Have racers gone soft?

[Tony.OK]

the series needs cash injection to promote, look at the NZ V8 series they get massive interest and entires why cant we get to the same level?

A huge cash injection! Its just a viscious cycle, who's gonna invest when there's such little coverage? Look what happened to rnd 1 coverage.............it didn't happen, and no one knows when it will air now.

V8's are run as businesses that have promoters and managers hunting sponsors down, its not left to local clubs to organise and pay for themselves, when there's no coverage how do you sell the sport to a sponsor?

Apart from the few top runners per class, this sport is just a hobbie to most, there really isn't much of a ladder to climb as with other sports, speaking from an F1 point of view, most guys out there are 30+ and now have some spare money to have this hobby, but aren't prepared to risk everything just to bolster numbers knowing that nothing will come of it sponsorship wise..............another viscious cycle?

I'm prob just cynical cause it got too expensive for me...................but it wasn't from a lack of trying to get some support.

[CHOPPA]

Choppa's entered then!

lol na im just unorganised

[cowpoos]

Last time I wandered into a vic club event, it didn't look like it was desperate for support. It was more like us desperate for a car park.

Steve

Are you used to thinking/using the word desperate alot steven?

[cowpoos]

Except for the Sidecar guys (with the exception of that poofta Scrivy) we're all hard as nails

yes yes you are if....we substitute hard for squishy and nails for jelly!!

[FROSTY:Me]

Guys I asked the question 3 years ago and frankly I dont think the answers have changed much.
I said it back then that asking racers whats needed is like asking politicians if MMP should stay.
Asking within racing circles will do NADA ask the general biking population first what would attract them.
Then have a go at the petrolhead four wheel guys.

Yea--draggin up an old thread but doesn't that exactly prove the point

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...54#post1294354

[lostinflyz]

Guys I asked the question 3 years ago and frankly I dont think the answers have changed much.
I said it back then that asking racers whats needed is like asking politicians if MMP should stay.
Asking within racing circles will do NADA ask the general biking population first what would attract them.
Then have a go at the petrolhead four wheel guys.

Yea--draggin up an old thread but doesn't that exactly prove the point

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...54#post1294354

going through your summary post motorcycling canterbury did have quite a few of your suggestions at this years NZGP meet (nats ruapuna). food stalls, trade displays, not sure if they had things for kids,but i know sound of thunder usually does so theres no reason they couldn't have. and a few more loos than normal

[slowpoke]

What Sane business would throw money at it.........big money? to get it even close to the V8s.

the format is wrong..........proof ? Paeroa and Wanganui there is proof, two motorcycle events that get massive attendance and exposure, why dont these people go to the Nationals, why arent there thousands of people at the nationals ? because its dull and boring to them (not to me but to the masses) make an event a BIG EVENT, get the people, make it a day of variety and attractions for all sorts of people, trade shows, face painting bouncy castles, bands, bars, wet T shirts I dunno anything !! what is there for the kids and the ladies ?

and the sponsor dollars will follow which will improve the sport all the way to the poor broken arse racers

I hear what you're sayin' Brett but I don't think the public find it dull and boring, I just don't think they find it at all ie: they don't even know it's on. Hard to ignore a street meet, and after a point the publicity becomes self generating and the atmosphere self generating, hence racers and the public are drawn there even with shitty toilets(excuse pun) and bugger all for kids, crap food etc.

But we are our own worst enemy. The average club racer would rather be 6th in a club meeting than have their fragile ego bubble burst by finishing 12th in a National's event. We winge and bitch about MNZ and the mostly vlounteer crew not doing enough when we can't even be arsed to attend our own local National's event.

Forget MNZ, there needs to be a culture change within the pits, because thanks to our own apathy towards the National's there is hardly anything worth televising apart from the dedicated few who front up year after year (thanks Craig, Stroudy, Nick, Jimmy, Dennis, Glen Terry and co, you put on a fantastic show anyway).

Sure not everyone can attend every meeting throughout a year we've all got lives and priorities to organise, but the local Nat's round should naturally be a highlight of everyones race calendar, instead it's something to be avoided. I look at what the Vic Club are doing next round with the fee's and wonder what more can be done, it's cheaper than a club meeting, so the club is doing all it can with some innovative thinking (cheap race entry, free entry for spectators).

