Auto Action – Like or Loath(merged AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!)

[promax]

Originally posted by twig
Promax - Is your name from the brakes company for bikes?

nope i was eating a protein bar when i signed up http://www.promaxbar.com

[rossp1]

RRR, I agree . AA [AVESCO ACTION]is still a V8 Supercar fan letter and I have been hearing from progressive editors over the last 8 years how they are going to change and feature a more balanced view of the Australian motorsport scene.The reality is that as long as the primary advertising is centered around V8 Supercar advertising the more likely it will remain the same.That,s a fact.
I was once told that the HRT and DJR merchandise weekly full page ads dictated the base recovery on which to build the balance of the advertising.[I would be interested in Mark Fogarty,s comments on this.]
But it doesn,t seem to make sense from a content point of view to almost ignore V8 BRutes,F3 ,Nations Cup etc.when on a television rating comparison PROCAR,s "share of mind" is two fifths of V8 Supercar.[source:PROCAR ANALYSIS of viewership comparison network 10 ratings vs.7].
This number of course excludes the expected ratings of the live television coverage of the Bathurst 24hr www.bathurst24hr.com vs. The television ratings of the Bathurst 1000.
From 2002 viewership of the BATHURST 24 hour outrating the test cricket by 25%, the number of viewers[In Australia] in it,s first year represented five twelths of the viewing audience for the 1000 this year.
This year PROCAR would expect that that number will be between 65% and 110% depending on how well we get the message across.
And so there seems to be a market opening up for wider coverage in either Motorsport News or AUTO ACTION for more coverage even if only for the possibility of increasing circulation.
If you skew the coverage to V8 Supercars you will get only those fans who are in to V8 supercars.However if you balance it a little more towards other Australian Circuit racing like PROCAR ,not only would you get the print advertising support of the sponsors of the 200 teams that race at PROCAR on any given weekend,but also the support of advertising from PROCAR,s sponsors.
In the meantime we are surveying the scene !!

[rossp1]

Dazz , I just read your post. It makes sense to me.
And by the way I do like the look and feel of the new AA for what it,s worth.
But the editorial definitely needs to change.

[RaceTime]

Ross - the biggest problem with any of these magazine (more so AA - I like your interpretation of the name btw) is the coverage (or lack of coverage) of club and state level racing.

AA has seen fit, in the past 12 months, to delay reporting of state level meetings to 300 words 4 weeks after the event - often this has been reported AFTER the next event has taken place...

A previous post said there wasn't enough motorsport world wide to warrant a weekly magazine. Have to totally disagree with that - take a look at the British AutoSport some time - they seem to manage wek to week - and none of the lengthy delays we have to endure here in reporting.

[bathurst]

Don't like the new shape AA. It doesnt fit inside the newspaper and more importantly it doesn't fit in the AA containers with the rest of my AAs. It's an odd shape not a magazine and not a newspaper and it's a shocker.

[Crash Test]

Hrmm, I actually go to the effort of reading the national sections in AA and MN, and AA will for the most part run articles the week after the race meeting, which for the most part would be at the same time as the MN ones. I dunno about complaining about the length of articles in AA, have a gander at how short the MN ones are! Plus AA cover more events etc..

[GTRMagic]

Perhaps AA would respond more positively to other categories if they bought their way through the door....

A Poolrite sponsored section in each AA issue which would guarantee content about PROCAR....

[RRR]

Originally posted by Crash Test
Hrmm, I actually go to the effort of reading the national sections in AA and MN, and AA will for the most part run articles the week after the race meeting, which for the most part would be at the same time as the MN ones.

Check out the latest AA. They have coverage of NSW and Qld state series from late Septemebr. MNews had them two editions ago.
The fortnightly MNews regularly beat the weekly AA to race reports.

[GTRMagic]

Maybe AA listens to our whinges, whines & complaints (waves at Foges)

This week's edition is better in terms of content, although the stories (such as the Ellery re-signing of SuperCheap) has a less concise presentation of facts than appears on here.

Off to have a lie down now, spruiking too much praise has blown a fuse

[Robert Ryan]

GTR, agrred the latest edition looks somewhat better...content missing still.

[Rainford]

My problem with their 'exclusive' Super Cheap story is that most of it was in MN last week. Do they have some wierd idea of 'exclusive' that doesn't apply anywhere else?
This issue of AA looks pretty good, but there's hardly anything in there that's worth reading. Style over content?
Also, did anyone else notice that they ran a huge photo of the wrong car last issue in their Bathurst coverage? Murf and Rick drove #51, not #15.
All I know is that I'm sick of paying for this kind of stuff. No more AA for me.
And your'e right Foges, the end of your story about driving Craig's car was hardly worth losing sleep over. So why did you bother including it?

