Dubai Autodrome
Discussion
I get the feeling that Dubai Autodrome isn't quite the attraction it could be. I drive past it every day and can't help noticing it looking in poor condition, with dirty unfinished construction all around it and a faded red (pink) grandstand.
I've only been to a couple of events there, and although they were free it was still like a ghost town. I know the 24hr race is a pretty big event, but does that pull in the crowds or is it still more of the same? I just feel more could be done to finish the place which has good potential, and also to promote motor racing in the area a bit more. I have no idea if Yas is any better (apart from the F1), but at least that place looks nice.
Its a sad fact, but the busiest I ever see DA is on a Wednesday night when the Train Dubai event runs and people can run / cycle around. Great idea, but not the purpose of a race track! Even if they could get some off season testing for F1 or moto GP in, that would be a bonus! I would have thought with the love of cars / bikes over here that this place would be thriving!
I've only been to a couple of events there, and although they were free it was still like a ghost town. I know the 24hr race is a pretty big event, but does that pull in the crowds or is it still more of the same? I just feel more could be done to finish the place which has good potential, and also to promote motor racing in the area a bit more. I have no idea if Yas is any better (apart from the F1), but at least that place looks nice.
Its a sad fact, but the busiest I ever see DA is on a Wednesday night when the Train Dubai event runs and people can run / cycle around. Great idea, but not the purpose of a race track! Even if they could get some off season testing for F1 or moto GP in, that would be a bonus! I would have thought with the love of cars / bikes over here that this place would be thriving!
DA in it's original vision could have been a goer. Circuit, main grandstand/paddock and race school, plus a light industrial park for garages/race prep/tuners. However as with most things borne out of the last construction boom it just had to have a hotel, villas, another huge grandstand, etc. etc. However let's not bother with F1 as it doesn't make money, lol:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/32590
Now yas circuit doesn't get much action outside of the F1 either, but they sell out the corporate boxes each year and doubled the number of them for the last race. I understand they can cover the costs of the whole shebang from this alone. The value of F1 to the Abu Dhabi government is also immeasurable.
F1 testing and MotoGP won't come to DA as Yas/Losail won't allow it. Its taken 10yrs to get the crowds in for the D24 and that isn't run by the autodrome management so unsure of what income they receive other than the circuit hire fee. Touring car races don't wash their face cost wise. Yas has drifting, time attack and drag racing which are generally well attended as well as special stage rallying for the desert challenge. DA doesn't, its basically on life support from corporate/manufacturer events.
Lastly your assumption that 'love of cars' equals 'love of circuit racing' is way wide of the mark. Locals love rallying/offroading and they compete to a high level. Likewise drag and drift both attract crowds for the power, noise, smoke and show. Circuit racing is dull to watch unless you have a vested interest in it. Even yourself as a self proclaimed petrolhead have only been to DA a couple of times.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/32590
Now yas circuit doesn't get much action outside of the F1 either, but they sell out the corporate boxes each year and doubled the number of them for the last race. I understand they can cover the costs of the whole shebang from this alone. The value of F1 to the Abu Dhabi government is also immeasurable.
F1 testing and MotoGP won't come to DA as Yas/Losail won't allow it. Its taken 10yrs to get the crowds in for the D24 and that isn't run by the autodrome management so unsure of what income they receive other than the circuit hire fee. Touring car races don't wash their face cost wise. Yas has drifting, time attack and drag racing which are generally well attended as well as special stage rallying for the desert challenge. DA doesn't, its basically on life support from corporate/manufacturer events.
Lastly your assumption that 'love of cars' equals 'love of circuit racing' is way wide of the mark. Locals love rallying/offroading and they compete to a high level. Likewise drag and drift both attract crowds for the power, noise, smoke and show. Circuit racing is dull to watch unless you have a vested interest in it. Even yourself as a self proclaimed petrolhead have only been to DA a couple of times.
IanUAE said:
Lack of money and interest.
To summarise, ^this^They would not allow me to run a non-road registered vehicle in their Autocross series so I collapsed the world economy by selling billions of sub-prime debt to American banks, forcing Union Properties to abandon finishing the construction and, ultimately, lead to the demise of the Autodrome.
Mmmwwwwahhhhaaahaaahaaah (evil laugh)
That, and greed. They took a relatively successful grass-roots national race series with full grids, added tyre sponsorship that they could cream off the top off, allowed big spending teams to come in and buy the trophies so one by one the guys who used to fill the grids with knackared old Evos and Skylines for giggles were out spent, out gunned and, well, just out.
When you turn up to a race in your family wagon, dragging your car you tinkered into life, and have to park it across the car park because they guy you are racing against has his 2 car race truck and mechanic team backed up to the pit garage while they tweak the telemetry, you know its time to seek your thrills elsewhere...
Mmmwwwwahhhhaaahaaahaaah (evil laugh)
That, and greed. They took a relatively successful grass-roots national race series with full grids, added tyre sponsorship that they could cream off the top off, allowed big spending teams to come in and buy the trophies so one by one the guys who used to fill the grids with knackared old Evos and Skylines for giggles were out spent, out gunned and, well, just out.
When you turn up to a race in your family wagon, dragging your car you tinkered into life, and have to park it across the car park because they guy you are racing against has his 2 car race truck and mechanic team backed up to the pit garage while they tweak the telemetry, you know its time to seek your thrills elsewhere...
K50 DEL said:
Asterix said:
Something in Dubai in Cash making scheme shocker.
Thank f
k I'm getting out of this sthole.
You won't be saying that forever!!Thank f
k I'm getting out of this sthole.I've been gone for 3 months now and am still missing it and trying like hell to get back.
12 years and I'm hating this dump now.
I need to leave before I start punching locals.
yorky500 said:
10 years for me was enough. Don't care about what cash is/was on offer - I just wanted out and have managed to get out.
Im 3 years in and certain stuff is starting to grate, however one trip back to Hartlepool makes me not want to head home at all, I would move from here but it wouldn't be back to the UK in a hurry.shirt said:
Lastly your assumption that 'love of cars' equals 'love of circuit racing' is way wide of the mark. Locals love rallying/offroading and they compete to a high level. Likewise drag and drift both attract crowds for the power, noise, smoke and show. Circuit racing is dull to watch unless you have a vested interest in it.
Good point, however locals are in the (slight) minority here if I am correctly informed? Also, with the right event I would disagree that circuit racing is dull, even to an outsider. shirt said:
Even yourself as a self proclaimed petrolhead have only been to DA a couple of times.
Yes, because of the reasons highlighted in my post (run down, no atmosphere / passion, lack of decent events etc).
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