Is Motorsport alive and well in SA?
author: Leon Botha
Just when I though nobody reads the Editorial, I receive a phone call and a few e-mail to remind me that the column has not been updated recently.
So here I am to "editor" away!
The most heart warming or shall we rather say nicest news to give you is that we are getting hit, left right and centre by overseas friends. From some of the e-mail we receive I gather that most hits RallyStar® receive are from South Africans living abroad.
It is heartening to know that you guys are clicking away on the “.co.za” sites. We miss you too!
RallyStar® would like to get into contact with as many enthusiasts overseas as possible. We need your input, your comments and in general, we need to know that you guys are still ok!
Tell us about your experiences and if you are in any way connected to any form of motorsport, we would like to hear about it.
The RallyStar® competition is of course open to you guys as well, so if you would like to come and compete – you are welcome.
Please contact us with any news, suggestions etc. and do not forget about us!
RallyStar currently receives more than 80 000 visits per week and the visitors request around 640 000 pages. This simply meand that people who visit, read the articles and advertisements!
Silly season in South Africa can be called very silly.
Notwithstanding e-mail shots to some of the motorsport bosses we received news only from Team Total, Castrol Toyota (naturally), Subaru and Nissan.
It is sad to see that Toyota withdrew from circuit racing, and also sad to see that we do not receive any news from MSA to either justify, deny or at least comment on the happenings. I suppose they are content.
The only news I could get on their site for the past few days were also negative or had a negative ring to it:
Formula GTi category cancelled
Motorsport South Africa's Single-Seater Commission has announced that the Formula GTi series has been cancelled for 2003 and beyond. The decision was taken at a Commission meeting on Friday 22 November, and comes in the wake of the formula failing to reach the grid numbers required by the Commission for its categories.
MSA and Production Car Association reach agreement
At a meeting held on 4 November 2002 between concerned parties, the issues surrounding the Production Car Association (PCA) and its infrastructure were addressed and amicably resolved.
In terms of the agreement, an advisory panel will be established, to assist the PCA in management and marketing issues.
The panel will comprise Vaughn Williams, Chairman of the PCA, Brian Cook, the Chairman of the Events Co-ordination Company (currently Pro Racing) and Peter Lanz, the PCA Technical Director, as well as positions for a Series Sponsors representative, a Manufacturers Marketing Representative and an MSA delegate
I could not really establish what "the issues" surrounding the PCA were, but the fact that they mention an amicable solution means that they were at loggerheads about something.
I sure as hell know cracks when I see them!
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Leon Botha
A hair-raising experience!
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A recent visit to the Gossforth Park racing development near Germiston did really do nothing for me. Not that it was not impressive, and not because the effort put in there was not massive. Purely because the numbers did not make sense.
During an impressive and well-rehearsed tour of the premises, Jan Johnson the PR, told us that they were going to host 70 events per year. I immediately divided the Oval racing fans in South Africa by 70 and believe me if I say that I could not see any sign of a profit in the near future. Shall I use the phrase MSA used in the announcement that Formula GTi has kissed its own arse goodbye, for “2003 and beyond”?
Whether the purchase price mentioned was on or off the record, I do not know, so lets not mention it, but it was clear that no one will be making big bucks easily.
The American racing school where you can apparently obtain a valid racing licence to go and race in the States – and that is not the Welkom circuit – but apparently Indianapolis and its equivalents, will probably work but the rest I doubt.
What will make money is the facility. It is a known fact that large companies are always looking for venues to host their functions, parties and of course, the famous “team build” exercises, and they do not need to look further – this is it!
This place has been designed for parties, you can fall from one bar to the next, you cannot die of hunger, as the one door leads through a dining room, smokers bar, into the next rigged eating place.
It is actually spooky to realise what the lotto, the casinos, and cell phones have done to this once proud facility. People could simply not wait for the duration of a horse race to hear they lost their money. They wanted to see it happen before their eyes.
This brings me back to my initial point, or shall we make it question? Have we enough people to sustain such an additional onslaught on motorsport in SA?
The argument that whatever percentage of the spectators in America are women does not hold water in South Africa. The women this project will be aiming at do not even make out 2% of the entire population. Well I suppose that if they manage to get 2% of the population to the circuit during the 70 events, they will be able to make it viable.
The fact that you can sit in air-conditioned comfort watching oval track racing, is aimed at the person who does that at home anyway. The TV’s in the centre do not make sense, as you will be able to see the complete facility from the open stands.
Can motorsport actually afford a facility of this magnitude? I must add that I sincerely hope we can, I will rather admit that my sheer gut feel was up to maggots than see people lose money.
When we left, somebody said: “Sheeeet man, this kite will not fly.”
One thing is for sure, it is too late to turn around and we will all have to hold thumbs that there will be enough of us to go around. An effort such as this deserves success.
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