Octagon

[Mark Mitchell]

I've heard a whisper today that Octogon are selling their circuits - or some of them!
Any more info?:confused:

[Claire]

There is a report on Autosport that they have cut staff numbers at Silverstone and have moved some people to Brands, who knows what they are up to but money will be at the bottom of it and not in the interest of the fans.

[Geoff]

See treckside chaps, there's a couple of threads there..

[chezza]

Them selling up could only be a good thing...hopefully the new owners would have some respect for the fans and the marshals!

[scorch]

From what I read it is that octagon has just trimmed it's staff. the same as any company who has money problems.

As for any new owners, I feel that it doesn't make any difference, if the circuit is managed to make money then Marshalls will always get the rough end of it.

[chezza]

Yeah i can see your point there...the circuits need to be under the control of the clubs, that way the marshals are more likely to get a better deal.

[scorch]

Or maybe put all the circuits under the control of a single organisation therefore we only have to fight one battle for better treatment and then it will be copied accross the circuits.

or am I dreaming?

[Tony_J]

I think there was an article in Autosport before Xmas that said that Octagon's investment in the various circuits [particular the Silverstone upgrades to roads etc] had caused a very large hole in the American holding company's accounts and they were thinking of selling all or part of the circuit holdings. They had even approached Bernie to see if he would reduce the F1 fee and received the predicatable response.

[Mark Mitchell]

Contradictory to my original post -I have just read that Octagon have announced that they are spending/have spent £1.9million on Oulton, £1.7million on Brands Hatch and £750,000 at Cadwell

[KayBee]

I won't be happy until all the alterations have been completed and the circuits have been passed as race fit.

[Mark Mitchell]

Unfortunately it would appear that circuit are "Passed Fit" even if they're not!

[scorch]

I have just read on autosport.com that silverstone is getting £4 million.

[chezza]

Spending £4 million on silverstone is a great thing...if they put the money in the right place...some how though i don't think that that will happen! Us marshals need a permenant capsite with good facilities!

[Jonny Apex]

Originally posted by chezza
Spending £4 million on silverstone is a great thing...if they put the money in the right place...some how though i don't think that that will happen! Us marshals need a permenant capsite with good facilities!

Have any of you ever bothered to complain (I know there was a Mexican stand-off of sorts with a threatened marshalls' boycott at last year's GP) or make your feelings known collectively? I'd be interested to hear what the reply was. I don't think one oganisation running all circuits would be a good thing - dictatorship and all that.

Octagon are spending £7.5 million total on the five circuits they own/operate. They said that they had considerable offers for some of their circuits but they turned every one of them down, proof, they said, of their long-term commitment to British motorsport. At least five years, they said. They want to get it right, they said.

£4m will go to Silverstone improving spectator facilities. They've also changed the crazy ticket system s now ou can get single day passes instead of having pay £200 for a three-day pass even if you only wanted to go on the Sunday! It's now £115 for Sunday and £190 for a three-day pass.

Brands Hatch's Indy circuit needs considerable safety upgrades for the Champ Cars. The run-off on the outside of Paddock from the marshalls' post to halfway down the hill will become asphalt. Gravel will be laid over it for bike meetings. The run-off at McLaren will be beefed up with extra layers of tyres. Pretty much the whole circuit will get debris fencing. The work on the GP loop is to flatten out and round off Dingle Dell so they can keep their licence to run world superbikes. If they don't do the work, they risk losing the event. It also makes it possible for Champ Cars to run through there. Chris Pook has said they couldn't run if there was a blind jump.

There will be more redundancies announced by the end of March to, and this always raises eyebrows, "increase efficiency".

Be aware, however, there is a new regime now in place at Octagon who I think are a considerable improvement on the previous lot. Time will tell. Their fate, or at least part of it, is also in the hands of their owners, Interpublic, in America.

What I do find encouraging is that the other day they openly admitted that they had been poor communicators and, as a consequence, not looked good for it.

[Woolley]

Have any of you ever bothered to complain

Yes, I did. Didn't volunteer for the GP, sent a letter saying I wouldn't be at any more meetings after seeing the camping facilities for the FIA GT round, and said why. The reply was ... how can I put this ... non-esistant. Nil. Zilch. Notable by it's absence. No more tickets were received, though, so I assume they received it?

[chezza]

I haven't personally complained but I know that many people have and as has been said here the replies are few and far between. Just had news that there will be a campsite this year but...only with toilets...this means that when there are two or three day meetings that aren't the GP and the such like we will still be stuck without proper facilites.

