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Originally Posted by promax
so which class should be our top class then?
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On the basis that one of Tier 1's aims is to draw spectators to circuit racing and encourage motor racing participation, I would think that some of the historic V8 saloons and F5000 could be candidates.
From what I can see, there are more entrants and more paying spectators at the likes of the Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon Festivals than at recent Tier 1 meetings - is there a message here?
The NZV8s (and I presume Supertourers) are expensive to run and thus require corporates to help pay the way. In the current economic times this sponsorship is much harder to get and it has the result of diminished entries. If we moved to a class of racing that was less dependant on sponsorship then entries may increase.
One of the concerns with NZ circuit racing is that I would think the average age of participants is progressively getting older - we are not attracting the younger drivers to join the ranks. Tier 1 is putting itself out to the public as the pinnacle of NZ motor sport - is the product sufficiently attractive to encourage new younger drivers to join the sport so they can aspire to this pinnacle?
The younger drivers these days seem more interested in Japanese cars - these are the cars they have grown up with. While most of us have an interest in American, European and Australian cars and race and promote these for racing, the "market" may be interested in something else.
I had a look in at a drift meeting a while ago - most competitors were under 30, there were a huge number of spectators and I don't think any of the cars competing were not Japanese. Are these the sort of cars where the future of NZ motor sport lies?