Fansfueler update anyone?
Discussion
Any updates please, Fansfuler site seems forgotten now! Is the Fansfueler thing still ongoing? It really could do with the odd posting now and then for fans that don't know everything who want to know something without having to look elsewhere or bothering anyone else with email etc! Who knows if it was updated more often it may even attract more supporters! It only needs a date alteration update lets say once a week just to show things are alive! We all know people are busy etc but if it is to be a fan thing then fans need to be able to get info easy if it is to work! Is it working?
Anyway, good luck Barry and associates, sure would be good to see you on the track in FIA events kicking some ass!
Anyway, good luck Barry and associates, sure would be good to see you on the track in FIA events kicking some ass!
The last news item we got on the subject was 17th January 2006:
www.eurodragster.com/news/news0106.asp?Story=jan17...
www.eurodragster.com/news/news0106.asp?Story=jan17...
What a shame it has to end like this. Ok then so the plug will be pulled on the Fansfuler option, but why, why not keep it going and start again doing something else! We can imagine what it must be like to be TF champ and what it must feel like when one can't defend or go for that championship again. But most of us would just like to see Barry race again. Barry please do have another think about it all again, we want to see you on the track be it in whatever class! It would not be a step down because we all understand and it will keep you in the spotlight for when things look better. Then who knows, you might find yourself back in top fuel sooner than you think and still have Fansfuler with you!
i spoke to Mr S last year some time and he said although he was getting plenty of support from the fans he also needed corperate sponsorship which he was finding very hard to get. i also did ask about him coming back in another class but he loves top fuel and only wants to race in top fuel but was talking about going out to Bhrain, which he did race in a top fuel car i think earlier this year.
As most people know I no-longer post here, but I thought it may just be helpful if I just commented on the true situation with FF.
When we started the project Barry had an idea of how much we needed to make the project viable, but looking at my projections for memberships we knew that it was only likely that we could initially make around 50% of this figure from subscriptions. At this point Fansfueler was pretty big news and was attracting a fair amount of media interest which we knew we could build on. The launch went well and we made two thirds of our suggested pledge target in the first weekend of promotion.
With the community angle and the extra media interest we searched for a primary sponsor who would not only sponsor the car, but the whole Fansfueler project. They would gain all the extra exposure of having all our members in branded clothing and the extra media coverage we would gain, for around half of the cost of a straight forward primary sponsorship. It wasn't very long before we had significant interest from 3 multinational organisations, one of which Barry already had a relationship with. We went ahead with the project after being led to believe that the extra funding was available from this source, and if things didn't work out there we still had 2 other potential partners to work with.
We promoted fansfueler for the next 12 months to potential members whilst Barry and I worked in the background to obtain the further funding needed.
In April 05 we were told the funding simply wasn't available from the source we were hoping for. At this stage we were in discussions with several car owners/crew chiefs as to running the 05 FIA season. This was now definitely impossible, and I tried to further progress relationships with the other interested organisations, but this doesn't happen overnight. We took the decision that while we still had possibilities for the project we would keep promoting and we would be open for pledges.
Just before the eurofinals in 05 we lost another one of potential partners, when they decided to pull all motorsport sponsorships out of their portfolio and the other although still interested had spent all of their budget for 06 in circuit racing (I still have a relationship with and am pursuing options with this company as we speak).
This left us high and dry at the time, and although we had interest from yet another company, we felt the time needed to develop the relationship to get to a stage where we would even consider this a possible funding stream made it unfair to fans and our members to keep our membership open to pledges, and it was decided to put the project on "indefinite hold" until such time where the rest of the funding needed was available. This is where we stand today. Barry made this fairly clear in his interview with Tog at autosport 06 and I have emailed or spoken to almost all (those who's contact details are correct on the database!) of those who signed up to explain the situation.
If a partner for fansfueler suddenly appears from out of the ether, then I'm sure you'll know about it, but don't just think that this is the end of the road. I still work at least 1 day a week for Barry even though I have a business to run, and we still have a number of parties interested in working with Barry Sheavills Motorsport, but as you'll know, you don't go racing until they have signed on the dotted line.
And just for those who knocked fansfueler and continue to do so...
Over 300 members...
£5000 over our initial pledge estimate...
"fansfailure" eh? I don't think so.
We know the idea is good and it can work, but it just needs the further corporate support which we haven't been able to gain to date.
Thanks to all who pledged and helped us whilst promoting fansfueler.
Mighty
When we started the project Barry had an idea of how much we needed to make the project viable, but looking at my projections for memberships we knew that it was only likely that we could initially make around 50% of this figure from subscriptions. At this point Fansfueler was pretty big news and was attracting a fair amount of media interest which we knew we could build on. The launch went well and we made two thirds of our suggested pledge target in the first weekend of promotion.
With the community angle and the extra media interest we searched for a primary sponsor who would not only sponsor the car, but the whole Fansfueler project. They would gain all the extra exposure of having all our members in branded clothing and the extra media coverage we would gain, for around half of the cost of a straight forward primary sponsorship. It wasn't very long before we had significant interest from 3 multinational organisations, one of which Barry already had a relationship with. We went ahead with the project after being led to believe that the extra funding was available from this source, and if things didn't work out there we still had 2 other potential partners to work with.
We promoted fansfueler for the next 12 months to potential members whilst Barry and I worked in the background to obtain the further funding needed.
In April 05 we were told the funding simply wasn't available from the source we were hoping for. At this stage we were in discussions with several car owners/crew chiefs as to running the 05 FIA season. This was now definitely impossible, and I tried to further progress relationships with the other interested organisations, but this doesn't happen overnight. We took the decision that while we still had possibilities for the project we would keep promoting and we would be open for pledges.
Just before the eurofinals in 05 we lost another one of potential partners, when they decided to pull all motorsport sponsorships out of their portfolio and the other although still interested had spent all of their budget for 06 in circuit racing (I still have a relationship with and am pursuing options with this company as we speak).
This left us high and dry at the time, and although we had interest from yet another company, we felt the time needed to develop the relationship to get to a stage where we would even consider this a possible funding stream made it unfair to fans and our members to keep our membership open to pledges, and it was decided to put the project on "indefinite hold" until such time where the rest of the funding needed was available. This is where we stand today. Barry made this fairly clear in his interview with Tog at autosport 06 and I have emailed or spoken to almost all (those who's contact details are correct on the database!) of those who signed up to explain the situation.
If a partner for fansfueler suddenly appears from out of the ether, then I'm sure you'll know about it, but don't just think that this is the end of the road. I still work at least 1 day a week for Barry even though I have a business to run, and we still have a number of parties interested in working with Barry Sheavills Motorsport, but as you'll know, you don't go racing until they have signed on the dotted line.
And just for those who knocked fansfueler and continue to do so...
Over 300 members...
£5000 over our initial pledge estimate...
"fansfailure" eh? I don't think so.
We know the idea is good and it can work, but it just needs the further corporate support which we haven't been able to gain to date.
Thanks to all who pledged and helped us whilst promoting fansfueler.
Mighty
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