2005 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Eastern Creek, Australia

[Kebab]

Its a great series, but too much safety car involvement?

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Robert Ryan

Maybe a different venue, that 51,000 was for the several days., 30,000 on Sunday I cannot see Eastern Creek making money on those figures.

Robert I dont think they planned to make money. It was the first event of a championship in its first year. However more to the point, the NSW Government backed$$ the event in for the Sydney tourism benefits. So return isn't the only measure of success.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by eldougo

The racing and entertaiment was good, we camped on the fence at top of the straight good spot to see most of the track,crowds where great and bigger than i expected (loved the National flags) around the place it gave ti a great atmosphere .

So you could see past those giant flags with trees on them Doug???

Why didn't you wave to me over near turn 10

....u r right, the restarts were brilliant...especially as they it did right in front of me

...the French driver was a master at sucking the field in then scooting away and maintaining a big lead....terrific stuff

[Robert Ryan]

the NSW Government backed$$ the event in for the Sydney tourism benefits. So return isn't the only measure of success.
DRT, 51,000 over 3 days means we will be seeing a different venue. This is NO Surfers or CLIPSAL 500. The State Government, is pretty worried about value for money. They tipped in $400,000 to have Eastern Creek upgraded..so far everyone would be lucky to break even. REMEMBER there is NO INTERNATIONAL TV Coverage in place, each country does their own.

[bocster]

nah rob

everyone was really suprised at the turnout ,the commentators, drivers etc. All report before the event is that they were expecting 25,000 over the three days. NSW government would have known this. Its not all about cash its also about advertising your city overseas . This is a worldwide event and im sure that they are looking at the future rather than the present. $400,000 is nothing to the NSW government. I think they'd just be happy having people turn up to their beloved white elephant

[Robert Ryan]

REMEMBER there is NO INTERNATIONAL TV Coverage in place, each country does their own.
Sheik Mahroun has some big plans for the series. including new A1, A2 and A3 classes. What is really necesssary is a proper International feed for TV.
If he spends his alloted US$700 million on the series..then Champcar maybe the first victim then the IRL.
Virtually ALL the people who turned up were locals.. it failed as a "International event"

[dynamik gal]

Take the event to Phillip Island and run it in conjunction with the final round of the V8s, then you will see a crowd, and these open wheelers will get to run on a truly magnificent track with a fantastic backdrop. Also with Phillip Island running in the final weekend of November/first weekend of December, the weather will be b-e-a-u-tiful!

[johnny yuma]

Originally Posted by bocster

nah definately not the gold coast.sydney needs a big international motor race so it needs to stay in sydney, besides the fact that 15minute drive is really conveniant for me

the big talk going around is that they were tring to get a different venue but the logistics were to much to hadle at this early stage. theirs one place in sydney that has the roads and infrastructure to handle 250-300 thousand. good old homebush bay

REALLY DREAMING 250-300k.EC AND homebush expensive viewing and logistics problems unless its only aiming at being a TV event.Turn 1 at EC is starting to remind me of the last hump at Bathurst where the inevitable happened.Its exciting watching people avoid death but its no joy when they push their luck too far.Turn 1 is really all EC has as a spectacle,but for how long?

[Jacal]

As a competitor in a support category can I say that the organisation was fantastic, compared to a V8 round where you get d......d around due to their own self-importance. It was easy to move around the paddock and get on with your own thing without having some officious person obstructing every move. Events ran on time and to the full allotment unless it was due to our fault. Unlike V8 events I've attended in the past where the entry fee was double what it was for this event, and then you lose 1 race and time off other sessions because they run overtime.

It was good to see a good size crowd there and I hope it stays at Eastern Creek, as a circuit to drive on, it's made for open wheelers. Vision is pretty good and you can see more of the track from one position than you can ever see at a street circuit (I've been to Indy, Adelaide, Melbourne and Bathurst as a spectator).

can I also say that Turn 1 at EC is awesome and to get round there in the car with no room left on the exit makes me smile for the rest of the lap, (atleast until we come back down the straight again and start thinking about going through it again. Motor Sport is dangerous, it says so on your entry form, your licence, your ticket and your insurance policy, but imo it is still safer than driving to the track.

[bocster]

yeh,i think people have to remember that this was the 4th race ever of this concept. I saw it and was impressed and i dont know of anyone who went who wasn't impressed. Ill even say after going to spa and monza this year that this event was right up their in entertainment. yes their is alot to fix but i can realisticaly see its getting 200 thousand people crowds. Its better than indy and different to F1. 51,000 for the weekend was excellent. their was virtually no adertising by the TV stations, it was on page 8 on the news. give it acouple of years and i dont have a doubt that it will be huge.

[bocster]

REMEMBER there is NO INTERNATIONAL TV Coverage in place, each country does their own.

their is international tv coverage, mostly bought by the pay tv channels around world. think the a1 gp page lists all the stations that are showing the international coverage. plus theirs an international live internet feed for contires thats havent got the tv coverage yet (it can be accessed for anywhere but i dunno if yah suppose to)

[johnny yuma]

So everybody was surprised that 30,000 turned up in 2005,but we should not be surprised if 230,000 turn up in 2007! Sorry, I just can't see it. If you enjoyed the event,you'd best hope maybe 80,000 at most , or it will be feral.

[Kiwi3]

Hang on a second...this event was aired live by Star Sports all across East and South Asia, with a potential audience of many many millions (sorry I don't have access to the actual viewing figures), not to mention the coverage it is getting in other parts of the world. During the coverage there were pieces on Sydney including the drivers surfing at bondi and climbing the Sydney harbour bridge, with fantastic views of the city in the background and fantastic looking weather. Coverage of this sort is priceless for tourism promotion, so I am quite sure that the 400k spent by the NSW Govt. was very very well spent.

