And then there were.......0
Discussion
Championship has hit critical mass. Its a bare minimum of a week away for each of the FIA rounds (assuming some one else drives the rig between events). Add in possible testing at Easter and that's seven weeks away. Who gets seven weeks holiday? Those with family commitments must find six races nearly impossible, never mind seven.
European drag racing stands at a crossroads. The days of the hobby racer doing the full tour are over.
Perhaps to keep the expanded FIA championship alive and open to everyone they need to think about perhaps allowing racers to count their best five results out of six for the points, that way if the brits can't make it to alastaro or kunmandras, or the finns can't make both English rounds, they still stand a chance.
European drag racing stands at a crossroads. The days of the hobby racer doing the full tour are over.
Perhaps to keep the expanded FIA championship alive and open to everyone they need to think about perhaps allowing racers to count their best five results out of six for the points, that way if the brits can't make it to alastaro or kunmandras, or the finns can't make both English rounds, they still stand a chance.
Edited by Jon C on Wednesday 19th October 13:01
Over the years its been constantly stated that the Championship needs more rounds ,which it does but with more rounds comes the problems now being experianced ie part time crews trying very hard to do all the rounds. Without more sponsorship or/and more prize money this will be very hard to achieve.
It is not inconcievable that the FIA series will be fought out by far fewer teams over the next couple of seasons. At the same time looking at Pro-Modified as an example, the Scandinavian and UK series (TD and MSA Pro-Mod) will get much stronger. At individual FIA rounds there will still be good fields, with the Championship participants bolstered by 'local' entries. The same may be true in TM classes. depending on what happens with Derek and Grumpy's cars, we could still have 5 cars for a UK series, even if they are on a meeting by meeting basis. It is not clear from the article on Gold RV whether thedecision is directly financial, due to work restrictions or a combination of both. either way the team will be sorely missed for their enthusiasm, friendliness and the fact that they have flown the flag for the past few years in a very competitive class.
TF will always be hit and miss but I cannot see fields dropping below 8 entries.
TF will always be hit and miss but I cannot see fields dropping below 8 entries.
People have been saying this for years and they are branded as negative.
Sponsors are not interested. Drag Racing is awful on TV compared to being at the track and it is not really possible to do live broadcasts like other motorsport. You also have the real possibility of a championship being decided by rain.
It is an expensive hobby for amateurs, with professional costs and amateur prize money. That is not a great business model.
Sponsors are not interested. Drag Racing is awful on TV compared to being at the track and it is not really possible to do live broadcasts like other motorsport. You also have the real possibility of a championship being decided by rain.
It is an expensive hobby for amateurs, with professional costs and amateur prize money. That is not a great business model.
that just about sums it up
and at last people are starting to realize what i have been saying for ages is true,
of note is the fact that those shouting loudest for more FIA rounds "for the good of the sport"
have never had to, and never will have to, Do the tour,
this situation isnt only a domestic one with top flight swedish teams electing to not do the tour at all,
and two of those teams is are 5 sec pro mod teams with little sponsorship, and there are talk of rounds in Italy and hungary in the future for the cars,
Iv heard talk of a idea to limit pro mod enrties on a basicaly NHRA style format IE if you dont qualify for the previous race you cant enter the next race, but with guest spots for drivers invited back to try again,
if that happend theoreticaly we could have a situation where there would be no british drivers allowed to enter the euro finals if they diddnt qualify at the previous race and wasnt invited back........
the idea is that only the most profesional and polished teams would be allowed to run in FIA pro mod and keep out the occational sub standard entries...
