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Post by Phred on Mar 14, 2010 11:27:02 GMT 12
Ambled over to the Bay to watch the North Island Sprint car champs.
Amused to find a chunk of the car park has now disappeared to create a netball facility?
Into the track to find the sprinters wheel packing, yes the track looked a little less like a series of moguls (as favoured by downhill skiers) than usual.
The crowd seemed a trifle sparse, (Perhaps the knowledgeable had a better idea of how this meeting was to unfold) or is this reflection on the amazing advertising the current promoters are becoming famous for?
The meeting started promptly and ran smoothly enough – (there was only 4 occasions where the crowd around us were booing and asking for the next race to commence)
All to soon yet another of the promoters irritating specialities was served to the patrons.
The track announcers started to rave on about how smooth the track was and how preparation was a specialised project, thaking a group of scientists a week to prepare – all this after watching race cars bobbing around like kids at a pop concert.
Guys if the glass on the announcing booth is in need of replacement (Due to distortion or it has become opaque) or your eyesight is that poor that you are unable to see the track perhaps you need to get these anomalies attended to. (If this is caused an eyesight issue please take a taxi as there is considerable public danger should you venture onto the roads in this state)
To be fair, perhaps your comments were made why you had no view of what was happening on the track – apart from chemical mind alterations there is little excuse for such thoroughly inconsistent and incorrect dribble.
Now we get to the downright frustrating part of the meeting.
The format.
I can see how the (WOO?) format would work well if there were a large number of entrants. (25 is not however a large number)
The WOO format requires that spectators (Remember them? - the poor sods who actually pay at the gate expecting to see a decent show) are prevented from seeing all the drivers on track together until the last race. By that time the “racing surface” is in the poorest condition of the night.
The WOO format penalises track visitors, prevents close racing and we all watched how the “dash” turned out.
Perhaps some of the teams would prefer this (WOO) format?
With the 25 present my preference would be for 3 full field 15/20 lap heats to get grid positions for a 25? Lap final.
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Post by tq59 on Mar 14, 2010 16:05:41 GMT 12
29 cars started for the WoO meeting tonight, suits them, 25 cars isn't much different.
I think some people just go to Speedway and pay their $20 entrance fee to moan at everything the next day on the internet.
To many reviewers, not enough readers
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Post by magilla on Mar 14, 2010 16:08:18 GMT 12
agree completely re format.
only works to get through 40+ cars in one night.
If is the same commentator as in previous years I have made my thoughts on his many short comings before.
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Post by Axe-Twist on Mar 14, 2010 16:12:19 GMT 12
dont complaine. your most likly not even drivers. its what the drivers like not what wannabes like. personally its the best format.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2010 16:14:37 GMT 12
just curious why start another thread on a topic that already has one?
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Post by maxim on Mar 14, 2010 16:30:18 GMT 12
The fomat last nite was good,2x 5laps for time trails with 12 cars each,2x 10 lap heat races,1x dash 6 laps,b-main 12 laps,feature 20 laps, Time trail was better than how Willie normaly runs it,you got to see 2 groups of 12 cars out for 5 laps instead of 1 car for 2 laps wihch would take about 20 min to run & be boring for the paying public.Last nites format laps per car min 41 max 47 racing laps.Other fomat min 38 max 44 laps.Also you would of seen 3x heat races with 8 cars in them.Last nites format was better for the PAYING PUBLIC because thats what counts. ;D
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Post by Phred on Mar 14, 2010 17:14:15 GMT 12
The comments about the track announcer/s and the (perceived to be) tardy/uninteresting way this meeting was run were from those around me (not the group I brought over).
The comments have been abridged and the language altered to make them more suitable for this forum.
Watcher – not a driver, just a person who drove a car load of (paying) people for a couple of hours to see a show that could potentially have been better.
Gribbs – no idea there was another thread along these lines/on this topic
Maxim – thanks for your insight, this format is better than the time trials you mention.
With only 25 cars at the event there was an expectation of seeing 3 heats of all the 25 to get the grids for the final.
The post was written to pass comment on a meeting where there was an expectation of seeing close wheel-to-wheel racing – both the format and track seemed to conspire against that eventuating.
I get to Baypark about half a dozen time a season (Less with WK promoting) – have witnessed some stunning racing, that has had the whole group has coming away from the track buzzing.
For what ever the reason this was not one of those meetings
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Post by percy on Mar 14, 2010 20:30:30 GMT 12
I could not disagree more with your comments except the commentators. The commentary team has been a weak point at Baypark for a long time. Unless it's super saloons The Moff has no idea what's going on.
We were trying to run a North Island championship here not a demolition derby. To put 23 cars of varying ability on a mixed grid for two races is asking for trouble.
There was nothing wrong with the Sprintcar racing last night, you just needed to know where to look. The interest in the heats is who gets 6th and better. Both heat races featured fantastic battles around the sixth position. The drive from 6m James Dahm to salvage 6th after a DNF on time trials was outstanding.
The battle between McDonald and Brindle in the dash was as good as you will see. The two went at it for almost the entire race using alternate lines to success.
The B-Main wasn't as exciting but Boere and Quin both made up some ground.
The A-Main lived up to expectation. 16m Dean O'Reilly was outstanding in the opening stages, a real shame he crashed. McDonald and O'Conner had an exciting battle and eventually Wood was able to get the better of Brindle.
Too often in our sport championships are decided by our less capable drivers. The Outlaws format pits the best against the best and on the night Rodney Wood proved he was the best.
Sure the track wasn't perfect but it wasn't bad either. It allowed for two wide racing all night long and the ruts were hardly terminal.
