World Series By Renault At Donington/Event Thread - Page 4

Sheila M · 11 Sep 2006, 21:38 (Ref:1708356)

Quote:

Originally Posted by runshaw

You should have attended this event in person, not sure where you got your photos from, but it was packed eveywhere. I have been to Donny many a time and have never seen it anyhwhere near as full as it was on Sunday. They said it held a joint record with the MotoGP attendance on the Sunday. I would also like to know DP's capacity, it must have nearly been reached on Sunday, but the traffic congestion after the last race was incredibly poor!

From my trips round the circuit in the course cars I can say that it looked as though there were more people there on Saturday than on Sunday.

I think the traffic problem on Sunday was caused because of the number of people who stayed to see the final race - perhaps they wanted to take advantage of the free tickets?

Gaz · 11 Sep 2006, 21:48 (Ref:1708359)

I think a lot of people from what I saw left after the final F1 demonstration - there seemed to be a mass exodus then. Quite a few did stop for the Renault race though I agree.

We stood at Redgate but decided half way through the Renault race we were going to make a break for it due to the number of people we had seen leaving - unfortunately the plan worked out better in our heads than in practice!

runshaw · 11 Sep 2006, 21:53 (Ref:1708360)

Obviously they did want to take advantage of the free tickets, but there still really should not have been the traffic problem on Sunday. I really didn't think I would have to wait in a cue for an hour at any race meeting other than F1. Also, I have to say that on Sunday there were FAR, FAR more people there than on Saturday! Way more.

old-timer · 12 Sep 2006, 06:30 (Ref:1708523)

Comtec Racing had the best weekend ever and we met all our fans new and old on both days, we even had to que to get out at 8-30pm with the trucks, but I think that Donington did its best to get the people out it was just that so many turned up. We would rather be part of a Championship that get too many spectators than say British F3 or the Britcar race at Silverstone that got hardly any? Imagine what all our sponsors think!! The World Series is the best racing package in Europe at present no Doubt.
In Le Manns in three weeks they will get 180,000 people over the two days, FANTASTIC. I hope we can keep winning THANK YOU ALL

sceptic · 12 Sep 2006, 06:34 (Ref:1708527)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mr Jinxx

Strange championship it's been. You'd have thought Robbie Kerr, Ben Hanley, James Rossiter, from the British supporters, would have been on the money, yet they all seem to have disappointed. So where next for them?

I guess, as Robbie has been funded this year in WS by A1GP folk, he'll be racing again for the A1GP British team through the winter, else you'd have to think he'd be finished in single seaters? That should keep his profile up, as long as the team are good. In my view, Robbie is a good aggressive racer (maybe just crossing the line from time to time?) but not intrinsically quick enough - he seems to like a car setup that doesn't suit this sort of category ... looks like he drives like he needs a car where you carry corner speed. He'd make a fortune in BTCC or Nascar! Outclassed this year by young Sean Macintosh. I'll be honest, I can't see why he's persisting here.

Agree - but while someone else is paying for you to race single-seaters, you're not going to say no, are you?

Quote:

Ben Hanley? Disappointing, but early days for him, as long as he has enough money to see him through a year or two. Another good racer, but difficult to know how he is with a car, feedback, development, etc. Is quick on his own, I think, but it all seems to fall apart come race weekend. If he has the money to continue and build his experience and confidence in a quick car, he may do well. I think he'd suit a car he can hustle round, not a car which requires finessing ... think Zanardi ... think Champ Car ...

You have to remember this is only his second season out of karting, so to be getting top ten finishes isn't bad.

Money won't be a problem for him now that he's part of the RDD programme... although Renault have thrown money at some pretty ropey drivers recently: Jose Maria Lopez and Lucas di Grassi spring to mind.

**chunterer** · 12 Sep 2006, 07:54 (Ref:1708575)

old-timer, welcome to the forum and thanks for the comments, naturally (as part of a competing team????) you are bound to have been overwhelmed by the attendance.

Now going back to something Runshaw said - when I started going to meetings 20-25 years ago, the big national events always had pretty big crowds. Maybe not as big as Sunday's but certainly much better than we get on average. On reflection, ageeing with oldtimer, I think the circuit officials did a pretty good job of getting people out - it's just that I can't remember the last time I had to queue to get out of a UK held race meeting!!

In 1984-87 F3/BTCC meetings used to get 10-20000 at some venues and then the Class 2 BTCC 2-litre stuff regularly got upto 50000, but most attendances are way down today.

Feel sorry for some poor old traffic marshall who tried to direct a couple of bozo's in a open top Merceded into an orderly queue and got his foot ran over for his troubles!

Obizzz · 12 Sep 2006, 08:20 (Ref:1708592)

Quote:

Originally Posted by old-timer

Comtec Racing had the best weekend ever and we met all our fans new and old on both days

Oh a Comtec guy...

on behalf of the Swedish people I'd like to say.. thank you thank you thank you

You're gonna win the next few races as well don't you know?

old-timer · 12 Sep 2006, 15:31 (Ref:1708907)

Hi
Yes I am the lolly pop man for the team and driver coach, Thank you Sweeden for such a fast driver like ALX, he is now only 12 points off the Championship with 60 left on the table, We will try and give him the best car we can until the end of the season.

