DTM Support

[gixxer]

Even though the DTM is an amazing championship the support programme seems a bit thin on the ground,F3 euro series,FPA!

I was intending to travel the 150 odd miles to brands for this event but looking at it i'm not sure its worth the effort for just six races on raceday,if this is correct its apretty poor show....well unless somebody can enlighten me of anything else happening on the day?

[Alfa Fan]

6 races is OK I think. Compares favourably to the four Silverstone offered at WTCC last year.

[gixxer]

Originally Posted by Alfa Fan

6 races is OK I think. Compares favourably to the four Silverstone offered at WTCC last year.

Ok perhaps i've been spoilt by castle combe and F3/GT meetings they used to have with at least 8 to 10 races on raceday its just a long way for just 6 races for me,but i may well still go

[Elio]

Unfortunately the support is not what one might have expected from MSVR.....

The Sunday timetable sees just 5 races, and about 3 and a half hours of actaul "competitive" track time between 10am and 6pm. My advice is to take a good book with you.......

http://www.dtm.de/rennen.php?rennen=...owinf=zeitplan

Lets hope the quality overcomes the lack of quantity.

[Hazard]

Well, a little light...but don't forget, the DTM race itself is the same length as three BTCC races.

[Karsten Krogh]

I would go for the DTM race if that was the only race. Unfortunatly its a bit far for me.

[Suze]

It may not seem many....but the DTM is uber compared to say, BTCC. And F3 Euroseries ain't half bad either...

[redshoes]

I can't beleive they are devoting nearly an hour on Sunday afternoon to taxi rides

[racer69]

Regarding DTM support races, weren't they trying to set-up a GT Sprint Series for later this year?

[jondownunder]

I'm sure you've all seen by now, but Ginettas and the "Longfield Cup for Pre-War Vintage Cars" have been added to the support package. Ginettas are usually entertaining at least, not sure what to expect from the pre-war cars.

[redshoes]

Pre-War cars have been on the programme for a while - they were listed as 'Historic Cars' on the timetables posted above. I'm not sure it's the sort of thing that will appeal to the typical DTM fan, and tucked away at the end of the timetable most won't stary to watch anyhow.

[Rob29]

Anyone know why the regular DTM supports are not coming over with them? They seem to be doing all the other 'foreign' rounds.

[jondownunder]

Originally Posted by redshoes

Pre-War cars have been on the programme for a while - they were listed as 'Historic Cars' on the timetables posted above.

Didn't realise they were on that timetable before it was updated - sorry. Ginettas have been added since that link was posted.

I'm not sure it's the sort of thing that will appeal to the typical DTM fan, and tucked away at the end of the timetable most won't stary to watch anyhow.

I agree - as someone going primarily for the F3, historic cars that old hold little interest for me. I hate leaving with the hordes before the end of a meeting, but I may be tempted with the long drive back to Devon!

Originally Posted by Rob29

Anyone know why the regular DTM supports are not coming over with them? They seem to be doing all the other 'foreign' rounds.

Hadn't realised they were doing all the other rounds outside Germany. Would have been nice to see F.BMW.

[Rob29]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

Hadn't realised they were doing all the other rounds outside Germany. Would have been nice to see F.BMW.

Link for info;www.motorracetime.de/index.shtml

[redshoes]

Originally Posted by jondownunder

Didn't realise they were on that timetable before it was updated - sorry. Ginettas have been added since that link was posted.

Ginettas were a last minute replacement. The original plan was to have VW Cup but they changed their mind. I wonder if they realised they would be dumped to the end of the day all 3 days and decided they deserved better.

MSV's lastest timetable is slightly different from the one on the DTM site, specifically the order of the last 3 races - http://www.motorsportvision.co.uk/re.../timetable.pdf

I don't mind Historics, depending on the entry they can be quite entertaining. Ginettas I'm not fussed either way and FPA I couldn't care less about. I don't have such a long drive but like you I think I might be gone before the end.

[gixxer]

Well i for one won't travelling 148 miles just to see five races complete and utter waste of time...DTM may well be the top of the touring car world but it just does not justify 30 quid and the fuel bill to get there to spend most of the time sat watching nothing.....BORING!!

[Elio]

I have to agree with gixxer that the Sunday Timetable is a little disappointing to say the least. Friday is good value for money, Sat is reasonable, but Sunday is pretty dire. I really do wonder how the crowd are going to be entertained on Sunday SHOULD they come (they won`t even have any footie on the big screens!) Far too many F1-style gaps, and making one of the "Taxi" drivers Mr D Hill I just don`t think will help that much...... I suppose given the F1 link it might well be that the crowd will be an F1-style crowd who are used to lots of nap time???

