Thursday 19th July 2007

Powernights approaches

Evening racing in the UK

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Watch Formula Fords in the evening

In a fortnight Silverstone will play host to the first ever Powernights – a Thursday evening motorsport event. 

Powernights, which is the motorsport equivalent of Twenty20 cricket, will stage three events this summer: on Thursday 2^nd and Thursday 30^th August at Silverstone in Northamptonshire, and at Donington Park in Derbyshire on Thursday 9^th August.  Powernights claims each of the events will have a ‘packed 4-hour, spectator friendly schedule, which will include plenty to entertain the whole family from 5:30pm, with the racing starting at 6pm’.

The eight race programme at the first event will be contested by Saloon & Sports cars, Formula Fords, Classic Saloons and Toyota MR2s. Every group will race twice, with each race lasting 10 minutes. 

Before the racing gets underway, and throughout the evening, stunt display driver extraordinaire Terry Grant will wow the crowd with his unique show of car control.

Powernights radio will keep the crowd supplied with the latest information during the events.  Hosted by local radio DJ John Griff and featuring some of the best commentators in the UK, Powernights radio will be on air from 5pm with a combination of commentary, music and competitions.  A free Powernights radio will be given away with each programme and spectators will be able to purchase extra radios at just £3 each.

Spectators can also get involved in the racing by naming the driver they think is going to win each race.  One spectator will win a Scalextric ‘Power Slide’ set for each of the eight races and they will be presented with their prize on the race podium by the winning driver.

The aim is to attract a brand new audience to UK motorsport with an entertaining package of track action, stunt displays, interactive competitions, music and a post racing ‘Party in the Paddock’ that is open to everyone attending the Powernights events.  Advance adult tickets cost £10 (£15 gate) and children under 16 get in for free.

www.powernights.com

[jd5]

Reading this I thought great! the crowd's will flock back to club level racing in their masses, then I realised what I thought was a £3 entry is actually £15 each. The trouble is that I cannot see Joe public paying that much each to get his family in for a couple of hours entertainment. Why don't they divide the entry costs by 3 even to £5 and by doing so, i'm sure they'd multiply the numbers through the gate by 10!

[AdrianR]

8 * races of 10 minutes = 80 minutes racing out of 4 hours (240 minutes). Is that what motorsport calls a packed schedule?

Last time I took my son to watch some "racing" he fell asleep watching the empty tarmac in the gaps between events, and I was tempted to join him. Silverstone has plenty of space for club racers, so why can't they get the grids organised so that the next cars come out as the previous ones go in?

AdrianR

[johnph]

AdrianR said:

8 * races of 10 minutes = 80 minutes racing out of 4 hours (240 minutes). Is that what motorsport calls a packed schedule?

Last time I took my son to watch some "racing" he fell asleep watching the empty tarmac in the gaps between events, and I was tempted to join him. Silverstone has plenty of space for club racers, so why can't they get the grids organised so that the next cars come out as the previous ones go in?

AdrianR

What racing was it? - different organisers will insist on different amounts of track inspection between races.

[Henry-F]

Picked up a flyer on an apres Silverstone burger & chips (we racing drivers have to take care of our bodies you know!), & thought what a good idea but to be honest I`m a bit confused. The BRSCC site doesn`t seem to have any entry info, there was a previous post on here that showed the racing classes, none of which appear to allow for a Porsche entry and yet the flyer clearly showed an old picture of the Porsche cup (from a good few years ago).

Presumably entries have been sorted out via the relevant clubs / championships taking part. Just don`t expect to see any Porsches on the bill as per the flyers (from what I can see).

All the best & good luck with what is, in principal a great idea.

Henry

[macsport]

First Powernights tomorrow at Silverstone. Track action from 9am with testing and gates open fro spectators at 5pm. Racing starts at 6pm. More info at www.powernights.com

Entry lists have been released, see the latest version here - http://www.motion-works.co.uk/assets/0801_Aug02.pd...

[AdrianR]

johnph said:

What racing was it? - different organisers will insist on different amounts of track inspection between races.

TGP & Group C meet - HSCC I think? Good while it was going but not when it wasn't, if you see my point.

AdrianR

[cglock]

Any feedback on the actual event? I was thinking of investing in a stall at Dony on the 9th (next thursday) to demo the CG-Lock... does it seem worthwhile? honest feedback appreciated!!
Cheers
Graham

[Maxx]

I drove in tonights event, 2 races in the MR2 Invitational Challenge (essentially competitors in the MR2 Challenge series and the odd interloper rent-a-driver (me . From a racers point of view the day was fabulous, everyone I spoke to agreed. Not a favorite of mine but the Silverstone National produces some good racing and tonight was no exception, excellent feedback from those I spoke to. The was it was put together was very professional and very slickly run (8 races in 2.5 hours takes some organising). There was a REAL party atmosphere at the end of the night which was great to be a part of (even though I missed both podiums by just one place).

I'm sure everyone (public) who attended had a great evening but of course we would have hoped for and liked a few more, but, given that this was the first event of this kind in the UK and the weather forecast was for rain (although it stayed dry and warm) I think it went very well. Really interested to hear other opinions from those that took part or came to watch.

M.

