Surfers Paradise 2009

[JagtechOhio]

You gotta be blowing smoke again, or you'll have to show me evidence to the contrary.

"The total package to the irl was $11 million Aus$ with most everything, including travel paid for."

Converted at Sept. '08, that's $9.43 M U.S.D. Plus shipping included?

You'd have to be a doorknob to pass on that deal. Then you package it with Motegi or Brazil, and pocket 25% of the shipping cost. There's no way you don't do that deal. It couldn't have been that sweet.

I just thought on that some more, that has to be impossible. It's less cost for a team to run an overseas race: reduced crew, no motorhome/ hospitality, less domestic transporter travel, no IRL out of pocket to run the Indy Lites race at a loss, etc.

The sanctioning fee paid by Long Beach was REPORTED to be $500,000. You could stuff everybody's sidepods with cash for $9.43M and laugh all the way to the next race.

Alan Jones said an A1 GP sanctioning fee is in the $3M AUS range. Mr.T got like $1.8M in advance for Surfers, I will guess that this was half of the pie. The Oz organizers wouldn't have even flown over to talk to the IRL (and they did) if there was that much of a difference to contemplate.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by JagtechOhio

You gotta be blowing smoke again, or you'll have to show me evidence to the contrary.

"The total package to the irl was $11 million Aus$ with most everything, including travel paid for."

Converted at Sept. '08, that's $9.43 M U.S.D. Plus shipping included?

You'd have to be a doorknob to pass on that deal. Then you package it with Motegi or Brazil, and pocket 25% of the shipping cost. There's no way you don't do that deal. It couldn't have been that sweet.

I just thought on that some more, that has to be impossible. It's less cost for a team to run an overseas race: reduced crew, no motorhome/ hospitality, less domestic transporter travel, no IRL out of pocket to run the Indy Lites race at a loss, etc.

The sanctioning fee paid by Long Beach was REPORTED to be $500,000. You could stuff everybody's sidepods with cash for $9.43M and laugh all the way to the next race.

Alan Jones said an A1 GP sanctioning fee is in the $3M AUS range. Mr.T got like $1.8M in advance for Surfers, I will guess that this was half of the pie. The Oz organizers wouldn't have even flown over to talk to the IRL (and they did) if there was that much of a difference to contemplate.

Oh I never blow smoke.

That's right it was a good deal and always was a good deal with is why Champcar/CART always looked forward to it. It was good for everyone. There was a reason why they ran there from 1991 to 2007.

So you say the irl had to be doorknobs to pass on it? Well two words: "tony george".

The man has a history of catastrophic and inane dealings so why would this be any different?

[JagtechOhio]

No, I have to see that from another source before I believe it.

You can't look at a deal like that on the table and not figure out how to make it happen. The only way you pass is if the date is 48 hours either way of Memorial Day.

[mountainstar]

Here's the irl back again cap in hand

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...oast-news.html

aint that somethin'

[JagtechOhio]

Well, for that I'll have to thank you, cartoons and all. I have been reading a lot of Oz stuff, and not seen that yet.

There are a few choice bones burried in that article. I am stupified on several levels simultaneously. Tip o' the cap for the resource.

[fredd1]

Well there isn't really anything new there if you pause and go back a bit.
The basic problem is two big heads that I personally felt at the time of the event dropping could have been easily resolved with a little ego trimming.

I'd love to see it come back.

[fredd1]

p.s. Half asleep here. Apologies.

In case I'm not making sense I mean I'd love to see the American racing series, in whatever guise, back.
Not A1.

[Andy Roberts]

Went down to Surfers Paradise beach this morning to see the V8 drivers in the Miss TW Steel Beach Volleyball match.

There was all of 10 people watching it and no one seemed interested at all. The commentator was trying to drum up support but no one seemed interested at all.

Great start!

[Toads]

It'll be like that until friday, Andy. Then you'll see the atmosphere build, come saturday 'n sunday the place will be in full swing.

[JagtechOhio]

fredd,

What's news to me are the kind of numbers being thrown around in that article, although they too are unsubtantiated by the reporter.

