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22 Nov 2005, 03:12 (Ref:1467075) | #1 | ||
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Tony Cochrane a driver???
Just thumbing through the December issue of Alpha magazine.
In it they rattle off a list of the 101 Most Influential People in Australian sport. No real surprises. 96 Mark Webber 91 Peter Brock 82 Mark Skaife 47 David White (Network 10 GM) 30 Ron Walker (Aust GP) The one that threw me was #84, Tony Cochrane esq. In his bio is this little gem; "After a successful career as a driver, Cochrane took the sport to the next level..." A driver? What the???? Did I miss something?? |
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22 Nov 2005, 03:14 (Ref:1467077) | #2 | |
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The only thing that Cochrane has driven is grass roots Australian Motorsport into the ground.
I hear that he also sometimes drives to the bank with bags full of money also. How does Skaifey be more influential then Webber or Brocky ?? |
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... without motorsport, what is sport? |
22 Nov 2005, 05:49 (Ref:1467098) | #3 | |
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I'm surprised the guy has a Driver's License
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"Yeah........Thats Bathurst but it is still the Great Race!!!!" Mark Skaife |
22 Nov 2005, 06:44 (Ref:1467114) | #4 | ||
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Maybe he raced under a pseudonym?
His wife has racked up more racing miles than Tony. |
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"The Great Race" 22 November 1960 - 21 July 1999 |
22 Nov 2005, 06:52 (Ref:1467117) | #5 | |||
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Jack Nicholson (Col. Jessup): " You can't handle the truth! " |
22 Nov 2005, 07:42 (Ref:1467124) | #6 | |||
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Sorry, I forgot it's popular to bag Cochrane for doing his job, promoting V8Supercars. Seems he's pretty good at it though. |
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In life you can plan for most eventualities but you just can't plan for stupid people. |
22 Nov 2005, 08:04 (Ref:1467139) | #7 | ||
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Good response, but I think you have failed to remember that without "grass roots" beginings all the current V8 drivers wouldn't be where they are.
I believe people are critical of the V8's and the envelope they move in is because of the amount of money they gobble up, on the Ch.10 news they Rick Kelly/Garth Tander (can't remember which one) said that a V8 team needs a budget of $10m to run, that is $10,000,000. Where do you think this comes from? and more importantly where is is NOT going, it is not going into Grass Roots to develop up and coming drivers that is for sure. And just so you understand "Grass Roots", these are the people who give up most weekends and thier OWN money to go racing in a Datsun 1600 or very second hand Mazda RX3, with a crowd that consists of their mum, dad, brother, sister, uncle and the ever dwindling friends. This is not a "go" at Tony Cochrane, just the empire he has helped build. And let's not forget the ever decreasing volunteers that help run the meetings, because some of them won't show up to any events except for the "glory" of working at the V8's. |
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22 Nov 2005, 09:45 (Ref:1467203) | #8 | ||
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That’s a good view and one I’m sure is held by a lot of people.
The other is that Tony/V8’s has done more for Australian racing than ever before, is another. OK, maybe not by giving OZ racing in general the cash handout that it appears some think their entitled, but at the very least building awareness that motor sport actually exists. To borrow your reference of where would the current V8 drivers be with out grass root racing, I’d like to ask the question, where would they be without V8 racing? Probably still in their RX3 or Datto in the sticks at some event that apart from their immediate family no one knows about. I can’t recall car racing in Australia ever being more in the face of more average Australians, so if “grass roots” racing can’t make some thing out of the heightened awareness of motor sport in general, it should stop trying to blame someone else for it’s lack of success and get out and promote it’s self. Sorry about the rant but the easy shot at Cochrane and the V8’s for all that’s wrong with racing in OZ is getting a little old. |
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22 Nov 2005, 09:57 (Ref:1467208) | #9 | ||
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perfect post Craig
I do agree , we sit here and bag TC , but what if he had the other effect on v8's , we would still be bagging him for not doing his job properly. simply put its not TC's job to support grass roots racing , its up to grass roots racing to support itself. now we have a cathc 22 situation , how can they support themselves while Tc and the V8's are taking all the limelight ? I got no idea but honestly the V8's are where they are today because of Tony's influence , like it or loath but thats the situation. he has done heaps for this series and its not his job to prmote Sports sedans , historics or formula ford , that is someone else's job and of course we dont know there names (ok some of you smart people will know) because V8's have taken all the limelight. but what if tony destroyed V8's (just like Alan Gow destroyed Super Touring , dont kid yourself he did , oh yeah and the cars sucked) we would be going off our heads saying tony is an idiot and has destroyed our greatest series , and your kidding yourself if you say "I wouldnt say that !" Tony , like him or hate him has done HIS JOB which is to promote the v8 series and the teams and therefore I give him at leats 9 out of 10 for what yhe has done. grass roots , yep I love it but hey I just dont know what to do about it ? |
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In Loving memory of Peter Brock I hate it when im driving in a straight line & Seb Vettel runs into me GO THE MIGHTY HAWKS !!!! |
22 Nov 2005, 10:03 (Ref:1467211) | #10 | |
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oh well said craig.