i guess if there was serious series sponsorship its highly lightly and not unreasonably so, that this senario could become reality
then what for our domestic class.........wise up everybody we are not in controll
the Turners have a situation that almost no other "pro" team have, they are family funded and family crewed,
and at last people are starting to realize what i have been saying for ages is true,
of note is the fact that those shouting loudest for more FIA rounds "for the good of the sport"
have never had to, and never will have to, Do the tour,
this situation isnt only a domestic one with top flight swedish teams electing to not do the tour at all,
and two of those teams is are 5 sec pro mod teams with little sponsorship, and there are talk of rounds in Italy and hungary in the future for the cars,
Iv heard talk of a idea to limit pro mod enrties on a basicaly NHRA style format IE if you dont qualify for the previous race you cant enter the next race, but with guest spots for drivers invited back to try again,
if that happend theoreticaly we could have a situation where there would be no british drivers allowed to enter the euro finals if they diddnt qualify at the previous race and wasnt invited back........
the idea is that only the most profesional and polished teams would be allowed to run in FIA pro mod and keep out the occational sub standard entries...
i guess if there was serious series sponsorship its highly lightly and not unreasonably so, that this senario could become reality
then what for our domestic class.........wise up everybody we are not in controll
the Turners have a situation that almost no other "pro" team have, they are family funded and family crewed,
Edited by wicked fish on Wednesday 19th October 13:53
Jon C said:
Championship has hit critical mass. Its a bare minimum of a week away for each of the FIA rounds (assuming some one else drives the rig between events). Add in possible testing at Easter and that's seven weeks away. Who gets seven weeks holiday? Those with family commitments must find six races nearly impossible, never mind seven.
European drag racing stands at a crossroads. The days of the hobby racer doing the full tour are over.
Perhaps to keep the expanded FIA championship alive and open to everyone they need to think about perhaps allowing racers to count their best five results out of six for the points, that way if the brits can't make it to alastaro or kunmandras, or the finns can't make both English rounds, they still stand a chance.
Not a bad idea, similar way to the divisional series' are run in the States. We did the full European tour once before stepping out of TAD and it's a massive effort. Even UK rounds require a day or two off work really.European drag racing stands at a crossroads. The days of the hobby racer doing the full tour are over.
Perhaps to keep the expanded FIA championship alive and open to everyone they need to think about perhaps allowing racers to count their best five results out of six for the points, that way if the brits can't make it to alastaro or kunmandras, or the finns can't make both English rounds, they still stand a chance.
Edited by Jon C on Wednesday 19th October 13:01
I think the Championship would be better of with 5 rounds that had rain off days the day after than to have 6 rounds without a rain off day. I think this would help promotion of the series a great deal and improve the TV programme by making it much more likely that you get 5 rounds contested and completed.
The Championship structure also only encourages teams to contest the rounds abroad if they are likely to qualify. In Pro Mod as was seen at Tierp this year, a 6.30 would not have got you in the field, this means you get no travelling money back for your efforts if you are a racer from abroad.
The Championship structure also only encourages teams to contest the rounds abroad if they are likely to qualify. In Pro Mod as was seen at Tierp this year, a 6.30 would not have got you in the field, this means you get no travelling money back for your efforts if you are a racer from abroad.
I'm not sure having 2 rounds at Tierp adds much to the championship, I know it's the best facility but an extra round in Hungary or Italy creates the possibility of new entrants/spectators/sponsors getting involved wheras a 2nd Swedish round does not. I understand what everybody is saying about time commitments but if you are going to have a serious FIA European championship then it needs to cover more than 4 countries. If in the current circumstances thats not possible then you could just go back to how things were years ago with a handful of individual big meetings at the Pod, Hockenhiem etc and avoid the cost of the FIA.
Incidentally as Tierp has 2 rounds now I assume that means the end of Mantorp as an international venue which is a bit sad as it's been operating since the 60s.
Bill
Incidentally as Tierp has 2 rounds now I assume that means the end of Mantorp as an international venue which is a bit sad as it's been operating since the 60s.
