Aussie Racing Cars

[Oaksnaf]

Some pretty interesting points so far.

F4000 champion
Aussie Racing car champion

No matter the fields, no matter the caliber of the drivers involved. If you win the F4000 series on a CV it looks far better than winning Aussie Racing cars.

However, i must say the cash spent to win the F4000 title is better of spent elsewhere. As it is fast (if not already) grown into a category where 30-40 year old businessmen (well off too) just pay their way into a drive just to have some fun. At the moment there is a driver who is ready to pay for a ride, but is going to do a one of Vee round to get some experience. I mean its a joke. The category is a bird without wings.

To make a career in motorsport, you should not be racing in Aussie Racing cars, nor F4000 as in my view they wont do you much good. Better of being National Formula Ford champion, then straight overseas. Or if your keen, win the F3 title down here in Aus, then go overseason. But at 85,000 per round and thats for a lower team in British F3 and with the Aus dollar not many make it.

As far as TV coverage, F4000 get a much better TV coverage than Aussie Racing cars do. If you have a lot at the TV demographics, and all those stats its a healthy market, although not a healthy category.

If the Aussie Racing cars are as easy to drive as they say they are, and with almost 40 unknown names racing in the category which seems to provide action with spills and spoils whilst the front runners skip away. Maybe they are better for on-track entertainment rather than TV. The cars arn't exactly fast and on TV its almost as bad as watching Vees race around Bathurst. I think the best way for the category to go, is too really pump themselves up for on-track entertainment. And they are doing a great job at it. For their market, there isn't a real need to go TV crazy. Although anything extra helps, but it all comes at a price.

If shows like In Pit Lane were to pick it up, it wouldn't be done any justice, unless they throw some series $$ at them. Which is why we only see selected categories on the program.

Going on what mac said. Unless you are involved in motorsport yourself, or know people who runs teams etc, or race themselves, most dont give a stuff about the lower categories. Ask someone "Want to come to a State Round" the simple reply is "whats there" they dont even know what categories race in a state round to start off with. Say to them AMRS. Confused looks is all you get. Maybe say Formula 3 and you might get a "ahhh"

Its a bit like asking most what categories support F1 overseas. No casual viewer can tell you i reckon.

Concerning sponsors. Have you ever tried to obtain a sponsor for a team in futureracers, F3, F4000? Do you see the amount of sponsorship on their cars? Really its a case of small investors pitching in, most of whom you know personally. What sponsor in their right mind would get into such categories? Its not like the teams are known as Dodo, which most call Dodo entries V8 team.

In terms of sponsorship, all you need to do is look at the entrant, and you will get a fair idea.

Example:
39 Aussie Racing Cars. Every entrant is a sponsors name, some are the drivers busines, but on a large scale its amazing the amount of sponsors you have.

F4000 9 car field. Major sponsors? Minimal.

15 F3 cars. Major sponsors? No.

That is pretty telling. Gold Star F3 have basically no major sponsors which are external. External meaning, not the drivers own company, not their dads company not their mates company. And how many F3 cars are sitting in the wings waiting? Just look at the Aussie GP grid. 23 entrants. backed by a different sponsor. And to race at that event was to the tune of 35,000 +.

Really there are too many cars not being run, there is not enough marketing done to bring in the sponsors, and sponsors are unwilling. If they were to give it a shot in motorsport it would be V8's. Which in my view is really killing everything else. if you dont race V8's in Australia, nobody wants to know who you are, its largely true to a certain extent.

Its sad that money gets you much further than talent. Look at Nissany, never stepped into a kart until he was 39. And he tests a Minardi......

[cav]

Oaksnaf,I kind of lost your point however I think they do look quick on TV, in fact I recall Murray Walker, commentating on the in track TV at the Clipsal, saying "the Aussie Racing Cars look faster on the track than the V8s, the Porches and everything"and I guess he doesnt know what he is talking about,unless I am very much mistaken! (now where did I hear that).

The reality is there are not many people in the sport who are making a carreer out of it and the ones who get to Europe and go further are few and far between and whether you win F4000, Formula Ford or Aussie Racing Cars you still need a huge amount of money to progress any further.Just ask Bart Mawer who can drive but is struggling and always will because he doesnt have the money. At least Aussie Racers are giving a whole bunch of talents(and non talents) a chance to hone their race craft and build their skills and if and when they get a chance to jump into another category, due to the closeness and competitiveness of the racing, it would appear they will be better equiped to do well. As far as sponsors I am sure that none of the Dads own any of the companies that Mac listed previously so to suggest that the only sponsors are Dads companies is flogging a dead horse. If you want to see a class with driver owned sponsors, Performance Cars is a perfect example, they are the only sponsors cause you need $200k plus to do that and it offers no real appeal that can deliver value.

