SuperGP Shock Format Change!!

[GTRMagic]

Article Here

Originally Posted by The Article

Board member and TeamVodafone principal Roland Dane said they had not yet decided how to allocate visiting drivers for the annual Gold Coast weekend.

"The board are still working out the fairest way to sort that out and we'll announce that in due course after consulting with the teams," he said.

"We've spoken to all the team owners in the past few hours to take them through all the changes and they are 100 per cent positive."

[Oldtony]

Originally Posted by bazil

This event?? What event? If was not for Supercars picking up the pieces of the A1 debacle there would have been nothing last year. .

Baz, lets get away from this myth that V8SC was the White Knight that rode to the rescue of last years event.
There were possibilities that could have been arranged if the decision had been taken at the time A1GP Operations UK went into recievership.
Even more importantly there was an option offered to organisers when they were officially out of contract 6 days out from the event.
It would certainly have been more attractive than splitting the existing V8 mileage into another race and getting a few museum cars to parade.
And probably cheaper.

[FalconEL]

Originally Posted by Mr Intolerant

Can I get a Yeehaa for NASCAR!

Ambrose back on the coast!!! Dang even Nationwide would do, Danica could moonlight at Hollywoods!

[Matthew Ronke]

I think this if it works its a much better sign of success.

Instead of taking yourself to the world (Bahrain, Abdu Dhabi) you have the world coming to you.

They could create a lot of hype for the event with an IPL style auction or an AFL like draft for the Internationals and make the selection process a media event in itself.

[GTRMagic]

PMM thinks they can select their own



Tom Kristensen, Tony Stewart, Gabriele Tarquini?

[Trev Campbell]

Originally Posted by DRG

Sums it up really.

This series has gradually progressed from a "national motor racing championship" to an "entertainment package", now it seems to be taking another step to "circus". Have we really moved forward during these changes ? I guess the Gold Coast Event will provide some sort of answer !

Maybe Cocho's next thing will be V8 Supercar Idol, or V8 Supercar Brother. International drivers are kept under 24 hour watch, while constantly playing Colin McRae Rally 2.0 on PSOne, the punters get to vote which drivers are in which car and once the racing starts you can SMS you vote to send a car to the pits and make the international star dance the Tango.

I'm sure this will get Cocho the international exposure he desires.

[V8Bobby]

Originally Posted by RedZedMikey

I beg to differ.
For me, the issue is not that the event varies from the norm - it's that the new proposal won't vary enough from the norm. The idea does has its positives as stated by you, but will it get me to shell out my $ and make a trip up from Victoria? Sorry, no. I want to see more than just V8 Supercars and local supports for that sort of trip. I'm not a fan of street circuits normally, so to get me to go I want an international series there; something "extra" in the way of motorsport, not the same Cornflakes in a different box. Bands won't do it for me either - I go to a race to watch racing.

I note that GP2 and FIA GT1 were given consideration, but then dismissed. If GT1, or the Japanese GT series were on the card, then I would have been there with bells on - much the same way as I made a holiday in SA for the Race of 1000 years, and made 4/5 day weekends out of both the Bathurst 24 hours. I didn't need to travel for the 2 LeMans type enduros at Sandown in the 80's - but I was there. Sports cars rule!

I certainly understand the misgivings about the GP2 or GT1 if they were to have been stand alone events. To create an "international event" such as they are hoping to create I personally believe an international class as a double act with V8SC would have been a much better option. And 3 mates would have come with me, and brought their dollars too.

I know what your saying and your are clearly passionate about your motorsport. Problem for you however is that whilst you and your mates would make the trip up to watch GP2 (I would also love that!), a lot more people would go to watch a Pink, Cold Chisel etc than would go to watch a European open wheeler run around.

[Crash Test]

Originally Posted by Trev Campbell

Maybe Cocho's next thing will be V8 Supercar Idol, or V8 Supercar Brother. International drivers are kept under 24 hour watch, while constantly playing Colin McRae Rally 2.0 on PSOne, the punters get to vote which drivers are in which car and once the racing starts you can SMS you vote to send a car to the pits and make the international star dance the Tango.

I don't watch TV, but I'd watch that...

[STEALTHY]

Crash test, the whinging seems warranted to me. Is there any other series in the world where they give an unfamiliar driver YOUR car.......dont think so.

Personally i dont see anyway the international thing can work, even as a non championship round, its still dollars that the teams will have to spend to repair cars, which is stupid. Might aswell make the sunday race a reverse grid race

Only way i can see this working is if the V8 drivers are paired with internationals in a single make series (ala the celebrity races), thus not risking their championship, or the teams investment (Supercars are a business afterall, just ask RD on his switch to.....holden). And THIS single make series can have their stupid dash for cash crap.

I would like to see an extra enduro tho, but still with the same rules as our current 2, same driver for all 3 enduro's.

