London SPEEDFEST, Targa Cumbria...Who's going???
Discussion
Yeah...You wished!!!
But honestly these are 2 events that we should have here in the UK
London SPEEDFEST:
Greater London has a population of over 10 million people with a huge number of car enthusiasts living in and around it who could definitely put a rather magnificent collection together.
England in general has probably the highest density of car nutters in Europe who own a massive number of interesting, special, fast, rare or just exciting to look at and listen to cars...
I am thinking of the ultimate get together for the car fan. An event that due to its huge range of different vehicles all congregated in the same place would attract people not only from all over the UK but all the car crazy countries in Europe.
A car Mecca where everybody who wants to can participate and compete, racing others, drift and show-boat around, meet other enthusiasts, talk cars, hitch rides, eat, drink and party...
And a good place for exhibitors to show of their latest gimmicks and get close to their potential customers.
Like the Berlin love parade for the raver, Glastonbury for the festival freak, isle of Man TT for the biker...But for all the automobile worshippers around, a place of pilgrimage to come to once a year to watch the hottest metal in action or bring your own car along to race around, whether a Zonda, Celica GT four, vintage rally or race car, Nissan 350Z or a Clio Williams... (obviously the more Zondas, SLRs, F40s, Murcielagos and whatever makes a lot of noise and is fast and rare...the better!)
but judging by what you can see driving around the capital it may well be the most amazing and exotic "run what you brung" show in the world!!!
Lets face it, whoever has an expensive or fast or exotic or in any way interesting car likes to show it and be around as many other expensive or fast or exotic or in any way interesting cars to enjoy the total car overload!! And everybody else who doesn't have any interesting ride to bring along still likes to come and watch all the cool cars moving about and making a lot of noise... A no brainer really!!
I am sure if done properly it could very quickly become one of the hottest and biggest car events in the whole of the UK and Europe. A few examples for events that are not even a fraction as interesting and diverse as the London SPEEDFEST (or whatever it would be called) would be are...
...remember the tunnel runs? just a few blokes meeting somewhere on parking lots and driving through some tunnels in the capital... had over 200 cars at the end!
the "Gti Treffen" in a small lakeside town in Austria attracts 100s of cars participating and 1000s of spectators. and that's just for VW gti's and in a country with a smaller population than greater London!!
An appropriate place would be an airfield with its huge spaces for the cars, different events like circuit, 1/4 mile, drift competition etc, lots of space for spectators and exhibitors and parking.
Such an airfield exists just outside the capital and it already hosts some small motorsport events and it would be possible to hire it. I am talking about:
North Weald Airfield near Epping
(which very conveniently is the last stop on the central line, so lots of people could arrive by public transport from the capital as well!)
http://www.northwealdairfield.org/airfield.html
http://www.northwealdmotorsport.co.uk/index.html
That's just a very vague idea of how the setup could look:
Targa Cumbria (or Wales or Cornwall or Scotland etc):
I know there is a lot of hobby/amateur race events around but NOTHING like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laq8OZaFsMo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsDb8hBw08
I mean who of you WOULDN'T watch that on TV??? Which car magazine (TV or print) WOULDN'T want to be there for a story???
Kind of the Isle of Man TT but with cars...Tarmac Rally with one driver and one navigator... but no pre runs and roadmap changing from year to year.
watch the video from the Targa Tasmania (the first one) and imagine that here in the UK, how amazing would that be ?!?!?!
OK LETS ORGANIZE IT!!! WHO HELPS? (SERIOUSLY!!)
could be reality in 2010/2011!!!
Cheers and let me know your thoughts...
But honestly these are 2 events that we should have here in the UK
London SPEEDFEST:
Greater London has a population of over 10 million people with a huge number of car enthusiasts living in and around it who could definitely put a rather magnificent collection together.
England in general has probably the highest density of car nutters in Europe who own a massive number of interesting, special, fast, rare or just exciting to look at and listen to cars...
I am thinking of the ultimate get together for the car fan. An event that due to its huge range of different vehicles all congregated in the same place would attract people not only from all over the UK but all the car crazy countries in Europe.
A car Mecca where everybody who wants to can participate and compete, racing others, drift and show-boat around, meet other enthusiasts, talk cars, hitch rides, eat, drink and party...
And a good place for exhibitors to show of their latest gimmicks and get close to their potential customers.