After talking to Stroudy, Craig, Choppa, Glen Williams etc and these blokes would love to see more bikes on the grid and couldn't be more encouraging even to a mid-pack club racer like myself. So that leaves us, the racers, as the problem.....not MNZ, not TV, not lack of money (the numbers are healthy at a club meeting or the Tri Series). We're wusses who are more worried about looking average one meeting a year than using that meeting to learn from the best.

[ajturbo]

Last time I wandered into a vic club event, it didn't look like it was desperate for support. It was more like us desperate for a car park.

Steve

that would have been a club race day..

NOT the nationals..
for some reason the "local' club members are not racing for two days for the price of a little over one day!!!!

in fact IF the CR was able to get into a class... and i was allowed to race it....

[Shaun]

Slowpoke said

"After talking to Stroudy, Craig, Choppa, Glen Williams etc and these blokes would love to see more bikes on the grid and couldn't be more encouraging even to a mid-pack club racer like myself. So that leaves us, the racers, as the problem.....not MNZ, not TV, not lack of money (the numbers are healthy at a club meeting or the Tri Series). We're wusses who are more worried about looking average one meeting a year than using that meeting to learn from the best. "


You are so correct mete. I have been involved for 25 years now, and the riders have always been apethetic, and just choose to bag the name MNZ all the time

[Quasievil]

here is a question for you then guys

does the same level of apathy apply to Paeroa and Wanganui ??

I would suggest no, reason is most want to be part of the BIG SHOW that is Paeroa and Wanganui

They are big events, and riders want to be part of it

[Tony.OK]

here is a question for you then guys

does the same level of apathy apply to Paeroa and Wanganui ??

I would suggest no, reason is most want to be part of the BIG SHOW that is Paeroa and Wanganui

They are big events, and riders want to be part of it

Could just be that having done Paeroa a week before.........there ain't enough money to do another meeting a week later.............nah it wouldn't be that simple would it?

[FROSTY:Me]

As I posted earier how much influence on entries and staffing did the fact that the manfeild round is the same weekend as a major international race meeting in Australia.
Knowing this why were nclub officials NOT allowed to move the meeting back a week?

[Quasievil]

Could just be that having done Paeroa a week before.........there ain't enough money to do another meeting a week later.............nah it wouldn't be that simple would it?

Depends how you feel about the importance of each event really.
If the Nationals had a crowd and spectator attendance like Paeroa, I would argue that Paeroa would be the looser.

I think alot of the issues with the rider numbers at the Nationals is due to there is simply not enough riders who class themselves as NZ Nationals material (frankly speaking) we are only a small country afterall, so why would many lower classed riders have a crack at the long drawn out and expensive Nationals rounds?

Formats wrong people..............clearly

[slowpoke]

here is a question for you then guys

does the same level of apathy apply to Paeroa and Wanganui ??

I would suggest no, reason is most want to be part of the BIG SHOW that is Paeroa and Wanganui

They are big events, and riders want to be part of it

Yes and no. Wanganui and Paeroa are a big show alright, no argument there.

But racers expect the National's events to grow without any input from themselves: it's everybody's fault but there own when it comes to pointing the finger.

In actual fact if everyone turned up, even if just to their local round, in a couple of years the Nationals would be just as big as the street meets or the Tri-Series event at Manfeild or Scrivy's Road Race Spectacular and our racing landscape would be transformed. MNZ would actually have something to promote.

Instead we can't be bothered to turn up and expect MNZ to pull a rabbit outta the hat and get TV/sponsors/public along.....and then we'll turn up. It just defies logic and leads to an inevitable result.

Sure the timing of Paeroa before one of the rounds could be seen as a burden, but no-one complains at the Tri-Series timing, and the TRRS is chocka's even though it's the 3rd of three closely spaced events. But to be fair, the street meets are a once a year (at each circuit) novelty, for both public and racers, so to compare them to our usual tracks isn't really kosher.

Sure there are things that can be improved with publicity and the like but the sea change can only start with us. Until we are prepared to start turning up, we can't expect any meaningful change.

Edit: "National's material"...w What is this material you speak of, lol? I thought we were racing for fun? Whether I'm coming 10th at club level or 15th at National's how is it any less fun? One round or the whole lot, it's all good.

[Quasievil]

Edit: "National's material"...w What is this material you speak of, lol? I thought we were racing for fun? Whether I'm coming 10th at club level or 15th at National's how is it any less fun? One round or the whole lot, it's all good.

Not to be read the wrong way (as KB does) I meant perhaps the rider doesnt feel he is up to it (maybe rightly who knows) so doesnt bother with the Nationals