BTCC/Motorsport post lockdown

[Spanner monkey]

How can motorsport be run without increased cost's in the UK with social distancing measures still being upheld.

With F1 proposing to test all team members every 2 days and making teams isolate from each other and have separate hotels, How will this work for BTCC?

Also travel to and from the circuits? It'd be 3 people to each 9 seater minibus to maintain social distancing so lots more cost their as well.

Also Room sharing? If you social distancing will they want to share rooms with people from outside their household? Some teams also have freelance contractors from many different parts of the UK aswell.

How will social distancing work in the pitlane? Many pitlanes are crowded and it'll be hard to social distance from your team let alone at places like Croft/Thruxton/Knockhill where it'll be hard to keep away from the team next door when two cars are in next to each other.

Also it'll require hotels to open restaurants to feed water teams

Many other questions will pop up as well.

[mark_l]

BTCC cars are started on the grid from a slave battery plugged in either through the passenger door or rear doors. The mechanic can't be 2m away from the driver when unplugging the battery so the car can't be started = no race.

[Adam43]

Call the whole thing off. This is much too big a risk. And there is no way round this at all! It’s not like you can make the driver wear a mask, what would they do? Put it over their helmet?

[mark_l]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Call the whole thing off. This is much too big a risk. And there is no way round this at all! It’s not like you can make the driver wear a mask, what would they do? Put it over their helmet?

Some of the BTCC grid drive like they have a mask over their helmet visor.

[Pdh]

There’s still about 12 weeks before the first race is potentially taking place, I’m sure toca are making plans of how they see the teams are going to operate in the garages and in the pit lane, even if any of the races are cancelled they still have to plans in place for ever eventuality

[Alfisti]

The two metre thing is fantasy. It will not be enforced. Face masks, gloves, temperature checking and so on will be in place.

Do any of you seriously believe the workforce harvesting, manufacturing and distributing foodstuffs to feed us are all two metres apart? Newsflash: they aren't. Also there isn't a leprechaun at the bottom of the garden.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by mark_l

BTCC cars are started on the grid from a slave battery plugged in either through the passenger door or rear doors. The mechanic can't be 2m away from the driver when unplugging the battery so the car can't be started = no race.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others

Part 4 - explains why your post (if racing is permitted) is meaningless.

[midgetman]

First and foremost the tracks need to open. There's a kart/track day venue in the north east that's sure it'll be open mid May. Don't know if they've got a direct.line to government?

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[Spanner monkey]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others

Part 4 - explains why your post (if racing is permitted) is meaningless.

I think when you read the subsection

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-employers-and-businesses-about-covid-19/guidance-for-employers-and-businesses-on-coronavirus-covid-19
Then you'd know why.

But you and Alfisti with your knowledge of the pitlane will know how crowded it can be!

Is the promise of sport more valued than life???
They cancelled the 2001 British Rally Championship due to foot and mouth.
This is far more serious

[Spanner monkey]

[QUOTE=midgetman;3974684]First and foremost the tracks need to open. There's a kart/track day venue in the north east that's sure it'll be open mid May. Don't know if they've got a direct.line to government?

Motorsport UK are not issuing permits till July 1st at the earliest depending on goverment advice so 🤷🏼*♂️

[Adam43]

I’m not sure why we have to make such a fuss about these rules and whether this stops racing at this point. As it is the current rules and advice don’t allow a race to go ahead. The situation we had pre-COVID and when it has fully past will allow it.

It isn’t being suggested that we run a meeting this weekend. The first race meeting will be held with a set of rules and advice that is between these two situations. Then we can judge how many people can be in a minibus or whether you can be within 2m of someone wearing a helmet and balaclava.

[midgetman]

[QUOTE=Spanner monkey;3974699]

Originally Posted by midgetman

First and foremost the tracks need to open. There's a kart/track day venue in the north east that's sure it'll be open mid May. Don't know if they've got a direct.line to government?



Motorsport UK are not issuing permits till July 1st at the earliest depending on goverment advice so *

Track days and a lot of karting don't operate under MSUK rules. Their decision is irrelevant, it's whether the tracks are allowed to open.

I've invested in awnings that will allow me to operate, and we're re-drafting risk assessments now, getting ready. We may not race but we hope to test.

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[bella]

i suspect the answer will be "no", but if you want to know how resuming testing is actually happening, here's how the italians are doing it.

https://www.italiaracing.net/Ecco-le...alia/240848/21

essentially, limits on number of staff, masks and gloves, mandatory temperature checks, entry to circuit by named staff only amongst other things.

[Moneyseeker]

Although the MSUK permit does not cover test or track days, MSV and Silverstone have furloughed most of their staff, so it makes no sense for them to effectively open the circuit for much testing or track days until after the furlough (80% rate) finishes at the end of June surely?

[bella]

depends how much interest they've got, doesn't it?

[Alfisti]

Originally Posted by Moneyseeker

Although the MSUK permit does not cover test or track days, MSV and Silverstone have furloughed most of their staff, so it makes no sense for them to effectively open the circuit for much testing or track days until after the furlough (80% rate) finishes at the end of June surely?

Depends on how much income and profit could be generated; unfurloughing staff is quick and easy.

[Adam43]

Verses how much they are losing due to other overheads (not just staff).

[mark_l]

Originally Posted by Alfisti

Depends on how much income and profit could be generated; unfurloughing staff is quick and easy.

If you don't have the cash in the bank to pay 100% of wages after taking the staff off the furlough scheme then you are fairly much dead in the water. Same for any business, not just motorsport.

[S griffin]

Indeed. You can’t just say ‘lockdown’s over, time to get back to work again’. You need to have a plan in place so you build business back up again gradually

[Adam43]

S griffin for PM.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Adam43

S griffin for PM.

Thanks for that, but I can’t think of many jobs I want to do less!

[bella]

Originally Posted by mark_l

If you don't have the cash in the bank to pay 100% of wages after taking the staff off the furlough scheme then you are fairly much dead in the water. Same for any business, not just motorsport.

running a circuit with guaranteed returns for one of if not their most profitable activity makes them relatively financially secure in an uncertain world. certainly makes them a very good candidate for loans and government support if there's no cash there to pay wages and insurances and the like.

[deley]

Given the uncertainties around the UK economy as a whole and the financial hit employers and employees have been, and will continue to be, suffering then at the moment there probably won't be a swift return to the previous level of income from trackdays and testing.

I imagine that they will have been testing the waters with their usual main customers to gauge interest and would look to run at a level that supports this and meets any ongoing government restrictions. There is no guarantee that this will be anything like the old normal levels of income but the circuit outgoings per day of activity will be similar to before plus anything additional that restrictions may bring.

[midgetman]

Actually i don't think that's right. Trackdays in particular are a good source of income with many fewer people on site. Even before C19 there were many trackday companies restricting participants in return for a larger entry fee. These companies will operate as normal and circuit income will be as normal.

At my local track marshalling on such days consists of a rescue truck and observers sat in the spectator areas at the main corners. It really couldn't be any more pared back, and the independent organisers take the financial risk as there is a fixed fee for circuit rental. Even for testing there is little extra provision.

It may be that prices rise in some instances to spread costs/profits among fewer drivers but this is mainly a wealthy market and they will pay what it takes. Circuits won't be hit as long as they can open.

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[crmalcolm]

Out of curiosity, how many staff are required to operate the Nordschleife on a public day?