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From: FHammett <FHammett@aol.com>
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To: ATROZ@compuserve.com
Cc: vintage-race@auto.team.net
Subject: Re: Tasman Series(and more about commercials)
Date: Sat, 3 Jan 1998 23:08:33 EST
Organization: AOL (http://www.aol.com)
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Jeremy made a posting lamenting that the Assies are having trouble getting the
funds needed to really promote vintage racing in Australia, which is even more
expensive due to the distance and remoteness. (sorry, I cant get my <>
thingys to work)
I have heard that in the US we have less than 5000 licensed race drivers ( as
of 1995). And that includes SCCA, Nasca, professional , vintage etc. And how
many of the license holders don't race anymore? Or at least not much?
Well this will tell you why commercial sponsership is minor. If the sponsor
knows he can only advertise to the few participants or their families he knows
he has a tiny market. And of course the same market (or drivers ) keep
showing up at every race. I have heard in postings about certain events that
bring in 30,000 spectators to vintage racing, but I have not seen any more
that several hundred at most events at Rd. Atl, Sebring or Homestead (other
than freinds pit crew or family).
Inorder to get more sponsers the sport needs more spectators. And as my post
and responses to it show, that doesn't come without tradeoffs. Some in this
sport do not think the benefits are worth the cost.
The problem is, which you have identified, that sometimes you need big money
to put on an exciting and a wide range of events. This money must come from
somewhere. Either from sponsors or from an elite and wealthy group of
drivers.
The sponserships and commercializing I see at the race don't trouble me. It
was that way when vintage wasn't vintage. IE when the original racing was
going on. It is that way in racing everywhere and is part of the of the sport.
This sport isn't fishing. It needs money to survive,and to the extent it gets
it I think we, the participants will be better off.. I had some contact with
the old owners of Road Atlanta. For several years it was very difficult if
not impossible to show a profit. With the suburbs of Atlanta moving North, it
would be much more profitable to put in an expensive housing subdivision.
Lucky we were that the Panos family purchased the track before that happened.
Money to them seems not to be a problem, and they are interested in the sport.
They may not need to make a profit, other track owners do.
Frank
the ruptured duck
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