What would bring YOU to watch a race meeting?

[PeteJ]

A quick comment or two on rider and event sponsorship - no sponsor wants to associate with loss. That is why the top riders get the best sponsorship. Industry sponsorship is predicated on sales results in some way or another.

Unless you have a good chance to place very well, or spend tens of thousands a year with a shop (or work for it and you have a deal going), no shop is going to sponsor you: why should they?

Same with event sponsorship - sponsorship is not freebies. If you want freebies, beg in the street.

Tony, you and I know how much widespread paid publicity costs. $50K gets you very small reach to the general public of NZ. To get a gate of 5-10,000 at the first event, my guess (based on experience with several of the MNZ-affiliated clubs over the last 30-odd years) the publicity and promotion cost would be about $10 a head, even with some sponsorship.

And then it'll rain - which is what has driven some of the MNZ clubs damn near broke on occasion. Rain insurance costs heaps, too...

[Jorja]

Folks a little team of people is looking to organise a 6 hour race meeting most likely at Taupo track.
To make it work it needs spectators to be there -around 5000 of ya.
15000 of you lot come along to Battle of the streets and similar numbers to Whanganui
So what attracts you there??
What can be done to attract you to a track meeting?
I really would like feedback from non racers please.

You

But what would bring the kids and make for a fun day would be good food, lots of bikes to get up close to, carnival type things (ie quads to ride), face painting etc.

How about getting bike shops and big companies to sponsor the event? If you can get some sort of coverage it would be advertising for them.

[dveus]

Mate Im not even thinking that far atm-more asking the question of normal folk (as normal as KB folk get) -what would attract them
I figure theres gota be something we in NZ racing are missing and burying heads in the sand isnt gonna solve it

Advertising. At the end of the day your asking the wrong crowd what will get them there. It's joe public that is needed for really big numbers. At the moment the only way you can find out about race meets is to go looking for them.

[FROSTY:Me]

Advertising. At the end of the day your asking the wrong crowd what will get them there. It's joe public that is needed for really big numbers. At the moment the only way you can find out about race meets is to go looking for them.

I used to think that and I dont entirely disagree --but MNZ spent a shit load getting TV advertising for the nationals this year--still only 1500-2000 turned up at each round

[FROSTY:Me]

I kinda wondered about -dare I say it --TAB betting on the race -would that bring people in

[PeteJ]

I kinda wondered about -dare I say it --TAB betting on the race -would that bring people in

Check the MNZ rulebook. You might need to run it as an outlaw meeting.

[Subsequent comment: have just checked the rulebook, as I was sure that there was a rule banning wagering on race results. I was wrong: I cannot find any such rule.]

[FROSTY:Me]

its just an idea -MNZ are I believe just as keen to see some formula succede

[roogazza]

I think is not the racing its the fact that the guys winning are always the same people and the reason they are winning all the time is because they have the factory backing and the talent. We should have a stock class ie No engine mods and no carbon fibre Suspension fine tyres fine but everything else should stay the same.

I mean look at jimmy. In my opinion one of the fastest guys out there but his down about +20Hp on the likes of Andrew Strout etc. Also its realy fun to see jimmy racing. Its the same idea around Rossi etc. Its not just the fact that he is fast its his style. Same reason Keven Swantz is one my all time favorites.

I do like watching the top NZ guys but they are just boring (well most of them)

Also then there is the media coverage when they do show it its about 4 months old. NOOOO lets rather watch american baseball cause thats what we like

jimmy im not comparing you to rossi or kevin

Enigma, sorry but you are thirty years late ! We don't have enough good guys and no depth either. We had all that production stuff, but sadly it died. Along with the crowds that watched.
2007 riders aren't interested in production racing, it has been mooted on here forever.

I don't know what the answer is , but if we can start breeding flatout maybe we can get a twenty mill population in 20 years, that might help ?

Gaz.

[scracha]

What would bring ME to watch a race meeting? Well for starters I'd need to know where and when the race meeting was being held and at the moment it's difficult enough for us riders, never mind spectators.

There needs to be ONE website for riders, advertisers and spectators to visit. Individual club websites don't meet this requirement, nor do the MNZ, silver-bullet or motorcyclesport websites. Google adwords are not expensive either.