Like the Berlin love parade for the raver, Glastonbury for the festival freak, isle of Man TT for the biker...But for all the automobile worshippers around, a place of pilgrimage to come to once a year to watch the hottest metal in action or bring your own car along to race around, whether a Zonda, Celica GT four, vintage rally or race car, Nissan 350Z or a Clio Williams... (obviously the more Zondas, SLRs, F40s, Murcielagos and whatever makes a lot of noise and is fast and rare...the better!)
but judging by what you can see driving around the capital it may well be the most amazing and exotic "run what you brung" show in the world!!!
Lets face it, whoever has an expensive or fast or exotic or in any way interesting car likes to show it and be around as many other expensive or fast or exotic or in any way interesting cars to enjoy the total car overload!! And everybody else who doesn't have any interesting ride to bring along still likes to come and watch all the cool cars moving about and making a lot of noise... A no brainer really!!
I am sure if done properly it could very quickly become one of the hottest and biggest car events in the whole of the UK and Europe. A few examples for events that are not even a fraction as interesting and diverse as the London SPEEDFEST (or whatever it would be called) would be are...
...remember the tunnel runs? just a few blokes meeting somewhere on parking lots and driving through some tunnels in the capital... had over 200 cars at the end!
the "Gti Treffen" in a small lakeside town in Austria attracts 100s of cars participating and 1000s of spectators. and that's just for VW gti's and in a country with a smaller population than greater London!!
An appropriate place would be an airfield with its huge spaces for the cars, different events like circuit, 1/4 mile, drift competition etc, lots of space for spectators and exhibitors and parking.
Such an airfield exists just outside the capital and it already hosts some small motorsport events and it would be possible to hire it. I am talking about:
North Weald Airfield near Epping
(which very conveniently is the last stop on the central line, so lots of people could arrive by public transport from the capital as well!)
http://www.northwealdairfield.org/airfield.html
http://www.northwealdmotorsport.co.uk/index.html
That's just a very vague idea of how the setup could look:
===========================================================
Targa Cumbria (or Wales or Cornwall or Scotland etc):
I know there is a lot of hobby/amateur race events around but NOTHING like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laq8OZaFsMo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsDb8hBw08
I mean who of you WOULDN'T watch that on TV??? Which car magazine (TV or print) WOULDN'T want to be there for a story???
Kind of the Isle of Man TT but with cars...Tarmac Rally with one driver and one navigator... but no pre runs and roadmap changing from year to year.
watch the video from the Targa Tasmania (the first one) and imagine that here in the UK, how amazing would that be ?!?!?!
OK LETS ORGANIZE IT!!! WHO HELPS? (SERIOUSLY!!)
could be reality in 2010/2011!!!
Cheers and let me know your thoughts...
Edited by marcel77 on Friday 11th December 14:43
Edited by Bill on Friday 11th December 16:46
Not my kind of thing.
I wouldn't want to do a track day unless it was properly run, and it would be difficult to combine with the sort of event here.
No wish to see hordes of chavmobiles; and doubt if anyone who could afford a real supercar would want to expose it so much.
By the way, have you started a risk assessment yet? it would want a LOT of organising, the risks would probably outweigh any commercial gain and competent amateur teams are rare for anything this size.
Silverstone Classic, Goodwood FoS and Revival are fine by me.
So now please stop bumping it.
I wouldn't want to do a track day unless it was properly run, and it would be difficult to combine with the sort of event here.
No wish to see hordes of chavmobiles; and doubt if anyone who could afford a real supercar would want to expose it so much.
By the way, have you started a risk assessment yet? it would want a LOT of organising, the risks would probably outweigh any commercial gain and competent amateur teams are rare for anything this size.
Silverstone Classic, Goodwood FoS and Revival are fine by me.
So now please stop bumping it.
Paul Drawmer said:
Not my kind of thing.
I wouldn't want to do a track day unless it was properly run, and it would be difficult to combine with the sort of event here.
No wish to see hordes of chavmobiles; and doubt if anyone who could afford a real supercar would want to expose it so much.
By the way, have you started a risk assessment yet? it would want a LOT of organising, the risks would probably outweigh any commercial gain and competent amateur teams are rare for anything this size.
Silverstone Classic, Goodwood FoS and Revival are fine by me.
So now please stop bumping it.
typical accountant answer unfortunately...I wouldn't want to do a track day unless it was properly run, and it would be difficult to combine with the sort of event here.
No wish to see hordes of chavmobiles; and doubt if anyone who could afford a real supercar would want to expose it so much.
By the way, have you started a risk assessment yet? it would want a LOT of organising, the risks would probably outweigh any commercial gain and competent amateur teams are rare for anything this size.
Silverstone Classic, Goodwood FoS and Revival are fine by me.
