Could drivers be paid

Could it be possible for you drivers to get prize money from some organisation or may be goverment funding towards your teams?

I forgot to say at club level not national.

Dream on. Why would they want to do that? We live in England, not Sweden, Finland, Japan etc. And even if you got funding the taxman would take it all back off you on the basis that you were deriving enjoyment from th expenditure.

P.s.

Watched a bit of the Bush address to the USA. The cheeky git actaully said that he had GIVEN $XXXMILLION back to the American people in the form of less taxes!

Ar$e. What he meant to say was "I've taxed you less (directly) so I can stay in office.

What he really said was," I'm getting you suckers someplace else."

e.g speeding 'surcharges' etc. etc.

Rant over.

Sorry folks, but politicians really get my vote. LOL

Old dog you can sponsor me if you like just pm me!!

I would've said it could be possible if the championships and circuits were marketed a bit more? It could be possible if there was enough people through the gate. Tracks in the USA that run lower-level series outside of NASCAR and World Of Outlaws can do it so why can't we?

As an additional pointer - what ever happened to that Challenge Series that was announced last year? One of the marketing points was that drivers actually got paid to take part in the series.

I have heared it could not take place at this time it is a shame.
Sponsorship there is a thought. How much would a season cost for a Formula Ford at club level?
I have been watching at Oulton Park for many years now and do enjoy watching you guys battle away.
Bluenose ............You have my message.
We look forward to this year.

Thanks just e mail or pm.

Way back in the 60's drivers in F3 & F2 could live on start money and prize money -its how Frank Williams and a whole host of other young brits survived - traipsing around europe with an old estate car and a trailer... what went wronG

[QUOTE]Originally posted by danieljboys
[B]I would've said it could be possible if the championships and circuits were marketed a bit more? It could be possible if there was enough people through the gate. Tracks in the USA that run lower-level series outside of NASCAR and World Of Outlaws can do it so why can't we?

If there were ever enough spectators through the gate, do you think there is any chance of the cash filtering down, through the circuit owners and the organising club to the competitors....... I don't think so!

Stephen,
You've hit the nail on the head. The difference between the 60's and now is that there is an army of people who have inserted themselves between the racer and the track, all stood with their hand out.

I've been reading on other threads about the possibilities of various 'find a driver' schemes and TV programmes being 'fixed' and generally questioning the organisers' motives. They are surprised, by the idea that they, and those who have a vested interest in motor sport in general, are doing it to line their own pockets.
We, the drivers are a product and we are probably unique in being the only 'product' who have to pay for the privelidge.

Racing is far from unique in that it costs 99% of the drivers a lot of money to compete. Try and speak to the horse riding crowd and you will hear a similar story. I compete because i enjoy it and I know that my hobby will cost money as nearly all hobbies do. I have a friend who is seriously into Golf and reckons that it costs him £10k per year including green fees at the big courses and memberships.
I think that the only club/national championship where properly marketed you could draw in a decent crowd that would allow start money and proper prize money would be FF. And that is because the racing is damned exciting.

It's fairly simple:
A typical race meeting apparently costs around £25k to stage - both the circuit owners and the clubs have to run profitable businesses (unless you want Octagon back).
That's the expenditure, so where does the income come from? Answer: almost all of it comes from the competitor entry fees, paying for the privilege of racing.
To reduce race entry fees (or god forbid, allow racers to be paid), you have to have another income stream:
- Spectators? Well they need to be told that there is racing on, and that it's a good day out.
Sponsors? Well they need an audience, since sponsorship is marketing, and that means it has to make business sense.

Any event can be properly marketed (to quote kickstart), cost-effectively. Basically, every extra paying spectator through the gate is straight profit. The income from an achievable crowd dwarfs the cost of staging the meeting. The key appears to be some top-notch marketing thinking (of the sort you'd expect from the top high street brands), and some joined-up thinking. I'm quietly working on just such a proposal right now, based on a very low level club meeting, and the numbers are very positive - the business case is very strong indeed.
I don't want to preach too much (in case we don't pull it off) - but by heck I will be if we do.

Sounds like Rockingham

HiRich... How are you going to get around the fact that the gate money goes to the circuit owner, giving the organising club no incentive to promote the meeting. They just increase their charges and the club increases entry fees.

Good luck.

most race circuits derive a lot of their income from track days, race schools,corporate days etc. If nobody races at the circuits 'cos of high entry fees/costs etc, then the circuits would not be able to market 'their' side of things so effectively. No racing = not a race track. The money they make from racing , say max, 30 days per year is small compared to the money they attract for the other 320.

They are taking the mickey - £200 for a test day and £50 for a garage. They should be working closely with, say, the BRSCC as partners in the best sense of the word, to get spectators through the gates on raceday. The more punters there mean higher profits.

If the BRSCC were to get 'commission' on the gate money, then that could easily, (and morally!!!) be reflected in start money, lower entry fees etc.

More competitors = better racing = more spectators = better media coverage and public awareness = more marketable for driver/team sponsorship = more competitors and so on. It can't be that hard.

Unfortunately, I feel it would just engender more blazers and toys for the officials.

Could you guys let me know how much it would cost to sponsor a driver for a season. ie race entries,tyres fuel ,and testing.
It would be an experiance to get involved and get to know you guys.

