In Gear Motorsport Magazine

[AndyF]

Of course In-gear is not as up to date as MN or Autosport as it isn't a weekly publication, but I think its an excellent venture, and wish it every success.

Good to see you contributing Ian, keep up the excellent articles!

[ginettag27]

Now then the TruckMeister (aka Guy Humpage) I did indeed get my name in MN, although only in the results bit... There can't have been many Club races last weekend (can't think why ;-) it's on a 'Left Hand page, bottom right, with a photo of the Caterham Graduates or Super Graduates...

thanking you

EPS

[ginettag27]

Ian

I understand that they address different markets, but I feel that there is a big place for Ingear and hope that it goes from strength to strength. Club and National Racing is excellent fun to compete in and spectate and it isn't too costly, plus you can get "right in there" and talk to the drivers and get close up to the cars and teams. Much more fun and much more friendliness.

EPS

:-)

[Ian Sowman]

EPS

I agree with you totally - club racing is what I was brought up with and I love it to this day. I also agree that there's a place for Ingear and hope that it blossoms. It will certainly be interesting to see how it evolves - more features, fresh writing, and so on.

AndyF

Thanks for the comments, always nice to hear them. Especially when they're positive...

Ian

[EvilPumpkin]

I'm with you guys - after all, there are a couple of weekly publications that carry results etc. I think that a monthly publication that gives full racing reports and nice piccies is a great addition and the two work very well together.

Of course that's just me. And apparently, I'm not entirely sane.....

[Ian Sowman]

MN update...

There were plans afoot to change the style of reports in MN. Instead of mentioning every race (even just to say 'John Smith won the Formula X race'), the idea was to focus only on the day's best race, and carry a detailed report on that and full results of the others.

It's been put on hold at the moment though...

Thoughts anybody?

Ian

[Maisie]

Nope. If you're going to make any sort of job of reporting on a race meeting, do a proper job of it! You could easily snip a lot of stuff like cadet karting that fills up so much space in MN and replace it with some reports, and, heaven forbid, photos! Anyway, the "best race" thing is highly subjective, and I wouldn't trust the taste of one journo to necessarily agree with the opinions of the majority of the crowd watching. If you're going to cover a meeting at all, it's only fair to those who work so hard an make so many sacrifices to be there that you make the effort to mention every race.

Further thought: if any publication wants to do a serious job of making motorsport better known and more attractive to the general public, giving the impression that race meetings consist of one good race and 8 or so less interesting, or even boring, "support" races is not a good way to go about it.

[Ian Sowman]

From the point of view of a reporter...

I like the idea. The last couple of paragraphs, when you have no space left to mention anything but the winners, always seem superfluous as they say nothing that can't be deduced from the result - so why bother? It'd free up more words for more analysis on other things.

But...

Some championships would get no coverage at all if they were 'of less interest'.

Others would get blanket coverage (Combe FF1600 is virtually always the best race of the day, for example).

Who would decide the best race?

Would our hand be forced? I've been 'asked' to write more about Zip than I otherwise would in the past due to a tie up between publication and championship.

At the moment, I tend to focus on one main race and maybe two or three other good ones, with the rest going into a 'shopping list' at the end. Ideally, I would stick with three or four races as a minimum but lose the shopping list. Hopefully, that means that although we may miss some races, everyone will, at some point, get a decent amount of hopefully good quality coverage. That's given a limited word count.

In a 100% ideal world I'd have no constraints at all and write pages about every race - but that's not going to happen, is it?

[TimD]

Well, the Formula Airfix - sorry - Zip can be dismissed right from the start. Yet another contrived one-make championship being egged for all its worth by a promoter, and a chassis constructor taking a step aside from the white heat of competition.

If the predilections of an old man might be allowed here, I'd like to say that the reason InGear is such an appealing concept is because it has a lot of the feel of an old Autosport. And if Autosport could manage it in the old days, I'm sure that they could if they wanted to now - perhaps Motorsport News could too.

As an example, I am working with some old Autosports now. Totally at random, I have in front of me August 5th 1955. The article is on the Bentley DC races at Silverstone. Now, despite this being a very minor clubbie, on a weekend where Brands Hatch and Crystal Palace put on big internationals, Autosport still found two whole pages to devote to the club races. In an issue which had a whole 22 pages of editorial to its name, that's 18% of all reportage for the week. Two representative piccies on each page, and a total word count of a smidge under 1000, in 8pt Times Roman.

