If Silverstone really want the 24 hour to work.....
Discussion
thunderbelmont said:
Permission to speak sir?
All of this arguing to and fro about the BRDC/SCL vs Camping vs JT vs other codswallop is getting rather fraught. Now, after a G&T or three, looking at this most logically, and of currently unbiassed (I won't be at the 24hrs unless I can find another 9-10K) opinion....
Mr Tucker pays Silverstone Circuits Ltd (a company wholly owned by the BRDC who ARE Silverstone) a rental fee for the use of the facility, excluding the BRDC Club House (and most of the toilets!).
People paying to come in through the gate pay money which goes to.... Silverstone Circuits Ltd, not to Mr James Tucker.
Logic states that persons wishing to come to Silverstone in their droves will swell the coffers of Messrs SCL to the point where they are able to rent more bomber-jacketed gentlemen & laydeees from Events Management to keep the pissheads from trampling Mrs Smith's prize begonias, and ensure that no impromptu raves occur.
They could designate easy to police zones for one's bivouac erection, keeping it all on the infield - say in the area between Copse & Maggots.
In this way we're all happy. The happy campers in their droves have come in to help swell SCL's bank balance, which means they can spend more than £25M on new toilet paper and a palace for Mr & Mrs Ecclestone, and perhaps one new pair of trousers each for Mr Hill and the associated board of the BRDC from Matalan.
A thorougly win-win situation.
All it needs is that strange word in UK Motorsport - P R O M O T I O N.
And that doesn't mean a two line ad in Autosport. I mean the media of the great unwashed. Full page ads in the Daily Rag, advert's on the box (no, not on Motors TV, or a 4am on Channel 5).
I feel that the race should be a Silverstone, and to my feeling it should be a joint venture between Mr Tucker and the BRDC. James has started the ball rolling again, and rolling it most certainly is.
You know I speak the truth.
Now, where's that 10K...
Rob.
Bit late to the party and as a clubbie not directly involved with the 24 (mate running a team so the closest I'll come to participating is to scoff all his catering...) I may be speaking out of turn. But it seems to me that the EERC has the same problem all clubs do in the UK.All of this arguing to and fro about the BRDC/SCL vs Camping vs JT vs other codswallop is getting rather fraught. Now, after a G&T or three, looking at this most logically, and of currently unbiassed (I won't be at the 24hrs unless I can find another 9-10K) opinion....
Mr Tucker pays Silverstone Circuits Ltd (a company wholly owned by the BRDC who ARE Silverstone) a rental fee for the use of the facility, excluding the BRDC Club House (and most of the toilets!).
People paying to come in through the gate pay money which goes to.... Silverstone Circuits Ltd, not to Mr James Tucker.
Logic states that persons wishing to come to Silverstone in their droves will swell the coffers of Messrs SCL to the point where they are able to rent more bomber-jacketed gentlemen & laydeees from Events Management to keep the pissheads from trampling Mrs Smith's prize begonias, and ensure that no impromptu raves occur.
They could designate easy to police zones for one's bivouac erection, keeping it all on the infield - say in the area between Copse & Maggots.
In this way we're all happy. The happy campers in their droves have come in to help swell SCL's bank balance, which means they can spend more than £25M on new toilet paper and a palace for Mr & Mrs Ecclestone, and perhaps one new pair of trousers each for Mr Hill and the associated board of the BRDC from Matalan.
A thorougly win-win situation.
All it needs is that strange word in UK Motorsport - P R O M O T I O N.
And that doesn't mean a two line ad in Autosport. I mean the media of the great unwashed. Full page ads in the Daily Rag, advert's on the box (no, not on Motors TV, or a 4am on Channel 5).
I feel that the race should be a Silverstone, and to my feeling it should be a joint venture between Mr Tucker and the BRDC. James has started the ball rolling again, and rolling it most certainly is.
You know I speak the truth.
Now, where's that 10K...
Rob.
The circuit has it's costs covered and more by charging the club a hire fee which is passed on down to competitors. All gate money is kept by the circuit owner, but the point at which it becomes worthwhile for the circuit to do anything more than open the gates and supply a few catering/cleaning/security staff comes with so many spectators that they rarely if ever bother to promote their club events.
Since the club has nothing to gain by an increase in spectators, they don't promote either and as the costs are already high for circuit hire (especially at Silverstone) investment is not really feasible as the competitors themselves would end up footing the bill.
So it's a lose-lose situation. Circuits have no real incentive to promote unless they can be guaranteed a big gate, clubs have no incentive to promote because they don't have the budget for marketing and anyway wouldn't gain anything from doing so.
Until this situation is resolved, all club racing in the UK will be sparsely attended, and we will all find it difficult to attract sponsors.
Look at Combe if you want to see a circuit tackling the problem, they took their racing in-house this year (to be fair, they have always had comparatively big crowds) and seem to be thriving as a result.
Exactly.
Castle Combe is a good example of doing it right.
