Some more ideas on growing the Nationals

[Danger Dave]

The way I see it as a sales marketing kinda guy its a simple process to make the NZ Nationals a bigger and a more successful event for all but you cannot have everything in my view.
If you are wanting big crowds and therefore big sponsorship dollars having a round in the middle of nowhere every few weeks is not going to attract the crowds and there it is not going to attract the sponsor dollar.
The Nationals are dragged out for far to long over the whole country making it a drip by drip event and a expensive event for those participating, and in fact a prohibitive event for many to enter, what was it 9 bikes last round and possibly a cancellation??
The way it is being done presently clearly doesnt work and will never work in my view, and despite some moron cockless twat tagging me as a blowarse I still say you need to have the entire event run over a long weekend at a location near a main population ie Hampton Downs.

Look at other motorsport events such as A1 GP, the Hamilton 400 very successful events, if any of them were run over 3-4 months the event wouldnt be covered as much on TV, the crowds would be smaller and sponsorship dollar would be smaller, and I guarantee you the number of entries would be smaller, I will also go so far as to say bikes are far more exciting!!

I also believe that doing it this way would encourage greater rider numbers at club level events due to the need for more track time as opposed to riders solely aiming for the Nationals rounds and picking of a few club rounds for setup and practice purposes.

The disadvantage (if it is even one) is you wont be racing on every track in the country in the nationals series, but does that matter ?? at club level you will still be doing those tracks if you like.

As I mentioned in my earlier post I guarantee that the event if held in the way I advocate will without any doubt solve every problem currently noted by you and I say again

1/ bigger crowds (fucking massive)
2/bigger and better sponsorship (they will all want to be involved)
3/ Better TV Coverage
4/ Lower costs for all competitors (bigger and full fields)
5/ More international riders

AND I BET WITH THAT PRIZEMONEY FOR THE RIDERS !!

Oh my other idea was also out the back run a NZ Motard championship at the same time.

how about if there were two events, 1 in the north island and 1 in the south (say ruapuna) that way it can be decided over two different meetings on two different tracks and no one will disadvantaged.

[Shaun S]

Although I appreciate where everyone is coming from, I feel that only one event would not work. Maybe 2 events one North and one South Island? However the beauty of the NZ nationals is that the racers get to race on several tracks. This sometimes gives some home track advantage, while others have to show how fast they adapt, and this is part of the game.

I would say keep it as it is, but have one huge event at the end, like a grand finale, this can count for a third of the points on its own, and have massive publicity etc.

This GP here and then TT there does not make sense. We should race the season and then finish off with a big one as celebration and acknowledgement of what we have done the year.

[Shaun]

Although I appreciate where everyone is coming from, I feel that only one event would not work. Maybe 2 events one North and one South Island? However the beauty of the NZ nationals is that the racers get to race on several tracks. This sometimes gives some home track advantage, while others have to show how fast they adapt, and this is part of the game.

I would say keep it as it is, but have one huge event at the end, like a grand finale, this can count for a third of the points on its own, and have massive publicity etc.

This GP here and then TT there does not make sense. We should race the season and then finish off with a big one as celebration and acknowledgement of what we have done the year.

100% Agree

ANDREW STROUD- Speak up please mate ha ha, Andrew said some thing very very similar to me on Saturday at Taupo

[racer40]

one problem with a big event at seasons end ( after 5 rounds ) is that it could be a problem to get the big feilds you talk about, due to injuries, breakdowns, finances, & not being bothered because you are not in the points hunt.
Hey Quasi, i understand there are plans for a supermoto championship this summer
some good ideas coming through on this thread guys.

[Shaun S]

one problem with a big event at seasons end ( after 5 rounds ) is that it could be a problem to get the big feilds you talk about, due to injuries, breakdowns, finances, & not being bothered because you are not in the points hunt.

It should be a big enough event that even if you are not in the hunt, you HAVE to be there, because it is the crux of the season. For the same reason people will budget for it as they do for the current season.

Injuries? Fair enough, but that could happen at round one or not at all - its part of the game.

[Quasievil]

Although I appreciate where everyone is coming from, I feel that only one event would not work. Maybe 2 events one North and one South Island? However the beauty of the NZ nationals is that the racers get to race on several tracks. This sometimes gives some home track advantage, while others have to show how fast they adapt, and this is part of the game.

I would say keep it as it is, but have one huge event at the end, like a grand finale, this can count for a third of the points on its own, and have massive publicity etc.

This GP here and then TT there does not make sense. We should race the season and then finish off with a big one as celebration and acknowledgement of what we have done the year.

Yes maybe two events one NI one SI to avoid home track advantage.

yes it is nice to have a race on all the tracks but it clearly doesnt work for sponsorship and crowd revenue, Im afraid to say this is NZ and not a moto GP racing season, this is a small country with a small number of riders. The nationals event is clearly failing and needs to make serious progress for the benefit of the sport. Currently its about as attractive event as curling for the masses.