Great to hear the positive comments from everyone who was there. It sounds like a good start and will grow in the future.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by Robert Ryan

DRT, 51,000 over 3 days means we will be seeing a different venue. This is NO Surfers or CLIPSAL 500. The State Government, is pretty worried about value for money.

Robert your missing the point. It doesn't have to be a Surfers or Clipsal in its first year. As EC is a permanent circuit, it costs a lot less to put on the event as opposed to the other two. Organisers aren't paying high sanction fees to categories which Surfers,Clipsal and F1 do. (Qld pay something like 20 million just to the categories on show).

Robert, come down to Eastern Creek in 06 as A1 will be there putting on a great event.

[Pete Brennan]

I have to agree with Jacal,i too was in a support category,it was the first time in years that i was made to feel welcome,fantastic atmosphere and the organisation was first class.Having raced for years in the Historics,it was great to run in front of a crowd,it was a thrill.Roll on next year and i hope we get invited back.

[Bryan Miller]

As one of the organisers of the Historic Formula Atlantic and European F2 support races I can only add that we were very well treated by the organising Group and as we were told before the event we would be made to feel wanted which we certainly were , scrutineering and everything after made it a delight to have been involved , yes there were minor glitches as to be expected for the first time , all the people that visited our marquees were full of praise for our paticipation and the event as a whole.
Sydney needs this motorsport event , as do the support categories.

Bryan Miller.

[David Towe]

Originally Posted by dynamik gal

Take the event to Phillip Island and run it in conjunction with the final round of the V8s,

At least all the A1 drivers will then know where to find a taxi at the circuit. Why do we have to have V8 involvement in everything? It was a great event and we saw drivers showing driving ability. I say leave it alone.

[eldougo]

As KIWI3 said.
Great to hear the positive comments from everyone (who was there). It sounds like a good start and will grow in the future.

WHO WAS THERE......a good line ,not people who come on here and where NOT THERE.......Please go to the Island and watch your V8 crap,we don't need you here.

I waved Mike but you did not wave back!!!!!

[275 GTB-4]

I know.....run it as a support with the F1s in Melbourne....and watch Bernies hackles rise

BTW does anyone know who the old blond (ish), chunky bird is in the diaphanous hippy dresses with microphone in hand who reports on F1 and A1 GP???

[Kicking-back]

Originally Posted by 275 GTB-4

I know.....run it as a support with the F1s in Melbourne....and watch Bernies hackles rise

A1 has no intention of competing with F1 - it's first and foremost a winter series.

Bernie has said he sees it as good for F1 - as it raises the profile of motorsport

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Bryan Miller

As one of the organisers of the Historic Formula Atlantic and European F2 support races I can only add that we were very well treated by the organising Group and as we were told before the event we would be made to feel wanted which we certainly were , scrutineering and everything after made it a delight to have been involved , yes there were minor glitches as to be expected for the first time , all the people that visited our marquees were full of praise for our paticipation and the event as a whole.
Sydney needs this motorsport event , as do the support categories.

Bryan Miller.

Bryan....Congratulations on a successful, competitive, fast representation of historic open wheeler racing...loved it...first time ever I was waiting in anticipation for the stragglers to come through (the BT36s)

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Jacal

As a competitor in a support category can I say that the organisation was fantastic, compared to a V8 round where you get d......d around due to their own self-importance. It was easy to move around the paddock and get on with your own thing without having some officious person obstructing every move. Events ran on time and to the full allotment unless it was due to our fault. Unlike V8 events I've attended in the past where the entry fee was double what it was for this event, and then you lose 1 race and time off other sessions because they run overtime.

It was good to see a good size crowd there and I hope it stays at Eastern Creek, as a circuit to drive on, it's made for open wheelers. Vision is pretty good and you can see more of the track from one position than you can ever see at a street circuit (I've been to Indy, Adelaide, Melbourne and Bathurst as a spectator).

can I also say that Turn 1 at EC is awesome and to get round there in the car with no room left on the exit makes me smile for the rest of the lap, (atleast until we come back down the straight again and start thinking about going through it again. Motor Sport is dangerous, it says so on your entry form, your licence, your ticket and your insurance policy, but imo it is still safer than driving to the track.

Very well said Jacal.....hope you had a good day...of the Jacal (couldn't resist that one )

I really don't get the negativity coming from some posters here.....A1GP was GOOD for Motorsport in Oz (end of story )

[alfacors]

I had an absolute blast on the weekend (aside from slightly dehydrating myself on Sunday in the heat and running around all day). The racing was fairly good, although the Safetys in R1 were a bummer, and Shimoda's big stack in R2. Aside from that, it seemed a well-run weekend with plenty of interesting support categories, accessible drivers etc. I hope that it comes back next year, and I think the crowd will be much bigger. The start of a new series with a lack of mainstream TV coverage (thanks Channel 10!) to grab over 50,000 for the weekend was great. Lots of national flags in the crowd as others have mentioned, really bringing out the national pride.

Click here for my images from the weekend

[Jacal]

[QUOTE=275 GTB-4]Very well said Jacal.....hope you had a good day...of the Jacal :

Thanks GTB-4, always a good day when the car is in one piece at the end and you get to race someone (even if it is for 25th place).

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by eldougo

I waved Mike but you did not wave back!!!!!

Couldn't!! If I did it might have been misconstrued by say an Elfin Driver as some sort of gesticulation....and could have caused a catastrastroke