So now please stop bumping it.
first of all which of the 2 concepts do your arguments refer to? (both probably
)So you want to tell me that the Brits wouldn't be able to organise something that is been done in Tasmania and Newfoundland ??? After all the risk assessment everybody would be too scared to try...true... that's real entrepreneurial spirit.
The Targa idea:
I don't think it's different from any of the amateur rallies held up and down the country in terms of risk factors involved (but then I guess they aren't organized by accountants either).
Isle of Man TT, quite "risky" and nevertheless people come from all over to compete. And with enough media exposure you might just get the right people interested, as in the small teams you mentioned that would be such a scarce commodity apparently. And believe me people would come from abroad as well to drive it.
All in all: Some farmers in Tasmania and some fishermen in Newfoundland can pull it of...the United Kingdom couldn't...mmmmmmmmmm...
As for the Speed Festival Idea:
I believe your risk assessment scare
refered to the prior scenario, since the risk in this one is the same for every track day or santa pod event. you crash you pay...Goodwood etc...yeah very nice. But not a participation event. It's to go and watch and not drive yourself.
And who cares if there is the one or other chavmobile or not. It's the same society we share our roads, trains, shops, schools etc with every day. To avoid it you can either emigrate to Monaco or become politically more active.
An event this size would obviously attract all people. What's wrong racing a Nissan R33 or a Focus RS (oh no wait! Now that's a chavmobile everybody likes! Because Jezza said so...) against a Lamborghini??? As long as people can behave we can all be friends.
And another point of such an event: the common interest in same things exciting that brings people from all different ways of life together on the basis of sharing a passion. And they might see that the other one isn't maybe as bad as perceived.
I believe it's possible. Very possible and very attractive. Both things. The festival maybe easier to organize then the rally. But only if not too many accountant types get involved...
PS: You made this point: People who actually DO HAVE supercars wouldnt want to expose them so much.
Ever heard of the GUMBALL Rally???
Garlick said:
marcel77 said:
Ever heard of the GUMBALL Rally???
Sadly, yes. It would be a mammoth task to organise, and I've organised a few events. Good luck chap, but it's a massive task, for something that probably won't happen.
But do please stop bumping it, ta.
That's why I am proposing a similar themed thing away from public spaces or on closed roads
(please don't tell me you think it's a sad event because they happen to be lucky enough to have more money than you or me...)
And it would obviously GROW to a certain size and not BE huge from the beginning! slowly slowly...
What kind of events have you organized before?
marcel77 said:
Paul Drawmer said:
Not my kind of thing.
I wouldn't want to do a track day unless it was properly run, and it would be difficult to combine with the sort of event here.
No wish to see hordes of chavmobiles; and doubt if anyone who could afford a real supercar would want to expose it so much.
By the way, have you started a risk assessment yet? it would want a LOT of organising, the risks would probably outweigh any commercial gain and competent amateur teams are rare for anything this size.
Silverstone Classic, Goodwood FoS and Revival are fine by me.
So now please stop bumping it.
typical accountant answer unfortunately...I wouldn't want to do a track day unless it was properly run, and it would be difficult to combine with the sort of event here.
No wish to see hordes of chavmobiles; and doubt if anyone who could afford a real supercar would want to expose it so much.
By the way, have you started a risk assessment yet? it would want a LOT of organising, the risks would probably outweigh any commercial gain and competent amateur teams are rare for anything this size.
Silverstone Classic, Goodwood FoS and Revival are fine by me.
So now please stop bumping it.
first of all which of the 2 concepts do your arguments refer to? (both probably
)So you want to tell me that the Brits wouldn't be able to organise something that is been done in Tasmania and Newfoundland ??? After all the risk assessment everybody would be too scared to try...true... that's real entrepreneurial spirit.
The Targa idea:
I don't think it's different from any of the amateur rallies held up and down the country in terms of risk factors involved (but then I guess they aren't organized by accountants either).
Isle of Man TT, quite "risky" and nevertheless people come from all over to compete. And with enough media exposure you might just get the right people interested, as in the small teams you mentioned that would be such a scarce commodity apparently. And believe me people would come from abroad as well to drive it.
All in all: Some farmers in Tasmania and some fishermen in Newfoundland can pull it of...the United Kingdom couldn't...mmmmmmmmmm...
As for the Speed Festival Idea:
I believe your risk assessment scare
refered to the prior scenario, since the risk in this one is the same for every track day or santa pod event. you crash you pay...Goodwood etc...yeah very nice. But not a participation event. It's to go and watch and not drive yourself.
And who cares if there is the one or other chavmobile or not. It's the same society we share our roads, trains, shops, schools etc with every day. To avoid it you can either emigrate to Monaco or become politically more active.
