V8 Races O.S. - Why? Sorry not bike related

[TT]

I'm just watching the V8's from Bahrain, and I can't help wondering why they bother.
It's even worse than Abu Dahbi with the empty stands and absolutely no atmosphere.
What am I missing?

[mx250]

It's called marketing. The V8 organizers are trying to widen the audience base and appeal. The more viewers the more sponsors $$$$'s they can justify. They see the Arab World as untapped.

Misguided? Probably. But great marketing theory .

[tony27]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
You aussies & us kiwis don't pay enough to stage a race, probably get paid more to put on either of those races than for the rest of the series.

[evo550]

Ford and Holden must sell cars there.
I can't imagine the manufacturers agreeing to the race schedule going O.S. unless there is something in it for them, and that something being $$$$

[Lozza]

Supertaxi's go anywhere that will pay them. If someone paid them enough they would race in downtown Kabul/Bagdad.
Thing about them that shits me something severe is V8Supercars Aust 'prefered option' is for street races in Australia. So we get various State governments wasting gazillions on street circuits and no proper permenant circuits for the great unwashed to race on.Basicaly because they don't want to pay for circuit hire, just money grabbing blood sucking vampires

[evo550]

Who pays them to go there ? Can't imagine it would be th organisers.

[Davey Crocket]

Holden sell cars into the Arab countries, Ford dont. Those bloodsucking Arabs pay to have the races in their own country....... with the money they make out of us....OIL money!!!!!, so at the end of the day YOU and I are paying for it!!!!

[211kawasaki]

looked like they packed out the stands as well................

[maicopunk]

Well at least those big open tracks over there produce some decent races with the occasional successful pass, unlike the stupid street circuits where every attempted pass results in safety cars and tilt trays.

Although I don't see the point of racing on the other side of the world in front of a few security guards and a dozen camels.

[TT]

That sums it up pretty well, Mr. Punk. 
The total lack of atmosphere really took away any interest for me.

It was good to see the guy on the tractor not being distracted from his work, though............ 

[firko]

If I was the marketing manager for Coopers, Jim Beam or Jack Daniels I'd be pretty pissed off seeing my extravagent sponsorship dollar signage covered over so as not to offend the teetotal muslims. Methinks Tony Cochrane and the whole V8 supercar outfit have lost the plot. The sooner they get rid of these clowns and quest for world dominance and introduce the same regs that cover the V8 Ute class, we'll get back to proper Aussie style touring car racing and not have to endure this this cocked up Nascar wannabe.

[TT]

Me thinks Tony Cochrane and the whole V8 supercar outfit have lost the plot. The sooner they get rid of these clowns and quest for world dominance and introduce the same regs that cover the V8 Ute class, we'll get back to proper Aussie style touring car racing and not have to endure this this cocked up Nascar wannabe.

I'm getting pretty sick of your namby pamby, sit-on-the-fence comments Firko. Give us an honest opinion for once......... 

For the record, I agree whole heartedly but didn't have the vocabulary to express it this well. 

[tony27]

Have a look at where all the newer world championship races are, all new circuits in the middle east that get no spectators but pay the series owners well. The night time motogp race is the perfect example but I guess at least the riders are not battling heat exhaustion, TV rights are where its at for these guys
V8supercar,Dorna etc are all the same, as long as the circuit owners are prepared to pay them they'll send them the entertainment & nail anyone financially who refuses to go

[Mick22]

introduce the same regs that cover the V8 Ute class, we'll get back to proper Aussie style touring car racing and not have to endure this this cocked up Nascar wannabe.

Couldn't agree more, the cars they are running at the moment are boring as bat shit!

I think  Martin Whitaker, CEO of Bahrain Circuit is the guy forking out the dollars for the whole middle east experiment, and he will be the new CEO of V8 Supercars this year so expect a lot more OS events in the future...hopefully they will end up spending so much time OS that someone can start a real touring car class in OZ again

[trailietrash]

Handing over 30 million dollars to a bunch of V8 Stupidcar drivers to hoon around the streets of Homebush is good value for money compared to handing over 100 million dollars to a bunch of Catholic kiddies to re-enact the death of Christ and write offensive slogans on War Memorials.
130 million would have gone a long way into providing a NSW motorcycle racing complex...... but silly me, that would have benefited the current and future people of NSW!!