Patrick
<<I don't agree with ther frequency of race argument on building up a
crowd.
To be honest the speedway audience is one where the majority are blue
collar
folk and like regular entertainment on a Friday or whatever day speedway=
is
on - the froth on the cake is of course the "blow-ins (e.g. me) who are
largely too busy but come occasionally armed with a batch of nephews and
other major league consumption devices on legs). With historic racing the=
audience is generally more likely to be occupied with other activities
(particularly as speedway tends to be an evening activity and racing is a=
daytime one), therefore, the key to getting bums at historic racing is
clever marketing, good branding of the events (i.e. making them feel
exclusive - after all, they only happen relatively rarely etc. etc.).
Similarly, the audience for historic racing often tends to be more mature=
than speedway in terms of age and therefore these folk only take their
consumption devices (e.g. children and most likely grandchildren) out on
limited errands, unless they have substantial superannuation to cover the=
natural wastage etc. Am I making sense? In the words, of Philasster Chase=
Johnson, "Cheer up, the worst is yet to come."
Anyway, historic racing is a very packageable thing for spectatosrs and n=
ot
just at Monterey or Coys or the Goodwood festival of speed etc. (IMHO) bu=
t
it does require more commercial orientation on the part of organisres and=
this they either lack or just have not got time to do. Oh, and don't forg=
et
that those who rue the lack of promotion in some forms of historic racing=
but love the speedway promotion formula, ought to bear in mind that their=
democratic rights in speedway are pretty much zip. However, if it brings =
in
the crowds, I don't tend to think that's such a great loss. The good
promoters have a good feel for driver desires and will try to match them
with the economic realities. In historic racing, as things stabnd,
democracy
usually just amounts to large entry fees anyway.
Of course, there are also those who would rather run a mile than see
historic racing commercialised but I think this can be achieved without
putting the emphasis on dodgy concepts such as outright victory. Providin=
g
a
spectacle and allowing appropriate classes to have individual car
sponsorhip
dollars as well as good series/ race sponsorhip can go a long way. Even
most
club hoistoric races are a meeting of the sort of folk who expensive /
luxury product advertisers drool over attracting to their brands. Histori=
c
racing ought to be capitalising on that exclusivity...but then I suspect =
in
this instance I am already preaching to the converted.>>
The frequency thing can be every week or every year on a certain date ...=
=2E
you'll be amazed at Amaroo where we get a crowd that seems at least as bi=
g
as the TPCA boys got for their "Grand Final" at the same circuit in
November. Why? Because people know the event is on the same date - it h=
as
been since 1984 - and really look forward to it.
Agree 100% with your comments about the opportunity to promote historic
racing. But you can't do it unless you either own the event - or get a
long term agreement from the present organiser (some of whom think they a=
re
promoters!)
regards
Jeremy Braithwaite
Age & Treachery Racing Australia
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