I agree with you Oaksnaf that it is sad that money gets you much further than talent but that is the reality of the sport and if you want to think any different you are kidding yourself, maybe you can draw some comparisons with the Minardi thing you mentioned and Aussie Racers..........

[Oaksnaf]

Well i kinda went off on a merry old trail. But anyway.

As far as "Dad's companies" goes. I wasn't referring to Aussie Racing cars, nor was i suggesting this was the norm. I was just pointing out that this is the case in a few scenarios.

And look what Barton did at AGP, and look what he is doing overseas, leading the lower class in british F3. Just needs that extra leg up.

[cav]

His poor old Dad has given him a leg up as much as he can but as I said, without the bucks he might as well come back here because he is going to struggle for as long as he is OS. I think he drove an Aussie Racer a few times as well, just another who took advantage of the opportunity and I bet there will be plenty more!

Like I said it is a terrific class,
By the way oaksnaf you mentioned Futureracers a couple of times, I dont know of any such class, what the hell are you talking about?

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by cav

His poor old Dad has given him a leg up as much as he can but as I said, without the bucks he might as well come back here because he is going to struggle for as long as he is OS. I think he drove an Aussie Racer a few times as well, just another who took advantage of the opportunity and I bet there will be plenty more!

Like I said it is a terrific class,
By the way oaksnaf you mentioned Futureracers a couple of times, I dont know of any such class, what the hell are you talking about?

Futureracers, saw them down at Sandown last year... but they are/i presume/ the category is dead.

IMAGE:

[cav]

Looked at that oaksnaf., I thought those things had been banned, there is some bloke trying to sell one in AA, fat chance.

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by cav

Looked at that oaksnaf., I thought those things had been banned, there is some bloke trying to sell one in AA, fat chance.

yeh i just read this from CAMS http://www.cams.com.au/bulletins/B04...egulations.pdf

So yep dead. And exactly, like he is going to sell that thing in a hurry.

[pitcrew]

Why what happened to them?

[noeleon]

Originally Posted by williamsf1

I saw for myself at Oran Park the classic case of "oh its those cars, lets go get some food before the V8s are on...." and this was in general, for the FFord lotus series....

people came to the track to see:-

V8 main game
VB challenge
ARC
Porsche Carrera Cup

Totaly agree! there was some good driving in those other classes but the crowd absolutely loves the Aussie Racers, not sure about the Porshes though, personally I like them but you hear people in the crowd commenting not so favourably on them.

Does anybody know why the Aussie Racers Sunday afternoon race which was scheduled to start at 1.40pm was delayed until the end of the meeting? The VB cars were on track and then should have been ARC but the Prorshes came out! we had to go but apparently the ARC came out at 5.30pm in the dark? unless that was the plan, a night race? their lights dont actually work do they so that would seem a bit silly!

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by pitcrew

Why what happened to them?

They debuted with about 7 cars. Leanne Tander was in one if i remember, or was it Melinda Price... hmm well it was either one of them. Basically it was poor, i got to write the race report about them. And was told not to write negatively as the paper had already been told about their last report... so all i had to do was talk about the battle of 2 cars out in front. And that was about it.

Lotsa problems, and they had ideas of Dubai.....

So yeh it all went to ruins, not enough cars, not enough drivers, and no support. Kinda looks like where F4000 are heading.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by mac

The quality of the telecast is not poor, but who actually watches it?

Answer: racing die-hards who know that it is on and specifically look for it.

The broader public are going to have a greater chance of seeing Aussie Racing Cars (be it flicking over in the footy ad break, or going to a V8s event) than they are of seeing F4000.

I know this isnt the latest info, however in 2003 atleast the Procar tv programs outrated Trackside. Alot of Procar categories now appear on Speedweek, so making an assumption that those viewers would follow Speedweek isn't that much of a stretch.

So who actually watches it, compared to Trackside I'd say enough

[noeleon]

...don't the old Procar categories of the Utes and GTP surely as popular if not more so than F3 ... now run on the AVESCO programme, so aren't they therefore on Trackside also? which to me means that only real motorsport enthusiasts would watch Speedweek. Trackside will be getting huge numbers this year compared to last and particuarly compared to other motorsport programs this year.

I think Channel 10 has done a great job marketing and offering a range of Motorsport related programs that attracts both the real fan and brings lots of new fans to our sport.

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by noeleon

...don't the old Procar categories of the Utes and GTP surely as popular if not more so than F3 ... now run on the AVESCO programme, so aren't they therefore on Trackside also? which to me means that only real motorsport enthusiasts would watch Speedweek. Trackside will be getting huge numbers this year compared to last and particuarly compared to other motorsport programs this year.