Every race got covered, and incident and scrap was referred to right through the field, giving a pleasant flavour of how the day might have seemed to someone who was there on a pleasant summer's day 47 years ago.

Now, that's good reporting.

With the luxury of longer lead-times, hopefully a monthly like InGear will be able to mould itself into a journal of record like that. Would that the established Haymarket titles might maintain the standard they once set.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by Ian Sowman
MN update...

There were plans afoot to change the style of reports in MN. Instead of mentioning every race (even just to say 'John Smith won the Formula X race'), the idea was to focus only on the day's best race, and carry a detailed report on that and full results of the others.

It's been put on hold at the moment though...

Thoughts anybody?

Ian

That's exactly what Autosport has become. Also said magazine confuses club racing with semi/pro racing (Zetec FF, TOCA supports etc.)

As Tim points out (very eloquantly I thought old boy ) the old style of reporting gave a flavour of the event overall. Either by design or by accident it reported the whole meeting in a way that may have encouraged people to attend the next time that programme was being run.

Taking into consideration the availability of transport in the fifties it seems strange that nowadays magazines tend towards the headline with no substance. (All due respect to our journalist friends). Ergo, the people who read the reports think that club racing has little to offer and instead spend a Sunday afternoon in the garden rather than supporting our racing heritage.

A good example was the reporting for the CSMA Brands Classic. There are various reports of crowd figures ranging from 25-30,000 over the two days. That's a big meeting for anybody but for a Club Race meeting its going back to the old Crystal Palace days. How much of the meeting was reported? About 1 page. And that mostly concentrated on the Boss races.

So you see, when we have a press which ignores the major point (that motor racing is entertaining) and merely seems to pander to the senior/more expensive classes there is no wonder that club racing is in such a parlous (wow, first time I've ever used that word) state. Competitors with cars are also showmen. If nobody wants to watch why take the car out?

As a driver who generally (if at all) appears on the shopping list I get somewhat disappointed when the efforts of myself and others who may (admittedly sometimes may not) have entertained the spectators.

[EvilPumpkin]

Here here. Not having Tim's prodigious memory and collection of memorabilia I don't know how things used to be, but I do know what I'm looking for in a motorsport magazine. I want stuff that interests me!

What interests me are meetings I was AT and meetings that people I know were at. I want to know what happened. I want to see photos of drivers that I know on the podium (as a marshal, I almost never get to see this unless I happen to be posted within sight of the paddock).

This may sound like silly stuff, but it's all part of racing. I don't expect a whole mag devoted to it, but I'd like a bit more than "there was an RT race. Results: etc."
I know that Linda, who's reports appear in Autosport, writes some really good stuff - we have some on the RT website. But this does not appear to be reflected in what Autosport print.

Basically I want articles written by people who were there, enjoyed themselves, and let that come through in their writing!

[Dan Friel]

Well said Tim and others.. I haven't read a decent club report in Autosport for ages.. and there's never any deent news.. hence I haven't bought it for some time.. MN is better, but won't be able to compare with In Gear...

Looking forward to my next issue!

[Ian Sowman]

Dan

I find it interesting that you think that the club reports are better in MN than Autosport, given that in at least half of cases (*) they're written by the same people, and the reports are generally of a similar length. So what makes the difference?

Ian

(*) Statistical accuracy not guaranteed!

[Hamness]

I have been a subscriber to Motoring News, sorry, Motorsport News for over 30 years. I enjoy my fix of weekly news that it provides, although, I cant help feeling that some of the club scene gets left out. The club & national section tends not to fare as well in terms of column inches as our revered heroes in F1 (sarcasm intended). I tend to open it at about page 5 or 6 to catch up with what I consider to be the important news and that is the national & club scene. Even allowing for the far superior print & colours in Autosport I always feel short changed when I occasionally buy said mag. but that could be that there is no new information on a national level that I have not already seen elsewhere. Must log on to the website of this new mag to see what is on offer - reading your comments, it seems to fulfil a glaring gap in motorsport reporting. Don't worry though Ian, I shall still buy MN each week, so your articles will still be enthused over by the national scene tifosi !

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by Ian Sowman
Dan

I find it interesting that you think that the club reports are better in MN than Autosport, given that in at least half of cases (*) they're written by the same people, and the reports are generally of a similar length. So what makes the difference?

