, and yes, in this modern climate, money is the key, but seriously guys, how about dropping a little bit less whingeing and a little bit more talk about actual racing?
There is always room for improvement, but I believe the sport is heading in the right direction, Tony Cochrane is a pretty straight shooter, (crowd numbers aside) and I think has good ideas. There are some issues with personel in the land of admin and officialdom (what's new?!) but the package overall is a strong one.

We just had a largely green flag race, decided on the final lap, with a series of battles on track throughout the entire 500kms, as a motorsport fan, if that doesnt satisfy you then nothing will.

V8supercars doesn't do anything for me for two reasons.
1) They claim to be Touring Cars, but they're actually Sport Sedans, and

2) I'm an open wheeler fan

[Jacob Black]

That's pretty fair, different strokes etc, but you mentioned earlier it's the most boring racing going around, I don't think you could call the last race boring. Also, if it's such a ****house category, why bother participating in the forum? I'm not a great NASCAR fan, so I don't visit that forum much. Why ***** and moan if you're not a watcher anyway?

[bludvl_x19]

Originally Posted by Jacob Black

That's pretty fair, different strokes etc, but you mentioned earlier it's the most boring racing going around, I don't think you could call the last race boring. Also, if it's such a ****house category, why bother participating in the forum? I'm not a great NASCAR fan, so I don't visit that forum much. Why ***** and moan if you're not a watcher anyway?

I participate in this forum because, like everybody else who does, I am a stakeholder in Australian motor racing. I like to see the things that fans of the category think, and I also like to have a laugh at the guys at the top who run the category. I will give credit where it is due, but so far I haven't seen that much. Call it professional reading if you will

Also, I quite like Sports Sedans

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by V8Bobby

So because other series don't have depth or adequate financial backing, V8 Supercars are somehow to blame?

V8 Bobby I am interested to know your thoughts on this event, do you a agree that it is a sad state of affairs when there are multiple hour gaps on a schedule to supposedly Australia's most 'professional' series.

Jacob, one does not need to be a v8 supercar fan to comment. As Australian motorsport fans V8SA impacts on the rest of Aus motorsport. Positively and negatively, one more than the other but I'll leave that up to you to decide.

In my opinion the v8 category is flawed (however not as flawed as the company that runs it) but it is still the ATCC. All the history and memories are still connected to this series (believe it or not) and I am not ready to flick the light off for my following the ATCC. With this in mind this is why I will continue to comment on the series, good or bad.

Just to set the record straight, this isn't a v8 fan boy forum.

[Jacob Black]

No I appreciate that, I'm by no means a V8 Supercar fanboy, I do work in the industry, and I do think there are issues, but I'm just wondering if there is a disproportionist amount of negativity in here.

[V8Bobby]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

V8 Bobby I am interested to know your thoughts on this event, do you a agree that it is a sad state of affairs when there are multiple hour gaps on a schedule to supposedly Australia's most 'professional' series.

Jacob, one does not need to be a v8 supercar fan to comment. As Australian motorsport fans V8SA impacts on the rest of Aus motorsport. Positively and negatively, one more than the other but I'll leave that up to you to decide.

In my opinion the v8 category is flawed (however not as flawed as the company that runs it) but it is still the ATCC. All the history and memories are still connected to this series (believe it or not) and I am not ready to flick the light off for my following the ATCC. With this in mind this is why I will continue to comment on the series, good or bad.

Just to set the record straight, this isn't a v8 fan boy forum.

Yes I agree D.R.T that having hours of nothing on track is very boring for the punters. It's certainly not a round I would go to by choice - however I have spoken to a number (OK 5) of Victorian people who are just V8 fans who are excited about having another round to go and watch live.

V8's are strong but there is a series lack of strength in other categories they can use for support races - the series that were good all fell over!

Let's keep this round in perspective though - it is organised last minute to help facilitate next years calendar and this years TV commitments. It's going to be hard to get support categories to turn up who already have the remainder of their season mapped out. It's not going to be a great event, the crowd will be very low however at least they are racing and V8 fans in Victoria can see them live if they wish and everyone else still gets a race to watch on TV.

Jacob - I do agree with you somewhat. Considering most threads relate to V8supercars, I am amazed at how many people never have a good thing to say about them.

[Denosaur]

Someone made a good comment, for a last minute deal what do you expect. Most race meetings are months to years in the planning. Don't believe me, go ring one of Race Secretaries of your local round and ask them.

Oh, think that this is bad, consider what some of F1 fans get O/S, either none or 1 or 2 supports. We're spoiled in this country and somehow have the nerve to bite the hand that feeds us when we don't get a full bag.

[V8 Fireworks]

Originally Posted by V8Bobby

So because other series don't have depth or adequate financial backing, V8 Supercars are somehow to blame?

Without the direction (or coercion) of V8 Supercars Australia would governments be setting up street races for a CAMS National round?... It is natural to prefer that money (if it is to be spent) go to real racing circuits.

[applecart]

i personally dont think that V8SC will run the round without any support categories

even though they will struggle to attract any of their "normal" support categories, it will open up an opportunity for some of the categories that provide excellent racing, but do not have the same financial backing