An event this size would obviously attract all people. What's wrong racing a Nissan R33 or a Focus RS (oh no wait! Now that's a chavmobile everybody likes! Because Jezza said so...) against a Lamborghini??? As long as people can behave we can all be friends.
And another point of such an event: the common interest in same things exciting that brings people from all different ways of life together on the basis of sharing a passion. And they might see that the other one isn't maybe as bad as perceived.
I believe it's possible. Very possible and very attractive. Both things. The festival maybe easier to organize then the rally. But only if not too many accountant types get involved...
PS: You made this point: People who actually DO HAVE supercars wouldnt want to expose them so much.
Ever heard of the GUMBALL Rally???
The SPEEDFEST event would probably be easier to get off the ground but I think you'd see an influx of chavs doing burnouts in their crappy french tin cans with stuck on tat and it would probably get shut down.
marcel77 said:
Garlick said:
marcel77 said:
Ever heard of the GUMBALL Rally???
Sadly, yes. It would be a mammoth task to organise, and I've organised a few events. Good luck chap, but it's a massive task, for something that probably won't happen.
But do please stop bumping it, ta.
That's why I am proposing a similar themed thing away from public spaces or on closed roads
(please don't tell me you think it's a sad event because they happen to be lucky enough to have more money than you or me...)
And it would obviously GROW to a certain size and not BE huge from the beginning! slowly slowly...
What kind of events have you organized before?
Anyway, I have arranged events for many magazines (obviously including a lot of PistonHeads events), World Record speed attempts at London City Airport and inside the NEC, numerous track days, indoor shows etc.
Regardless of how many marshalls you have, whether you will be going 10 mph or 100 mph or whether it caters for 10 cars or 1000 it is always a painful process to organise.
KaraK said:
marcel77 said:
Paul Drawmer said:
Not my kind of thing.
I wouldn't want to do a track day unless it was properly run, and it would be difficult to combine with the sort of event here.
No wish to see hordes of chavmobiles; and doubt if anyone who could afford a real supercar would want to expose it so much.
By the way, have you started a risk assessment yet? it would want a LOT of organising, the risks would probably outweigh any commercial gain and competent amateur teams are rare for anything this size.
Silverstone Classic, Goodwood FoS and Revival are fine by me.
So now please stop bumping it.
typical accountant answer unfortunately...I wouldn't want to do a track day unless it was properly run, and it would be difficult to combine with the sort of event here.
No wish to see hordes of chavmobiles; and doubt if anyone who could afford a real supercar would want to expose it so much.
By the way, have you started a risk assessment yet? it would want a LOT of organising, the risks would probably outweigh any commercial gain and competent amateur teams are rare for anything this size.
Silverstone Classic, Goodwood FoS and Revival are fine by me.
So now please stop bumping it.
first of all which of the 2 concepts do your arguments refer to? (both probably
)So you want to tell me that the Brits wouldn't be able to organise something that is been done in Tasmania and Newfoundland ??? After all the risk assessment everybody would be too scared to try...true... that's real entrepreneurial spirit.
The Targa idea:
I don't think it's different from any of the amateur rallies held up and down the country in terms of risk factors involved (but then I guess they aren't organized by accountants either).
Isle of Man TT, quite "risky" and nevertheless people come from all over to compete. And with enough media exposure you might just get the right people interested, as in the small teams you mentioned that would be such a scarce commodity apparently. And believe me people would come from abroad as well to drive it.
All in all: Some farmers in Tasmania and some fishermen in Newfoundland can pull it of...the United Kingdom couldn't...mmmmmmmmmm...
As for the Speed Festival Idea:
I believe your risk assessment scare
refered to the prior scenario, since the risk in this one is the same for every track day or santa pod event. you crash you pay...Goodwood etc...yeah very nice. But not a participation event. It's to go and watch and not drive yourself.
And who cares if there is the one or other chavmobile or not. It's the same society we share our roads, trains, shops, schools etc with every day. To avoid it you can either emigrate to Monaco or become politically more active.
An event this size would obviously attract all people. What's wrong racing a Nissan R33 or a Focus RS (oh no wait! Now that's a chavmobile everybody likes! Because Jezza said so...) against a Lamborghini??? As long as people can behave we can all be friends.
And another point of such an event: the common interest in same things exciting that brings people from all different ways of life together on the basis of sharing a passion. And they might see that the other one isn't maybe as bad as perceived.
I believe it's possible. Very possible and very attractive. Both things. The festival maybe easier to organize then the rally. But only if not too many accountant types get involved...
