Aussie Racing Cars

[Falcadore]

Oaksnaf: my information was the costs were higher than that because of TV fees and sanctioning fees? Is that not true?

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Oaksnaf: my information was the costs were higher than that because of TV fees and sanctioning fees? Is that not true?

Well that could be quite true. But i have been talking to the organisers in Sydney about a deal, and i was quoted that for 5000 you could get a round. Obvioulsy for a team further down the field, but thats what i have been quoted as the bare minimum. Its roughly the same price for Formula Ford, which mind you will go up next year.

But yeah its definately between 5000-8000 per round as far as ive been told. Whether things have changed in the last couple of months or not, im an unaware.

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

I'm not gonna knock what's good about the class, but I'm not going to write them a press release either

Well the Aussie Racing cars absolutely killed the prospect, and the futureracers series. Which was brought into the frey far too quickly if you were to ask me. Mike Kilpatrick did a lot of effort with the series in WA, but in general it was/has been ill-managed.

I think Aussie Racing Cars could do with a bit more exposure personally, there races are far more action packed than the Lotus Challenge and their grids are huge. Although they do look slow when put to a wide angled camera..... Maybe thats the reason. I dont see why they shouldn't get some action on speedweek or something.

[bazil]

I am aware of several drives of around $3,500 per round in front running cars and up to about $5,000 per round for 1 off drives but if you are paying more than that please send me a private message because I have a couple of things I would like to sell and you would be a perfect buyer....

[cav]

For $5k for a round it has to be the most value for money of any class on the National stage and with the huge fields ( I think there were about 45 entries at Oran Park)I am not the only one who can see the value.

I think they are a great support for the V8s,everyone I know just love them including my other half. They dont need to be compared to any other class and when you read their website they dont try to.

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by bazil

I am aware of several drives of around $3,500 per round in front running cars and up to about $5,000 per round for 1 off drives but if you are paying more than that please send me a private message because I have a couple of things I would like to sell and you would be a perfect buyer....

3,500. Gee, that aint bad at all. I was in talks for another driver and even went down at met them, and $5000 was what they were at for a one-off round. So whether a season equates to 3,500 per round seems more likely.

[williamsf1]

7k is what it costs per round, no if's or but's....

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by williamsf1

7k is what it costs per round, no if's or but's....

Maybe for your team, (if you do work for a team that is) other than that there are ifs and buts, because ive been quoted differently.

[D.R.T.]

My biggest beef with the cateogry, correct me if I am wrong is that Avesco has dictated to the organisers that only Ford and Holden shells can be run.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by williamsf1

7k is what it costs per round, no if's or but's....

It depends if the car is already sponsored or not, as to what price is required to lease a car for a round, or series of rounds.

If you are lucky enough to be in the running for a run in a fully backed car, such as one with L1 Supercar affiliations, the ride costs may be around what Bazil quotes....

... if you are renting a car from an unsponsored team, then the number above is more than likely the dollars required....

[Oaksnaf]

What would you rather, pay 3 rounds in Aussie Racing Cars, or one round in F4000 for the exact same price?

[D.R.T.]

I suppose what your goals were. F4000 are the fastest cars in Aus and if you wanted to do the open wheel route, you'd go with F4000.

If you wanted to move up the Avesco hierachy then you would do the Aussie Racers

[williamsf1]

I am the first to admit that open wheel racing is the pure form of the game... however, in this country, wish our small population, there is no chance in hell of some kid being able to come up with 250k to run a year in Formula Ford.... where as it is possible to come up with the 60k for a year of ARC with an asset to on sell when you move up to the next catagory... (being Carrera Cup at this stage)

oh and try buying a car right now!!! there are none aval..... show's just how strong this series is getting!

[Falcadore]

Oaksnaf: Depend doesn't it. If you want to be one of 45 cars and don't mind fighting for 20 or 30 something in the field and get nothing of the vaunted TV coverage because you are so far down the field, but the thrill of close competition is enough for you then ARC maye your thing.

However in F4000 the field is sufficiently slim that the right budget and the right car you can be competing for a win and high championship position, and be doing so in one of the most technically challenging cars and one of the most rewarding to drive cars in the field, plus you'll be almost guaranteed to make F4000's TV coverage.

So it all depends on what you're after.

[mac]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

However in F4000 the field is sufficiently slim that the right budget and the right car you can be competing for a win and high championship position, and be doing so in one of the most technically challenging cars and one of the most rewarding to drive cars in the field, plus you'll be almost guaranteed to make F4000's TV coverage.

Hang on, let me see if I get this .......... you would rather drive in a struggling series because you are more than likely to get a some of its rather poor TV coverage?

Or would you rather try to convince your sponsor that a series with involvement from Yokohama, Yamaha, WPS, Westpoint, Valvoline, Repco, Pennzoil, Speedy Wheels, RDA, Sime Tyres, VIP Petfoods, Schweppes, TDK, Hog's Breath Cafe and Loctite, impressive TV coverage, healthy fields of up to 40 cars and a place on the schedule of the main motorsports game in town at some of the biggest events in the country is the better bet?

