Overtaking

[wyzard]

Whilst watching the British F1 this weekend I was annoyed by the commentators continually going on about the amazing overtaking and how much there was of it.

From memory there was a handful or overtaking manoeuvres, which I agree were incredible but there is no reason to harp on about it throughout the whole race.

The number of overtaking that goes on during a club meeting over a weekend would be far greater in number and with some of the manoeuvres just as ballsy (if thats how you spell it), why oh why does club racing in the uk not get the coverage it deserves?

I understand it is not F1 but it can be far more exciting!


Thanks................ I have calmed down now

[spearce]

.... it wasn't just a handful, my lap chart got quite messy.
Relative to other races it was incredible, all thanks to ....

[bacon sandwich]

Wyzard - I totally agree with you. Football is on prime time every week in the season. Golf gets coverage of all the majors. Tennis and Athletics get done to death.
Motorsport gets Channel 5 for 45 minutes at 3.30 am on a Tuesday morning - although I'm not knocking C5 - at least they do something.
Alright I know football is basically the premiership - the equivalent to F1 - I suppose you don't see many Division 3 matches.
I feel though that if we could get more club racing on TV - the public would see how good it can be (only if the grids are right though), they would then come to the circuit to watch - more spectators - more money, less track hire cost, lower entry fees for the drivers, bigger grids - sorry totally went off into cloud cuckoo land there......
This MotorsTV sounds like an excellent channel but I can't find out exactly who you have to be with to get it as Sky don't have it on their list and Telewest certainly don't do it.
I don't know - what is the answer ? (Smarties might know)

[Tim Falce]

bacon sandwich,
MotorsTV is available the Sky sattelite system, channel 416. I dont think they advertise it, as it is a free channel and they don't want people to know that you don't have to have a viewing card for it.
As for putting club racing on TV, there's no money to be made from it for the TV companies so they won't spend however many thousands of pounds it costs to produce it.

[Peter Mallett]

Can't answer the question directly but I know that if certain people know that my car is entered they'll make an effort to visit the event. Last year at Oulton a number of members of the local Capri club pitched up and waved at me every time I plodded through Deer Leap!

The point is (and I made it on a tv prog once) that if people can identify with the vehicles they'll be interested. I referred to Group 1 as the "shopping car grand prix".

The problem though is that it costs a great deal to set up tv coverage when only a a minority of people are interested in any one event. Take a look at the spectators at Snetterton for something like the BARC Classic Package.

[ss_collins]

I've made it on TV too - the uniroyal VW series is televised on Sky sports

[Adam43]

People coming to see you is excellent! Nice one Peter.

I do have story along similar lines. Someone came to Snetterton to watch a club meeting because it was organised by the "Jaguar Car Club". He liked Jaguars and wanted to watch some racing. Trouble was there were only two Jaguars there!

The racing is not on telly, true, but perhaps somethign can be done about increasing the number of spectator. Most of my meetings are poorly attended, although ocassionally we get a good crowd. There is no advertising out there. However, as wyzard suggests, it can be great to watch.

Motors is a great channel, we get live coverage of DTM, BTCC (and all the support races on that package - Porsche, FFord, Legends, Clios), Goodwood. There is also programs with races from TransAm, NASCAR!

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by AdamAshmore
People coming to see you is excellent! Nice one Peter.

One year a bunch even turned up at Spa! They'd read about the car in Classic Ford. But of course that may be the point. Aim for the niche market. For you that would be Jaguar magazines, for Chris Y "Mini World", for Stacy "Mazda news" oh no, that's about light bulbs

But you do see my point here.

[wyzard]

One other thing I am surprised at is the circuits do not seem over keen on advertising events that are going on........ is that correct?

How hard would it be for the circuit to contact the local newspaper/radio, have a large advertising boards outside of the circuit to let people know what is on at the forthcoming weekend/weekends. This would inform people driving past. They do at horse races at kempton, sandown etc

comments welcome

[Maisie]

Agree totally, wyzard. You'd think the circuits would want to publicise forthcoming events to get some more gate money, wouldn't you?

[Ntrprise]

Anyone see that racing rivals programm over the weekend. It is kind of like a motor sport version of pop idol or fame academy. The winnder of the season wins a £500k contract.

My girlfriend hates motor-sport...but loved that programm. It was a fly on the wall docu-soap. Although the programm is not just of the racing, it made interesting viewing for non motor sport fanatics. That in turn gets viewing numbers up, which gets advertising revenue on the up as well.

More programmes like this racing fame academy would do well. Also, a bit of warning it was on wouldn't go amiss either!

[Bob Pearson]

Peter,
You've jogged me on something. You referred to the BARC Classic Package. That took off like no-one expected, good crowds, even at Pembrey. One day I was discussing this with the BARC and they were basking in their glory of success.
But what do we see now, the Mallory Classic meeting about a month or so ago was advertised as Championship Car Races. It seems like they get an ace card and then just throw it away instead of capitalising on it.

[G Tanner]

I know that Castle Combe normally advertise in the local press a few days before hand. No surprise that they always get healthy crowds.

[goforit500]

Castle Combe, bank holiday Monday is the seasonal highlight for me. I actually feel like a racing driver !!

The crowd up at errr.....First corner, top of the rise where you want to brake but can't as the car goes light and it gets all squirelly into the right hander - You know which one....Is always big & enthusiastic..

[G Tanner]

Quarry I think is the name you're looking for. A fiendish corner.

[goforit500]

Thanks...Fiendish will do just fine...

[Chartman]

Originally posted by goforit500
Castle Combe, bank holiday Monday is the seasonal highlight for me. I actually feel like a racing driver !!

The crowd up at errr.....First corner, top of the rise where you want to brake but can't as the car goes light and it gets all squirelly into the right hander - You know which one....Is always big & enthusiastic..

Last year was my first season and I had the pleasure of racing at CC on a Bank Holiday - what a crowd. They even paid extra to come into the paddock. Of all the circuits I raced at that was the one where I felt we were putting on a show for enthusiastic fans of motorsport, rather than just all the other competitors and teams.
Talking of squirelly - this was my first racing vist to the aforementioned corner (I'm roughly in line with the mast being confronted with cars pointing in every direction as I came over Avon)