Sol Real
Tuesday, August 17, 2010 at 12:25PM
As the motorsport world is getting back to business I thought I would just bring you up to date on the Sol Real project. Still early days and we continue to present to would-be members. Starting to move beyond that to begin the engineering process and think through the operations and management once we are up and running. Potential members ask a lot of questions about how this is going to work, so we need to have the answers, and be ready to turn the switch on once we do have pavement.
Looking at membership databases, and what sort of information we want to store on our members. No point in re-inventing the wheel if there is something out there that will do what we want. We have the people to write exactly what we need, but then there is all the testing to make sure it works, and the ongoing support.
Meeting with the local engineer down at the site later this week. I always like to work with a local engineer, he knows the codes, soils, materials and contractors better than I obviously do, so with my input on the racing side we get the best of both worlds.
Seems we are stirring up the other tracks in the region. First there was the one who did not want me to come and inspect it for the SCCA, and now another is getting all out of shape about some things on our web site. We must be doing things right. Healthy competition is what this country is about. I recall when I rebuilt Phillip Island and wanted a Touring Car race CAMS said we had to get the OK from all the other tracks within 200 miles! You can guess how well that worked. Talk about restraint of trade. If you have confidence in your own product why do you fear the competition. As I said before, let's grow the market by providing more places for people to go rather than fight over the last couple left because there are no decent tracks. Some Country Clubs are collaborating by offering driving rights at each others venues, now that is building the market. Not sure that I would want to do that unless the other venue is on par commercially, it might devalue our membership.
Not much other excitement, MotoGP had a test day at Brno and Lorenzo was still quickest. Rossi still running around fourth. Do we think this is still the leg and shoulder problem, or is he accepting this year is done and waiting for Ducati? Hard to see such a competitor doing that, but I am surprised how he did not run better at Brno. Any comments?
Looking at membership databases, and what sort of information we want to store on our members. No point in re-inventing the wheel if there is something out there that will do what we want. We have the people to write exactly what we need, but then there is all the testing to make sure it works, and the ongoing support.
Meeting with the local engineer down at the site later this week. I always like to work with a local engineer, he knows the codes, soils, materials and contractors better than I obviously do, so with my input on the racing side we get the best of both worlds.
Seems we are stirring up the other tracks in the region. First there was the one who did not want me to come and inspect it for the SCCA, and now another is getting all out of shape about some things on our web site. We must be doing things right. Healthy competition is what this country is about. I recall when I rebuilt Phillip Island and wanted a Touring Car race CAMS said we had to get the OK from all the other tracks within 200 miles! You can guess how well that worked. Talk about restraint of trade. If you have confidence in your own product why do you fear the competition. As I said before, let's grow the market by providing more places for people to go rather than fight over the last couple left because there are no decent tracks. Some Country Clubs are collaborating by offering driving rights at each others venues, now that is building the market. Not sure that I would want to do that unless the other venue is on par commercially, it might devalue our membership.
Not much other excitement, MotoGP had a test day at Brno and Lorenzo was still quickest. Rossi still running around fourth. Do we think this is still the leg and shoulder problem, or is he accepting this year is done and waiting for Ducati? Hard to see such a competitor doing that, but I am surprised how he did not run better at Brno. Any comments?
Reader Comments (1)
Could have been a set up problem for Vale at Brno, the crash in practice might have knocked him back a bit as well. That track pushes the front end so much, it's what you might call a "confidence" track. Probably more so than any others on the calender, a motorcycle never feels more unhappy if the front end is not quite there and transfers that unhappiness directly to it's rider. Just a theory, I'll buy the MCN tomorrow and read something completly different.
Still talking about Mr Rossi, I see the Italian Press have raised the F1 rumours again. Apparently his father was quoted as saying that his son's F1 debut comes at the end of his 2 year contract with Ducati. What a load of hoary old chestnuts.