And if you want to reach Formula One, you should be in Europe before you get to F4000.

[cav]

Hey Falcadore, you cant be serious. If you only have the ability to run in position 30 in the Aussie Racing field then you wont have the ability to do anything in the F4000 field and to use the justification of being a star in a field of half a dozen is really ridiculous. Williams F1 is right,The most inexpensive class in the country and cars that have a resale value higher than purchase price is pretty hard to beat. No matter how many ways Falcadore and Oaksnaf try to justify some other category is better the grids and obvious success speak for itself.

[pete55]

I think it is the best racing in Australia at the moment. It's certainly the best value for money racing in this country.

[cav]

GTR obviously has his facts right as well. There are sponsored cars in the series and generally they have good drivers in them and my understanding is that is how the industry works. If you can drive then you can provide value for money to the sponsor who is paying and the list that Mac shows are the companies who consider they are getting value for money otherwise the list wouldnt be growing.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by mac

Hang on, let me see if I get this .......... you would rather drive in a struggling series because you are more than likely to get a some of its rather poor TV coverage?.

What is poor about Formula 4000's TV coverage? All races are shown on Free-to-air and Pay-TV, as opposed to highlights somewhere on Trackside.

A sponsor is more likely to say yes to pretty certain TV coverage as opposed to little coverage, no matter what category.

[williamsf1]

I don't think the argument is about the quality if TV, I think it boils down to a grid of 6- 12 cars with mostly old rich types driving (which FH has been statistically from the outset..) team owners, and managment types are not fools! if you can win in a grid of 47 you will do well in most series! especially when the series is 90% driver and 10% car (i.e. how rich is your dad, have you spent enough on the car/engine/engineer/data)

top drives in an 05VD... Formula Fords run at 350k, so lets compare apples to apples...

give it 3 yrs, and all the carrera cup and lights champs will have steered one of these to victory at some stage in their carrer....


yes F4000 might get TV, but sponsors only want anything to do with what joe public will watch! the hearts and minds have been won with the little ARC cars, and standing on the hill at Oran Park prooved it....

[D.R.T.]

Exactly, via SBS and Foxtel F4000 coverage gets replayed 7-8 times per round. Compare that to Trackside I'm not sure how this can be viewed as poor tv.

[bazil]

D.R.T,
Surely you are not talking up F4000, because this series from the Formular Brabham days thru the Formular Holden era till now as F4000 has never inspired the masses. In open Wheelers its F/FORD or F3, nothing else matters especially if you have Europe in mind. The cars themselves are fantastic to drive but are visually and audably boring and as such have never had the impact that say F5000 had with their growling v8 engines . Aussie Race cars are going to be popular for a long time to come and F4000 will be long gooooooooone.

[mac]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

Exactly, via SBS and Foxtel F4000 coverage gets replayed 7-8 times per round. Compare that to Trackside I'm not sure how this can be viewed as poor tv.

The quality of the telecast is not poor, but who actually watches it?

Answer: racing die-hards who know that it is on and specifically look for it.

The broader public are going to have a greater chance of seeing Aussie Racing Cars (be it flicking over in the footy ad break, or going to a V8s event) than they are of seeing F4000.

Ask the casual race-goer what F4000 is and he will shrug his shoulders.

Ask the casual race-goer what Aussie Racing Cars are and he will again shrug his shoulders. But if you tell him they are those things that look like miniature V8s, he will say, "oh yeah, they look cool."

There is an interest factor that just isn't there compared to yet another open wheel category - something that makes the category stand out to potential sponsors.

[williamsf1]

I saw for myself at Oran Park the classic case of "oh its those cars, lets go get some food before the V8s are on...." and this was in general, for the FFord lotus series....

people came to the track to see:-

V8 main game
VB challenge
ARC
Porsche Carrera Cup

and the rest are just going to fill in time! now this is not my view, just what average punter is interested in, so there is where MR sponsor is going to field his $$$$$$

laws of supply and demand....

[cav]

I cant understand why Aussie Racers are being compared to Formula holden and why the TV is being compared, it is irelevant. The facts are that the Category is clearly the strongest Nationally. The crowd love the cars and the TV is sensational to watch (I think there were shots of the cars 5 wide at Queensland on the last trackside I saw) and even the pit display is on a par with the V8s, in fact it is better because if you want to look closely at a car you are welcomed. No wonder a major company like Wright Patton Shakespeare are taking advantage of the popularity. Mac, my missus reckons they are "cute" and to get her to give recognition to anything with a motor in it is a pretty difficult task. Cute cars that are only around 6 seconds slower than a Supercar at Oran Park I agree with you Mac is pretty cool. I saw the crowd reaction at Oran Park as well, the most entertaining by far.