BTCC to join F1 GP support package...

[Stephen Green]

Welcome to Ten-Tenths LittleX

[sceptic]

Originally posted by Stephen Green
Let me clear up one point. Once the GP is over the meeting is no longer an FIA event technically, that is how the organisers have been able to include a national series in the past. As far as ITV are concerned, don't they show BTCC a week or two after the event? If so why are we worried about the BTCC being on the support bill?

ITV show the races the following weekend - but we are more concerned about the loss of live coverage.

[Stephen Green]

If as I think the BTCC is not covered by the FIA then why can't Motors TV have their camera crew there as well?

[Suzy]

The way I see is is that the more people who see the BTCC the better. We've all been moaning about the drop in spectators; what better way to promote it than to show it to 60,000 people one afternoon??? You can bet that many of them will get bitten by the bug (as were quite a few of those who got free Halfords tickets, went along out of curiosity and loved it) and come along and boost it.

[rdjones]

At the end of the day as I have said before that it's all about getting people through the gate and bums on seats, the Halfords promotion worked, Cart seemed to work and the Grand Prix will work.

If people like what they see then they will come back for a second look and if they enjoy then they will come back time after time, simple really.

[Stephen Green]

I would hope the GP crowd is more likely to be 100,000. The 60,000 was the limit imposed before the improvements were made to approach roads etc!

[speedy king]

Back in 1994 the touring car supported race was on TV cos it was AFTER the GP, therefor as has been said before it is not classed as an FIA event

[redshoes]

Originally posted by LittleX
What did happen last time? I have only been following BTCC for a few years.

Last time was 1996 and the problems all stemed around media rights. As it was an FIA meeting they own all media, TV, and advertising rights, which are in turn passed on to FOM (i.e Bernie Ecclestone).

The plan was to run 2 BTCC races - the first on Saturday after the F1 qualifying and the second on Sunday after the GP itself. The BBC would do a quick overnight edit and show highlights of Saturday's race on Sunday prior to the GP and then Sunday's race in the normal Gtandstand slot the following Saturday. The first race was shown as planned but by then a row developed over the rights and the second race never made it to our screens. In fact even to this day the footage from that race has never been seen in public. If you get hold of a copy of the end-of-season review video for that year all it shows for either race is a few photo stills and a mention of the results. No video footage at all.

There were other issues as well. It's normal practice at other meeting for teams to fly flags from their transporters. They did at Silverstone as well until being told that they didn't have permission to do so. I believe it was classed the same as an advertising billboard which the FIA also own the rights to. Any team who wanted to fly a flag would have had to pay several hundred pounds per flag to do so.

As I recall there was problems with the doctor's car which had to be covered over and hiden from view when not in use because of the TOCA logos on it.

In short, a complete farce.

[Stephen Green]

I agree. Even the wreckers at the GP have to have the signwriting covered over for the same reason. Is it only in this country it happens or do other host nations have to adhere to the same policy?

[touringlegend]

Difference was, back then, weren't the GP support races full championship status?? Think it was also Honda's first BTCC win, that race not being shown on TV must've got their backs up.