I hope the Pre-War cars get a decent entry. Despite being stuck near the tail of the programme they will form the only entertaining support outside of the Ginettas. I`m essentially a single seater fan at heart but I`ve been going to Brands long enough to know that F3/FPA around Brands Indy in the DRY will be about as entertaining as the DTM "Taxi" rides.

[M Coupe]

Went to Brands today for the DTM, was looking forward to the Historics but I have to be honest and say I left beforehand after getting bored.
That was a definate poor show from MSV.
1st up the moring was good, DTM warm-up was good, the Euroseries was actually quite entertaining for single seater raceon Brands Indy.
Average build up to the DTM, little lacking in places, drivers parade was poor.
DTM race was good, cars are amazing!
Next up should have been a sky diving display, but some plonker was hovering over the circuit in a helicopter so they had to postpone. (You'd think Mr Palmer would know the timetable at his own circuit).
Then the usual FPA yawnfest. This finished at around 2:15pm.
There was then a very poor 'stunt bike show', the sky diving display was tagged onto the back of it. This took us up to approx 3pm.
At this point the DTM taxi rides started. I'm not sure who thinks this is a good idea but it made for the most boring time at a circuit, as we all want to watch a couple of cars circulation with 'VIP' passengers. I gave up and left at this point (about 3:15pm).
I travelled 2hrs each way to Brands today, and in my opinion if it was the same lineup and programme next year I'd give it a miss!

[Jaxs]

I like the single line entry DTM race was good, cars are amazing!

The race was a typical show case, over taking, spins, offs... everything the enthuiast would or could want and the rest of the diatribe is a well judge for your self...

What more do you want from an 85 lap Race The presentations, the noise and the cars... yer right some people ....... and the winner only decided in the closing minutes.. that's got to be better than a procession of ... well any procession.

[redshoes]

You did better than me. I was struggling with the heat and by the end of the DTM race my hayfever had started to kick in so I decided to call it a day.

From walking round the paddock on Sat the Historics looked promising - those 3-wheeler Morgan are always entertaining - but I couldn't face the 3 hour race.

Much as I hate FPA - I've yet to meet anyone who will admit to actually enjoying watching it - I guess we've got to accept that they are goinh to be a part of any big MSV meeting now.

[BillyT]

he makes a very good point though Jaxs, for such a high profile event the support races where rubbish really. What was going on with the band? If you could even call them a band, they were awful.

[M Coupe]

Originally Posted by Jaxs

I like the single line entry DTM race was good, cars are amazing!

The race was a typical show case, over taking, spins, offs... everything the enthuiast would or could want and the rest of the diatribe is a well judge for your self...

What more do you want from an 85 lap Race The presentations, the noise and the cars... yer right some people ....... and the winner only decided in the closing minutes.. that's got to be better than a procession of ... well any procession.

I think you missed the point.

DTM race was very good, but that started at 12 o'clock and was finished by about 1:15pm. Sorry, as great as it was that is not a days motorsport viewing. The FPA race was a boring as ever, correct, but I'd have loved to have watched some Historic saloon car racing or, to be honest, any form of racing.
In my opinion, to have 2 hours where the only track action is some bloke pulling a few wheelies on a motorbike for 30mins (and he did little else), and a couple of DTM cars doing passenger laps right in the middle of the afternoon was terrible. If MSV want to get people through the gate they need to attract the paying public, and having 1 hour of indulgance for a few VIP's isn't the way to do it.
After the DTM race finished we watched the masses head for the gate, they obviously decided to give up there and then.

I've been to Brands a few times this year (WTCC, Both Historic festivals etc) and this was easily the worst for keeping people interested and for the lack of races. I'm sure there are people for whom the DTM was all they wanted to see, and the reason I was there was the fact it was DTM, but I also wanted to see other races, after all, there is more to motorsport than the big name championships, and some of the smaller series can give some great racing.

[rdjones]

I couldn't agree more with the comments that have been made. Both yesterday and today all the DTM stuff was done dusted by what 1.30 at the latest, you can thank German TV for that one.

As I was camping this weekend I hung around and watched the Historics yesterday before heading to the bar for the football. But today was a different story, I watched the DTM which I really enjoyed, had made mind up I was going to stop to see the historic's again. I sort of half watched the FPA race while talking to some people I know, they decided to leave that point and I also decided to call it a day at that point too. It was too hot to sit around for 2 hours doing nothing wheel the Motorbike sunt show was on (which was rubbish, as I suffered bits of it yesterday) and the taxi ride.