The Super Saloons put on a show and the Saloons were tight and fast. Youth Ministocks in the mid-30's rounded out a good show.
The only thing I would add is that the promotion were playing with fire starting the A-Main so late. They should have postponed a feature.
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Post by strx7 on Mar 14, 2010 20:33:27 GMT 12
With only 25 cars at the event there was an expectation of seeing 3 heats of all the 25 to get the grids for the final. So because of the lower than expected turn out, Willie is supposed to throw out what was published at the entry regs/format for this event out the window to please you?  . Baypark has not run individual car qualifying for time trials for at least 2 years, possibly even 3. It has been Groups of cars on the track for 5 laps under green for a while now. |
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Post by Admin on Mar 14, 2010 21:16:17 GMT 12
I think I made the right decision not to attend this meeting, I've figured that from the positive reviews rather than the negatives.
That track should be running fields of 30 cars race after race.
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Post by steeldog on Mar 14, 2010 22:10:23 GMT 12
I've posted a link on the "Ian Easton?" thread to the video of the crash
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Post by gjd on Mar 14, 2010 22:52:06 GMT 12
hear what youre saying percy about the time line,all the drivers got a warning to be ready because there was no spare time.i think the easton incident used up a bit of time but the race started at 9.53 and finished at 10.01 and that included a yellow for a tip over
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Post by BarryB on Mar 15, 2010 11:26:46 GMT 12
Phred/Percy; As you well know Percy, formats are a matter of preference, you yourself have certainly written plenty about them. Was interesting to here one G Standring say on the final night of WS that he far preferred the 3x20 lap format for the NZ Midget Champs, as he felt he was a good driver through traffic and it was to his advantage. I agree with Phred on this one, I personally dislike the WoO style format (unless there are about twice as many cars as what there actually was). Then it becomes our personal choice whether to attend or not. I didn't...........
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Post by Admin on Mar 15, 2010 12:00:32 GMT 12
If this meeting had been 2 heats and a 1 race final or a straight out 3 heat heat deal I wonder how many more would have showed up for a look . Me & Her would have been two and BB perhaps three.
A decent format , a decent bit of promotion/info and I reckon crowd numbers could have been doubled .
as an aside I also believe that our sprintcar drivers would raise their skill levels even higher if they had to race in bigger fields more often and as a result most likely would be more competitive internationally .
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Post by BarryB on Mar 15, 2010 13:49:34 GMT 12
If this meeting had been 2 heats and a 1 race final or a straight out 3 heat heat deal I wonder how many more would have showed up for a look . Me & Her would have been two and BB perhaps three. Would/could have added two more to your two macgor, as I didn't attend a meeting at any other speedway on the night. |
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Post by Axe-Twist on Mar 15, 2010 18:58:32 GMT 12
was a top meeting full stop.
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Post by percy on Mar 15, 2010 21:03:47 GMT 12
If this meeting had been 2 heats and a 1 race final or a straight out 3 heat heat deal I wonder how many more would have showed up for a look . Me & Her would have been two and BB perhaps three. A decent format , a decent bit of promotion/info and I reckon crowd numbers could have been doubled . as an aside I also believe that our sprintcar drivers would raise their skill levels even higher if they had to race in bigger fields more often and as a result most likely would be more competitive internationally . How many more would they have got with a different format? 10, maybe 20. The key was the lack of promotion. An up to date entry list would have been a good start and it wouldn't have hurt to have mentioned they had 10 Super Saloons which in this day and age is a big field. I will agree there was no hype in the leadup to this meeting, the absence of a number of Auckland drivers not helping. I fail to see how crowd numbers for this meeting could have been doubled with the exception of a fireworks display or a demolition derby. They were never going to get 4,500 people for this meeting. I also fail to see how our Sprintcar drivers driving in bigger fields would make them more competitive internationally. Surely using a format that is used internationally is the way to go to make our drivers competitive internationally? Putting our drivers in bigger fields will create more crashes. There is no point in the likes of Chris Mulvena and Keith Burmeister racing against the likes of Ryan O'Conner and Dean Brindle. That isn't going to make O'Conner and Brindle any better. What will make them better is quality competition, racing against the best drivers in New Zealand week in week out. That what the Outlaws format does, it pits the best against the best and the best of the best in the A-Main wins. Or we could run our championships under formats that don't work like Stratford did with the NZ Midget Title. Out of a 20 car field just 6 drivers managed to finish all three races. Yeah, that's a great championship.  |
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Post by Axe-Twist on Mar 15, 2010 21:10:13 GMT 12
so thos two people you said, in your eyes arnt good enough to be racing in a north island champs? at leest they made the effot to go. unlike the many others. the aim of the game is to have fun and compeate isnt it? im sure they had fun and from what i saw they didnt cause any crashs and stayed out of the way when need be.
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Post by Admin on Mar 15, 2010 21:21:42 GMT 12
Well Percy all I can say is the format doesn't appear to have worked for us too well so far. Thanks goodness for Rodney Wood.
Perhaps racing in bigger fields will create drivers better than the americans and turn the the class into a 'not to be missed' spectacle.
drawing a little more than 2,000 people to one of their premier events doesn't seem a winning formula to me.
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Post by steeldog on Mar 15, 2010 21:30:41 GMT 12
For those complaining about lack of numbers. Advertising said there were 32 entries and while I wouldn't hold my breath over that - The added sheet in the program said that they had had an increase in the number of entries. So promotion were expecting them. Maybe a question is where were those 9 drivers who didn't turn up? 1 - Shay Oliver is pregnant and not racing now - Congrats Shay  the other 8? |
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