[GROUPA]

In the mid 90's Foges did a great piece in Mdoern Motor or wheels cant remember now on the current Group A cars
BMW M3, EB etc....it was a great story. Prehaps he could do this again over all catergories

I for one would like him to drive a Procar, Brute, Sports Sedan etc....and write about it.

Also where is the calender in AA for local events gone?

[pete55]

Bit better this week. They still can't work out if they are a girlie magazine or a motorsport one. Not much in the news articles. Might give it one more week to improve or that will be my last issue after 30 years. Changing size might keep me buying but i doubt it.

[Zinger]

It will certainly taking some getting used too. I normaly do the page flip through first but now I get losted.

[Wizzby]

Still waiting for my watch...

[Grimace]

I love the new AUTO ACTION. The interview of Warren Luff in the new issue was by a 17 yo schoolgirl Sharee Warren. The Magazine gave her a chance to do her first ever interview, i reckon its a great idea to give new young talent a chance.

Well done Foges, maybe less girly shots.More motorsport.

The format with plenty of colour pictures and WEEKLY

not having to wait a fortnight is excellent and i have been buying it 30 odd years.

We want our news quickly !!!!

[Grimace]

Originally posted by Wizzby
Still waiting for my watch...

Ring them at Australian Consolidateded Press (they have now moved to a Sydney base)and tell them the watch has not arrived.


Pick up the Phone!!!! Watch the different time zone over here ,


I talked to the AUTO ACTION guys at Bathurst ,they are a top lot of guys. If you seen the improvement in the mag these days compared to when an old guy like me first bought it in 1971 or so you would appreciate the 2003 issues!

[Wizzby]

I've rung them three times, got an answering machine each time and still there's no reply

[pete55]

Grimace, i too have been buying it for over 30 years. When you take the BS out of the quick news a lot of times there's not much news left. Maybe that's happening now. There's not much news and they disguise the fact with two full pages of girlie pics.

[mixxer]

Originally posted by pete55
Grimace, i too have been buying it for over 30 years. When you take the BS out of the quick news a lot of times there's not much news left. Maybe that's happening now. There's not much news and they disguise the fact with two full pages of girlie pics.

100% agree with you pete

[Mofo]

OK then. If MN went weekly, do you all think that AA would go out of business???

[Mattracer]

I'd be buying MN regularly if it were weekly but AA is out every week so I red that pretty much. When MN comes out the news is already covered in AA. MN should go weekly.

[rossp1]

That,s not a bad idea actually. I just picked up this week,s edition of AA and the only 2 mentions for PROOCAR were a couple of small negative stories on who,s not coming to the 24 hour.
This is after PROCAR giving them an embargoed release on Monday to make this weeks issue ,listing the provisonal entry list for the 24 hour.
Now even the greates PROCAR HATER in the world TC would have to be impressed with the story.
But no nary a mention.
I will keep an open mind and apologize if next week,s issue has a bumper preview on the field with histories and bios of especially the European teams and drivers.
For example everyone thought that Greg Murphy was driving with last year, winning 427 with McConville being moved to the Brock 05 car,however a keen study of the entrants list which is at www.bathurst24hr.com shows Mc.Conville staying in the 427 JUST CAR INSURANCE machine and Murphy beefing up the 05 effort.
A cunning move on the part of HOLDEN MOTORSPORT. Why?
It,s obvious that MURPH is the quickest man of all time in a touring car around the mountain and his form is superb.
In the latter stages of the race if the 05 car is anywhere near the front,GRM could double stint him to rattle the EUROPEAN GUN TEAMS.
There is no doubt that the EUROPEANS have more experience with 24 hour endurance racing,but HOLDEN with their line up of 7 current contracted V8 supercar drivers in the 24 hour has the edge on track specific knowledge.
Who,s going to be the "hound and who,s going to be the hare." In a battle of wits and tactics here?

[GTRMagic]

Any chance of the Palmer Group becoming a motorsport publisher as well

[RaceTime]

Ross - I have found on many occasions that AA will either not return calls or, if fed informaiton, quite often simply ignore it - whereas MSN is the complete opposite - they will look at what you have and, if valid, run with it but, if not - let you know they aren't and why not.

Even given the change in editors with AA, their gradual merging with APC has shown little incentive to take them any more seriously that a sensationist magazine which is out purely for the headlines and not the facts.