A1 GP first round date change

according to a story on pitpass http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=23352

JP and the Sheikh have come to their senses about the date clash with the Goodwood revival meeting etc (although they don't say as much).

New A1 GP date @ Brands will be weekend of 25th September. Guess I have my problem solved.

Oh :censored: !

Just filled in (And posted) my form back to Mildred for this event!

As the new date is my Daughters 5th Birthday AND our wedding anniversary, me thinks I will not be coming to play! :banghead:

Woohoo!

as you say Mark - :censored:

but the little one's birthday must come first - wedding anniversary celebration is however optional after 2 years

does this mean you'll try your hand at venturing as far south as Goodwood then?

Goodwood doesn't interest me in the slightest - and I know I haven't been so I don't know etc.


However, I am keen to try to make the effort to visit Brands this year - not for a major event - but a BRSCC SE clubbie or something.....if you'll have me!

25th? Knackers! Already got a clash that date with SEMSEC and Rallycross. :(

18th would have been fine.

Actually the press release on the MSV website says that is exactly why the date has been changed, to avoid clashing with Goodwood.

Guys, I am moving this thread to National and International Single Seaters where it will attrack a wider audience. I will leave a redirect here though for those who have already contributed...

Stephen.

25th? Knackers! Already got a clash that date with SEMSEC and Rallycross. :(

18th would have been fine.

Same date as GP2 in Bahrain and GP in Brasil. Not good. take note JP and SM!

Same date as GP2 in Bahrain and GP in Brasil. Not good. take note JP and SM!

I don't think JP would have really worried too much about events taking place outside the UK!

JP and Sheik Whatsisface have seen sense by avoiding the clash with Goodwood (And Silverstone?) which would have: 1: had an impact (Possibly) on the number of available officials able to attend and 2: (From a Business way of thinking) reduced number of "Punters" paying to visit Brands.

By revising the date, many more people will be able to get their fix of both major UK motorsport events plus MSV will be financially better off as well.

Personally, if Motor sport venues are making more money, then I like to think in the long run it's benefits me as a Marshal.

This change would appear to have wiped out the MGCC meeting which was scheduled for that date!!

Sad.

Peter Scillitoe

Bradrive, take a look at the press release on the MSV website www.motorsportvision.co.uk and you will see that in fact it doesn't clash with Brazil as the races there don't start until 18.00 UK time!

As the new date is my Daughters 5th Birthday AND our wedding anniversary, me thinks I will not be coming to play! :banghead:

Sounds to me like the perfect anniversary and birthday gift rolled into one. Wife and child are bound to have a terrific day, surely.

Alternatively, drop 'em off at Bluewater with your credit cards for the day.

Bradrive, take a look at the press release on the MSV website www.motorsportvision.co.uk and you will see that in fact it doesn't clash with Brazil as the races there don't start until 18.00 UK time!

There may have been people from GP2 that were interested in working in A1GP during the winter...

18th also clashed with DTM at Avignon.Which is how DTM crept into this thread-non-avaliability of DTM drivers for A1GP.

Sounds to me like the perfect anniversary and birthday gift rolled into one. Wife and child are bound to have a terrific day, surely.

Alternatively, drop 'em off at Bluewater with your credit cards for the day.


I like the idea!! (Well first one anyway!!) :cool:

Once again a small Club has been kicked in the teeth by the "Big Boys".

The weekend of September 24/25th had been allocated to the MG Car Club for their end of season meeting at Brands Hatch with many of the Clubs Championships reaching their conclusion.

This change of date may be pleasing to lots of people, but it has now given the MG Car Club an enormous problem in trying to rearrange their 2005 programme as the various Championships had finalised their programme. Never mind the great expense that this will cost the Club. Did I hear something recently sounding something like "We want to encourage Club Racing at our Venues".

I will not say any more at the moment, my temper and frustrations need to cool, but when our problems have been sorted out, I will post the changes that have been forced upon us.

I should point out that this is my own posting and is not in any shape or form an Official Statement of the MG Car Club.


John Watson

I can understand your frustration, John, but this decision was always going to happen and someone was always going to lose out.

With all due respect, if Brands Hatch had lost out on the A1GP meeting, the consequences would have been bigger.

With all due respect, if Brands Hatch had lost out on the A1GP meeting, the consequences would have been bigger.
But that wasn't going to happen, it had a date already!

But that wasn't going to happen, it had a date already!

But for MSV it makes more commercial sense to have it on the revised date - it is a business!

However, perhaps Mr Palmer may be able to make a goodwill payment to the MGCC to cover their costs in changing the calendar?

If the MGCC sent a letter to Sheik Makthoum explaining their frustration, you never know where it might lead.

Worth a try!

Perhaps an MGCC Invitation race on the support bill?

Perhaps an MGCC Invitation race on the support bill?

No offence but this is going to be a major international meeting. Putting the MGCC on the support bill, however entertaining they might be will just dilute this.

Remember the April F3 meeting at Silverstone last year? I know the weather was **** but for a major national race meeting the support races were hardly top notch and this was reflected in both the crowd size and the many comments I've read in the publications about it. I think it was voted in motorsportnews' top 10 disappointments of 2004 due to both the weather and the support cast.

i've nothing against clubby racing, it just doesn't in the main interest me and major international and national meetings need top notch, professional run championships not the clubbies.