[GTRMagic]

Look at the timing of this thing! Several teams have already selected their endurance race pilots, if this proposal had been around at the end of last season, different decisions may have been made to incorporate international pilots into the mix

As it is, there are stories around to suggest Mr Brabham may be an FPR enduro pilot anyway. Does this put FPR at an advantage?

[RotorFan]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

Dear God, get a load of the Luddites on here.

I suppose Bathurst should be a 500 mile race and Valiant Pacers should be allowed to compete again.

Where did people whine before the invention of internet forums?

What would be better for motorsport? This re-incarnation, or no race at all?

Its a bit easy to trot out that old line. Why does it have to come down to reincarnation or no race at all? Did you ever think there are other possibilities that would be even better for motorsport?

[Crash Test]

Originally Posted by STEALTHY

Only way i can see this working is if the V8 drivers are paired with internationals in a single make series (ala the celebrity races), thus not risking their championship, or the teams investment (Supercars are a business afterall, just ask RD on his switch to.....holden). And THIS single make series can have their stupid dash for cash crap.

How is a celebrity race going to bring any extra attention to the class or the event?

...and why all of a sudden are the international drivers going to bugger up the championship? From my understanding of watching V8s since day dot, the Aussie Superstars are more than capable of having their own accidents. I seem to remember a few years ago Whincup chucking the championship away at Surfers by crashing by himself, and he had a good crack at it again last year. I remember Rick Kelly once crashed into Lowndes in a title fight, and I don't believe Rick is an overseas import.

As the race is literally in my street, and I've been to ever one of them since 1991, I'm just chuffed the thing is still happening. At the end of the day, let them have a crack, and if it flops it flops, but there isn't much point in writing it off eight months before it even happens.

[STEALTHY]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

How is a celebrity race going to bring any extra attention to the class or the event?

...and why all of a sudden are the international drivers going to bugger up the championship? From my understanding of watching V8s since day dot, the Aussie Superstars are more than capable of having their own accidents. I seem to remember a few years ago Whincup chucking the championship away at Surfers by crashing by himself, and he had a good crack at it again last year. I remember Rick Kelly once crashed into Lowndes in a title fight, and I don't believe Rick is an overseas import.

As the race is literally in my street, and I've been to ever one of them since 1991, I'm just chuffed the thing is still happening. At the end of the day, let them have a crack, and if it flops it flops, but there isn't much point in writing it off eight months before it even happens.

I dont care about class or attention, and i'm sure the teams dont either. Their cars are investments, adding more risk to that investment for 0 payoff isn't how business works. I'm sure if you had your own team, you might feel the same way.

The celebrity race was just throwing another idea out there, big prize money for the winning V8 driver and international would get your 'attention'. The international exposer doesn't HAVe to be in their cars, they could still just as easily have their normal championship races in the V8s, and race along side the inters in an enduro in a single make car (thus putting more focus on the drivers, thn the series)

I'm well aware drivers can throw away their OWN championship, have a think about that wording, is it THEIR championship, or the internationals? I'm all for trying different things, but not at risk of wasting teams money (the only good thing to come from this, would be having ambrose drive here, and NOT be teamed with SBR, maybe teamed with someone like HRT haha)

[Crash Test]

Originally Posted by RotorFan

Its a bit easy to trot out that old line. Why does it have to come down to reincarnation or no race at all? Did you ever think there are other possibilities that would be even better for motorsport?

What are the alternatives? How many punters outside of the hardcore fans on this forum know that GT1 or GP2 even exist? Even then, how many people in this forum can rattle off the names of the teams in drivers involved in both?

Hate to sound like a broken record, but in the declining years of open wheelers at the event, the punters simply didn't turn up to watch them, they were there for the V8s. As soon as Will Power crashed, it was off to the pub.

Last year was a shocker all round, mainly from a mis-information stand point with many punters believing the event wasn't happening. First of all the Indycars pulled the pin, then A1, a lot of people simply though the event wasn't on.

Have people stopped to think that if the V8s have the gung-ho tv package they claim to have (especially in the USA), then it is actually going to generate significiant exposure for the series and locations??

[Trev Campbell]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

What are the alternatives? How many punters outside of the hardcore fans on this forum know that GT1 or GP2 even exist? Even then, how many people in this forum can rattle off the names of the teams in drivers involved in both?

How many punters outside of the hardcore fans on this forum know what Christian Fittipaldi, Mark Blundell etc. ever achieved !!!!!!! It will be a bunch of (to the wider public) unknowns driving V8's so what is the difference to having a real international class.

[cavvy]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

Have people stopped to think that if the V8s have the gung-ho tv package they claim to have (especially in the USA), then it is actually going to generate significiant exposure for the series and locations??

