Why I am against Silverstone 2004

[MGmad]

I am against the championship being a support race for the 2004 British GP because of one simple reason.
It gives priceless practice and 'fine-tuning' time to the whole team. The technicians, the engineers, and the drivers. It also makes for a valuable marketing tool for a public, unaware of the presence of the British Touring Car Champonship and the positive asspects it poseses. Like the closeness not even Formula 1 does not posess.

But because it mounts to nothing but a 'show' race, takes away much of the competitive spark that the championship really needs to showcase to the public to create the kind of appeal that will really put it into mainstream sporting coverage, in the media and press. the same level of coverage as Rugby, F1 and the main sport, football.

Make it a part of the championship campaign and see the revenue soar!

[Rob]

Originally posted by MGmad
I am against the championship being a support race for the 2004 British GP because of one simple reason.
It gives priceless practice and 'fine-tuning' time to the whole team. The technicians, the engineers, and the drivers. It also makes for a valuable marketing tool for a public, unaware of the presence of the British Touring Car Champonship and the positive asspects it poseses. Like the closeness not even Formula 1 does not posess.

But because it mounts to nothing but a 'show' race, takes away much of the competitive spark that the championship really needs to showcase to the public to create the kind of appeal that will really put it into mainstream sporting coverage, in the media and press. the same level of coverage as Rugby, F1 and the main sport, football.

Make it a part of the championship campaign and see the revenue soar!


Are you saying support the bgp will take the edge of the race because they wont get points?

Can you imagine matt neal or warren hughes giving up because they wont get points?

They are racing drivers, they do it to fuel there passion first and for points second.

If anything they will try just as hard to win, wanting victory infront of one of the biggest audiences of there career.

[oliver_sb85]

On the contrary I would have thought that the drivers would give it that extra effort in the support race to get a good result as it would grab the attention of the watching sponsors and crowd. There is also no reason to hold back with no championship points at stake and in a sense 'nothing to lose', that doesn't mean there is justification for poor driving and a demolition derby of course, im sure the teams would not appreciate that. But I think it will be thrilling to watch and a great event for the series to prove its worth.

[bramble]

that may be the case for the works teams, but people such as Rob Collard may not want to risk putting their car into the wall before the season is over, when there are no point to be won.

[MGmad]

I understand ALL drivers, CART, F1, GT, do it for the passion and not purely for the points but would you race if their was no points to be taken?

I understand their doesn't have to be the presence of points to showcase the series to the public and attract more media and press support. And of course more importantly public support where their will be an increased turnover in revenue through ticket sales and merchadise.

I understand they will not 'not try' just because their is no points.

But I am not saying 'not try' and 'give up'. What I am saying is surely the lure of having a goal, something to drive FOR, is much of what the BTCC is all about. battling for points. What would be the point of the championship if 'passion' was the sole driving force? We would be here till the end of the world.

Their needs to be something to battle for.

[Amanda]

MG Mad ~ you obviously don't know any racing drivers! I know quite a few from BTCC drivers to club racers, any of them race to win. Points or no points!

You don't get championship points for Le Mans do you? Drivers take part for the prestige which is exactly what will happen with the F1 support race.

There may be some who decide for financial reasons not to enter but that is entirely up to them. I feel most of them will enter because of the sponsorship and PR opportunities.

Being an F1 support race will bring BTCC to a whole new audience. Putting our own personal objections in front of it is not going to stop it. We need to think of the good of the championship over the next few years.

[runnyhunny]

As much as I don't like the Silverstone GP weekend, a non-championship race is EXCELLENT.

Why?

Because championships themselves are silly. They stop the drivers from concentrating fully on each race, and force them to think about points.

For example, if Thommo is running P2 at Rockingham, will he chase and fight hard with, say, Neal in P1? No, since he wouldn't want to risk the points-loss (of a DNF/spin, which makes his race 2 starting position worse!) to Muller.

Championships ruin races. There - said it! :)

[John]

There are lots of cases of people racing for no points - BTCC think of MG in 2001, Kelvin Burt in the Alfa in 02, as far as I'm aware Aaron Slight in 2001. There are also the guest drivers in the Porsche races who are not eligable to score points in the race.

I agree with those who say that people are less likely to hold back as they have less to lose - by that stage of the season the top few in the championship are unlikely to risk a move for the lead and will be happy to settle for 2nd, because points for 2nd are better than 0 for a DNF. I'd love to see Muller, Thompson and Neal (and others) this season having a straight fight like that. Another point.... the F1 race last week, if that was a one off non championship race I'd expect there'd have been a few more attempts at an overtaking manoever towards the end of the race!

[Alfa Fan]

I can see a number of crashes that weekend, it will be all or nothing racing!

[The Stig]

Think I might be with Amanda on this one. Whether or not you agree with the idea, Alan Gow needs to applauded for his efforts to raise the profile of the series. Personally I've never been enthused about paying as much as the British GP costs for a days motor racing. The entrance fee for Silverstone would grant me access to two or three Touring car rounds and cover my travel costs. For me it's a simple balance. Isn't that the beauty though, if you don't agree or can't afford it, stay home !

