Rockingham - a waste

[The Pits!]

Depends on the venue, club and series, but generally the organising club charges the series/drivers money which they use to pay the owner for the hire of their circuit. Gate money can go to either or split between organiser and owner.

A Club - BARC/BRSCC/etc - bids to run a series/meeting, so they have estimated how much it will cost them, and how much profit they can make. Sometimes they get it wrong - and I'm not talking SCSA here.

Obviously the V8's must have done their sums, and believe 2008 will be cheaper by becoming part of another package, which unfortunately for us does not run at the Rock.

At the end of the day everyone is part of the money-jigsaw

[racing59]

Here's how it works (normally)

The club hires the circuit for the day. Brands Indy - circa £20K.

The circuit owner has the gate money.

The club charges entry fees, or "sells the track time". IE: the competitor pays.

The club has no need to market the meeting. Why should it - it's money down the drain. Any extra ticket sales goes to the circuit.

The circuit has no intention of marketing the meeting - it's just had a big fat cheque from the club for providing it's facilities. It will make some money from the concessions, and a few ticket sales, but that's all.

Life goes on, people complain about the cost of the sport (entry fees etc..) sponsors are not interested because there's no exposure.

The other "way", is the clubs provide the championships, the circuit picks the stuff that the think will draw the crowd, they run and market the meeting, hopefully, if they've done their job right - getting a major media sponsor onboard helps - they fill the spectator area for a reasonable ticket price that doesn't leave a bad taste in the mouth. The racing is good, the crowd are happy, the sponsors are happy, and the circuit has a big pile of cash to count. It means that they need more staff to run the meeting for crowd control. They may have to pay plod for traffic control. Overall, if they get the thing right, they're quids in. The competitors - well they race for free, maybe with start money, and prize money!!
It's called PROMOTION.

That takes (a) B*lls, and (b) Money behind you.

Sadly, in this country nobody in the right position appears to have (a) and are unwilling to spend (b).

The only way that the sport will change in Europe is when Brian France brings the circus to town.

Until then, we'll suffer the legacy of Nicola Foulston (with her mis-management team) and the destruction that she caused the sport after her father was tragically lost.

Those who know, will remember John Webb. He was the last person to take the sport to the public by creating championships that excited people, and marketed them to the point where they had a big following.

I would say that Roger Etcell and our very own Jeff Carter, are the latest people to try and buck the trend with Powernights. Hopefully, one day, they'll be allowed to hold championship races at their meetings. I must say, I'm enthusiastic about them, and wish I could be more involved.

As for the oval. I've had enough of the bickering about it. It's a great asset to Corby, Northamptonshire, and Great Britain. Just a pity it's hardly being used.

The all-stars-cup - well what can I say. After studying the website, I must really *dream* something up the same. ASCE comes to mind.

Rob.

[kjb]

would i be right in saying that the allstars v8's are running on the infield circuit (well one of the infield tracks)and not the oval it would appear?

[JDPower]

would i be right in saying that the allstars v8's are running on the infield circuit (well one of the infield tracks)and not the oval it would appear?

Well the Rock circuit configuration on the site is one of the inner infield courses, not even using part of the oval as part of the road course. Strange.

[foxystoat]

It's a shame that with multi milllionaires/billionaires falling over themselves to buy any old football team from the top 2 divisions, there is no one out there who wouldn't mind spending some of their loose change to make Rockingham & Oval racing an attractive proposition for drivers & fans alike once more.

[racing59]

would i be right in saying that the allstars v8's are running on the infield circuit (well one of the infield tracks)and not the oval it would appear?

Going by the way the site is made, which is pics taken from other websites and no original content, that image is the only one easily found that doesn't show the "circuit layout" using part of the oval. IE: it shows the oval on it's own, but your eyes are taken to the red line, not the oval layout.

IMHO, the whole thing is one big red herring, a windup, a dream, a figment of someone's vivid imagination.

