From Holland comes the truth :) and Mäkinen, and many others, if our drivers would give up soon as they hit troubles, we would have a lot less worldchampions.Quote:
Originally Posted by jacko
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From Holland comes the truth :) and Mäkinen, and many others, if our drivers would give up soon as they hit troubles, we would have a lot less worldchampions.Quote:
Originally Posted by jacko
I can imagine Kris being disillusioned about the WRC. But he has to keep in mind that the WRC is a very sick puppy. Only 6 factory seats and of those 6 maybe 3 or 4 that aren't paid for. There is just not a whole lot to go around, and it's unfortunate for Kris and other (young) talents to be active in WRC at this point in time. Teams simply don't have the budgets anymore to pay 2 or 3 drivers. A testimony to the state in which the WRC is.
Maybe it would be clever for him, if he is so good he think he is, to do like Gardemeister did this year, get a budget for 3-4 WRC events this year and drive a few top 4 finishes, to show teams that he still is around, and worth to be seen as an alternative when seats comes free, the time is on his side anyway. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Nenukknak
Tomi, throughout all this coversation, and other threads, you have seen what state British motorsport is in. 'On-its-knees' would be an understatment.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomi
ITV is dumping the coverage, becuase of sh1t vieing figures, becuase no british driver is at the sharp end. New MSA rally liecense application are going through the floor, and yet Wilks and Meeke are let fall by the wayside, while people whine about no terrestial TV coverage.
Yes, overcourse, it would be clever to do 4 WRC rallies.. but still you need 150.000 euros per rally. Meeke was simply stating he cannot find this type of money to continue, although he is still trying im sure.
I can see his point, it was the same two years ago, he was offered the Surbaru drive, but could not raise the money. Again, he was offered the Kronos drive.. and again no support from his home country. He has good guys working for him, but its still not happening.
He might be as good 'as he thinks he is', and well he should. Citroen dont let monkeys test the Xsara and C4, he jumped through all the hoops for the Subaru selection 2 years ago, and he is as fast as Sordo on tarmac, and led every JWRC event this year. Better pedigree than some of the 'pretenders' are the moment.
Nobody is crying, but I think some people on the forums lose sight of the amount of money required. A four rally program you mention, would cost 600.000 euros. This is what an averge income would earn in 15 years... and in WRC its gone in 4 weekends.
OK, if thats the WRC 'bubble' we refer to..... thats fine, but he is simply stating that he cannot afford to continue. Nothing more.. nothing less.
A very good post :up:Quote:
Originally Posted by jacko
Folks, the way some young drivers has entered the WRC scene, is basicly an illusion, meaning it won't happen that often and usually young lads gain experience first. Let's not forget it.
TV visibility has nothing to do with it, you can not sell anything that not excist, Rally will never become anything for someone who put everything on TV visibility, you better look for some company who looks for growth in countries where the majority of the events is, and start building something around that, it's more cheeper than commercial time in TV and more effective too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Buzz Lightyear
That is how its done here and elsewhere too, im sure that there is companies in GB who looks for growth too, what branche they are in does not matter.
Me my self has been helping drivers too, not doing any major things, but something to help anyway, so i know for sure what i talk about, and know it can be done. :)
You make it sound easy, do you want his email address?Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomi
no, and its not easy, but you can give it the brittsh rally fans.Quote:
Originally Posted by cut the b.s.
Tomi, you do know your Rallying and you know what your talking about but you have to live here in the UK to understand the problems Kris faces, Buzz explained it very well. The money needed to do 4 WRC events or to do the PWRC just isn't to be found in Britain, certainly not for Rallying. If a company or person wanted to sponsor him, what do they get out of it; very limited exposure. I just wish there was an extremely generous benefactor to give him the money so he could take his rightful place in the WRC. The UK is a WRC unfriendly place at the moment.
Why wouldn't try to collect needed money by asking ordinary people to help. Roman Kresta got budget for one season by fan-support. I am sure that Meeke could raise some money with that system. Or maybe we have to note that there more rich rally fans among czhecs...
I'd forgotten about the Fans for Kresta thing. They raised more money then anyone could have imagined. There must be a reason why it hasn't been tried since. I'd give Meeke 20 quid if he wanted it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Finni
Wait and see......... I think KM will be around in 2007
Meeke will be around in 07 I'm sure. Meeke has not left the WRC or left rallying. He has not given up on securing a drive sometime in 07. In that interview he was expressing his frustration at the limited number of seats available and the fact that a driver, talented or not, needs big, very big bucks to secure a seat in a very limited market. Obviously he was also promoting himself and telling anybody who's listening "give me a budget, I need a budget".