Motorcycle press & I guess car magazines should have the events listed in them too. Sick a listing in the NZ Herald or local press too? The Sunday motor sport telly program never mentions motorcycle club racing either and I suspect it's because nobody tells them.

Signs on the motorways, service-stations and side roads on the day (and day before) of an event would also be good. It amazes me you can go to a busy town like Taupo or pass the Pukekohe turn-off and there's not one sign advertising the fact that there are motorcycle sports happening. I'm sure a few of the bored tourists would rather go there than play golf or fishing.

On the scale of things, a few LCD monitors and/or projectors around the place showing various parts of the circuit, pits, positions, laptimes and/or on board footage wouldn't cost the earth and be beneficial to spectators (not to mention riders). On-board video cameras could also be handed out at random and would be beneficial to the website and perhaps money could be generated from a DVD at the end of the season.

Some "spectator participation" such as "win a pillion lap at lunchtime on a superbike or side-car".

Umm..music between races. Somewhere covered for when it rains. A marshal or two to direct traffic (or at least some signs telling spectators where to park). A program of events for spectators, perhaps with current standings and bio's of a few of the riders to make it a bit more interesting. A proper little "awards" ceremony is also good for spectators and sponsors.

Basically more co-ordination needs to happen and a little money spent on volounteers expenses as opposed to pissing away frightening sums of money on TV adverts.

[oldguy]

Mate if you could get Rossi or any motoGP or Superbike rider, just to make a guest appearance you would have no problem, would even have people who would never go to a bike race/meeting, its all about who is riding.
Paeroa and Wanganui are street races, and thats what brings the crowds
haven't read all the post in this thread so this may have already been covered.

cheers John

Oh and for me to go to a race meet, would have to be, time of year, money and weather permitting, hate riding in the rain.
Usual lame excuses

[Tim 39]

When you see all these good ideas that aren't currently being utilised, it's no wonder we get bugger all spectators to pur events. The nationals are the events that I think should be the most attended by spectators, but nobody puts any effort into sorting it out. there's usualy 1 scodey toilet approximately 1km from the spectator areas, no other entertainment, no shops or stalls etc etc etc.
maybe we should start actualy trying to get spectators?!!

good on ya guys for bringing this subject up

[Paul in NZ]

After reading this and thinking about it some more....

You need to get it organised by people who are not motorcycle racers...

[James Deuce]

I used to think that and I dont entirely disagree --but MNZ spent a shit load getting TV advertising for the nationals this year--still only 1500-2000 turned up at each round

You're joking? I never saw a single ad on TV. Not one.

In answer to earlier questions, the reality is that you won't see me as a spectator until the spawn are slightly more independent units. It's literally too much like hard work to keep track and do everything for them at a chaotic event like a race meeting, during what would end up being a 12 hour day IF we hung about for the whole thing.

Paul in NZ's idea with the night time running and bands and late finish is great, but would definitely count us out.

[MadDuck]

Some very good constructive ideas and thoughts.

BUT I think you have to ask yourself why Paeroa and Wanganui attract the big crowds? OK they are established calender events for all bikers to the point its a no brainer that you are going to go if you are into bikes. It will take time to become that entrenched.

Their formula kinda works and maybe with some adaptation it could extend to the kind of event you are talking about. Paeora doesnt have the bloody bouncy castles (thank the gods of racing) or fancy gear tents but the racers do camp out there and the spectators can get up close and personal with the riders and watch how they set up their bikes.

As you are asking for personal opinion heres mine....I like to know whos out there racing. KB has been great for that over the last couple of years. Profiles and the chance to meet the guys and gals.


PS:"Racing" is not the right forum if you want to get a GENERAL opinion from the biking community

[James Deuce]

Paeora doesnt have the bloody bouncy castles (thank the gods of racing)

This is what I'm talking about. A lot of motorsport competitors and spectators don't seem to want kids anywhere near a race meeting. Where do the future racers and spectators come from?

The predictable response will be: "They've come to the bloody racing and they should bloody well watch it!"

It doesn't work like that. Sometimes you do things with kids and it appears to make absolutely no impact. Then years later you get, "Remember when....."