I'd agree entirely with Mr Palmer or the arab geezer dipping their hands in their very deep pockets and helping the MGCC out though.

I was being slightly tongue in cheek...

But if you're saying that the MGCC isn't capable of professionally running its championships, I'm sure there are plenty that would like to take exception!

I'd agree entirely with Mr Palmer or the arab geezer....


Surely he deserves the respect of his name too.....

Dunno what it is and couldn't be bothered looking it up k-b, I'm sure you all know who I mean though my good friend!

The term I use about professional is that the MG car club series is not a professional series run in the same light as BMW, Renault, Seat etc, etc...it's a clubby. I'm not saying it is not run professionally and if it reads like that then I apologise but I'm sure you get the gist of my reply and are just being your usual nitpicking selves bless you!

I think we all know you meant well Gaz :)

Indeed.

So who do we think will be realistically filling any support race slots at the Brands meeting of A1GP?

It'll have to be club series, because the "professional" series calendars are pretty tightly defined.

Its a good point K-B! With it being confirmed so late it has put itself on the backfoot slightly in the quality of supports it can attract but Mr Palmer has stated he will only run high quality, professional supports with it.

F3 and all the rest are confirmed, has Formula Superfund confirmed a calendar? (I know the start has been delayed but there was rumor of a UK round, possibly Rockingham a while back)

A1GP wouldn't have Superfund supporting it - too similar in terms of performance. That's a moot point anyway, as Superfund isn't likely to see the light of day, IMO.


I would expect FPA may be one support race.

And possibly a couple of tin-top categories of some sort.

Realistically, I reckon a field full of the MGCC's B/C/V8 series would make an excellent addition to the bill. Realistically, I expect they`ll put on something far more modern and exciting like BMW minis or VW Cup though....

I`m all for a Pro-am challenge with seasoned club-racers in MSV MG ZS's versus an elite celebrity team in the all-new MSV Megane`s...... Pure genius..... I think JP will be put off by the potential repair bill though!

Yep, FPA is a cert your right there K-B. I'd be worried if Mr Palmer didn't see his own series as a high-quality, professionally run championship!

Not too well up on my tin-tops other than the BTCC to know whats about that could fill those slots, the MG's could be on afterall here!

The 2005 FPA calendar was released officially yesterday. Didn`t include an A1 date. I`d find it strange if JP would release his dates for his own series on the day when A1 date was moved if he knew they were wrong?...

Ferrari Formula Classic according to MN. That should provide some close exciting racing!! Please, give us an MSV FF1600 round AT LEAST!!

They're at Snetterton that weekend IIRC...

I see a re-shuffle - can`t have a big single-seater race without some FF!

What a way to run a business? Does anyone know whats going on?
I got ready to apply to attend Goodwood (Which you have to do in advance)
I also applied for the MGCC Meeting. Poor John Watson being messed around again.
When I received the application for the A1 GP I decided to support the new Venture. Now its all change . Apart from the day before a meeting can anyone tell me when its safe to apply for these events and produce a reliable calender of events. Some of us to like to "plan" a word which appears to be strange in motor sport. Sorry to use that word.
I know that I am now lucky to be retired but if I had run my business like the Motor Sport management and promoters I would have lost my staff and my customer very quickly. Still that perhaps the way businesses are run today???
I have now decided not to send any forms back until April. Perhaps they will get them selves sorted out by then.

Seems to have been exceptional this year. And we all thought last year was bad!

First support race confirmed is Thorobred GP.

Some of us to like to "plan" a word which appears to be strange in motor sport. Sorry to use that word.



:offtopic:

I am already £40 out of pocket due to a date change or an error in a published calendar. Booked a room for Anglesey and the date has now been changed. Cannot make the new date and have lost deposit on room!

:offtopic:

I am already £40 out of pocket due to a date change or an error in a published calendar. Booked a room for Anglesey and the date has now been changed. Cannot make the new date and have lost deposit on room!

Was that really a confirmed calendar though? Probably not, it is the same every year - dates are fluid until February. I think I know what I am doing this year now - but I have not made any bookings as yet...

Was that really a confirmed calendar though? Probably not, it is the same every year - dates are fluid until February. I think I know what I am doing this year now - but I have not made any bookings as yet...It has not always been this bad.Most years since the 60s,by this time of year I have had in my hands a fixture booklet from MCD/Octagon,etc.,which was generally kept to.None so far this year. At the Autosport Show(or should it be Industrial Fair?) I do not recall a single stand selling the sport to the public.

To be fair the Autosport Show is an industry/trade show with a couple of public days bolted onto the end to make it more viable, although perhaps it is an opportunity that should be made more of.

Was that really a confirmed calendar though? Probably not, it is the same every year - dates are fluid until February. I think I know what I am doing this year now - but I have not made any bookings as yet...


Probably not - I should know better!

Due to a new Marshalling opportunity that has arisen I will more than likely be completely rearranging my dates anyway - so back to square one!!

I take it all back!!.... FPA calendar changed to include a finale at A1GP! Brands FPA date with the EERC and Belcar in June has been scratched.

Very sensible move from Jonathan, that.

I agree. There's no point in owning circuits if you don't use them to promote your own race series!

There may have been people from GP2 that were interested in working in A1GP during the winter...

Problem possibly resolved, GP2 trying to move Bahrain date away from original
25. Sept. to avoid clash with GP Brazil in order to be able to use FOM scrutineers and FOM TV.