Pro1000 Racing Series

[AshMcD]

Anyone heard anything about this. Just happened to spot it on the Motorsport Ads site.

Apparently it's a new single seater series where drivers can earn a living. Inclusive costs are >£100,000 a season for arrive and driver and drivers are expected to be earning 50k by year three.

Apparently, it will be very high profile and draw a huge following of spectators and fans to the race meetings.


Hmmm, allrighty then.

That aside, I quite like the idea of watching Caparos hammering it around a track, just can't help but feel like someone is trying to make some money.

[Taprobane]

It's a genuine attempt to make a single seater series where drivers can actually earn a living. Whether it'll work or not I'm not sure, but I hope it does!

[AshMcD]

I just don't see how it would work personally. I mean if the drivers are earning 50k a year by year three, presumably their drives will be free, and what about those stumping up 100k plus a year for the ride for the first three years? Will they be getting a piece of the action for essentially funding someone elses business plan?

How many GP2 drivers get paid?

And if it's arrive and drive, then it's not going to be team based so how do you fill a vacant slot in year 3 if someone leaves, do you just find a driver and give them 50k?

Sorry, I realise you're very unlikely to be in a position to answer any of that I'm just curious really!

[Taprobane]

I believe the guys who pay in the first few years would be first in line for the seats once the series starts earning money (assuming their business plan works). The idea being once the series has been running for a few years teams will be able to pick drivers very much like they do in F1, on talent.

Whether it'll work or not I don't know, I doubt it but I hope it does.

[AshMcD]

Originally Posted by Taprobane

I believe the guys who pay in the first few years would be first in line for the seats once the series starts earning money (assuming their business plan works). The idea being once the series has been running for a few years teams will be able to pick drivers very much like they do in F1, on talent.

Whether it'll work or not I don't know, I doubt it but I hope it does.

It's a lovely idea that's for sure. I doubt it too, but it would be nice to have a series with a salary cap that picks the drivers for talent and nothing else.

Well, I say nice, I mean completely spectacular and almost never in a million billion years likely to happen, but fingers crossed .

As I say, would be nice to watch that's for sure!

[duke_toaster]

The car looks good, however I doubt the economics stack up at all.

GSD intents to provide free footage in the first year to either ITV4 or the BBC ...

As far as the BBC are concerned, that one doesn't need a punchline.

[jondownunder]

Duncan Tappy has signed up for the series, a minimum of three rounds and maybe all 10 if other commitments allow it. I think the Autosport article is archived at the pretty amateurish website:

http://www.rightfuel.info/RightfuelPro1000Racing.htm

I don't really see how 16 cars are going to attract much in the way of gate money (which supposedly will pay part of the driver wages), when something as spectacular as Superleague Formula only pulls in a pitiful number for its one UK visit.

Before the Caparo came into play, they planned for 2009 the "Pro 400 Series", with a car from Delta Motorsport (with origins in Reynard Champ Car - so the ex-Grand Prix Masters car??) with a Langford 3.5 litre V6 engine.

[AshMcD]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

The car looks good, however I doubt the economics stack up at all.



As far as the BBC are concerned, that one doesn't need a punchline.

I can imagine some decent racing with Caparos would get TV coverage somewhere provided it was set up well enough. What production company would film it and who would absorb those costs though.

And BBC? Come on now, that's what seems to get me a bit about all this. There seems to be certain things based on little knowledge and dreaming.

Does anyone know the people involved? Are they motorsport types or business types?

EDIT: Not saying that the former aren't capable of running a race series... but well.. yeah.

[AshMcD]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

Duncan Tappy has signed up for the series, a minimum of three rounds and maybe all 10 if other commitments allow it. I think the Autosport article is archived at the pretty amateurish website:

http://www.rightfuel.info/RightfuelPro1000Racing.htm

I don't really see how 16 cars are going to attract much in the way of gate money (which supposedly will pay part of the driver wages), when something as spectacular as Superleague Formula only pulls in a pitiful number for its one UK visit.

Before the Caparo came into play, they planned for 2009 the "Pro 400 Series", with a car from Delta Motorsport (with origins in Reynard Champ Car - so the ex-Grand Prix Masters car??) with a Langford 3.5 litre V6 engine.

Those were my thoughts exactly. The website looks horrendous.

At best it would be reasonable support for GP2. It's never, ever going to pull in big crowds!

[JohnMiller]

Why does the business plan sound familiar? Sounds suspiciously like The Challenge Initiative which was first mooted in the 1970s and then "came back" this decade.

[courageous]

simple really, say each drive actually costs 450k - in year 3 pay drivers the 50k from year 1 back, do the same year 4 (organiser pockets any sponsorship or tv money).

Year 5, go bust if the money isn't working.

Meanwhile, you have almost a million in capital which you can play the stock market with.

[/cynic]

[AshMcD]

I'm just as much of a cynic Courageous, although I've not quite taken the step of taking my cynicism and moving to Sealand yet!

[AshMcD]

Peter Rees, Nigel Rees' (the organisers) son will be taking part it seems.

I wonder how much he'll be paying to race?

Oh it's now called Right Fuel Pro 1000 too. They are the guys who sell the fuel filler thing that stops you filling up a diesel car with Petrol.

I saw that very device on Dragon's Den so I don't know if Caparo are selling it under licence or they've copied it.

Anyhoo.

Good look to it, I think it's going to severely need it.

[Taprobane]

From what I know Pete won't be racing as his dad doesn't have the money and the Championship can't afford anyone not paying. However he has tested the car as he is obviously easily available (being the organisers son) and a former formula renault driver.

Everyone is far too cynical, maybe this championship won't work but I definitely don't think it's any more of an attempt to make money than any other of the hundreds of series out there!

[ivanalesi]

The site seems in the works, I hope they reach these goals, but not much chance. Also this car is very, very expensive, I don't know how much it costs to run, but on the market it's like 300-400k? Double the money for GP2/WSbR
Can anyone open the pps presentation?

[duke_toaster]

I can view the presentation but not open it to edit or C and P bits (small bits for review purposes) in to here.

[Redlake27]

I understand Triple Eight are running the show? That must add credibility.