Coch0 might have thought about it Crash ... might not have stood up to independent scrutiny perhaps, maybe.

Remember the international requirement is being set by the people kicking in millions of dollars for this one event, its not about the series, its not about other locations.

[Crash Test]

Would the QLD Government have learned anything since last year and not back an idea without some form of due diligence?

[Matthew Ronke]

The rumours doing the rounds were that IMG had no idea they had missed out on the gig. They had a sponsor signed and GP2 just about locked down.

[FalconEL]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

Would the QLD Government have learned anything since last year and not back an idea without some form of due diligence?

Probably not, it is the QLD Government you are talking about there mate......

[RotorFan]

Originally Posted by Crash Test

What are the alternatives? How many punters outside of the hardcore fans on this forum know that GT1 or GP2 even exist? Even then, how many people in this forum can rattle off the names of the teams in drivers involved in both?

Hate to sound like a broken record, but in the declining years of open wheelers at the event, the punters simply didn't turn up to watch them, they were there for the V8s. As soon as Will Power crashed, it was off to the pub.

Last year was a shocker all round, mainly from a mis-information stand point with many punters believing the event wasn't happening. First of all the Indycars pulled the pin, then A1, a lot of people simply though the event wasn't on.

Have people stopped to think that if the V8s have the gung-ho tv package they claim to have (especially in the USA), then it is actually going to generate significiant exposure for the series and locations??

How many people outside of hardcore fans knew what Champ Car was?

FIA GT1, Le Mans etc are appealing because they are beautiful, fast cars. People know Maserati, Ferrari, Aston Martin, they can get right into it straight up.

[Crash Test]

Originally Posted by RotorFan

How many people outside of hardcore fans knew what Champ Car was?

At least in this part of the world, during its heyday, it had a fair old following. Highlights would always make the Monday night news, and the results/report always made the Tuesday paper.

[cptkablamo]

Well many...look at the crowd figures... not a lot - look at the TV figures...still beats a V8 only race any day though.

So can I veto this in anyway - I don't want my tax money going to a show like this. This isn't going to make international news. As they, themselves said, only Nascar and F1 are still racing - so no drivers that anyone cares about then - so no decent international TV coverage then.

And if IMG was treated how was rumoured, that is appalling - even for this government.

Can someone explain to me, like I am 6, how this will satisfy the Queensland Government's stated aims of international promotion , bringing tourism $$$ to the Gold Coast that wouldn't have come otherwise and more?

[Spunky]

The press release for record breaking tickets sales is probably already written, when you take away the part of the track with the largest share of ontrack accomodation of course you are going to have more ticket sales. Yes I know everyone was meant to buy a ticket to be in these units
This idea has it's pro's and cons and change if it is for the better is great, but in the end the board had to agree on this, I can imagine drivers may not have the same opinion. I guess the board are willing to take the punt you never know if you never give it a go.

[Falcadore]

Bizarre concept. Has the virtue of novelty I suppose. Wait and see how it pans out, the regs are not exactly clear.

Someone nominated NASCAR, someone else GT1? Neither was ever likely to happen, while talks with GT1 were held VESA would have found a way to sabotage it, GTs are just a little too close to home to the V8s and they might not compare favourably, so why take the chance?

Short of offerring them a ludicrous sum of money, ten million wouldn't do it, 25 probably wouldn't, NASCAR would never take basically a three week break mid season and that close to the race for the chase to come out here. Their schedule is too compact to make overseas trips anymore.

GP2 might have been interesting, if it was GP2. If it was GP2 Asia then... well amateur hour would have ensued. But genuine GP2... the decisions were left far too late in the game, this should have been finalised in December if they were serious about attracting an international series this late in the game. They all have to have their calendars in place before season start.

Shortened track I'm abivalent towards, as Crashy says it was going to happen anyway. The old ANA will be spewin', no perfect hotel room sighting overlooking the big stop left hander anymore. Wonder what all the hotels on the southern loop have to say about the shortened track, although it might bring room prices down, and those in the North end will be able to charge even more.

Presumably this scenario was the one cooked up by VESA by doing as much as they could to satisfy international drawcard requirement, without diluting V8s top billing. How exactly is it a win for V8 Supercar if they pull an international series of any sort to share billing. Its just giving a bunch of international motorsport media the opportunity to ignore V8 Supercar at close range instead of from off shore, while at the some time diluting their domestic news media coverage by print/TV having to split news items to cover two series instead of one.

[V8Bobby]

Originally Posted by cptkablamo

And if IMG was treated how was rumoured, that is appalling - even for this government.

IMG would be one of the most useless promotors when it comes to motorsport I have ever seen. They used to run a significant number of rounds but now it is down to 1 that I can think of - Clipsal - where they only run the corporate hospotality and trade sites under contract from the SAMB. Them and their fee's won't be missed by many!