[Marty G]

I went to watch last night and was generally impressed with it all.

The organisation of the races (as mentioned above) was good and one set of cars was coming out literally a minute or so after the other cars had gone into the pit lane (and they had collected any cars from the gravel)

The weather held out and i think that also was a fairly big part of it, wasn't getting cold even when we left at about half 9.

I think the price was too much though.

With the weather the way it was leading up to the event it made pre-booking tickets a risky business so pay on the day was the only option. (i hadn't seen much advertising for the event either) The bar-be-que was then another 6 pounds so if you wanted the whole experience it would have cost 21 pounds per person which is to much IMO

I gather the idea is to introduce people to racing who wouldn't normally watch it, but i feel this did not happen as to spend 21 pounds you would have to be pretty sure that you would like it.

I think a fiver to get in would have been better as it would get more people through the gates.

Also i am not sure the timings worked. I know that the racing had to start that early to get it all done before it started to get dark (even so, coming into the complex as the sun went down must have been tricky). I live in Milton Keynes which is about 15 miles from Silverstone, and i finish work at 5pm but i still could not get there in time for the start of the first race, albeit i was only a few seconds late.

The racing was good, and there were good facilities and food available even if you didn't go for the bar-be-que at the end.

As i went with a few friends it made a thoroughly enjoyable evening and we have already discussed coming back to the next one they do later in the month, i just think the price should have been a bit lower to encourage more people to come that wouldn't normally think about it.

[andy97]

Marty G said:

The organisation of the races (as mentioned above) was good and one set of cars was coming out literally a minute or so after the other cars had gone into the pit lane (and they had collected any cars from the gravel)

Pity that can't be done at all races all the time! Rebuilding barriers & tyre walls excepted.

[thunderbelmont]

The big question is that ast this was billed as a weekday entertainment for spectators...... other than competitors and their crews - were there any paying "guests" ????

Were the stands filled with eager spectators?

[Marty G]

thunderbelmont said:

The big question is that ast this was billed as a weekday entertainment for spectators...... other than competitors and their crews - were there any paying "guests" ????

Were the stands filled with eager spectators?

The stands weren't filled by any means but then you get tens of thousands if they were. There were at least 15 people down at the start of the national straight, but then that includes the marshalls, the commentator, my 3 friends and I and the film crew

A guesstimate of around 800 - 1000 spectators was provided on the night ( Thanks Rob )

Would be interested to hear if this met the expectations of the organisers or not?

[hollypop]

I thought it was great! The racing was really, really enjoyable to watch and in the pits everyone was so friendly.

[GT]

I was racing in the classics in the 911, from my point of view it was great fun, great racing, and the reverse grids made it much more interesting!. 10mins + 1 lap I think was a good race length for spectators, while it wasnt perhaps the turnout the organisers had hoped, there were more people there than i have seen at some fia GT races, so hopefully something to build on for the future.

[Marty G]

hollypop said:

I thought it was great! The racing was really, really enjoyable to watch and in the pits everyone was so friendly.

We had a look around the pits at the end and despite everyone packing up they were only too happy to let us look around/in their cars.

GT - I saw you, you obviously understand that cars go quicker forwards than sideways, some of the people were coming out of luffield looking through their side windows almost! A bit cheeky, but do you know what was powering that Mk1 escort in your race (nunber 13), it was ridiculously quick!

[GT]

Marty GA said:

bit cheeky, but do you know what was powering that Mk1 escort in your race (nunber 13), it was ridiculously quick!

no idea but considering it was 10 years newer than almost everything in the group and running on cut slicks as opposed to the rest of us on dunlop cr65 wobblies, i am not surprised it was rather a bit quicker!.

Edited by GT on Friday 3rd August 14:21

[MSportUK]

Thoroughly enjoyable night out from the moment Terry Grant started filling the track with tyre smoke to the burger at the end of the night. Loved the sports/saloons free-for-all with various Caterhams, Ginettas, Beetle, meaty Impreza, Mini Miglia, Escorts, Radicals all thrown in together with a tiered start and credit laps so none of it made any sense and it was all the more spectacular when it all caught up with itself at the end. Brilliant!

Photos from the evening (a few from every class) are online at MSportUK.com.

[Maxx]

Anyone here go to the Donington event on Thursday? interested in your comments.

I was again racing in an MR2, this time in the Open Sports & Saloons, was a real mix of cars from our humble road-tyred MR2s to some slick-shod Radicals, Escort Cossie's R400 Caterhams and WRC Imprezza.

I thought there was a really big crowd all round the track and from speaking to many people lots of them were at their first motor race. Seemed like a lot more families (mum, dad & kids) than you'd see at a weekend event. I know there are some buddies on here that will likely take the P but here is a little incar from race 1. Shows the speed differential with the Radicals plus a 360 down the Craners, backwards through the gravel and back onto the track facing the right way and off : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV7i2sevq8w

Edited by Maxx on Saturday 11th August 11:00

[ginettajoe]

I know there are some buddies on here that will likely take the P but here is a little incar from race 1.

Tut,tut,tut ......... I can't believe that!!!!

[Maxx]

Just who I was thinking of H

Edited by Maxx on Saturday 11th August 15:29