MSA Manifesto

[MikeBeattie]

Red

I think you are probably being a bit too pessimistic.

As you know we have always had closed public road events in Northern Ireland, under MSA jurisdiction. The levy they take is no different to any other hillclimb. Yes, each course has to have a Track Licence, which is renewed annually, but that is not a major cost. The additional cost over a private land (GB type) event is that the road closure has to be advertised in the local press, which varies in cost depending what is deemed to be the local rag.

Under our Road Closing Order, you are NOT allowed to charge spectator fees (you only "own" the road for the duration of the Road Closing, not the surrounding land), so the difference is that the club gets no "gate".

As to the road, yes we work closely with the various Roads Service offices and get some cats eyes and the like removed, but that is minimal

We generally run single day events with 60 - 70 competitors with £80 entry fees, the clubs rarely have event sponsors, so with those entry levels they cover their costs.

Obviously, in GB you deal with local councils, which can work to your favour, if, as they do in the Continent, you get them on-side and make some sort of festival out of it. The big thing is that you will be taking motorsport to areas that have never had it before, and that draws a crowd.

Yes, clubs and officials will have to change how they do things, there are no set facilities, everything has to be set up and taken down in a day, but there are ways of working round it, eg Craigantlet has a permanent timing cable laid in a duct (this was done when the Roads Service were doing work up the side of the road and hence it was put in at minimal cost, also helps that CoC is a Big Wig in RS !!). You have to be really good at PR with the local land owners, but it is all possible.

Oh and as for the paddock, you just get an extra 1/4 mile of road closed and there you go

It's worth supporting

[redturner37]

Hi Mike, whilst I dont pretend to know the full financial details of what takes place at a continental event, I am sure that the people who run the events in Ireland and they have been doing it a long. long time will be fully aware of how to do it and at least break even. I believe the Olivers Mount track/circuit belongs to Scarborough Corporation and I know it is normally open to the public, so surely there must be lots of other roads which are owned by local authorities which could be closed without having to have an Act of Parliament to contend with, and we all know a nice stretch of road which we would love to drive at speed without some idiot coming the other way on the wrong side of the road. FWIW, I would love to see closed road events on the UK mainland.................

[dennis.doyle]

I guess similar examples would be the proms at Brighton, Weston, Blackpool & New Brighton. Mostly defunct & not ideal bits of road, but shows it can be done.

[redturner37]

Originally Posted by dennis.doyle

I guess similar examples would be the proms at Brighton, Weston, Blackpool & New Brighton. Mostly defunct & not ideal bits of road, but shows it can be done.

Which would be mainly straight line sprints/drag meetings Dennis. We have plenty of racing circuits offering ideal places to have sprints, but we need to be looking for suitable roads to allow hill climbs of up to 3 miles long....

[grahamb]

Originally Posted by redturner37

Which would be mainly straight line sprints/drag meetings Dennis. We have plenty of racing circuits offering ideal places to have sprints, but we need to be looking for suitable roads to allow hill climbs of up to 3 miles long....

Suitable for all types of vehicle is going to be tricky.
Found some fab roads around kirkcudbright last week that I'd be happy to chuck the fiesta or as it was, the tow car around. But the ultra low single seaters wouldn't have been as comfortable.

With all the euros spent on roads abroad, I doubt we could find a length with the same quality in the UK anyway. I signed the petition, but believe its in the interests of rallying, not speed eventing.

So where is this catalogue of suitable stretches of highway, anyway?

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by dennis.doyle

I guess similar examples would be the proms at Brighton, Weston, Blackpool & New Brighton. Mostly defunct & not ideal bits of road, but shows it can be done.

New Brighton was initially an excellent venue it was only as the road substructure deteriorated that the problems started (the road was built on a series of concrete sections and when these started to sink at varying rates the problems began).

The road surface at Blackpool was OK it was just the very solid concrete walls either side that were the problem - that and the wind-blown sand.

There used to be sprints and car racing on parts of the coastal road at Southport however this could only take place out-of-season. This also suffered from not only wind-blown sand but also with large puddles developing during high tide.

The Ulster hillclimb courses are wonderful - I have visited most and they are just what is needed on the mainland. So support this petition.

[RobertT]

Anyone been to Scammonden lately? If single seaters can get up there, there are loads of brilliant roads I can think of that would make excellent speed event locations. I think its a great idea.

[redturner37]

Originally Posted by grahamb

Suitable for all types of vehicle is going to be tricky.
Found some fab roads around kirkcudbright last week that I'd be happy to chuck the fiesta or as it was, the tow car around. But the ultra low single seaters wouldn't have been as comfortable.

With all the euros spent on roads abroad, I doubt we could find a length with the same quality in the UK anyway.

That was the point I made earlier Graham about funding. I seriously doubt that any local authority, even with some government help would be prepared to spend sufficient money to bring it up to the standards of the French hills that I have taken part on. I am reminded that Mike made a good case for the Irish hills and the way they are run, but I just cant see it happening here. The carnival atmosphere in France is what makes it so worthwhile for us Brits to go, no prizegiving in soggy fields, they have a proper podium truck rolls up which is covered in fresh flowers on race week end, a massive coloured programme with all the details in of drivers and things like Championship positions.

[Steve Wilkinson]

Originally Posted by redturner37

That was the point I made earlier Graham about funding. I seriously doubt that any local authority, even with some government help would be prepared to spend sufficient money to bring it up to the standards of the French hills that I have taken part on. I am reminded that Mike made a good case for the Irish hills and the way they are run, but I just cant see it happening here. The carnival atmosphere in France is what makes it so worthwhile for us Brits to go, no prizegiving in soggy fields, they have a proper podium truck rolls up which is covered in fresh flowers on race week end, a massive coloured programme with all the details in of drivers and things like Championship positions.

Do the continental hillclimbs that use the public roads charge admission? Or is the revenue generated from the spectators just down to the programme sales?

[redturner37]

Originally Posted by Steve Wilkinson

Do the continental hillclimbs that use the public roads charge admission? Or is the revenue generated from the spectators just down to the programme sales?

The organisers at St. Goueno charge €5 for one days spectating and €8 for both days, I have just checked a programme and cant find a price on it, so am assuming that it comes free with admission. There would be in excess of 10 000 spectators at the event this year.