Having just read Kerry Dunlop’s opening article in the May edition of Brief torque (the BARC SE magazine), I feel compelled to write a bit to air my view on what I feel is just the tip of the iceberg. The lack of spectators in modern club motorsport.
Club motorsport is probably the most exiting form of spectator sport in the world and compared to even Division 3 football, cheap for a day’s entertainment. Now as Kerry suggests a poster campaign is a great way to do things but I think that’s not quite enough. As press and PR officer for Sevenoaks and district motor club I am charged with increasing the number of competitors from outside the sport. I’ve been paying extra attention to who turns up at our events. I’ve noticed one thing, of those fans that turned up at Lydden on Easter Monday most were regular readers of Autosport and Motorsport News, which is fine but its really not getting the sport promoted to average bloke. I bet the very few of the people there were from Barham or Dover. Its not just racing and rallycross that are in need of a real publicity overhaul, the whole of UK motorsport needs some new blood.
Stock car racing offers fans cheap tickets, good racing (if you like that sort of thing) with great facilities, big events that some may call gimmicks but they seem to work. Race meetings are advertised in the local press and even on bus shelters. Perhaps its time that club motorsport followed the oval lead and gave the fans what they want. Event organisers should jointly with the venues publicise their forthcoming events in the local area. Lydden could have hundreds of people through the door on a Saturday afternoon to watch the smallest of race meetings. Exiting commentary would help too with perhaps a two-man team on the microphone; perhaps each series should supply an expert to chat during sessions with the circuit’s commentator. Between sessions perhaps a roving paddock reporter could interview the drivers and hangers on.
I said before the whole of British motorsport needs a marketing overhaul, from road rallying to autotesting to sprinting we need to do something now. Road rally cars should carry racing style numbers on the bodywork rather than in a small plate in the window of the car. This would make the cars look like something a bit different and perhaps worth investigation. Actually thinking about that, I think all disciplines should start carrying bigger (race style) numbers – it makes competing cars something that people want to watch. Those people who say that the number of spectators is irrelevant are frankly idiotic, the more people who start showing up at a venue to watch some motor racing on a regular basis, the more interested businesses are going to be in advertising at these events. And that means money for all involved, which can’t be a bad thing. How many spectators were at the Sevenoaks/BARC sprint on the Kent circuit in April? You don’t know? I’ll tell you – none. Not one. Although speed events are not as exiting to watch as racing I would still pay a fiver to watch someone bully a fire spitting metro 6R4 through the devils elbow, especially when after that’s done with, a mind boggling variety of Automobilia comes along and does the same. Everything from some battered old student run banger to some of Maranello’s finest, and to top it all off a gaggle of sexy looking single seaters driven by a bunch of guys who’s sanity is distinctly questionable.
Go to a circuit anywhere in the country and all around you, there are signs telling you motorsport is dangerous and everyone in the world knows it. Perhaps it is time that we got the point across that motorsport is exiting and it’s happening on your doorstep, come and watch.
In my Mystic Meg style crystal ball (up turned pint glass) I see a big change coming... watch this space!

Sam Collins