[ELMS] ELMS 2015 Discussion

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by joeb

Great bop choice there, Conti tires or Am driver

Do not forget the OEM bodywork from the mix...

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Red Bull Ring had good, solid weekend timetable with Formula Renault 3,5 and TCR on the schedule making it valuable offer and more reminiscent of the past LMS years. Ricard schedule returns to the form of Imola of there being nothing else on the offer.
http://europeanlemansseries.com/asse...615_ced891.pdf

RBR weekend was also free for everyone because of the WSBR presence, yet here it's 10 euros despite two series less on track. I don't think getting rid of the admission fee would break ACOs budget.

And even further annoyingly despite having absolute free hands in timing the start of the race, they can't even make it epic by having it finish after sunset in the dark, like in 2013 (and to lesser extent 2010 with the 8 hour race)

Yes I know what bella is going to respond here again, that ELMS already has enough track time and all that to make it worth it, but here she argues for jam-packed racing track days of fun being the jazz, why can't ELMS have such jam-packed weekends? As I've said on the other threads, and here before too, the time should come to swallow the ego and share the track with other (bigger) series, sharing the bills and allowing some grown interest. It doesn't have to be a closed elitist club just for participants, jammed at the bottom of the notorious ACO 'pyramid of endurance' and left only to rot as some low division feeder series producing accessories for the upper masters, it could be more if the desire was there.

Perhaps I was too harsh, who needs support series as indeed special great entertainment will be present beyond the two practice sessions, single qualifying and one race:

- Relax in the reclining chairs and tables for free!
- Listen to a DJ person while sitting there
- Buy booze and have it under umbrella
- Pay to get nails painted
- Pay to have a massage
- Test tattoos??
- Play (and pay for?) Pétanque
- Have a go (and pay?) at Segway driving
- Ride a (coin-operated?) mechanical bull or "merry-go-round"
- Get your wallet ready for Xtrem Park
- Buy stuff, lots of merchandise to meet your materialistic needs

Sounds amazing, sign me in!

[bella]

Originally Posted by Chiana

Perhaps I was too harsh, who needs support series as indeed special great entertainment will be present beyond the two practice sessions, single qualifying and one race:

- Relax in the reclining chairs and tables for free!
- Listen to a DJ person while sitting there
- Buy booze and have it under umbrella
- Pay to get nails painted
- Pay to have a massage
- Test tattoos??
- Play (and pay for?) Pétanque
- Have a go (and pay?) at Segway driving
- Ride a (coin-operated?) mechanical bull or "merry-go-round"
- Get your wallet ready for Xtrem Park
- Buy stuff, lots of merchandise to meet your materialistic needs

Sounds amazing, sign me in!

i was about to post this (ricard sent through a newsletter) and just saw you'd done it already but peed all over things as you usually do.

i actually think it's great that they're putting in real effort to create a proper affordable event for the locals. we get very little down there that's actually *for* local people and not just for the tourists. the massage is pretty well priced actually, petanque is a regional institution so i'm kind of not surprised you don't get that, the segway gymkhana thing sounds like a giggle, a nail bar is pretty random but it's worth a shot... and the dj thing works pretty well too, it makes for a good background music. their tannoy music is pretty mindnumbing otherwise

and as someone who makes the effort to get on a plane to go and experience that kind of event it's *really* good to see event organisers not just resting on their laurels and rinsing you for £30 or whatever for a raceday. at 10€ for a paddock ticket for the weekend it's not like they're mugging the spectator to pay for it, they're just trying something different and seeing if it fits...

/rant

[Coach Ep]

Who owns Paul Ricard these days? It seems a hard nut to crack from a business p.o.v. to have only 1 racing series on a track like PR without having substantial income from entry fees, tv rights and such.

Is the ACO paying for this out of their pocket?

[Deleted]

Originally Posted by bella

i was about to post this (ricard sent through a newsletter) and just saw you'd done it already but peed all over things as you usually do.

i actually think it's great that they're putting in real effort to create a proper affordable event for the locals. we get very little down there that's actually *for* local people and not just for the tourists. the massage is pretty well priced actually, petanque is a regional institution so i'm kind of not surprised you don't get that, the segway gymkhana thing sounds like a giggle, a nail bar is pretty random but it's worth a shot... and the dj thing works pretty well too, it makes for a good background music. their tannoy music is pretty mindnumbing otherwise

and as someone who makes the effort to get on a plane to go and experience that kind of event it's *really* good to see event organisers not just resting on their laurels and rinsing you for £30 or whatever for a raceday. at 10€ for a paddock ticket for the weekend it's not like they're mugging the spectator to pay for it, they're just trying something different and seeing if it fits...