Oh yeah and the Bryan Adam's tribute band where rubbish, in fact I am sure which was worst them or the U2 one they had at the TOCA meeting back in April....

[Elio]

That was a definate poor show from MSV.

You had a 4 hour round trip but didn`t think to study the (well publicised) timetable beforehand to realise what you were actually going to see/not see..... How odd.

Next up should have been a sky diving display, but some plonker was hovering over the circuit in a helicopter so they had to postpone. (You'd think Mr Palmer would know the timetable at his own circuit).

There is some talk of sabotage..... But I am just repeating what I heard from others - I wouldn`t dare suggest such a thing myself!

Then the usual FPA yawnfest. This finished at around 2:15pm.

A stunning race. Numerous changes for the lead in a tense, nervy battle between Jensen and Barnes. Wingfield unable to live up to recent form by not displacing Hyman. Battling right the way down the field. You liked the F3 race though, which had no such overtaking.... Odd again. Maybe the "I`ll get ever so excited even though the race is DULL" David Addison commentary is what did it for you?

There was then a very poor 'stunt bike show'

It did nothing for me personally but that`s no reason to knock the guy`s talents. I bet you couldn`t do it......

At this point the DTM taxi rides started. I'm not sure who thinks this is a good idea but it made for the most boring time at a circuit, as we all want to watch a couple of cars circulation with 'VIP' passengers.

I agree. This was poorly positioned in the timetable.

What was going on with the band? If you could even call them a band, they were awful.

Indeed. Do "Tribute" bands not add a "cheesy" "cheap" "nasty" "tacky" feel to events rather than enhancing them??

[R59]

Firstly, the only difficulty getting in was caused by poor traffic light phasing on the M25/A20 roundabout - and all plod wanted to do was ride around on their Pan-Europeans/BMW's and seemed to do nothing about it - how can a 1/2mile queue on Europe's busiest motorway be safe or good?

I too found the FPA entertaining, I was watching on the infield at Druids by that time, after not finding a decent spot to watch the DTM around paddock because some plant had installed some bleedin' great black boards up blocking the view. It wouldn't have been so bad if they'd had some advertising on them!

The band - well, a Bryan Adams tribute that sounded almost as bad has any live band does with cr*p PA equipment played through a narrow band tannoy system.

I also agree with the comments about a certain blue heliochopter that took off at the most inopportune time for the air display. What were they thinking?

As Elio pointed out, the stunt show wasn't to everyone's taste, but could "you" do that?

I also feel that the DTM Taxi Rides should have been done at the end of the day, and the whole race programme compressed up some what closer. The gaps between races was far far too long. It's more quickfire at Rockingham on the Oval!!!

For me, the best race of the day, after the DTM, had to be the Historics. A shame that some of the big stuff never made it out, I was looking forward to seeing the 8Litre supercharged Bentley-Royce try to do battle with the Morgan Aero's.

One thing I did notice was lacking - medical support in the heat. I saw one young lady collapse at the bottom of Paddock, and it took about 5 minutes for one of the "Crowd Safety" people to stop being worried about someone sneaking into the over-priced grandstand there, and go and see - in fact it took another member of the public to collar him and summon assistance from St Johns, who then took another 5-10minutes to turn up. In the heat of the day, I would have expected that there would have been more first-aiders from both St Johns, and the Red Cross (who would have gladly volunteered if asked) to cover the event.

Add to that the ignorant people who threw their picnic blankets over the pathway bit of the spectator bank and took up residence, which again, could have had safety implications. Perhaps if the black boards weren't there further up the hill, the lower part of the bank wouldn't have been so full?

Getting out was a dream. So many people bogged off home once the DTM had finished, I couldn't believe it. Almost reminded me of a Brazillian GP once when Senna crashed out, and the crowd just upped and went home again, about 1/4 distance into the race! (or the Tifosi going home when Ferrari go DNF at Monza)

Other than that, my wife and I enjoyed the day.

If they come back, would I go again? Don't know. Only if they sort out the track activity programming, making it much more quick-fire. Does every recovery vehicle have to go for a ride around the circuit even when nobody fell off? Or is that just a Brands 'thing'.

Finally, well done to the boys in orange for their sterling work in difficult conditions. Hope that not to many of you resemble lobsters today.

Rob.