I think Channel 10 has done a great job marketing and offering a range of Motorsport related programs that attracts both the real fan and brings lots of new fans to our sport.

Seriously channel 10 do their best. But its limited to what they can cover.

Its not Channel 10 which i have a beef about, its local papers. its pathetic the amount of coverage motorsport gets, in local, and national papers. AFL occupies about 90% of the media, which whilst i love the sport to bits, it really does just drown out the rest. Horse racing gets its mention each day, and the cricket when its on gets big coverage. But motorsport. Its not even in the back-seat. its in the boot as far as printed media goes.

But what can you do, Herald Sun failed to respond when i notified them of their mistakes in their European GP race re-cap. Half the time its written by a non-motorsport journalist, just a freelancer trying to get a break.

Local papers dont cover events well. Everyday people have no idea about motorsport to a large extent. Skaife,Ambrose,Lowndes, Mark Webber, Michael Schumacher..yeh thats about it. But they can sure as anything give you more AFL players.

its a case of exposure, and motorsport doesn't get enough of it.

[D.R.T.]

Originally Posted by noeleon

...don't the old Procar categories of the Utes and GTP surely as popular if not more so than F3 ... now run on the AVESCO programme, so aren't they therefore on Trackside also?

Yes that is true

Originally Posted by noeleon

which to me means that only real motorsport enthusiasts would watch Speedweek. Trackside will be getting huge numbers this year compared to last and particuarly compared to other motorsport programs this year.

Why will trackside be getting huge numbers this year as opposed to last year ?

I agree that it is motorsport fans who watch Speedweek, it is this samedemographic that watches trackside aswell. It is a real shame and quite appalling that in Australia F1 and V8 seems to pull the purist and casual fan together.

[noeleon]

this is probably a topic for a new thread ... but your 100% right, Ive heard lots of interesting thoughts as to why of course, not the least being that the people who own the papers have serious interests in both NRL and AFL.

Motorsport has got a lot more professional since AVESCO came along so that helps but I think its the individual effort of each category which really gets the fans, journos and sponsors interested in our sport. Again, the Aussie Racers have lifted the proffesional bar in this area. Not just do the fans love them on the track but their Pit Area Marquee and general presentation is 2nd to none. Everybody there is so friendly, they smile and you can see they are having the time of their lives. The drivers talk to you and my kids have sat in several of their cars.

[Oaksnaf]

Here are some figures i received earlier this year from F3:

Television ratings.
AVERAGE AUDIENCE REACH PER PROGRAMME

All People Teens 10-17 Men 18-39 Men 25-54 Men 55+

353,600 19,570 84,500 128,700 68,900

TOTAL AUDIENCE REACH OVER 3 PROGRAMMES

All People Teens 10-17 Men 18-39 Men 25-54 Men 55+

873,600 67,600 202,800 306,800 157,300

Source: OZTAM ratings for the 5 capital city markets.
It must be stressed that these figures are from the SBS Sunday afternoon time slot that was in direct
competition with Channel 10’s long running “RPM” show.

Typical trackside attendance figures (3 day attendance figures)
Wakefield Park 25,000
Melbourne Grand Prix 225,000
Phillip Island 30,000
Wakefield Park 25,000
Queensland Raceway 27,000
Oran Park 25,000
Eastern Creek 30,000
Winton 20,000
Gold Coast Indy 300 210,000

[emjaya]

Trackside a few weeks back spoke to four or five ARC drivers who said "We don't care who wins the race,we don't care who wins the championship,we are out here to have fun".
They were all professional types with the money to pay for a drive and were under no delusions about their abilities as drivers.To them racing was stress relief and not a career.
The ARC seems tailormade for people who want to race,but don't want the hassle of owning and preparing a car,they just want to step in,race and step out,leaving the mechanical side to someone else,something Phil Ward seems happy to do for them.

They always look spectacular on the racetrack 3 or 4 wide.The round at Wakefield park was some of the best racing I have seen this year

[cav]

Again I cant understand why a couple of people on this thread are doing a comparison with TV programmes, whilst they are both about motorsport they offer totally different stuff and I for one watch both, not religiously but when they dont clash.

This thread was started by someone in the UK who saw the Aussie Racers on Motors TV and thought the racing was great which I think just reinforces the strength of this class. The incar stuff is without doubt the best incar stuff you will see from any category including the V8s,and the commentators particularly the V8 guests allways hone in on how thrilling they are to drive.

Having said that I again reiterate that comparisons of TV should not be made because really in terms of action,hard close racing,professionalism,passing,slipping, sliding,spins, and biffs, Aussie Racing has it all and everything else comes second and that is not to say I dont enjoy other forms of the sport, I do but they just dont create the action.