[pauldavid]

Why is everyone going potty about one round of Champ cars, please don't get me wrong i would love to see champ cars at Brands but not if it means spending so much money that the fees charged for all the other competitors to enter their particular events (especially club events)goes through the roof then i would rather they did not visit brands. another thing, any of you that have visited Brands for the world Superbikes will know just how poooor the campinf facilitys are, now i know to us "brits" they are not too bad but i should imagine that there will be many visitors from the states and boy are they going to get a culture shock when they see what camping facilitys are available at Brands. A severe lack of toilet facilitys and boy do they smell,no organisation on the campsite tents overlapping each other,i know that campers in the states expect a little more comfort and don,t forget yes folks that one thing that can turn a great event into your worst nightmare "THE WEATHER" there is so many bumps and ruts in the fields that you could end up floating away during the night if it rains.Now i am not trying to put a damper on things but i do feel if thier visit to this track if not done with total profesionalism and planning then it could turn into a P.R. nightmare, having said that "see you all there".

[Jonny Apex]

Originally posted by chezza
I haven't personally complained but I know that many people have and as has been said here the replies are few and far between. Just had news that there will be a campsite this year but...only with toilets...this means that when there are two or three day meetings that aren't the GP and the such like we will still be stuck without proper facilites.

Why don't the respective marshalls' clubs make an official complaint and ensure the MSA is kept in touch with correspondence - even if there's a lack of it coming the other way. Surely, if so many of you feel so strongly about the lack of facilities, that is what the clubs ought to be there for ...

[Jonny Apex]

ps: the Colditz Story is on ITV as a write this. Why did it make me think of Silverstone?

[chezza]

The marshals club involved has tried to help us to sort out the problems that we face but unfortunately they seem to have had no luck either!

[Stoowert]

Brands is not for sale, and ia still a going concern. I was at the Brands/Octagon Training day last thursday we were all assured that Brands is not for sale - unless someone comes in with a silly bid!
There is no chance of Brands becoming a housing estate or trade park, it's Green Belt protected.
The yanks and their camping, They think roughing it is only having a 6 berth mobile home! I've been to every circuit on the West Coast of USA and I've not seen a tent since my first one, Laguna Seca in 1989! They will stay in a hotel, or two!
The tyre wall is being increased from 2 deep to 4 deep at Paddock, the runoff between 4a and 5 is being extended up to post 5 (long overdue) and work is being done to clearways. All this is only going to bring Brands into the 1990's rather than the 1970's where it had remained since it lost the GP. The only down side to the changes will be debris fencing all round the track, and that aint that bad, bearing in mind Steve Tarrant's comments on another issue. I've not seen any evidence of the gravel at paddock being replaced by tarmac, it wasn't mentioned on thursday. If it slows the Champ Cars down from their projected entry speed of 184mph, then good! I'm all for it!

[Elio]

Stoowert - what exactly do you mean when you say "debris fencing all round the track". The only areas where catch-fencing is not present at the moment is a short stretch on the inside of Surtees and the Druids enclosure. Do you know if there are plans to put catch-fencing up in these areas?

I can`t see that Surtees poses a threat (inside of a lefthander) and the only bit of the Druids enclosure that is possibly a little suspect is at the bottom of Paddock by the Marshal`s post there (sorry not sure on it`s number).

[Mark Mitchell]

I read yesterday on the BBC Website that Octogon will spend £4million on Silverstone in time for the GP this year. It goes on to say that some of the money will go towards improving Marshals Posts!

[scorch]

They are raiseing the catch fencing at some points around the circuit.
But I'm sure that after the adverts have gone up at the GP you will still need a parachute to get off the wall safetly

[Stoowert]

Ever since the tragedy at the Australian GP a few years ago, CART have been very hot on debris fencing surrounding marshal's posts in particular and spectator areas in general. Therefore expect to see fencing raised to at least 12 feet at paddock, trackside of posts 2,3,4a,5,7,9 and 22. This is how things have "Progressed" at Long Beach and other street/road circuits over the years. We used to flag from the end of the concrete wall at LB. Not any more! we have to bend down and lean out of "E" holes, losing about 75% of forward vision. Making blue flagging a very dificult function if you're not double-jointed! I welcome the protection of the marshal's posts as I think post 2, Paddock-In, is very vunerable to invasion. However, the blanket coverage and the refusal of CART to let us improvise, is making a difficult job even harder. The blue flagger at post 2 will be expected to wave his/her flag in time to make it worthwhile whilest the cars will be coming straight at him at 184 mph. I wonder if the fencing will be permanent? Ask marshals who work Portland Oregon if they like the fencing there!