[Paul Rayner]

I wouldn't buy a ticket to the British grand prix at the current prices, even if Touring Cars is on the bill.

But there are 90,000 people who visit the F1 grand prix, and most of them won't shell out even £20 to visit a Touring Car race. CART at Brands won the BTCC some new fans (or won back some old ones), the F1 support should do the same.

As for no-one trying in such a race - ridiculous. It'll be the biggest race of the year - every team's sponsors will be there, which is a big enough financial/PR reason to to push it to the limit. If you don't like financial reasons then there'll be up to 90,000 people watching. What driver wouldn't love to win in front of the biggest crowd of the season?

[MGmad]

First of all you then are very lucky indeed Amanda to know so many BTCC drivers!! Secondly even I am not that daft. I know Le Mans is a once yearly race!!

Now, you all obviously don't know me!! Especially you Paul Rayner!!! I never said they wouldn't try!! Nor did I say the drivers wouldn't love to win in front of 90,000 fans
On the contrary I hope it to be a rip roaring success!!!! I welcomed it with open arms when it was first announced on Ceefax!!! If their is one way the BTCC can 'properly' attract a larger fan base it is to be a non-championship support race. During the season to much of the engineers and technicians time is concentrated onfine-tuning the cars. And to much of the drivers time is spent racing mainly for the team and only a little for themselves. Not enough PR is done during what is a very pitifully short season. Not enough it done to showcase themselves not just to the public but to sponsors who provide much of the revenue. Not enough is done to showcase themselves also to future drivers. The only PR they do is to sign a few autographs during the pit walkabout.
A whole day of just racing for the passion, for the attention of the fans. Brilliant.

But now my point. All to often I have caved into you and have been forced to change my opinion because so many of you have been againt me. But remember I am not saying that they won't try or any other balloney you sad people think I said!! All I actually meant is surely having something to fight for isn't all that bad!!!

[MGmad]

Further to my last reply a point I didn't make clear is best put in the form of a question.

How is the title decided?

If passion was the driving force we could go on till doomsday with no means of deciding who is champion. Points is the thing that somebody decided is the best way to determine the best team or sports man/woman in a sport. Can you imagine Man Utd playing Arsenal in a showcase match just for the passion of playing and not to score goals?

One non-championship support race has nothing to with my point. I applaud the decision to hold a non-championship race just for the driving pleasure and for the addulation of 80-90,000 fans. But please, have something that a driver can feel they have battled and beaten all the others for.

[davydriveshaft]

How about a The TOCA Forum Trophy. Then apart from all the good PR for the championship there drive have something to go for, a Trophy for the fans

just a idea.

[MGmad]

Are ya' trying to be sarcastic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought I was a bit immature at times on this thing!! You spoil this forum by saying sad, childish stuff like that!!!!

Now, repost your reply and this time DON'T try to be sarcastic!!

[davydriveshaft]

Yea im try to be sarcastic!!!!!!!!

god try and suggest somethink and you just get it throwing back in your face. I'll keep my mouth shut from now one

i dunno if you've read any of the other posts in the forum but i'm all for the BGP support race for like i said all the good PR and our TOCA lads will show the F1 rich kids what real racing is all about

[Paul Rayner]

MGMad,

Sorry if I took your comments the wrong way, but there'll obviously be a trophy to win, and if you add anything else I don't think it'd make much difference to the drivers.

There would be no point offering a huge prize fund as a publicity stunt because, whatever you do to the Touring Car race there, the 90,000 people there and the British media are going to be more interested in the result of the grand prix.

All the drivers wanted to do well in front of the Brands Hatch crowd at the CART meeting in May. It was a championship meeting, but it was THE meeting of the year, THE one where you wanted to win more than any other. There's prestige in simply winning in front of that many people.

[bramble]

is there any chance that the race could be shown live on ITV? if it is just after the GP, and the always like to promote the BTCC on the programme, then what better way to showcase the series than by showing the GP viewers what its all about.

[davydriveshaft]

good idea that might be good to put that forward to Alan and Richard to see what there can do

[MGmad]

Okay, i wil say it. You have wanted me to say it for ages. Just be prepared to give me the 'thank-you' I want in return.

I was wrong to have the opinion I used. I was wrong to feel I am in any way as qualified as you lot to have an opinion. Opinions are intelligent comments that can come only from many years of built up experience. I was wrong to feel that I am able to detach myself from the opinions.

So I have now quicky set about re-aligning myself with popular opinions so that you will find I am able to once again give youcomplete agreeance.

Points don't matter. Points are not drivers achieve on a race-by-race basis to achieve the trophy. It is passion. Passion for the sport is what makes the drivers challenge and take risks. All to often so far the Honda's and MG's have not challenged VX because of the fear of jeopardising their points that will be gained. But in the non-championship suport race we will see the drivers set free to challenge and take risks to beat VX. Especially the more attack minded drivers. I believe Warren is such a driver. I believe, as an MG Fan not an inexperienced moron, that Warren would dearly love to challenge but can't for fear of losing the team points. I also believe, and I hope I am righ on this one, this will make the other works teams that don't make the top 6-7 challenge.

The PR will be taken care of naturally through the attraction of the race.

But like I said I hope I am right on this one.