A1 Grand Prix

[Nordic]

I think the 30000 is as a result of the massive PR run before the event, If, and I hope it happens, the LMES runs at Brands next year and someone stumps up a decent buget for publicity, then that may see a decent crowd.
The fact is most events get zero radio or anything else these days.

On the downside 2 hours getting out from a race meeting is not going to draw the family person back IMHO.

I am ashamed to admit that I was one of the very few that saw the GP at Vegas in 82. The only time I have been to the states and i had to go there! (but I did share a hotel pool with Jackie Stuart)

[Fax]

No, driver safety wasn't the issue (although Cevert & Koinigg bought it there in armco related shunts)  the Glen was always regarded as one of the safest on the calendar.  It was all about moving the race to a big market and Watkins Glen is out in the boonies on the tip of Lake Senneca (a long way from NYC).  Not many places to hotel the posers and marketing managers mistresses.  The autumn weather could be dodgy also but that was part of its character.
Fax

[Fax]

Bernie was both running Brabham and head of FOCA.
Fax

[Rhino]

Was it Nigel Roebuck who bumped intp John Watson at Caesars Palace shopping arcade a couple of years ago. Talking of the old Las Vegas GP it was remarked that the shopping arcade had been built on the old circuit, and all the better for it!

[Fax]

Man that was one shitty little track, as was the one in Detroit, Dallas, Phoenix, etc.  The Glen drew massive crowds, but NOBODY gave a sh*t about those places.  The highlight being the time a local ostrich race out-drew the GP in Phoenix.
Fax

[Doris]

Well, I had a thoroughly enjoyable day yesterday.  The sun was shining, the racing was entertaining, and Team NZ did better than even I gave them credit for.  Oh how much did I enjoy the gloating I got out of it?  Doubt it will last though as Team GB did look strong until their untimely retirement. 

I have now broken my Brands Hatch cherry and what a great circuit it is.  I didn't even mind the hour and a half queue to get out of the car park.  Possibly because I was alseep.    Can't wait to go back next weekend for BTCC.

Will A1 be a real contender to win fans away from Bernie's contrived pile of sh*t?  Doubtful, but who really cares?  If it stays as entertaining as yesterday was then I'll keep watching.

[SteveZarse]

Agreed Fax, I am sure the racing was close and the support bill entertaining, but a 'world cup of drivers' it ain't, unless the football world cup is only going to draw its players from the 2nd or 3rd divison or the GB olympics team picks me for the 100m.

Piquet Junior aside (and his F3 races where not always the best) the rest do lack a bit of pedigee in order for it to be as billed.

Where it did score is the pre event publicity, radio ad's, newspapers, poster's etc. must have cost a packet, but it worked, 30000 paying punters. If only the LMES could do something along those lines.

You make a fair point Nordic if you're trying to be hypercritical, but I think it's a short sighted one (unless you've seen the future and A1 fails like a guppy fish out of water). For one thing, I'm sure each of the Teams would love to just 'pick' their best driver, but they can't.

Second, this was the first ever meeting of a totally new format in current World Motor Sport - the start of one man's dream coming to fruition. He probably hasn't got much else to do apart from count his barrels of oil, but it's still a hell of a lot of work. Generating enough sponsorship, talent and worldwide interest is no mean feat (and I have to say I never saw it advertised before the event) and credit where it's due, it was a good opening!

Admittedly A1 could still fade away after the briefest of appearances, but my feeling is that Sunday was just the beginning. Nelson Piquet Jr (IMO) took a bit of a gamble with his career by entering A1, and I hope for his sake that it pays off for him - he certainly seemed happy to be there. Maybe his performance, coupled with the overall success of the day, will convince other world class drivers to join in and challenge for what will one day be the 'World Cup of Drivers'.

I didn't buy my ticket expecting to see Michael Schumacher trying to hold off Jenson Button or Rossi or whoever going into Paddock - that was never going to happen. I went because I was excited by the prospect of it, and I still am. Given time, I'm sure it'll attract others, the prize money's gotta help (Fax, when is a Grand Prix not a Grand Prix? is $300,000 a race not enough? Should it be 'Petit Prix'?).

In short I loved it, even if the snoring Kiwi's gloating was unbearable. 

