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Post by Blair on Dec 6, 2006 22:55:16 GMT
The 2007 BTCC calendar:
Date Circuit, County
31 March-1 April Brands Hatch, Kent
21-22 April Rockingham, Northamptonshire
5-6 May Thruxton, Hampshire
2-3 June Croft, North Yorkshire
23-24 June Oulton Park, Cheshire
14-15 July Donington Park, Leicestershire
28-29 July Snetterton, Norfolk
18-19 August Brands Hatch, Kent
1-2 September Knockhill, Fife
13-14 October Thruxton, Hampshire
The 22 April date was TBA for a week or so there, everyone thought it was Silverstone but for what must be the first time ever on a BTCC calendar it isn't there. Don't know what happened there, 30,000 people went to the final meeting in October.
Going to be making a few trips next year I think though!
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Post by Mike Hogg on Dec 7, 2006 2:18:34 GMT
As long as Knockhill keeps it's place I couldn't care less, first and foremost.  It's a surprise but maybe Alan Gow felt like giving the "other" circuit in that area a turn? I know a spirit of fairness has long since died at most top levels of motorsport but you never know. Besides which, something pretty drastic must have happened for Thruxton to have two rounds and Silverstone none. |
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Post by andrew on Dec 7, 2006 10:44:17 GMT
thruxton is in twice because mondello was dropped and they needed something to fill the gap.
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Post by Mike Hogg on Dec 7, 2006 12:28:35 GMT
thruxton is in twice because mondello was dropped and they needed something to fill the gap. Nice to have a British Championship that actually stays within the UK for a change rather than having half the rounds abroad *coughF3GTcough* |
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Post by dagman16 on Dec 7, 2006 14:54:14 GMT
Seemingly Silverstone lost out because they already had something else on that weekend! Also, they were heavily criticised at this year's finale because of the traffic problems.
Seemingly they were unprepared for the 33,000 that turned up!
They're still trying to negotiate something.
Still, as Mike said, doesn't bother me as long as we have our round!
If you're wondering why the big gap between us and Thruxton, it's because of the Rugby World Cup for which ITV have the exclusive TV rights.
David
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Post by Mike Hogg on Dec 20, 2006 14:19:24 GMT
Motors TV have dropped their live coverage... no more all 3 BTCC races and all the supports live at each meeting. That means all we get now is ITV's hopeless coverage with race starts missed while they have those oh-so-important ad breaks that knacker the F1 coverage, only the third race live with the first two races shown as butchered "highlights" and (worst of all) that simpering wench Vicky bloody Butler Henderson who I managed to avoid by just watching the Motors coverage. Urgh.
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Post by Dave on Dec 20, 2006 14:40:30 GMT
Motors TV have dropped their live coverage... no more all 3 BTCC races and all the supports live at each meeting. That means all we get now is ITV's hopeless coverage with race starts missed while they have those oh-so-important ad breaks that knacker the F1 coverage, only the third race live with the first two races shown as butchered "highlights" and (worst of all) that simpering wench Vicky bloody Butler Henderson who I managed to avoid by just watching the Motors coverage. Urgh. That is very very bad!   |
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Post by Charlie on Dec 21, 2006 5:30:56 GMT
Perhaps Motors TV think the proposed SMRC coverage will be more exciting. ;D
(I never really liked the dodgem car format the BTCC became anyway)
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Post by awsponsor on Dec 21, 2006 17:45:02 GMT
Could anyone possibly deny that a clutch of XR2's hurtling into Duffus isn't a lot more exciting than anything BTCC could throw up ;D It's a pity though that Motors TV have given this up..But, it's a French station so bound to be more continental in its thinking.. ITV will never cover it properly because it's not football. So - next step has to be to start our own TV Station..  |
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Post by Charlie on Dec 21, 2006 22:36:55 GMT
So - next step has to be to start our own TV Station.. Well, its possible. When we switch to digital in a few years, the current broadcast frequencies are to be auctioned off and the bandwidth sold for other purposes, including local TV stations. TV Knockhill, with comentators Gary, Dunc and co. ;D  Oh No! X rated motorsport |
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Post by Blair on Dec 22, 2006 21:23:08 GMT
The Motors TV btcc got 8% of the audience that ITV1 got, which apparently works out at about 80,000. The support races only got around 15,000 viewers.