The Surfers sanctioning fee, the dollars stated for U.S. race sanctioning fees, and the number of crew members required for an overseas race by each team are all rather surpising to me.

I'll still wish you all the best for your SuperGP weekend. What I can't unerstand is that I'm looking at the IRL from here in Ohio, and the picture makes me feel like a foreigner.

[steve nielsen]

The new Superleague formula calander has been presented today: it shows a race in Assen in the weekend A1 should race there..................

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Andy Roberts

Went down to Surfers Paradise beach this morning to see the V8 drivers in the Miss TW Steel Beach Volleyball match.

There was all of 10 people watching it and no one seemed interested at all. The commentator was trying to drum up support but no one seemed interested at all.

Great start!

Hmmmmm well yesterday from mid afternoon well into the night, the place was in traffic gridlock...or was that just people looking for a place to park by the sea??!! I spent hours going nowhere in an air condituioned tin box!!

[EGG]

What's Gold Coast weather like in aussie autumn? I remember in the previous negotiations some parts of the year were ruled out as unusable.

[Toads]

Originally Posted by EGG

What's Gold Coast weather like in aussie autumn? I remember in the previous negotiations some parts of the year were ruled out as unusable.

The Gold Coast probably has the best climate in Australia.. Doesn't get too cold in Winter (no snow), and can have the odd stinkin' hot day in Summer. But yeah, Spring and Autumn. You could'nt ask for it to be much better.

[Armco Bender]

..except for the flies,snakes,crocodiles and sharks....

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by EGG

What's Gold Coast weather like in aussie autumn? I remember in the previous negotiations some parts of the year were ruled out as unusable.

The weather can be quite unstable in Autumn - that was part of the reason for moving the event to Spring (in its original years it was held in Autumn).

The other concern these days is that in Autumn there are some other very big sporting events in Oz for it to compete with. In particular, F1 and the Clipsal 500, both of which the V8s are committed to do.

[mountainstar]

Originally Posted by Tourer

The weather can be quite unstable in Autumn - that was part of the reason for moving the event to Spring (in its original years it was held in Autumn).

The other concern these days is that in Autumn there are some other very big sporting events in Oz for it to compete with. In particular, F1 and the Clipsal 500, both of which the V8s are committed to do.

I can't remember the years now but I recall back in the old days in the 1990's with the CART races they had quite a few tropical downpours.

[JagtechOhio]

October 27, 2002 was not a good day.

[Toads]

Originally Posted by Tourer

The weather can be quite unstable in Autumn - that was part of the reason for moving the event to Spring (in its original years it was held in Autumn).

Really? I've been living here for 30 years and this is the first I heard of this. It'd be interesting to see some facts to back this up?

[Oldtony]

Let's get a few figures straight.
The A$25-30 million quoted is the entire outgoing cost for the event. Build and take down circuit, management and promotion, organisation cost etc plus sundries and running the event administration all on top of the actuall race costs.
The A$11.8million is the subsidy put in by the Qld Government.
In past years approx A$1.6 million has come fro the event naming sponsor plus income from trackside advertising.
There is about A$600,000 in services supplied by the City Council but this doesn't appear in any event budget, and is fairly well buried in the City accounts.
The original sanction fee to be paid to VESA (V8SC) this year is "commercial in confidence"but VESA is the TV production company and recieves the right to broadcast fee from and any one else who shows it. Ch7 That is marketed through SEL Tony Cochranes company.
It would seem that the fee to be paid to A1GP was A$3.6 million, and he has already collected half. My understanding is that airfrieght and logistics was to be paid for by A1GP as they were back to backing with China.
In the Champ Car days the arrangement was that the event paid Airfrieght costs ex the US and fares for 7 personel per car, plus accommodation costs for the same amount of crew. In those days the sanction fee paid to CC was approaching A$2.5 million over and above the transport costs.
Probably that was similar to the arrangement offered to IRL. So it was turn up, most expenses paid and grab a share of about A$2.5 million. Of course at the time it was being discussed the A$ was worth about 67c US rather than the 92c US it gets now.
The timing has very little to do with anybodies ego. It is a narrow window of opportunity in October between the interstate family holiday season and the "schoolies" fortnight that both pack the Coast. The only other window is the February to Easter spell which suffers from fairly un reliable weather.