/rant

'Peed over thing as you usually do' - LOL

The rest of this 'entertainment package' would be alright if it was associated with good on track package, not just a single series starting to near club status now that all the factory and pro cars have been lost elsewhere. People aren't gonna come to the track because they hear you can get your nails done or if there's some DJ around, they're gonna come if the feature package is interesting. It is the main show, not some side table action that lures them in. The side table is just that, entertainment while you are there already to fill up the time.

As I said before, RBR had ELMS, WSBR and TCR, and it was free. And Silverstone, even though I despise the track, good package there too. With not running solo you will have
* More advertising weekend lineup = 'something for everyone'
* Decrease track renting bills
* Some chance to get better TV deals than with sub-SD Motors TV, for example Auto GP would have never got Eurosport deals if it weren't paired with other ES product in the past
* Possibility to axe all audience entry fees (even if the price cutoff at Austria was due to the Renault linkup, it still means that pairing does benefit)

2013, they were more humble after the 2012 fiasco, that's probably why they were not brave (=stupid) enough to run solo anywhere but linked up with others. Just as old Le Mans Series used to in the years before.

I still enjoy seeing you contradicting yourself, hard defending ELMS for providing absolute zero except themselves here and Imola, yet saying things like this are so awesome.

[TzeiTzei]

Originally Posted by Coach Ep

Who owns Paul Ricard these days?

Bernie?

[Hawkwood]

Originally Posted by TzeiTzei

Bernie?

Bernie did buy it at one point.
No idea if he still owns it though.
Probably does, can't see any real reason to sell it.

[Deleted]

ACO races at Paul Ricard

2010 8 Heures du Castellet
Le Mans Series - x1 8 Hour Race for LMP1, LMP2, LMPC, LMGT1, LMGT2
Classic Endurance Racing - x1 1 Hour Race
F3 Euro Series - x2 30 Minute Races
Formula Ford - x2 25 Minute Races
+ Manufacturer Track lap sessions x2

2011 6 Heures du Castellet
Le Mans Series - 1x 6 Hour Race for LMP1, LMP2, LMPC, LMGTE
Speed EuroSeries - 2x 90 Minute Races & 1x 30 Minute Race
F3 Euro Series - 2x 40 Minute Races & 1x 20 Minute Race
French Porsche Carrera Cup - 1x 40 Minute Race & 1x 20 Minute Race

2012 6 Heures du Castellet
European Le Mans Series - 1x 6 Hour Race for LMP2, LMPC, LMGTE, (theoretical GTC)
Speed Euroseries - 2x 90 Minute Races

2013 3 Heures du Castellet
European Le Mans Series - 1x 3 Hour Race for LMP2, LMPC, LMGTE(-AM), GT3
Formula Renault 3.5 - x2 45 Minute Races
Formula Renault 2.0 - x2 25 Minute Races
Eurocup Megane Trophy - 2x 40 Minute Races
Eurocup Clio - x2 25 Minute Races
+ Red Bull F1 Demonstration Runs

2014 4 Heures du Castellet
European Le Mans Series - 1x 4 Hours for LMP2, (theoretical LMPC), LMGTE(-AM), GT3

2015 4 Heures du Castellet
European Le Mans Series - 1x 4 Hours for LMP2, LMP3, LMGTE(-AM), GT3

[tux]

Today we learn there will be at least two more Aston Martins for the Estoril round. Andrew Howard will race in his GTE Aston and TF Sport will enter GTC with their Aston GT3.

[Jam3s]

Gommendy dropped/quits/whatever

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/0...ms-opener.html

[rich07]

Originally Posted by Jam3s

Gommendy dropped/quits/whatever

http://www.dailysportscar.com/2015/0...ms-opener.html

That's rather sudden, I wonder what happened?

[J Jay]

Looks like he was made an offer he couldn't refuse, part of which was the potential to race in the WEC in the near future (which TdS has zero interest in).

[Ospi]

The question is, with who I wonder. Eurasia thing is a one off since they had a seat available due to their 3rd driving in wec.

[Victor_RO]

And Gommendy's replacement for the last ELMS race is none other than a certain Nicolas Lapierre.

[J Jay]

Could that imply that Gommendy is potentially in for a seat at KCMG? Well actually, almost certainly not - I can't see KCMG letting go of any of Howson/Bradley/Lapierre. And Gommendy would be looking for a full season in the WEC.

[FWX]

30 for Estoril: http://www.europeanlemansseries.com/...e=53&year=2015

As expected, the two Astons join in and a Ligier LMP3 courtesy of Graff.

Ibanez' promised return hasn't materialised. Have they given up?