Bill
you just watch how many regulars dont do the full tour
its no good saying more diverse rounds will mean more sponsors ect
there are NO sponsors of the championship... WHEN they start comming on board THEN we can start to have a profesional tour
having a tour that will mean profesional money to spend with no return will never happen,
when there is a chance of actuly making a living or at least off setting the tour costs if you can preform reasonably and by reasonably i dont mean just the winner then you can add rounds
my superbird im sure cost exactly the same as brad personetts car to build
it costs the same to run as well so im spending the same as a nhra pro racer to run,
for what is nothing more than a hobby you can add all the rounds you like but the more rounds the thinner the fields will be
its no good saying more diverse rounds will mean more sponsors ect
there are NO sponsors of the championship... WHEN they start comming on board THEN we can start to have a profesional tour
having a tour that will mean profesional money to spend with no return will never happen,
when there is a chance of actuly making a living or at least off setting the tour costs if you can preform reasonably and by reasonably i dont mean just the winner then you can add rounds
my superbird im sure cost exactly the same as brad personetts car to build
it costs the same to run as well so im spending the same as a nhra pro racer to run,
for what is nothing more than a hobby you can add all the rounds you like but the more rounds the thinner the fields will be
Edited by wicked fish on Tuesday 25th October 16:40
And hearing that the reason we will never get into Pro Mod in the Uk is down to having to follow FIA rules when virtually none will run the FIA tour makes me chuckle if I'm honest. Still no more moaning or moping time to move on. For me it's ludicrous that opening it up to potentially bigger crowds and more sponsorship opportunities etc should be good for all.
Ah well cest la vie
Ah well cest la vie
Edited by trackday addict on Tuesday 25th October 20:29
wicked fish said:
you just watch how many regulars dont do the full tour
its no good saying more diverse rounds will mean more sponsors ect
there are NO sponsors of the championship... WHEN they start comming on board THEN we can start to have a profesional tour
having a tour that will mean profesional money to spend with no return will never happen,
when there is a chance of actuly making a living or at least off setting the tour costs if you can preform reasonably and by reasonably i dont mean just the winner then you can add rounds
my superbird im sure cost exactly the same as brad personetts car to build
it costs the same to run as well so im spending the same as a nhra pro racer to run,
for what is nothing more than a hobby you can add all the rounds you like but the more rounds the thinner the fields will be
I missed this thread, apologies for posting on same topic above.its no good saying more diverse rounds will mean more sponsors ect
there are NO sponsors of the championship... WHEN they start comming on board THEN we can start to have a profesional tour
having a tour that will mean profesional money to spend with no return will never happen,
when there is a chance of actuly making a living or at least off setting the tour costs if you can preform reasonably and by reasonably i dont mean just the winner then you can add rounds
my superbird im sure cost exactly the same as brad personetts car to build
it costs the same to run as well so im spending the same as a nhra pro racer to run,
for what is nothing more than a hobby you can add all the rounds you like but the more rounds the thinner the fields will be
Edited by wicked fish on Tuesday 25th October 16:40
This is a very enlightening thread for one who only spectates and doesn't race and what on the face of it is good news (the expansion of the series back to 6 rounds) looks like it can equally be seen as bad news for the numerous reasons above.
Graham, do you think there is any hope of championship sponsors in the coming years ? Could a big player (eg oil company) put up enough money to help racers at least with a good proportion of costs as you refer to ? I haven't got a clue on figures but compared to other sponsorship deals (for other motorsports) maybe it wouldn't be a huge sum RELATIVELY speaking. Maybe their is a brand somewhere, sometime that could benefit from its name being plastered over everything for six european rounds and , albeit modest, TV coverage ? Maybe there just isn't !
It was hard to believe that Tierp was built as that must have cost millions, however I can see how, over time, the facility backers will recuperate their investment with the variety of events they can host (much like Pod I guess doing well from all the other events.. eg Bugjam).
Bill you make a good point about bringing in additional audiences, eg Hungary and Italy, but this has been talked about for years and Italy still seems a mystery. Equally, mere fans of the sport like me do not know why Hungary cannot progress to having FIA also... money again I guess ?
I suppose from a fans point of view I'm looking for the positives but this thread does realistically outline a whole host of real issues that face teams. Thanks for the education !
wicked fish said:
well Dereks gone for sure.....
this is sad for our sport
Agree, one of the most pleasant persons we've had up in the tower AFAIC.this is sad for our sport
Regards
PiPPi
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