What's the answer?

[ERC]

Thanks Rhys.

I had an in depth, interesting chat yesterday at Hampton Downs whilst sheltering from the rain, with someone intimately connected with the sport across most classes.

We both believe that any small grid is an absolute killer from several viewpoints - which have been covered in the past. We both believe passionately, that regardless of it being a Tier 1 meeting or a National meeting, absolutely no-one benefits from a small grid.

We also both believe that the time has come that any race meeting, (apart from maybe the Aussie V8s) has to be financially viable with a zero paying spectator expectation. Driver entry fees cover all the outgoings.

If sponsors want to throw money at a meeting and festoon the track with signage, paste billboards all over the place, pay for a series organiser or promote the meeting, pay for TV coverage, that is their choice, but getting people through the gate to balance the books is fraught with problems - including the weather.

Having got that far, we then discussed the problem of not just smaller grids, but to quote Tony Roberts, "The Chinese Warlord Mentality", where self interested potential warlords, set rules in place that have a high degree of self interest, either honourably motivated or otherwise, or, reject existing laid down rules because those rules are either flawed and unworkable, or do not reflect the wishes of sufficient drivers, but who can still put together a viable grid outside of those rules. (There is a case for both.)

From a meeting organisers perspective, we both believe that if a grid limit for saloons at Hampton Downs is 46 cars (national track) putting just 5 or 6 cars on track is absolutely pointless and ignores the negative effect on flag marshals, spectators and even the commentator, tasked with making a 4 or 5 car procession sound interesting - when it quite plainly isn't.

Whether it is tier 1 or a national event, if there are likely to be less than 15 single seater cars on a grid (other than maybe TRS), it HAS to be combined. No excuses.

For saloons, that minimum should be at least 20 cars. It is pointless having over 200 cars at a meeting (which is obviously good), if there are several races of small grids, doing little more than stretching out the meeting unnecessarily.

If there is a danger of one group all being lapped, in an 8 lap combined race, extend that race to 9 laps. Win - win.

Yes, that may be simplistic, because if say the grid of Toyota 86's is just 9 cars, Toyota who may be paying for TV coverage, may not take too kindly to a grid padded out with Suzuki Swifts (what happened to them?) and Minis. So who is really calling the shots and who is sending the sport downhill? Maybe the very people who are using the sport (and its officials) as a cost effective means of spending their advertising budget?

Getting a small one make grid televised is not making the sport exciting, though from a manufacturer's perspective, it is a far better spend than a newspaper that is tomorrow's chip wrapper.

It seems that most of the spend by MSNZ is the amateurs subsidising the professionals - which was Nigel's point. Surely, it has to change?

Not a fair comparison by any means but just for a laugh:

10:17am Goodwood Note - no catch fencing = great spectator experience



11:13am Pukekohe Note - catch fencing = poor spectator experience