A lap of Hamilton V8 street circuit!

[headhoon]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7l6fJ1rwIA&feature=related

[tim the pool man]

Hope it comes across better on TV! It looks like they have built the track through industrial slums!
Hardly the image a town would want to broadcast, which is the only reason these poxy street circuits get supported...

[headhoon]

tim the pool man said:

Hope it comes across better on TV! It looks like they have built the track through industrial slums!
Hardly the image a town would want to broadcast, which is the only reason these poxy street circuits get supported...

Mmmm... They really should have had it in Auckland around the waterfront but the council don't beleive in promoting Auckland if it means causing traffic jams for a couple of days. As for the Hamilton circuit the drivers are saying they love it! The vid posted is before they spent 70,000 man hours building it up, it's quite a wide track for a street circuit and attendance is expected to be over 160,001 (includes me). Hamilton aint pretty but the racing should be great...I'm sure all the drivers will live to tell the tale...

[tim the pool man]

Just watching the first race (delayed telecast as per normal for WA )
As expected, the track is a pathetic joke. Start, crash, safety car, restart, crash, safety car.... wonder if there will be any actual racing?

WTF is going on? When are these cretins going to realise that street circuits are crap??!!

[tim the pool man]

Well it was lap 11 before a full green lap. The rest of the race was as expected follow the leader, with little (no?) passing for position.
Oh well at least my mate won, needs to keep it up to get his title defence back on track.

[Island boy HSV]

tim the pool man said:

Just watching the first race (delayed telecast as per normal for WA )
As expected, the track is a pathetic joke. Start, crash, safety car, restart, crash, safety car.... wonder if there will be any actual racing?

WTF is going on? When are these cretins going to realise that street circuits are crap??!!

If you don't like watching it you could always watch somthing else!

[tim the pool man]

Island boy HSV said:

tim the pool man said:

Just watching the first race (delayed telecast as per normal for WA )
As expected, the track is a pathetic joke. Start, crash, safety car, restart, crash, safety car.... wonder if there will be any actual racing?

WTF is going on? When are these cretins going to realise that street circuits are crap??!!

If you don't like watching it you could always watch somthing else!

That's a bit of a copout! It's the "pinacle" of Australian motor sport, which I once aspired to reach (did one round of the ATCC many years ago...)
I always watch, but it doesn't stop me being critical when it's deserved. Street circuits are invariably boring and processional, while at the same time being more dangerous. The preference for them by VESA is obviously dollar driven, at the expense of permanent tracks (there are few enough in Australia already.)

[Russell Condie]

tim the pool man said:

That's a bit of a copout! It's the "pinacle" of Australian motor sport, which I once aspired to reach (did one round of the ATCC many years ago...)
I always watch, but it doesn't stop me being critical when it's deserved. Street circuits are invariably boring and processional, while at the same time being more dangerous. The preference for them by VESA is obviously dollar driven, at the expense of permanent tracks (there are few enough in Australia already.)

You answered your own question, there are indeed few permanent tracks which is why they are hoping to expand the fan base by using the only currently viable method of promoting it. It worked for F1 and Indy / Champ cars in Europe and the USA, lets hope it does at home. I spent many years involved, you have no idea how difficult it is to get Motorsport coverage in the media.

[tim the pool man]

Russell Condie said:

You answered your own question, there are indeed few permanent tracks which is why they are hoping to expand the fan base by using the only currently viable method of promoting it. It worked for F1 and Indy / Champ cars in Europe and the USA, lets hope it does at home. I spent many years involved, you have no idea how difficult it is to get Motorsport coverage in the media.

I have every idea how difficult it is, I raced for 11 years, including 1 ATCC round and 2 State Championships, my trophy cabinet may be full but my scrapbook is quite thin...
I don't follow how you think the solution to the lack of tracks can be helped by running street races If they go ahead with the proposed Perth City race then Wanneroo loses its only source of income... I for one won't be dring a 5000KM round trip to the next nearest racetrack.

[Russell Condie]

tim the pool man said:

Russell Condie said:

You answered your own question, there are indeed few permanent tracks which is why they are hoping to expand the fan base by using the only currently viable method of promoting it. It worked for F1 and Indy / Champ cars in Europe and the USA, lets hope it does at home. I spent many years involved, you have no idea how difficult it is to get Motorsport coverage in the media.

I have every idea how difficult it is, I raced for 11 years, including 1 ATCC round and 2 State Championships, my trophy cabinet may be full but my scrapbook is quite thin...
I don't follow how you think the solution to the lack of tracks can be helped by running street races If they go ahead with the proposed Perth City race then Wanneroo loses its only source of income... I for one won't be dring a 5000KM round trip to the next nearest racetrack.

Fair point about Wanneroo but the fact is that the fan base is rapidly increased using street circuits, as to put it simply far more people get involved, then watch as the preparations cause interest, than dedicated race goers. The fact that it is on their doorstep makes a huge difference too. I'm with you on circuits but it needs more support in the interests of longevity, so it is only logical to use a proven promotional method.

[tim the pool man]

The problem is that the VESA method is purely self serving. They attract yobs to the V8 rounds who would otherwise be at the thugball or the pub or fishing... 99% of them never go to a normal race meeting.

[Russell Condie]

tim the pool man said:

The problem is that the VESA method is purely self serving. They attract yobs to the V8 rounds who would otherwise be at the thugball or the pub or fishing... 99% of them never go to a normal race meeting.

But that is the point.......the morons who watch ball games or fish are introduced to real sport and may support it in future, allowing new circuits to be built based on an increased fan base. Hopefully learn to behave better too

The Blue Riband of F1 is Monaco, a Street Circuit, and Motorcycle Racings Isle of Man and Irish Street Circuits have a huge following compared to Circuits there for example.

[tim the pool man]

Russell Condie said:

But that is the point.......the morons who watch ball games or fish are introduced to real sport and may support it in future, allowing new circuits to be built based on an increased fan base. Hopefully learn to behave better too

The Blue Riband of F1 is Monaco, a Street Circuit, and Motorcycle Racings Isle of Man and Irish Street Circuits have a huge following compared to Circuits there for example.

Ha! I like your optimism

Monaco is only the place for the poseurs to be seen, I bet most (all) real enthusiasts would rather see Monza, the old Hockenheim, Spa etc...

[tim the pool man]

And back on topic, the track looked little better on TV than on the Youtube clip... looks like an old town with the track in the industrial area.

And back off topic just before I head to the pub, most drivers love Wanneroo, and it makes for good racing because of the safe run off areas, more likely to have a go if the penalty for getting it wrong isn't a destroyed car (or worse). One written off and sevral damaged again today.