[Onlooker]

These little things seem to go way faster than they are safe, in my humble opinion, . the number of roll overs seems disproportionate to the number of cars running, in the last 18 months there would have to have been 10 roll overs at least , out of a field of 30 cars, so lets say roughly 33% of the guys running them have rolled the car, imagine if that was the case in any other class , there would be hell to pay. the seem to have way to much grip, and "high side"like a bike. They slide out, get to a certain yaw angle, and the combination of th3e shock,spring and tyre package just flips em over. i believe ( and I am happy to be proven wrong) that there will be a very serious injury in one of these things sooner or later, and waht a shame it will be. It is amazing that CAMS has not looked into the real saftey of them, not just the theoretical saftey.

Puts on flame proof vest and grabs a fire exstinhuser

[retro]

There is a similiar catagory starting in Kiwi land?????

Track thrills in scale supercars
17.08.2005

YOU could be forgiven for thinking the Aussies V8 supercars had come to town. The rakish, ground-hugging Holdens and Fords look the part with their garish paint jobs and advertising decals.
It's only when you get closer you realise they are a lot smaller than the supercars – 5/8ths of the size, in fact.

Unclip and remove the front bodywork, lift the rest of the fibreglass body and you find yourself looking at a tidy aluminium-lined spaceframe chassis with the driver's seat on the left and a motorcycle engine up front.

They are STAR Touring Cars, and they reckon they are the coming thing in New Zealand motorsport.

The Taupo-built chassis are identical – you choose a body to suit your taste – so results to a large degree come down to driver ability. The engines are controlled, oil-cooled Suzuki 1100 or 1200cc, and so are the exhausts, shocks, hubs, discs, steering rack, tyres and rims, seat and body panels. Standard, the engines deliver around 130hp at the wheels.
Motorsport NZ insists on a reverse gear for race cars, and this is achieved on the STAR by a ring gear cut around a rear brake disc and a starter motor. Very ingenious.

If you're up to the job you can expect to circulate the Taupo race circuit in 43 seconds and Manfeild in 1m 20s, reaching speeds up to 230km/h on the way. By comparison, the lighter sidecar rigs are only three seconds faster around Manfeild.

There are now nearly 30 STAR touring cars in New Zealand (Australia has a similar series), and about half that number turn up for a typical raceday. Because the cars are identical racing is close and exciting.

Masterton man Spike Taylor, better known for his sidecar racing heroics, was given a ride in a STAR (Small Time Auto Racing) car at Taupo four years ago. At the time he was looking to move on from the sidecars, but the other option, Formula Challenge, was too expensive.

"I loved it immediately," he said. Particularly appealing was the sturdy safety cage – at that time he was still recovering from an horrific crash at Taupo. Back on the sidecar, he realised just how exposed those competitors are.

"I would have sold the sidecar there and then," Taylor said. He didn't, and went on to become NZ sidecar champion.

A couple of weeks ago he announced his retirement and talked about getting into some other form of motorsport. About the same time Phil Milne was looking to sell his Falcon-bodied 2003 STAR car. It had raced in 2003, was rebuilt for last season and finished 4th in the winter series and 5th in the summer competition.

Taylor hopes to debut it at Manfeild on September 10 and 11, and there's another meeting at Taupo the following weekend. There's also a Formula Ford festival coming up at Ruapuna. He probably won't make it to that meeting.

Taylor retains the support of long-time sponsor Western Auto Mart.

[Falcadore]

Those attendance figures look dodgy to me. That is the first I've ever seen anyone state more people go to Eastern Creek than Oran Park.

I mean attendance figures are always dodgy because they are not third party auditted, but they don't make sense from one track to the next.

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by cav

Having said that I again reiterate that comparisons of TV should not be made because really in terms of action,hard close racing,professionalism,passing,slipping, sliding,spins, and biffs, Aussie Racing has it all and everything else comes second and that is not to say I dont enjoy other forms of the sport, I do but they just dont create the action.

What - so you are allowed to make comparisons, but no-one else is? Mate you seriously need to back up your thinking and open the other eye.

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Those attendance figures look dodgy to me. That is the first I've ever seen anyone state more people go to Eastern Creek than Oran Park.

I mean attendance figures are always dodgy because they are not third party auditted, but they don't make sense from one track to the next.

Yes well im sure they did their best to make the figures appear all well to attract sponsors. As this was in a sponsorship proposal package.

But it gives us a reference anyway.

[D.R.T.]

25 000 at Wakefield ? It would take 2 dreams to get the number that high

[Oaksnaf]

Originally Posted by D.R.T.

25 000 at Wakefield ? It would take 2 dreams to get the number that high

No not 2 dreams. Just that they imported all the school kids within a 200km radius and gave them free tickets.

Who really knows how accurate these figures are. But thats what they say. They might be right, they might be shamefully wrong.