The BRSCC pay a large sum for their events at Rockingham, and they get the gate. They need to make 50K per meeting to break even. And as usual, they try to pass it to the competitors, rather than market the meeting properly, and get joe public to fill the 55000 grandstand seats. Why? Because it's simple, and costs them nothing. But why pay extra and have the gate if you're not going to market it? I think they expected people to "know" when the meetings were on, and what was racing, via psychic powers......
The issue is destroying club motorsport.
The BRDC own silverstone, they own Silverstone Circuts Ltd wholly, and they "could" run their own meetings, including the 24hr. Yet they choose to rent the place out to anyone with a big enough budget, because that's easy money.
By running the meetings, they could have proper control over what races there, and stimulate the imaginary ladder(s) in motorsport.
Without promotion, motorsport will always be a fringe minority sport, it's successful drivers will never be recognised for what they do.
The 24hrs could be one of the jewels in the crown of British motorsport, along with the British GP, and the RAC Rally. Big once-a-year events that capture the public's imagination.
For that to happen, the 24hr's needs to be promoted properly, both by the EERC (as it already does with limited funds) and by the BRDC/SCL who will reap the benefits of the public paying to attend, and camp, and use it's facilities (the one's that are unlocked).
Get that right, and it can filter down through the sport.
Castle Combe is a good example of doing it right.
The BRSCC pay a large sum for their events at Rockingham, and they get the gate. They need to make 50K per meeting to break even. And as usual, they try to pass it to the competitors, rather than market the meeting properly, and get joe public to fill the 55000 grandstand seats. Why? Because it's simple, and costs them nothing. But why pay extra and have the gate if you're not going to market it? I think they expected people to "know" when the meetings were on, and what was racing, via psychic powers......
The issue is destroying club motorsport.
The BRDC own silverstone, they own Silverstone Circuts Ltd wholly, and they "could" run their own meetings, including the 24hr. Yet they choose to rent the place out to anyone with a big enough budget, because that's easy money.
By running the meetings, they could have proper control over what races there, and stimulate the imaginary ladder(s) in motorsport.
Without promotion, motorsport will always be a fringe minority sport, it's successful drivers will never be recognised for what they do.
The 24hrs could be one of the jewels in the crown of British motorsport, along with the British GP, and the RAC Rally. Big once-a-year events that capture the public's imagination.
For that to happen, the 24hr's needs to be promoted properly, both by the EERC (as it already does with limited funds) and by the BRDC/SCL who will reap the benefits of the public paying to attend, and camp, and use it's facilities (the one's that are unlocked).
Get that right, and it can filter down through the sport.
If it's that simple why after many years of organising events at Silverstone and elsewhere did BRDC shut down their race dept and apart from a couple of events like the Walter Hayes FF1600 event (a product of one man's vision not the whole club btw) and events run by the BRDC marshals club just become a circuit owner/renter?
I believe Tucker may have bought the gate which is why EERC are flogging tickets like mad via their website........
I believe Tucker may have bought the gate which is why EERC are flogging tickets like mad via their website........
kenthardy said:
If it's that simple why after many years of organising events at Silverstone and elsewhere did BRDC shut down their race dept and apart from a couple of events like the Walter Hayes FF1600 event (a product of one man's vision not the whole club btw) and events run by the BRDC marshals club just become a circuit owner/renter?
I believe Tucker may have bought the gate which is why EERC are flogging tickets like mad via their website........
Quite simple - because it's EASIER to sit back, rent out the circuit, and take the money, rather than the risk of running the whole thing.I believe Tucker may have bought the gate which is why EERC are flogging tickets like mad via their website........
As for Mr Tucker selling the event - he needs to - Britcar competitors need sponsors. Sponsors, in general, need an audience. To get an audience, you have to sell the event. To sell the event costs money, to raise the money you need sponsors. To get sponsors.......
thunderbelmont said:
kenthardy said:
If it's that simple why after many years of organising events at Silverstone and elsewhere did BRDC shut down their race dept and apart from a couple of events like the Walter Hayes FF1600 event (a product of one man's vision not the whole club btw) and events run by the BRDC marshals club just become a circuit owner/renter?
I believe Tucker may have bought the gate which is why EERC are flogging tickets like mad via their website........
Quite simple - because it's EASIER to sit back, rent out the circuit, and take the money, rather than the risk of running the whole thing.I believe Tucker may have bought the gate which is why EERC are flogging tickets like mad via their website........
As for Mr Tucker selling the event - he needs to - Britcar competitors need sponsors. Sponsors, in general, need an audience. To get an audience, you have to sell the event. To sell the event costs money, to raise the money you need sponsors. To get sponsors.......
The BRDC situation is slightly muddled though by the time that Octagon leased the circuit and the events around BMP etc. It's not quite as straight forward as it looks with hindsight.
I don't doubt that anyone who was prepared to pay for the hire of the complete circuit (including all the land necessary to camp)could do so, they would then have to run the camping etc. and take the risk of maybe making money or not.
Nurburgsingh said:
Simon Leith said:
Personally, I don't really care if people come and camp or not! I just wanna win ! 
You may have got away from us at the 2CV 24hour... but we're gonna kick your ass in September! 
we came home 18th and 19th overall.... how did you do Simon??
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