i guess Toll or whoever would just up and give ther 10 million to some weekend hack in a dato. Real grass roots racing has always had the support of "mum, dad, brother, sister, uncle and the ever dwindling friends". thats not going to change and in many cases thats all it has ever been. interesting to watch the article on RPM on Sunday about(i've forgotten who it was now, was it frank gardiner) when he turned up at Brabham "wheres my car Jack?" well theres some pipe on the wall, go and make it" Seems like "Grass roots" now means "given too you on a plate roots" |
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22 Nov 2005, 11:20 (Ref:1467321) | #11 | |||
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What people do have an issue with is the way they promote their category and the negative costs this has on other categories. Street races, high sanctioning fees, attacking other forms of motorsport are putting the long term sustainability of motorsport in Australia at risk. And they dont seem to care, that is a problem. |
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Upon entry into the Bathurst 1000, it should be mandatory to view the compelling "Moffat - Man and the Mountain" film |
22 Nov 2005, 12:08 (Ref:1467368) | #12 | |
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yes it is getting a bit boring chasing threads to bag the cockroach,but it is so annoying when his lickspittle toadies start having another love in.For the benefit of those who weren't around or have forgotten touring car racing never had a problem attracting tens of thousands of spectators,TV coverage and all the rest before Cockroach was ever heard of [he must have been an armoured car driver]
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22 Nov 2005, 14:20 (Ref:1467490) | #13 | ||
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Nicely put Marcus
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22 Nov 2005, 21:00 (Ref:1467837) | #14 | |||
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And how quickly did he jump on the Procar grave to make a grab for the V8 Utes, and in the rush they hit the ground with egg on TC's face because of the series name. I think most people have forgotten them, and there will be more at the end of 2006 with no TV for the support categories this year. |
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22 Nov 2005, 21:07 (Ref:1467840) | #15 | |||
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Jack Nicholson (Col. Jessup): " You can't handle the truth! " |
22 Nov 2005, 22:08 (Ref:1467882) | #16 | ||
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I think there are a lot more Influential people in Australian motorsport than that bunch. I wonder who decided this list?
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23 Nov 2005, 02:17 (Ref:1467988) | #17 | ||
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I take it you are referring to GTR Magic, Uncle Cranker, Storytime and Greg Barton?
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23 Nov 2005, 02:49 (Ref:1468001) | #18 | |
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i think this guy was in the right spot at the right time.....my mum could have taken the sport to the next level and she used to drive.....me to school
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23 Nov 2005, 04:40 (Ref:1468023) | #19 | ||
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How did webber get on that list, the guy hasnt done anything, apart from being in F1.
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23 Nov 2005, 04:43 (Ref:1468025) | #20 | |
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he drove over the Bridge and did a donut on pavers at opera house[but I guess he didn't have to clean up]
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23 Nov 2005, 12:13 (Ref:1468242) | #21 | ||
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Maybe they meant Tony's chauffer?
Com on though, it's Alpha magazine, what did we expect? They let Tony Squires write articles about Bathurst, and try telling us Danica Patrick qualified on pole for the Indianapolis 500. |
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