On the face of it a PWRC drive (even if a budget could be found) would sound like very attractive option if only to stay in rallying. But it could well be a backward step for him. Look what happened to Martin Rowe and Nial McShea? PWRC is a side show and is not a natural progression to WRC, not for him anyway. He feels he's ready for the big stage and I sincerely hope he achieves that because when he gets there he'll do very well. He's still young, only 26 or so.
I wonder if his fans and others can do something? Worth thinking about.
We have been active in PWRC since 2002 and yes we are maybe a side show, but at least we are there. Ok it is not cheap to run a WRC car and yes it is even not cheap to run a PWRC car, but hey this is the Production WORLD Championship, if you have not enough budget, drive a national series.Quote:
Originally Posted by noel157
We seem to forget that MOTORSPORT is a expensive sport. Look at single seaters many year ago I went to the Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch there where 150+ cars trying to get a place on the grid, now ? Look at karting, if you want to do a decend series with your son/daughter make shure you have the necessary funds...
If you want to make money play Golf or Tennis, in MOTORSPORT you only spend money. All of us we LOVE this sport and for some of us it is our job, but since the early 1900s it was a sport for people who can afford it.
Yes there are people like Mr. Companc who likes the sport and what he spends is less than what he spends on fuelling his private 737, yes there are drivers like Manfred who kept himself in the picture through PWRC and landed a super deal with OMV, yes there are people like Henning who through networking got a super deal with Expert and others, yes Niall and Martin did not find the right budget, but maybe they took a wrong decision...
Look at current PWRC champion, he wants to drive a WRC car (and he and his sponsor can afford it) but he decided to defend his title in PWRC as WRC cars are really expensive and then as private driver you are not going to beat the factory cars, last season PWRC took WRC points when they finnished in top 8 OVERALL...
Off course each driver want to get to the very very top, and yes there are ONLY a few seats available for the lucky few, but IF you love the sport and can't afford a WRC car and you can stay active in the 'side show' PWRC, but how many drivers would jump at the chance to drive PWRC, at least you are there.
We are in the 'transition years', we all know this WRC car are just for the manufacturers, S2000 lets wait and see, in 2008 the FIA R classes will come, a alternative to WRC cars, PWRC, S2000 or S1600.
Sorry to go on about this, but if you like and Love the sport and even if you can stay active in it by driving in the side show PWRC, but at least you are doing what you like and you stay active in the sport...
Looking at PWRC 07 a lot of drivers think the same.
Maybe better to take a step back and keep active then stay at home, again if you Love the sport you will keep driving
Merry Christmass to all our forumers
Well said, also next years PWRC seems to become entry wise very good. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ProRally
Isnt there drivers outside UK who got sponsors in UK...
Its strange no UK drivers can get it in their own country.
Now I dont know if its like this now.
Just wondering if the Brit drivers are continually trying motor industry sponsors. A few years ago Gareth Jones in UK had sponsorship from Gadget Shop, who have now incidentally ceased trading. Maybe us Brits shuld try PC World, Currys's etc. If you read the news stories there is a never ending consumption of electronic gadgets (Expert / Henning) why not Orange, Vodafone, etc. Trouble is big concerns like Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool etc with their stupid salary bills (make Schumacher look cheap) drain all the big money in UK.
Good idea, also it would be good to try companies that has no use or very little of tv, like for instance, heavy industry, chemical industry, electronic component industry, a few to mention. But it would be better if start earlier the relationship between the company and the driver, about at the time when the driver starts to drive in national championship events, in my opinion the ideal would be long term sponsorship with 1 big sponsor and a few smaller, incase something happens to the big one.Quote:
Originally Posted by MJW
I have worked with some Swedes in the past on WRC and in Sweden it is still hard to find money but there is more of a "community" feel with sponsor such as Olsbergs etc. helping people. UK is REALLY hard.
Yes i guess you are right, but the swedes are a little like windmills, they dont have any plan for their drivers, they are happy with what they get , if you look at Daniel Carlssons carreer you see what i mean, it looks like zig zag, it should be a curve up.Quote:
Originally Posted by MJW
You are very correct about the "windmills" - Definately Finland leads with the academy of WRC. Mikko had a bad time at SWRT, then some good results in 2005, especically on tarmac, same with Gardemeister in the 206 on Monte all those years ago. There is definately a "good system" in Keski Suomi.
I think we all can learn from the United States. After all, that's the home of advertising and marketing. Look at and learn from NASCAR.
LOL, Nascar.............All they have to do is turn left and they still manage to balls that up.
So? I can think of more boring sports getting money. Football perhaps?Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazza2541
NASCAR seem to always have good relationships with companies through sponsor/marketing schemes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bazza2541
Nascar is probaly the best run motorsport in the world, whether you are a fan or not you would need to be 'challenged' not to see how successful it is