How much money do you want to spend. You can do alsorts. If you wanted to do just NWFF most drivers would be glad of any help you can offer. If you have a lot of money to spend you could put up a prize fund for the championship, thereby sponsoring everybody. Or you could invest in a young talented driver and help him/her as far as you can up the ladder.

sadly all the gate money i assume goes into come big persons pocket somewhere, i assume very very little of it actually goes back into maintaining the circuit, some of it does filter down and those new garages assembly area etc is a definite improvement (when i started going to OP, they still ahd the mingin toilet walls and the scrutineering used to be in the middle of the paddock) i was only about 12 at the time, somehow motorspot had passed me by up until then, after the first visit in 96or97 me and dad used to go almost every week (FF used to the be best races obviously, well apart from the xr3i chalenge of course (don your baseball cap backwards, hurl the CVh engined heap of poo into the corner at stupid speed and hope to f**k someone else is the way to stop u leaving the track...)

im ranting!


on another side note, the hospitality centre,... anyone been in, i went in there once, they wouldnt let me eat anything, grrrr





to think that the greedy person with the full pockets would take some out to maintain the circuit probably takes some prying (or poking with a large electric power bovine shocking device) to get cash out of them, to think he'd take his hand out to give money to the competitors is shear stupidity, although it would be nice i guess club racing will always be an expensive affair with for the vast majority nothing in the way of financial gain (apart from a few extr 000's on the overdraft figure!)

Thanks to all the guys who have sent me the information .
It seems to vary from person to person so we shall take the middle line.
We are going to help out a driver this year,For me April can not come soon enough.

Old dog as I suggested above, why not sponsor the championship, you will get your logo on every car and you will benefit every driver.

Oh man, I hate those. Series sponsors take up way more space, and in more valuable areas, than represents the money they put into the championship. And they often do so on exclusivity terms, reducing your prospective sponsorships.

That applys to really top line pro-series as well.

Series sponsors ruin the graphics on your car so stay clear I say?

Well that too, but that can be fixed with a good art guy.

What do series sponsors do ,How does it help us ?
It only works for SOM

Well, one of the series sponsor for NWFFORD last year meant everyone had an equal chance of winnig £50 of Teng Tools vouchers every meeting. Surely that would be considered helpful??

I also believe that for the sake of running with a relatively small sticker on the car helps the series look more professional in my opinion. However if the drivers see no obvious return then yes, its purpose could be drawn into question.

Jnr Jnr

Well I think it should be like NASCAR where its optional. You can carry as many, or as little, series sponsors as you like. For instance Team Petty doesnt carry Budweiser series decals (for the Bud Pole award) because Richard Petty's mum(?) didnt want him having alcohol sponsorship on the car, ever. So when they get a pole they dont get any prize money from it or inclusion in the annual Bud-Shootout.

Wow £50 If they made £5000 that would be more interesting What do you think Ian?

£5000 certainly would make things more interesting, but for £5000 worth of potential winnings available every meeting id imagine that would ruin the livery on your nice new car bluenose.

The £50 was a nice incentive, and was not just for the race winner so it was well received by all. If you can find a sponsor who will put up £5000 for a reginal series every meeting, you will have done very, very well.

My point is its only £600 a year in prizes or £1200 for a an b When we spend £1000 to £1500 per weekend its not much of an insentive. A sponsor should make more of an effort.

A series sponsor in a clubmans championship will provide a nice little cash purse for winning your class. It makes it more interesting racing if you can win your weekends costs back. Also imagine if the champioship could get enough money to get a van with an awning as well as that lovely trailer thingy.

Mackmot it would make racing more interesting to win back our entry fees. A nice new truck and awning is a must ? What is a trailer thingy!

the little trailor/race centre thing that you guys have got

If Old Dog has the money to sponsor one car for a season then that money could be put up for a prize fund so that the best driver will win it. Thats fair isnt it.

Prize money could be divided to the top ten positions.

Originally posted by blue nose
Mackmot it would make racing more interesting to win back our entry fees. A nice new truck and awning is a must ? What is a trailer thingy! Alan,
Wayne is referring to the NW FF1600 Race Centre aka The Moose Unit. This was acquired for 2003 as a memorial to Colin 'Moose' Benn who we sadly lost in 2002. As you have been off the scene since 2001, you will have missed it, but you can see it on brsccnw.com (http://) and use it at the meetings, now you are back with us.
Yes it is a 'lovely trailer thingy' and Moose would surely have approved of its quirkiness and value for money in the way it was acquired and refurbished.

Oh I'm sorry I didnt realise it was a memorial

No prob Wayne,
If you are ever up at Oulton or Anglesey when NW FF1600 are playing, come along, say hello and have a brew and a bikkie. Don't come first or last thing though, as you'll get roped in to set it up or pack it all away again. Second thoughts, come as early as you like :laugh:

Bluenose is right. Any sponsorship money should be spread down the field. We are not F1 but a value for money race series. If anyone was to put "money" in to NWFF then it should help as many people as possible. It should not just be for the fastest but the top 6 or 10. Even maybe prizes for the best turned out car or drive of the day. Let everyone have an incentive and something to race for. If we give more money to the top 3 then they will only use it for new tyres in qualifing AND the race!!!

Old Dog, sponsor the new for 2004 www.clubff1600.co.uk website and benefit over 300 drivers!!!

Redracer to be honest it doesnt matter to me how the championship would spend money, I was just suggesting that if Old Dog wants to make a difference and sponsor something he could do a lot more good by sponsoring the championship.

Having sponsored a driver in FF1600 via my old firm nearly 20 years ago, I really understand why someone would sponsor an individual. It really is a personal thing and there tends to be a great deal more satisfaction in sponsoring a driver and watching him go through the usual trials and tribulations in a season than to sponsor a championship.
The reason why my old firm sponsored the driver was because of the relationship between the MD and the driver. I suspect that the MD really was a frustrated racing driver and for him it was the next best thing.
Before anyone sends me any sponsorship proposals, the firm I am referring to closed down about 10 years ago and I spend what little money I have on my own racing.