**chunterer** · 12 Sep 2006, 16:41 (Ref:1708985)

Quote:

Originally Posted by old-timer

Hi
Yes I am the lolly pop man for the team and driver coach, Thank you Sweeden for such a fast driver like ALX, he is now only 12 points off the Championship with 60 left on the table, We will try and give him the best car we can until the end of the season.

Driver coach you say?

With this new super swede on board you'll be out of work soon?!

As a driver coach you wouldn't have happened to race at this sort of level in the past would you?!

old-timer · 12 Sep 2006, 16:56 (Ref:1709001)

Hi
Yes a little bit above, but not for long

jondownunder · 13 Sep 2006, 01:12 (Ref:1709288)

That means you can only be one person then! Nice to have you here

Slightly O/T: You wouldn't happen to know who I saw testing on an infield circuit on the Friday of the Silverstone GP Masters meeting would you? I'm sure it was a Comtec World Series car, I guess the hybrid Dallara Nissan/Renault test car? I was watching it from a distance (from outside the circuit) between the rather rare appearances of the GPM cars.

old-timer · 13 Sep 2006, 19:26 (Ref:1709750)

Hi
Yes it was a secret test for a well loved car TV program?

jondownunder · 13 Sep 2006, 23:06 (Ref:1709840)

Sounds interesting! Hmm... think it was a white crash helmet... I wonder

Martin Haven · 15 Sep 2006, 07:40 (Ref:1710717)

Mmmm... that last bit sounds like fun... no caravans or remote-control involved, I hope...

Here's the official news on why there was so much traffic...

"Exactly 91,246 made it to Donington Park this weekend. This figure equals the record attendance for the circuit set at the MotoGP here in 2004. 34,000 spectators were in attendance on the Saturday and on Sunday the figure was more than 57,000."

Of course, for MotoGP crowds that size, half are on bikes, which take up way less road than cars...

Have to admit my traffic problems only started on the M1 south but then I was still working until 8pm on Sunday night...

So, what was in it for Donington Park?

Among other things, I'd guess that Renault paid a circuit hire fee.

The traders should have been very happy... sure likely to make more money from a 90,000 weekend than a 5,000 one!

Donington looked stunning! OK, they didn't make it sunny but last year they didn't make it rain either. The end result is that the circuit once again looks like a great place for top international motorsport, hence, perhaps, attracting other major series...

In the end, it seems that many fans were - if not first-timers - at best occasional circuit visitors. Let's hope more wives will be persuaded to go racing another time, based on how easy it was at Donington.

Of course, nowhere else will be free... And, as we all know, it rains more often than not... But...

Biggest winners, apart from Renault, were all the kids that moust have loved all the access and the F1 demos...

correction... biggest winner, Jonathan Cochet... flailing a pukka F1 car round the GP circuit in perfect weather!

sceptic · 15 Sep 2006, 08:00 (Ref:1710747)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martin Haven

correction... biggest winner, Jonathan Cochet... flailing a pukka F1 car round the GP circuit in perfect weather!

Odd that they should get Cochet in to do it when there are two of Renault's RDD drivers (Grosjean and Hanley) already there.

**chunterer** · 15 Sep 2006, 08:01 (Ref:1710749)

Quote:

Originally Posted by sceptic

Odd that they should get Cochet in to do it when there are two of Renault's RDD drivers (Grosjean and Hanley) already there.

Erm, one of them....

sceptic · 15 Sep 2006, 08:07 (Ref:1710758)

Yes, you're right.
...but Grosjean could have been there.

**chunterer** · 15 Sep 2006, 08:11 (Ref:1710761)

Quote:

Originally Posted by sceptic

Yes, you're right.
...but Grosjean could have been there.

Good point though, it was interesting hearing that Cochet had never been to Donington before, certainly not in a racing capacity?

Think I heard a PR guy saying they'd signed him up to do this for the year anyway.

Obviously I'd hoped to see Heikki doing the duties but hey Jonathan is no mug and it's a shame his career tailed off.

Back to the event, I can still 'hear' those WSR 3.5 CARS in my head now!! Great sound...

Martin Haven · 15 Sep 2006, 09:16 (Ref:1710819)

Ben certainly couldn't have done it... imagine the protests... "it's not fair, he's getting extra practice laps..." etc etc etc

Jonathan was indeed signed up to do some demo work at the beginning of the season, as he told Hydey in his interviews...

Who knows what Heikki was doing... proper testing, perhaps, as the brown stuff is in interface with the rotating object vis a vis the F1 title race!

At Misano, some popular Italian singer did the demos... and pretty on it he was too! He looked to be in his 40s, so fairly-dos to him... not sure I'd fancy committing myself quite as much on a little track like that...

Mind you, I think my Mini would be plenty fast enough for this bear of little brain down the Craner Curves, never mind a real, honest to goodness missile like the R25

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