Ian

(*) Statistical accuracy not guaranteed!

I agree with you Ian,

The club reporting in Motorsport News is pants as well.

I know Paul Lawrence will get me back for that!!!

I still think the point is missed that club racing is entertaining and in the old parlnce of Brooklands, you get the "right crowd and no crwding".

There is the Silverstone Classic Festival 17/18 August. Before that there's the MG Car Club international Festival also at Silverstone next weekend. Both events are major club fixtures. What's the betting that both events get half a page in MN and Autosport. Yet in the case of the MGCC there's going to be upwards of 20,000 people in attendance with sprints, displays, racing etc over two days.

[Dan Friel]

I was referring to the other sorts of motor sport that is at least covered in MN... like sprints and hillclimbs which usually don't get a mnetion unless its the British championship.. so I think overall it is better.

[Kate Robinson]

If you're looking at alternative magazines you might also want to try Circuit Driver mag. I picked up a trial copy at a track day recently. This used to be called Circuit News magazine - Circuit Driver is a massive improvement. Good club racing content and track day content, nice layout and very entertaining editorial team (Steve Bennett, Mark Hales etc - mostly ex-CCC!). Fantastic test date and track day diary at the back.

I believe it's monthly and subscription only (£34.99 ?? per year). See www.circuitdriver.com

About time there were some decent, focused independent mags for us, other than Haymarket's offerings...

[MaxxUK]

Is the Ingear magazine still going? - I've looked for it at every race meeting I've done this year and no sign of it. Same with Circuit Driver, I'd like to see the content of that magazine but the only option seems to be an annual subscription which I wouldn't want to take out without seeing an issue first.

[EvilPumpkin]

Well I got the July In Gear through the post so I assume it is still going!

[phutchens]

Originally posted by MaxxUK
Is the Ingear magazine still going? - I've looked for it at every race meeting I've done this year and no sign of it. Same with Circuit Driver, I'd like to see the content of that magazine but the only option seems to be an annual subscription which I wouldn't want to take out without seeing an issue first.

In gear is definitely still going - I have Dave Price from InGear here with me!! You can call him on 07970 121850 or reply to this with your phone no and he will get in touch and send you a copy of the magazine. Alternatively it will be on sale in WH Smiths in October.

Paul Hutchens

[Truckosaurus]

There was a plug for 'In Gear' over the tannoy at Snetterton yesterday, it said they were available from the circuit office (or somewhere similar), perhaps there should be copies for sale in the cafe/bar as well?

Good to see that WHSmiths will be stocking it.

[Bob Maclaren]

Malcolm - just saw your posting - yes, Circuit Driver is still going. We've just published our fifth issue as Circuit Driver (and thirty-eighth since it was originally launched as Circuit News. If you send your postal address to info@circuitdriver.com with a copy of this posting, I'll make sure you get sent a trial copy.

Kind regards

[EvilPumpkin]

Originally posted by phutchens


In gear is definitely still going - I have Dave Price from InGear here with me!! You can call him on 07970 121850 or reply to this with your phone no and he will get in touch and send you a copy of the magazine. Alternatively it will be on sale in WH Smiths in October.

Paul Hutchens

Oh good - can you ask him if he got the article I sent him. I don't mind if he doesn't want to use it, but I'd like to know as there are a couple of websites that would like it.

[alfaman]

Having been an avid reader of both Autosport and Motorsport News for more than 20 years I've become increasingly disappointed with their coverage of "club" motorsport.

The news in both is now virtually identical (no surprise there really) and the race reports, by the same people, may be 1 or 2 paragraphs longer in MN occasionally.

I've now stopped buying MN because I felt I was wasting my money.

But with Autosport I feel that British club racing is being squeezed out. Now correct if I'm wrong someone but I think it's to do with their ever increasing push to subscription readers - particularly overseas. And an American subscriber (unless they're an ex-pat) doesn't really want to read about a clubbie at Snetterton when they could be reading the latest snippet about Schumacher or Michael Andretti etc,etc...

When I was living abroad I looked forward to getting my copies of Autosport purely for the club racing - that's where I first heard of Jenson Button - but I think out of the overseas readers I was probably in a minority.

As for InGear magazine I shall look forward to reading it.

[MaxxUK]

Glad to hear it will be stocked by WHS - I'll keep my eyes peeled in October.