PS: You made this point: People who actually DO HAVE supercars wouldnt want to expose them so much.
Ever heard of the GUMBALL Rally???
The SPEEDFEST event would probably be easier to get off the ground but I think you'd see an influx of chavs doing burnouts in their crappy french tin cans with stuck on tat and it would probably get shut down.
Would be quite easy to go round that by introducing categories and let the "lower" ones loose in the morning or so... or by having a designated "burn out pit" and having a a no-burnout-rule everywhere else on the compound.
Nothing wrong with burn outs in my opinion if they don't happen all over the place! and the burn out pit would be somewhere peripheral so whoever wants to do it or watch it can go up there. I don't think it would be so hard to control the masses...
also depends on the price of admission.
You want to come with your car and make some noise you pay obviously considerable more then just coming as a spectator.
Garlick said:
marcel77 said:
Garlick said:
marcel77 said:
Ever heard of the GUMBALL Rally???
Sadly, yes. It would be a mammoth task to organise, and I've organised a few events. Good luck chap, but it's a massive task, for something that probably won't happen.
But do please stop bumping it, ta.
That's why I am proposing a similar themed thing away from public spaces or on closed roads
(please don't tell me you think it's a sad event because they happen to be lucky enough to have more money than you or me...)
And it would obviously GROW to a certain size and not BE huge from the beginning! slowly slowly...
What kind of events have you organized before?
Anyway, I have arranged events for many magazines (obviously including a lot of PistonHeads events), World Record speed attempts at London City Airport and inside the NEC, numerous track days, indoor shows etc.
Regardless of how many marshalls you have, whether you will be going 10 mph or 100 mph or whether it caters for 10 cars or 1000 it is always a painful process to organise.
OP, just because you write long answers peppered with the odd smiley, doesn't actually add weight to your proposition.
Yes, I'm sorry to say I have heard of Gumball, that isn't my sort of thing either.
Part of my genuine concern about H&S (and I'm not an accountant) is that there are very few events that successfully mix amateur participation with spectators. Those that do, tend to be large and professionally managed. So, for me I'd rather spectate at the type of events I have already indicated, or participate as in proper track days, sprints or autotests.
Venues don't come for free. All of them will require a written risk assessment. Asking professionals to do it for free isn't really the answer.
It sounds as if you're keen to get into event organisation. Join your local motor club, and see how events at club level are organised.
Oh and I'll expect you'll want to have the last word, that's OK.
Yes, I'm sorry to say I have heard of Gumball, that isn't my sort of thing either.
Part of my genuine concern about H&S (and I'm not an accountant) is that there are very few events that successfully mix amateur participation with spectators. Those that do, tend to be large and professionally managed. So, for me I'd rather spectate at the type of events I have already indicated, or participate as in proper track days, sprints or autotests.
Venues don't come for free. All of them will require a written risk assessment. Asking professionals to do it for free isn't really the answer.
It sounds as if you're keen to get into event organisation. Join your local motor club, and see how events at club level are organised.
Oh and I'll expect you'll want to have the last word, that's OK.
surely something like trax at silverstone is pretty much exactly what you're describing. Gets a huge cross section of cars and participants, and it s smack in the middle of the country. Track time, drag runs, spit n polish show at the countries best known circuit, I think you'll struggle to better it.... Even at a london venue... You sound enthusiast, sO I do wish you luck though.. !!!
Garlick said:
marcel77 said:
Ever heard of the GUMBALL Rally???
Sadly, yes. It would be a mammoth task to organise, and I've organised a few events. Good luck chap, but it's a massive task, for something that probably won't happen.
But do please stop bumping it, ta.
God, I'm bored
I feel I should mention that the area you've highlighted for a 1/4 mile drag strip is barely 1500ft in length. Do you think less than 200ft will provide enough braking distance for a drag race?Could you go away and draw another picture please? Your idea sounds brillaintly feasible apart from that. Screw going to le mans or the nurburgring, I need to go to an airport!
wombat172a said:
I feel I should mention that the area you've highlighted for a 1/4 mile drag strip is barely 1500ft in length. Do you think less than 200ft will provide enough braking distance for a drag race?
Could you go away and draw another picture please? Your idea sounds brillaintly feasible apart from that. Screw going to le mans or the nurburgring, I need to go to an airport!
yes obviously it is an EXAMPLE...Could you go away and draw another picture please? Your idea sounds brillaintly feasible apart from that. Screw going to le mans or the nurburgring, I need to go to an airport!
and I had a talk with the guys from North Weald Airfield and they love the idea!
will start next year after the summer break, if only small ish...
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