  F1 IS DEAD, LONG LIVE A1

[Fax]

Steve,
Sorry if I ruffled your feathers but as far as I'm concerned spec racing belongs at the club level.  Part of the attraction of road racing has always been technical diversity, thats one of the big gripes I have with contemporary F1, the tech regs strangle any attempt at innovation.  The diversity is what makes sportscar racing so appealing.  I've got no interest seeing a bunch of identical cars plod around around and I'm no xenophobe needing to wave my nations flag, I'll leave that for the stick & ball crowd.  If I want to see spec racing I can go to a SCCA regional and see plenty of good hard fought action.  Your going gaga over 30,000 people at a race meeting?  Big deal, thats the Friday crowd at a Rolex Grand-Am series weekend.
Fax

[SteveZarse]

Steve,
Sorry if I ruffled your feathers but as far as I'm concerned spec racing belongs at the club level.  Part of the attraction of road racing has always been technical diversity, thats one of the big gripes I have with contemporary F1, the tech regs strangle any attempt at innovation.  The diversity is what makes sportscar racing so appealing.  I've got no interest seeing a bunch of identical cars plod around around and I'm no xenophobe needing to wave my nations flag, I'll leave that for the stick & ball crowd.  If I want to see spec racing I can go to a SCCA regional and see plenty of good hard fought action.  Your going gaga over 30,000 people at a race meeting?  Big deal, thats the Friday crowd at a Rolex Grand-Am series weekend.
Fax

Hey Fax
Sorry, no feathers to ruffle - I'm as bald as they come - it's just a different perspective,
although I don't believe I even mentioned the size of the crowd, let alone went 'gaga' about it.
As you say, technical diversity is a big part of MotorSport in general, but as a driver, wouldn't you want to prove outright that you were the best? Without speculation about how much better your car was than the guy who finished in 2nd, three laps behind you? Schumacher'd get found out if he tried!!

[Fax]

Sorry about the crowd size thing, must have been someone else. (I was a bit heavy handed with that but I think they'll probably have to do really well at the gate right out of the shoot to survive, this will get expensive real quick)  As far as who's the best in equal equipment?  Good theory but rarely works in practice, invariably engineers and budgets will make the difference.  Its been tried over here with Indy Lights & Toyota Atlantic and you usually have the same teams at the head of the field regardless of who's driving.  Also some drivers just respond differently to cars and power.  Some guys look like world beaters in junior formulas but never cut it top levels.  We've been listening to Martin Brundle say he was as fast as Senna in F3 for twenty years now.
Fax

[Rhino]

I think it will depend on how they continue to promote it. Will they go for family frendly track racing with drivers and teams open to the public, or try for the hospitality and tv market. As the teams run the same cars they won't have to hide their cars so option 1 looks good.
Must say i hope it works, but there have been other one make series where cheque books have been waved and special chassis and bodywork can be made making some more equal than others.

[Lorry]

They do seem to go for the touchy feely thing where you can speak to people.  Bit like sports car racing.

The last time we got into the pits at Silverstone, (probably 20 years ago) Frank Williams welcomed us with "If you don't f*ck off out of here now, I'll call security"

Nice one Frank, I've supported your competitors (and gone to Le Mans) ever since.

[Bob U]

 That's F1 for you, and that was 20 years ago. God only knows what would happen if you managed to get in there nowadays.

  So much different to the LMES team personel, last year at Silverstone I was in the pit garages taking photos and the mechanics didn,t mind at all, I was chatting to McNish for about 5 minutes before he was called away to do some sponsorship stuff.

 IMO the touchy feely approach is the way forward. What can be any better for a young lad being taken to a race for the first time by his Dad and actually being able to talk to the team and see the cars at close hand.
 F1 is just this distant untouchable stuff they can only see from a distance or on the TV.

[Fax]

For these guys to adopt F1's elitist attitude would be slashing their own throats.  Usually I don't like the whole "we have it better than you" thing but over here all of the sanctioning bodies (ALMS-IMSA, Grand-AM, CART, IRL, NASCAR, NHRA, AMA, etc.) allow paddock access to the paying public at their races.  They all understand that an intimate relationship between the fans and competitors is essential to the health of the sport.  This weekend at the Petit, at one of the most important sportscar races of the year, the public is allowed in the paddock, FREE, and allowed on the grid before the start.
Fax

[Doris]

In short I loved it, even if the snoring Kiwi's gloating was unbearable. 

I was only making the most of the opportunity that was presented to me on Sunday.  If the shoe had been on the other foot - so to speak - I'm sure you would have done the same.

Also, I do not snore.  It is not becoming of a 'laydee' to do such a thing and I am hurt and wounded that you would even imply it.     Especially given what your snoring is like...