Pistonheads Race Tuscan
Discussion
29 Following on from another thread regarding the low level grids and the future of Tuscan racing, here's an idea that subject to Petrol Ted's support might just work. How many young, under funded drivers are out there looking for a way to raise cash for a drive?, quite a few, yes!, well why not have a Pistonheads car, there's no need to buy one, as I can provide that, what we need are the funds to run it. Now, the driver/drivers that you decide to support must also be prepared to pay a pre set fee, say 25% of the costs, or what ever you decide, and they must insure the car or get insurance sponsorship, who knows, prehaps Pistonheads can get an insurance co or broker onboard!!!!! It will require 25 of you to find £200 each, yes I know it's a load of money, but we are talking Tuscan racing here, and it's bloody expensive!! and we want our driver to have a chance to do well....yes!, then that's what it will cost PER ROUND. All those that raise the required funds will be invited to the race they have helped to fund, and will be asked to "sign the car", be part of the team for the weekend and have a real involvement plus a bloody good time, evening entertainment is a must, but no drinks for the driver!!, team rules. The car will be in a full "Pistonheads" decal format, and with all the names signed on it , should look mega! 5 rounds would be a 1000 signed names!!!!!!!!!
Look guy's, this is just an idea, there may not be the kind of support we need to achive this, but it's worth asking. Let's also hear from the likes of Rocket Rob and the other young drivers that i know are keen to get out there, what do you think?, are you prepared to try and make this work? or is it just another half pissed idea?
I think this is a great idea. Each person paying could vote for a driver from a shortlist.
Rod, Could I add the winner of the Channel 5 "Be a GP driver" to the list. I can't tell you his name, but you will like him. The other person I would put forward is Phil Moreton.
Whoever did get a drive with this team; would have a good chance of winning as this is the best team in Tuscans.
James
Rod, Could I add the winner of the Channel 5 "Be a GP driver" to the list. I can't tell you his name, but you will like him. The other person I would put forward is Phil Moreton.
Whoever did get a drive with this team; would have a good chance of winning as this is the best team in Tuscans.
James
Here are a couple of websites
www.racing-driver.com
www.channel5.co.uk/beagrandprixdriver/homepage.php
regards
James
www.racing-driver.com
www.channel5.co.uk/beagrandprixdriver/homepage.php
regards
James
Before we all get too excited about this - the great idea will only work if there are people who want to get involved on the punter side of things. Our motives are obvious - what about the people who want to get more involved in the racing, have a beery weekend cheering on a top driver. They need to show their hands to prove the idea is viable.
29 Quite right Ted, this will establish just how deep the real intrest in Tuscans is, and good idea James, sponsors get to vote for the driver, like it!
As Ted has said, this will only work if Pistonheaders make it work, and the drivers who they choose, do their share, but it must be understood that race teams don't run well if controlled by commitee, in fact not many things run well under commitees!! so as far as running the car goes, that's my area, you guy's, via Petrol Ted or the PH reps will raise the funds, decide who will drive, and arrange any other entertainment required. We will deal with track hospitality,entrance tickets etc, but you will decide if you want tea and cake, or a 4 course meal, in other words PH becomes the client, and you guy's can choose what you want purly restricted by the money you wish to spend. Does sound good doesn't it, so lets hear from all of you that love Tuscan racing.
I remember Martin "rollcentre" Short ran a successful scheme to fund Charlotte Osborne. How many PH readers would did deep for £200. I would also suggest that the winning driver draws a raffle made up of all the sponsors for some VIP passes. However we need to know how many people will do this.
I would like to put my name down.
James
I would like to put my name down.
James
Is this a private thread or can I join?
I've been wondering about region sponsorship. The TVRCC Event's manager Richard was setting up some scheme and Essex do do something. However I don't think the money works out, esp for a small region like Hants.
I can't see £200pcm, more like £25pcm but then we'd need 200 people! Then the support logistics become tricky. How many events in the season, I've assumed 12 and worked on a pcm, not per race, or can one just race when the kitty allows?
Rod, hopefully I should be at Hawthorn's tomorrow morning, and James didn't you used to run a Tuscan.
On a separate point I do think that something that looks more like the showroom cars, T350 or what ever, would excite more!