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

..except for the flies,snakes,crocodiles and sharks....

and thats just in Cavill Mall

[Toads]

That's good that you have an opinion Oldtony. But please consider, just because you have an opinion, doesn't mean it's factual information. Sometimes it pays to have resources to back up some claims.

Lets start again, with producing some facts shall we? See below the records of last Autumn, recorded at the Seaway which is located 5.5klm from Surfers Paradise Precinct. These statistics have been provided by The Bureau of Meteorology. We'll even throw in the month of February, seeing it needed mentioning.

February 2009 March 2009 April 2009 May 2009

Anytime Oldtony or Tourer want to point out to where this "un reliable" or "unstable" weather is on the Gold Coast during Autumn, I'm all ears..

[275 GTB-4]

Originally Posted by Oldtony

Let's get a few figures straight.
The A$25-30 million quoted is the entire outgoing cost for the event. Build and take down circuit, management and promotion, organisation cost etc plus sundries and running the event administration all on top of the actuall race costs.
The A$11.8million is the subsidy put in by the Qld Government.
In past years approx A$1.6 million has come fro the event naming sponsor plus income from trackside advertising.
There is about A$600,000 in services supplied by the City Council but this doesn't appear in any event budget, and is fairly well buried in the City accounts.
The original sanction fee to be paid to VESA (V8SC) this year is "commercial in confidence"but VESA is the TV production company and recieves the right to broadcast fee from and any one else who shows it. Ch7 That is marketed through SEL Tony Cochranes company.
It would seem that the fee to be paid to A1GP was A$3.6 million, and he has already collected half. My understanding is that airfrieght and logistics was to be paid for by A1GP as they were back to backing with China.
In the Champ Car days the arrangement was that the event paid Airfrieght costs ex the US and fares for 7 personel per car, plus accommodation costs for the same amount of crew. In those days the sanction fee paid to CC was approaching A$2.5 million over and above the transport costs.
Probably that was similar to the arrangement offered to IRL. So it was turn up, most expenses paid and grab a share of about A$2.5 million. Of course at the time it was being discussed the A$ was worth about 67c US rather than the 92c US it gets now.
The timing has very little to do with anybodies ego. It is a narrow window of opportunity in October between the interstate family holiday season and the "schoolies" fortnight that both pack the Coast. The only other window is the February to Easter spell which suffers from fairly un reliable weather.

Local shopkeepers are bleating they have taken a beating...sales down 70% on last year said one...grog/food sales are still profitable though I gather!

[Andy Roberts]

Just chuck my experience today in.

Went to the V8s today (saturday) and it was my first experieance of the V8s or Surfers as a race track. Overall I was blown away!!! Atmosphere was amazing, the V8s themselves were awesome and overall the day was great.

Have to say though I don't think I've ever seen so much beer, drunk people or women dancing in nothing but thongs (both ozzie and uk versions). Strange place

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Toads

Lets start again, with producing some facts shall we?
Anytime Oldtony or Tourer want to point out to where this "un reliable" or "unstable" weather is on the Gold Coast during Autumn, I'm all ears..

You're quire right Toads, earlier this year was pretty quiet - only two weekends in February, one in March, one in April would have been wet so as long as the race had been scheduled for one of the dry weekends then it would have been OK. Mind you, that is only one year's results.

Gold Coast seems much drier now than it was in the early nineties when the decision was made to move the date. Back in them dark days it was still possible for the edge of a cyclone from further north to impact on the Gold Coast - don't know why it doesn't seem to happen so much now.

Maybe it was just the "luck of the draw" but the weather was quite "iffy" for a number of those early events.

In any case, the weather was one of a number of factors working against moving the date to Autumn - it could be that the perception that the weather is less stable is a better way to describe it.