BRITISH SPRINTING – THE DILEMMA


The discipline of Sprinting, if you examine the list of licenced venues at the front of the MSA’s “Blue Book” they fall into 6 main categories:

a. Race Circuits

b. Kart Circuits

c. Test tracks

d. Airfields and other current and ex Defence Establishments

e. Stately homes

f. Closed Public Roads

g. Purpose built Sprint tracks

Because of their very nature and the laws on the mainland most of those in category (f) are either on the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man. The numbers in category (e) have diminished, there is now just one left. By contrast the numbers in category (d) are growing like topsy

Of the 17 race circuits listed in the “Blue Book” 11 are currently in use for Sprints . Of the 6 that remain 2 are circuits which are member of one group (Oulton Park & Snetterton) whose other 2 venues are used for Sprinting. There is also Donington, Knockhill,Rockingham and Thruxton (operated by BARC where insufficent dates exist under the present planning regime).

There is no doubt that the race circuits are popular with competitors the ’98 Donington was hugely oversubscribed, Croft is often full, Castle Combe and Goodwood, despite noise restrictions, which differ from the Speed Event norm, tend to be full. Why then cannot we host events at the other race venues? The answer is very simple ££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££££.

Sprint competitors tend to fall into two major groups. Those who take part in their own club’s events and occasionally others close to home and championship registered contenders. Competitors have become accustomed to paying a certain amount for their entertainment and baulk at the prospect of paying more (even if entry fees play only a small part in a competitor's budget).

Race circuit owners are commercial organisations they have to make profit in order to invest in the circuit and its facilities and infrastructure and leave a profit for their owners/shareholders. In order to generate such profits they must maximise the use of their facilities that are capable of being hired out. Race meeting organisers will try to generate a surplus of entry fees over organising costs such that they will pay a hire fee to the owner who will often be supplement this, to a varying extent, by gate receipts. Circuit organisers will also hire the circuit out to both Racing Schools and Track Day organisers. Both of these will generate a greater surplus than will a Sprint.

Why then does a Sprint not generate as much money as the alternative race meetings, race schools and track days? There is a twofold answer to this. First of all, the amount paid by the entrants and secondly the number of entrants. Take a race meeting hosting say 10 races with an average grid of 20 cars each entrant paying upwards of £160. Total income is £32000+ (admittedly the organising costs will be greater because they will have higher MSA Permit and Insurance Fees, more rescue units, doctors, scrutineers and timekeepers). A Sprint with 150 entrants paying £100 produces £15000! A Race School could far exceed the Sprint gross but has no MSA Permit and Insurance Fees, no Scrutineers and Timekeepers to pay and no prizes to provide for. A track day could easily generate more by having more entrants than a conventionally run Sprint can cope with charging up to double that which a Sprint entrant is accustomed to paying.

With the commercial lesson concluded how can we persuade Speed Event competitors to pay more to enable organisers to pay a higher hire fee? One answer would be to run fewer events but pay more for each. However the alternative answer might be to give better value for money. The only solution to this latter answer is more mileage and that means changing the format. A British Sprint Championship competitor (in 2008) will cover around 200 track miles in a season at a cost of around £1700 and that amounts to something just over two hours in total time over the 15 events or a little more than 8 minutes each event (and ALL of those figures are a LOT higher than most competitors) ! If the question were to be asked “Would you pay £160 if you had 15 minutes practice and another 15 minutes timed sprinting (or almost 4 times what you are used to having )?” What then would the answer be?

It is possible to achieve this without any alteration of the existing rules.

It might in such events lead to a solution to the ongoing difficulty clubs experience in attracting marshals. Such an event would be more attractive to marshals as there would be more action, more requiring them to maintain vigilance and more involving for them. Might not that be a solution for clubs at venues where race marshals discover hitherto unknown relations awaiting burial which prevents their attendance when “Sprint” is mentioned and they come in their droves to that same venue when a race or rallycross meeting takes place?

Before you all get too excited this cannot become too widespread at it depends on the suitability of the venue (indeed it could not, for example, be done at Lydden Hill circuit which has no pit lane, and only closed circuit courses (i.e. those with a common start/finish line and which allow continuous running) are really appropriate. It would be more costly as an organiser I would have thought higher numbers of Doctors and Rescue Unit numbers would be appropriate.

There are adjustments that competitors would need to consider. They would have to gain mirrors (yes there would be overtaking) and red “rain” warning lights and consider upgrading their fuel capacity, braking and cooling capability and probably the tyres to be used may need to change compound. A small price to pay I would have thought. I would also suggest, having experienced Supersprinting, they would need to consider their personal fitness. 15 minutes continuous running doesn’t sound much but if you aren’t fit you’ll be buggered by the end if you are unused to it I guarantee.

Sprints in the conventional format and cost will remain at the vast majority of venues and therefore, in the main will remain until another alternative is uncovered. However if you are a member of a club who not only wants to but can now afford to get into circuits which were considered hitherto unattainable then I will tell you how!

I have a vision of the ultimate Sprint Championship with rounds at Brands Hatch, Donington Park,Knockhill in Scotland , Oulton Park Island or International,Silverstone International, Snetterton and Rockingham (even BARC's flagship, Thruxton, if more dates were available) . These can compliment those circuits which we already enjoy such as that gem in the North, Croft, which competitors at all ends of the spectrum universally enjoy and and the ever improving Kirkistown in Northern Ireland and the set to develop further, Pembrey and the recently redeveloped Anglesey in Wales. These were joined by one of the vastly improved MotorSport Vision circuits, Cadwell Park, in 2006, with Castle Combe & Mallory which are joining in 2008. It can be achieved but it will take time.

We, in association with organising clubs who have the vision, confidence and courage, can and should have the opportunity to experience these venues. We must be able to compete with race meeting organising clubs for dates at these prestigious venues and with the right approach we can be. We no longer need be the poor relations who are asking for the next best thing to charity and stand at the very bottom of the pecking order.

Well, you are all asking, when is he going to tell us the precise technicalities of how his utopian solution can be achieved. Now the bad news I have absolutely no intention of doing so! I will reveal all, when a club approaches me with a tangible proposal. What I can say is that this variation on the Sprinting theme is known as the "Pursuit Sprint." It is an apt title because the competitors in each Pursuit line up, and are set off one at a time to satisfy I.36 at short intervals. This is not pie in the sky and if you have 200 competitors willing to pay £160 you are well on your way! In fact it has already been done. A "toe in the water" exercise at Knockhill, at the end of 2003 was successfully tried during a race meeting.