One event is all that is needed held over a long weekend coupled with a massive effort in the media, on site entertainment, Camp ground, product stalls, bike shows, girlies, the lot piled into one big event

From that I guarantee the exposure of the sport will increase ten fold along with the sponsorship interest, and as for the racers they will prosper increased sponsorship opportunities due to more coverage as well as bigger crowds bigger money = prize money.

The current mould needs to be smashed and a new way of thinking has to be embraced.

People want a show, give them one.

[Sonykid]

Quazi,

I am only new to racing but old to Sales and Marketing and think your ideas are spot on. I went down to Sound of Thunder earlier this year and what a fantastic race meeting/ event. Maybe we could throw in a Bears element to the big carnival atmosphere, it would certainly quarantee entries. Keep up the good work.

[koba]

Reading though this thread I am seeing some really good discussion.

I initially thought Quasis idea was perfect but after more peoples input and a bit more thought I also see the major downsides.
However it really

I'm kind of thinking the way to look at going at the moment is to keep it the same but push most of the promotion into one round like Shaun S says, make it one of the title rounds (GP or TT) and move it around each year so all the host clubs get a decent crack at it.

A BEARS support class, perhaps with something to race for would also be mint, Ive been told by a few people that there are alot of bears bikes parked up in the north island due to lack of viable events.

[racer40]

Im sorry Shaun S but people do run out of money at seasons end, as what happened with puke this year with the round only just going ahead because of lack of entries.
I reckon 1 round in each island sounds good, & each island do the things that Quasi is saying to make them a bigger event.

[Drew]

I as a true ROAD racing freak, fully agree with you mate!

A few people seem to agree, but I cant find anyone backing this statement up with reason.

A quick look (read that a very brief look) on mylaps suggests, that most that do the nationals, compete at the streets. And the entrants that do not, seem to do so because they live in the wrong island.

Were the streets to be incorperated into the nats, then there is a huge spectator base to draw from, to get bums in seats at the circuit events. Increasing reveniew immediately.

[codgyoleracer]

Please then spell out those agendas. Im curious.

Your curious , I'me pretty, Lifes a beach :-)

[scrivy]

People want a show, give them one.

Hee hee...... A freak show..... I like the way you think my man!!!

A freakshow they will get...........

[scrivy]

ANDREW STROUD- Speak up please mate ha ha, Andrew said some thing very very similar to me on Saturday at Taupo

What? "Speak up please mate"???????

[svr]

A `two-round national series' has obvious appeal for financial and other commitment-related reasons. It is an exciting concept and would undoubtedly make running the championship achievable for a large number of riders (possibly requiring 3 day meetings with split qualifying sessions?)
The only obvious downsides I can think of are:
1. As Maido has pointed out, the great appeal of a lengthy national series is the rider development process i.e. it makes better riders
2. It would also possibly devalue the title of national champion. The series winner in the past has required consistency over a great variety of racetracks and the championship was earnt over a period of time with associated ups and downs.
How do past champions feel about this?

[Quasievil]

2. It would also possibly devalue the title of national champion. The series winner in the past has required consistency over a great variety of racetracks and the championship was earnt over a period of time with associated ups and downs.
How do past champions feel about this?

Do you think it would devalue the title of champion if more people new about it and watched it etc? if this event (meaning the single event I advocate) had a significantly larger exposure level via media and a bigger crowd following I think that the title of NZ Champion would be a bigger thing, question who outside motorcycling knows who Robbie Bugden is or Glen Williams?

Increased Media makes bigger stars for all sports people.

Yes I agree a racing on a larger number of tracks over a longer period shows a
range of skills and endurance consistency deserving of a national champion, you are right mate but unfortunately this age old national event process simply doesnt work, that much is clear therefore a new approach does need to be embraced, would I be accurate in saying the rider, the teams, the bikes would have to be absolutely perfect to take a title over a weekend event? that would also be deserving of a National Champion also.

To throw a spanner in the works (as I do) we have some excellent road racing events run at club level in NZ, both in the NI and the SI (im unsure of the SI) could it be a reasonable suggestion to allow some points from the riders own local racing scene to be attributed to a National event?
For Example Joe Bloggs races his GSXR1000 at the VMCC winter series and gains X Points for his efforts he can then carry those same points into the National weekend round.
The benefit here is
1/the club level scene will get a higher profile rider racing (regularly)
2/ Points can be gained from the riders home track and own club
3/ it could in part be utilized as a qualifying tool, ie rider must get so many points to gain entry into the Nationals so the (I predict) larger fields for the Nationals weekend can see some level of qualification as opposed to anyone with a bike entering to show off to his girlfreind etc.

Points to consider here would also be how to allow a international rider to suitably qualify to enter our nationals weekend, perhaps points from their own Country could be used, I dont know.

Food for thought

In sayting all that Im stuck on the long weekend event and I cannot think of any other way to enable success on every level needing attention.