The only factual information on the site are the details of how to run at Warneton on one of their arrive-and-drive rookie-type training/race weekends.

[Jeff Carter]

It's a shame that with multi milllionaires/billionaires falling over themselves to buy any old football team from the top 2 divisions, there is no one out there who wouldn't mind spending some of their loose change to make Rockingham & Oval racing an attractive proposition for drivers & fans alike once more.

There was a billionaire who put his hand in his pocket - Guy Hands. He ended up losing millions and bailed out so he didn't lose anymore money.

To your other point, football is a completely different ball game (excuse the pun) and even division one teams have a multi million pound turnover, tv amd thousands of dedicated fans who turn out to watch week in week out in all weathers. Motorsport doesn't attract that sort of support and as such wont attract the lucrative money that football does.

As Rob points out the motorsport business as a whole in the UK needs to change direction quickly and start providing entertainment for the whole family to enjoy but this is going to take time and a lot of money. Rockingham were the pioneers with music and other family attractions but the money ran out before it could turn a profit. The other reason is Motorosport politics - there are too many powerful people in the industry that can't see this or don't want to see this happen. It's the 'we've always done it this way and why should we change' syndrome - a state of mind I hate with a passion.

[Abo]

As Rob points out the motorsport business as a whole in the UK needs to change direction quickly and start providing entertainment for the whole family to enjoy

Dunno about that one Jeff, motorsport in the UK does not 'need' to do anything as long as there are a string of people willing to put their hands in their pockets to pay for track time...

[Jeff Carter]

Dunno about that one Jeff, motorsport in the UK does not 'need' to do anything as long as there are a string of people willing to put their hands in their pockets to pay for track time...

That's OK for club level motorsport but when you are talking BTCC / F3 /GT level sponsors demand a good crowd at an event and the only way you are going toget a good crowd is by providing a full day of entertainment that doesn't just include racing on the circuit.

Todays punter requires a lot more. Your average motorsport fan is contented to sit and watch a full day of track action but I'm afraid there aren't enough of the dedicated fans to make motorsport at that level financially viable - as has been proven here.

POWERnights has been set up so we as a company hire the facilities from Silverstone and then take the gate money. It's a no brainer for the circuit as they get their hire fee and we get to make the profit (or loss) by putting on the entertainment we think the average member of the public wants to see. We're also doing this with the Silverstone Classic, which we're just signed a 5 year deal with Silverstone to run.

Rockingham proved you can attract a new crowd to watch motorsport but unfortunately the business model was flawed. However there are others out there willing to take on the challenge.

If we are content to just run club level motorsport then I would agree with your post Abo. However I for one want motorsport to be on a par with soccer, rugby and cricket as a choice for people to want to spend their hard earned watching.

Jeff

[timtime]

Santa Pod have adopted the attractions for all the family type approach and the gates have been very rewarding for them. It did not sit well with some of the die hards but the Fun Fair, side shows, Monster Truck Racing etc opened up to a whole new audience. It was no longer just an appealing venue to the Drag Racing fan but to his wife and kids as well particularly those who go for the whole weekend.

There is also a greater diversity of meetings and the gates on some of these such as the USC are phenomenal. Despite the weather last year still had some highlights right up the Flame and Thunder which is basically few Drag demonstrations, stunt shows and fireworks and the venue was full. The gates had to be shut and the road closed to stop anymore people trying to reach it. Santa Pod though havent rested on their laurels they will be doing the Sat show as normal but also an event on the 5th which is really purely aimed at the people local to the venue. Forward thinking or capitalising there are many views but time will tell.

The entertainment approach has worked there and it was only the flaws that stopped it working at Rockingham I think. The only one I never understood was 50 Cent, whilst the costs invloved in getting him must have been exceptional I was really surprised that the 50 Cent fans didnt support that one to the hilt at the time when he was at the top of his game. I can only surmise if it had been perhaps a headline rock act then the fans might have been more open to an outside festival "style" performance venue.

Tim