Let's Talk Turkey
Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 11:59AM
So, just a week after the Turkish F1 GP, they of no spectators and a track used three days a year, when Bernie has ensured us that the race will continue beyond their current contract, he has asked for twice the fee for the next ten years. This bumps it to $26m a year, about the figure the Governor of Texas says he is willing to tip in for Austin. Apparently discussions with the Government were cordial but unresolved, and they do not seem likely to cough it up, but if they do not they say the track will have to close as no one else uses it. Is Austin watching any of this?
Bernie has the best connections. Just when it seems that the Korean GP track will not be ready, an embarrassment for all, he makes a call to his mate in North Korea, and we have an international incident. Now we will have to cancel the race out of safety concerns. It is interesting that reportedly none of the teams had made travel or hotel reservations.
Sad news about Valentino Rossi, sounds like a nasty break to his leg. Riding with basically one arm could not have helped. Great to see Dr Costa there on the spot, looking like he has not aged a jot. If you do not know the story of Dr. Claudio Costa, the motorcyclists doctor and his Clinica Mobilia, then make it business to find out. He and his compatriots are amazing people. I know riders literally owe their life and limb to them. I am sure Valentino will do everything he can to get back on the bike, as I said yesterday, these tough cookies. Who can forget Mick Doohan riding almost all the '93 season with a broken leg, a leg he only had at all thanks to Claudio, and a thumb brake courtesy of Jeremy Burgess, now VR's Chief. It was not until he broke his collar bone at Laguna he stopped and had it fixed by Art Ting in California, wearing the worst looking contraption you have ever seen to get it to knit and straighten. Made me wince just to look at it, let alone have to turn the screws every morning to realign it.
So the 2010 Le Mans 24 hour officially starts tomorrow with inspections. If you ever plan a trip be sure to make a week of it, the inspection is as close as you will ever get to the cars and drivers and it is a great show that goes on for two days. While you are there do as we did and drive up to the Normandy beaches, especially Omaha which has the most incredible visitors center. Tomorrow is the anniversary of D-Day and real heroes.
In a way it is an unfortunate fact that this great race interrupts the ALMS season. The next ALMS race is in July, a break of two months. As others have found out, including the IRL, it is hard to build any momentum for a series if it does race on a consistent basis. I would believe that NASCAR has benefited from this, although I doubt there was a marketing genius behind it, more supply/demand, but you know almost without exception there is a race every weekend from February to November. Having worked with the TV guys I know they love to build a consistent program, so viewers do not have to look for them, like watching "House" or "Lost." Same day, same time every week, just turn the TV on and there it is. Channel Nine in Australia was trying to make the 10 pm slot Sunday nights a motor sport "series." This was the time we got the F1 and MotoGP races, and as inconvenient as it was any fan was not going to miss it.
So, how does ALMS build a TV audience when they do little or no advertising or promotion, and even a fan like me does not know when the next race is. They have to build up a better schedule, along with a car count, if it is going to survive. This is a problem for those US teams that want to compete in Le Mans, but they have made it from Laguna two weeks ago, and presumably could be back in two weeks, thus limiting the damage to the home show. The shortening of the Indianapolis 500 "Month of May" is as much to do with maintaining a presence on the track as the drop in interest in the 500. It also asks the question again, despite the value of the Le Mans name, dubious in the US context to any but avid fans, why should a US series be interested in anything other than maximising it's own show? Being tied to the Le Mans class structure and specs is unlikely to produce the best racing, and after all that isn't that what the fans want?
Bernie has the best connections. Just when it seems that the Korean GP track will not be ready, an embarrassment for all, he makes a call to his mate in North Korea, and we have an international incident. Now we will have to cancel the race out of safety concerns. It is interesting that reportedly none of the teams had made travel or hotel reservations.
Sad news about Valentino Rossi, sounds like a nasty break to his leg. Riding with basically one arm could not have helped. Great to see Dr Costa there on the spot, looking like he has not aged a jot. If you do not know the story of Dr. Claudio Costa, the motorcyclists doctor and his Clinica Mobilia, then make it business to find out. He and his compatriots are amazing people. I know riders literally owe their life and limb to them. I am sure Valentino will do everything he can to get back on the bike, as I said yesterday, these tough cookies. Who can forget Mick Doohan riding almost all the '93 season with a broken leg, a leg he only had at all thanks to Claudio, and a thumb brake courtesy of Jeremy Burgess, now VR's Chief. It was not until he broke his collar bone at Laguna he stopped and had it fixed by Art Ting in California, wearing the worst looking contraption you have ever seen to get it to knit and straighten. Made me wince just to look at it, let alone have to turn the screws every morning to realign it.
So the 2010 Le Mans 24 hour officially starts tomorrow with inspections. If you ever plan a trip be sure to make a week of it, the inspection is as close as you will ever get to the cars and drivers and it is a great show that goes on for two days. While you are there do as we did and drive up to the Normandy beaches, especially Omaha which has the most incredible visitors center. Tomorrow is the anniversary of D-Day and real heroes.
In a way it is an unfortunate fact that this great race interrupts the ALMS season. The next ALMS race is in July, a break of two months. As others have found out, including the IRL, it is hard to build any momentum for a series if it does race on a consistent basis. I would believe that NASCAR has benefited from this, although I doubt there was a marketing genius behind it, more supply/demand, but you know almost without exception there is a race every weekend from February to November. Having worked with the TV guys I know they love to build a consistent program, so viewers do not have to look for them, like watching "House" or "Lost." Same day, same time every week, just turn the TV on and there it is. Channel Nine in Australia was trying to make the 10 pm slot Sunday nights a motor sport "series." This was the time we got the F1 and MotoGP races, and as inconvenient as it was any fan was not going to miss it.
So, how does ALMS build a TV audience when they do little or no advertising or promotion, and even a fan like me does not know when the next race is. They have to build up a better schedule, along with a car count, if it is going to survive. This is a problem for those US teams that want to compete in Le Mans, but they have made it from Laguna two weeks ago, and presumably could be back in two weeks, thus limiting the damage to the home show. The shortening of the Indianapolis 500 "Month of May" is as much to do with maintaining a presence on the track as the drop in interest in the 500. It also asks the question again, despite the value of the Le Mans name, dubious in the US context to any but avid fans, why should a US series be interested in anything other than maximising it's own show? Being tied to the Le Mans class structure and specs is unlikely to produce the best racing, and after all that isn't that what the fans want?
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