I'll admit to being old, grumpy and a bit past it, the race was great but I admit to leaving a little disapointed and unsure of the future.
Having gone through the review and navel gazing process about the B12 there seem to be a lot of suggestions about cars and class structures etc.
In a motor racing forum that is to be expected, but in the end the race is going to survive on effective marketing, or fail due to the lack of it.
The overall marketing of the event has to improve.
The real savior would of course be live to air FTA TV, but to get that there needs to be the development of significant commercial interest alongside improved spectator interest. The overall treatment of the B12 as an EVENT by the organisers needs to be built up with supporting "happenings" and the ceation of an atmosphere that gels with the character of the event. Please don't fall for the Rock concert and VB line but there are slightly up market alternatives that would attract rather than repel the B12 crowd.
Why for instance do all the support series people pack up and leave on Saturday evening. They are motor race competitors, who by their very nature aren't much interested in sticking round to watch someone else doing the same thing. But they could be interested in staying if there were things happening at the circuit.
B12 is an event most people start planning for well in advance. That means information and news has to be streamed over a period before the event rather than saved for the last minute.
It is easy to take shots at the organisers, but I wondered if some of the teams could have got a better return for themselves and their sponsors out of the event.
Two teams did a great job. Audi of course had the dealers and guests thing down pat and it worked well. The two long blondes distributing Audi flags were a memorable part of the weekend.
Kiwi team, Motorsport Services, had a group attending who they provided with hospitality, group photo ops. caps and shirts etc. Don't know if it was a sponsor link or a supporters tour, but it was very professionaly done.
Looking at the potential surely Maranello could have come up with an idea out of Lygon St for promotion of tomatoes. The watching public probably didn't get the Il Bella Rosso connection at all.
And Scudd, if you are sticking with JBS, how about some butchers aprons and nice thick steaks on a barbie out the back. Or maybe the Brazillian connection offers opportunities
.
Anyone else got any bright ideas?