Quote:
Originally Posted by RogerH
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 it these sort of cars where the future of NZ motor sport lies?
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Mate i am not attacking you when i say this but I went out to my first drift meeting a couple of weeks ago and it will certainly be my first and last visit.
I am not nocking the sheer passion these guys have for what they do, but it's a total shambles, believe me but I aint nocking them, but they will never pull big crowds, or corporate dollars.
For me its pretty simple, only a year ago we had some fairly decent racing by our own hero's the Johny Mac's, Craig Baird, kayne Scott's, Boothy, Paul Manual, plus Foggy and Edgell, in cars that though they were getting on in years were bloody fast cars and generally there was great racing.
Now that basicly all finished, so if everybody, except Foggy and edgell turn up in much faster cars that make the right sound including our own Murphy, not to mention McConville and the Mclaughan kid it just got be the right way to go, hey thats just my opinion.