Lack of reporting

[Shaun]

so why did the Ruapuna round get more people at the track than the precious V8's? and that's without the 4000 plus different computers that logged in each weekend of the nationals to follow them via interweb coverage.

May I suggest that was because it was managed like a buisness event, and not just ho hum motorcycle race event

[jrandom]

Erm, instead of moaning, why not find somebody who is keen and semi-literate who can send a 250 and 500 word version of proceedings to local papers, together with some good action photos?

Anyone who's got the tools and the skills to get good action photos and write 500 publishable words is already making a living that way by servicing markets that have an audience and a genuine demand, and will have better things to do in their spare time than donate their work to what's basically a self-indulgent sport for the wealthy.

I just don't think anybody really cares. It's a niche sport. The audience, as with most niche sports, is comprised of people who do it themselves. (How many non-downhill-MTBers do you see spectating at downhill MTB events?)

If the stuff's any good, an editor may publish it and also slip the semi-literate contributor a bit of coin.

A bit, yeah. If one was a skilled writer and photographer and had a bit of luck. It'd work out to far below minimum wage for the hours of work it'd take to generate the content. Why would you bother? If you're that mad about the sport you're probably already too busy actually racing.

[Genestho]

Ah the good old KB keyboard media and marketing gurus

Classic Racing is run for the competitors not the spectators. I found this out this year when I finally after many years made the transition from wandering around the parking lot to racing a bike.

So why would a sponsor put significant amounts of money into racing, not JUST for the love of racing and so their rider can race for free or an event has a whole bunch of fun, they want value.
Trust me. They want to be on posters, they want to be talked about, they want people using their brand. Then they come back. It's not rocket science.

Disclaimer: Knowing how KB can turn; the above statement is in general terms, regarding racing and events. The organisers of this particular event did an amazing job and I'm annoyed at myself that I didn't go. Mmmkay? :P

[Voltaire]

So why would a sponsor put significant amounts of money into racing, not JUST for the love of racing and so their rider can race for free or an event has a whole bunch of fun, they want value.
Trust me. They want to be on posters, they want to be talked about, they want people using their brand. Then they come back. It's not rocket science.

Disclaimer: Knowing how KB can turn; the above statement is in general terms, regarding racing and events. The organisers of this particular event did an amazing job and I'm annoyed at myself that I didn't go. Mmmkay? :P

yep, you missed a good weekend alright.

[trustme]

Trust me. They want to be on posters, they want to be talked about, they want people using their brand. Then they come back. It's not rocket science.

Disclaimer: Knowing how KB can turn; the above statement is in general terms, regarding racing and events. The organisers of this particular event did an amazing job and I'm annoyed at myself that I didn't go. Mmmkay? :P

I get all that, the organisers did do a great job, somehow it missed the mark with non motorcyclists. The Paeroa meeting gets pushed on radio well prior to the race weekend but I heard none of that for this meeting, maybe I missed it.

[Dave-]

It's the "anti-social" (for lack of a better word) side of motorsport that keeps people away too I think.

Most race tracks are built as far away from civilization as practically possible, otherwise people will moan about the noise, so no one makes the trip.

It's not until you physically close the main road of a town that you grab peoples attention for a few hours, but holding on to it is like a flame in a gale.

Why not get consent (you caqn do this by just typing it on here right?) to close a main road in Auckland central and run the superbikes around?

Or better yet, not get consent and run the supers around? now THAT would get some attention.

[Bykmad]

I get all that, the organisers did do a great job, somehow it missed the mark with non motorcyclists. The Paeroa meeting gets pushed on radio well prior to the race weekend but I heard none of that for this meeting, maybe I missed it.

Radiosport, Newstalkzb, Classic Hits and Hauraki for a month before the meeting. Heard the ads 5 - 6 times a day on Classic Hits.

[nzmikey]

Ok so the NZSBK website has a report on the weekend it was short but none the less it was there : http://www.nzsbk.net/2012/10/cameron...r-classic.html

That would be a start for mainstream media & maybe they could then link to another website if people wanted more info eg : http://www.barrysheenetranstasman.co.nz/

It is also not not like this was a "small" event .

The largest International Road Race meeting in NZ's history, surpassing the Marlboro Series, is how the Barry SheeneTrans Tasman Chalenge panned out. That put a community of between 1,000 to 1200 people in the pits as family and pitcrews helped their riders or swingers, all enthusiasts of older motorcycles.

It just needs some more oompph to get it out there for the money paying public, Paeroa has that as does Whanganui so why cant we get it sorted for track events ??

The sad fact is, if they dont get bums on seats they will have to raise the cost of entry which in turn would put racers off, if racers dont want to race then people wont turn up .... yeah you can see where that is going .

( I think that was said further up )

As for radio advertising .... holy shit that aint cheep .


I think that the people that ran the event did a great job, it would have been mayhem trying to get 30 bikes ( combo of bikes & chairs ) over from Oz & clearing customs, getting them to the track along with other behind the scenes shite .

[Maha]

Libra Tampons might sponser? for a plug here and there....

[nzmikey]

Libra Tampons might sponser? for a plug here and there....

well that took longer than I expected

[tail_end_charlie]

Libra Tampons might sponser? for a plug here and there....

You'll have to pull some strings to get entry into that race...................

[jasonu]

So either I am looking in the wrong place or the media guys don't seem to give a shite about bike racing in NZ

After spending 3 days down at Hamptons on the side of the track looking like a 5'5 carrot & watching camera guys going around the track taking photos, I am some what stunned that none of it makes it into mainstream news under the "motorsport" heading, it all seems to be V8's, NASCAR, WRC, F1 etc .......

It is a shame since this was a Trans Tasman Challenge & showcasing some great older machines .


/rant

If there had been a pile up killing hundreds or some sort of explosion the meeting would have made the front page.
A few years ago I was at Pukekohe (flagging) for the nationals. After the meeting and while we were collecting the crash bags etc some coons drove onto the track and at very high speed they
t-boned Warren News car (that was full of people). As it turned out the perps had some relation or connection to the Black Power. Bet you can guess what part of that meeting made the news...

[jasonu]

Youre right, No one gives a shit about bike racing in NZ, but why would you they are third rate events run by third rate people, they lost the ball along time ago and forgot that the dollar has to be earnt from the public, not expected.................no "show" means no dollar, means no interest, means no one cares and thats particularly true in a tiny insignificant country like ours

Positive chap ain't ya ?

Realistic I'd say.

[jasonu]

It's not a unique problem that only NZ has.
National coverage of M/C racing in the US has the same issues from what I hear and read .... unless something dramatic happens.? etc

Not true. Most if not all of the AMA national rounds (superbike, Supersport600 and Daytona classes) all make it on SpeedTV usually on the same weekend of the meeting, sometimes live if held at a WSB or MotoGP meeting.

[nzmikey]

If there had been a pile up killing hundreds or some sort of explosion the meeting would have made the front page.
A few years ago I was at Pukekohe (flagging) for the nationals. After the meeting and while we were collecting the crash bags etc some coons drove onto the track and at very high speed they
t-boned Warren News car (that was full of people). As it turned out the perps had some relation or connection to the Black Power. Bet you can guess what part of that meeting made the news...

holy shit that would suck

& those bastard bales are STILL there