DTM gets 200,000 viewers and there are 7 clashes with the BTCC in 2007 so it's obvious which one any business is going for..
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Post by Racemania on Dec 23, 2006 10:08:19 GMT
The Motors TV btcc got 8% of the audience that ITV1 got, which apparently works out at about 80,000. The support races only got around 15,000 viewers. DTM gets 200,000 viewers and there are 7 clashes with the BTCC in 2007 so it's obvious which one any business is going for.. So use these figures and the mini's were watched by the competing drivers times X for the average relatives with Sky! So the best "The best of Scottish Motor Racing" could do is a multiple of X times the entry. If X = 5 then Wow thats almost the same as the spectators we get at the Racing. These figures are depressing surely they must mean when it goes out live but Motors repeats everything about 3 or 4 times each week so overall viewers should be higher. Shouldn't they Ali |
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Post by awsponsor on Dec 23, 2006 11:09:25 GMT
Like it or not there is little interest amongst the punters in club motorsport or indeed any motorsport outside F1... That said I was reading some figs somewhere recently that suggested that even F1 viewing figs had fallen dramatically in the last couple of years.
One of the main problems is press coverage. It's very rare for anything about any of the SMRC or other events to appear in any of the mainstream Scottish newspapers. They dedicate most sports space to "fitbah" as indeed do our regional broadcasters.
Personally, I think they're really missing a trick here but on the other hand I've no idea to what extent SMRC or even Knockhill are working to overcome this. Is there a dedicated SMRC Press/TV person for example? I've nae idea. Anyone enlighten me?
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Post by Mike Hogg on Dec 23, 2006 12:30:06 GMT
Is there a dedicated SMRC Press/TV person for example? I've nae idea. Anyone enlighten me? I don't think so - Kevin Pick writes up most of the press items I believe (I doubt it's his fulltime job but as with most things I might be wrong on that) but the only place outside of SMRC members only literature (which non-members like me can pick up in the Knockhill circuit office if anyone wants it) I've seen anything by him has been the tiny Club section in the back of F1AutosportF1MagazineF1 (which I barely ever read any more as I'm not interested in the saturation F1 coverage and WRC with it's 3 works cars). I don't think the SMRC are hugely concerned with Joe Public coming to the races as they are really only interested in the club members who provide them with the revenue to keep everything ticking along, in fact they probably wouldn't care too much if there were no spectators at all I imagine. It would be mostly in Knockhill's interest to push the racing but the Hot Hatch stuff is far more profitable for them so understandably all their advertising goes into hot hatch/hot marque track days, the motor fair, BTCC/Superbikes and of course the frankly brilliant Experiences. Crowds at the SMRC races have expanded a bit over the last few years (remember the 3 people or so at the track in 1999? It was a lonely time to be trackside...) but I don't know where they came from. Maybe there has indeed been some advertising in the population centres? |
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Post by Blair on Dec 24, 2006 0:31:57 GMT
Ali I think Motors will gladly take any motorsport programme providing they don't have to pay for it. They didn't have to pay anything for the BTCC, just a satellite link from the circuit.
It's a shame theres so many clashes with the DTM next year or else I'm sure they might have kept showing the BTCC. Just that there is more revenue to be had in showing the DTM over BTCC.
Mike I agree with your point about the SMRC being happy in simply ticking along. As long as the entry fees they get pay for running costs I'm sure they not bothered. People wanting to race will as long as they have the budget, its not as if the SMRC has to provide a good promotional case to sponsors as I doubt there are any sponsors in the SMRC series that make a profit from their investments.
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