Andrew, Jeremy et al,
>Jeremy wrote....
>
>"Notwithstanding Pursey's contention .. I actually have nothing against
>tintops - in fact I started my race career in Escorts and still have very
>fond memories."
>
>I note the final placings in the 1976 Australian Touring Car Championship
and there is a certain J Braithwaite in an Escort - what happened to that car?
Go on, tell us where, there's no point holding back on the precise gorey
details of JB's excellence in his heyday. (Actually, with the way he's been
going recently, I suspect his heyday is the contemporary era or historics,
if that isn't another mixed metaphor too far).
>"Back to your comments though - the speedway guys seem to understand
>promotion in a way that is competely foreign to vintage race promoters. I
>suspect that the main reaosn for this is that speedway doesn't work
>financially if they don't get a crowd - whereas in vintage racing we are
>paying to race. We also don't race frequently enough to build up a regular
>race crowd."
>
>I think one problem was the CAMS attitude towards Historics. If a promoter
undertook extensive advertising to attract spectators then CAMS would
require the promoter to upgrade the status of the race meeting and
(surprise, surprise) pay a larger licence fee. This has now started to
change, so we should expect to see more promotion in future, I hope.
Glad to hear that CAMS are wising up to this. This has long been a venal and
stupid attituide with ASNs which has held back good promotion of motorsport.
In the old days the RAC used to insist on advertising permits as a "tax" on
sponsorship (course nobody in Northern Ireland ever enforced one) which on
the mainland caused lots of problems for guys who got small stipends and
then paid set fee to the RAC which might have been a third of the deal.
>Tin tops, in the shape of Group N Classic Touring Cars, have been an
invited category to act as a support feature at various major race meetings
over the past seasons - see Appendix J info at
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~appendj/. As a result the historic tourers have
attracted a following and some television coverage (albeit sometimes some
time after the event). Maybe there should be greater encouragement of
Historic categories as support races at major race meetings - it might
increase interest and attract new competitors?
I think this is an excellent idea as it broadens interest in historic racing
and also gets the message out onto the streets outside of historic only
races. Plus the fact that if either the proximity of Appendix J or the sheer
impossibility of your angles (Oxfords and that St. John Cox Jaguar for
instance) don't stir the blood of the spectators then nothing will!
Regards,
Patrick
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