David
I've been wondering about region sponsorship. The TVRCC Event's manager Richard was setting up some scheme and Essex do do something. However I don't think the money works out, esp for a small region like Hants.
I can't see £200pcm, more like £25pcm but then we'd need 200 people! Then the support logistics become tricky. How many events in the season, I've assumed 12 and worked on a pcm, not per race, or can one just race when the kitty allows?
Rod, hopefully I should be at Hawthorn's tomorrow morning, and James didn't you used to run a Tuscan.
On a separate point I do think that something that looks more like the showroom cars, T350 or what ever, would excite more!
David
Good to hear from you David! I think you met up with Graham and Trish a couple of weeks back. Yes I did used to run a Tuscan team some 5 years ago now. The cars are now very different and the costs have risen. £200 is about right, I know it may out of reach of some people but Tuscans do cost around £75,000 per season. If Ted and No 29 receive around 100 interested parties then it is worth going ahaed. I am not sure about the 350 in the Tuscan challenge.
One thing I am sure about; Rod would like another JCW in one of his cars.
Drivers make yourselves known.
James
One thing I am sure about; Rod would like another JCW in one of his cars.
Drivers make yourselves known.
James
Variations on this theme have been suggested to me on numerous occasions. To make it attractive to people you'd need the following:
1) A driver who is capable of finishing in the top 5
2) A good looking car with PistonHeads/SPEED MATTERS in bloody great letters down the site that people can feel associated with or some allegiance to (only half joking here). Identity is important - people want to be associated with the "x" car, not "so and so's car"
3) A package that gives them something for their money. A name on the car will excite people to a certain extent, but they need to feel that they're part of something bigger, not just paying for someone to go out have fun on the race track at their expense. This is the tricky one as whatever package that is needs £200 to go on the car. What do you make up the rest of the deal with.
Hotel/dinner/signage/regalia/sandwiches/teamPH icon by your name? This is the $64,000 dollar question.
People need to go home having felt part of something special. Tuscans hasn't got the glamour of some other series, so it's no good someone going home at the end of a weekend feeling like they've paid for someone else to race whilst they stood in the rain and got cold.
Answers on a postcard...
1) A driver who is capable of finishing in the top 5
2) A good looking car with PistonHeads/SPEED MATTERS in bloody great letters down the site that people can feel associated with or some allegiance to (only half joking here). Identity is important - people want to be associated with the "x" car, not "so and so's car"
3) A package that gives them something for their money. A name on the car will excite people to a certain extent, but they need to feel that they're part of something bigger, not just paying for someone to go out have fun on the race track at their expense. This is the tricky one as whatever package that is needs £200 to go on the car. What do you make up the rest of the deal with.
Hotel/dinner/signage/regalia/sandwiches/teamPH icon by your name? This is the $64,000 dollar question.
People need to go home having felt part of something special. Tuscans hasn't got the glamour of some other series, so it's no good someone going home at the end of a weekend feeling like they've paid for someone else to race whilst they stood in the rain and got cold.
Answers on a postcard...
PetrolTed said: Variations on this theme have been suggested to me on numerous occasions. To make it attractive to people you'd need the following:
1) A driver who is capable of finishing in the top 5
2) A good looking car
3) A package that gives them something for their money.
1) Agreed, but if i can come 8th, then as long as he/she is 20 years younger,and can see properly that will do it( a Nat A and no brain will also help)
2) No problem here, and it's painted black, should work out a treat
3) Yes, the £200 needs to go on the car, so extra funds will be needed for accom, beer, food, beer, travel, beer, lap dancers, beer, bucket, detol, clean pistonhead polo shirts etc, and thats just friday!!!
The group per race must be 25, you can join in as many times as you can stump up £200 plus the ex's. I would say that you could blow £400+ but what a weekend!! Think of other ways to aquire funds, maybe bring a client or customer along, and get your office or work to pay, or at least get a contribution!! Maybe 2/3/4 of you can club together, share the driving and fuel/travel costs, bring a tent, whatever, all you need is the desire to do it, and you'll find ways to achive it.
For that weekend, you will be the team, we will ask those of you who wish to help out to join in, and your driver will benefit from all the attention, it will push him to do his best, trust me i know how drivers ego's work!! On track we will have our mobile workshop and hospitality unit, together with the basics, tea, coffee, etc etc, and we muck in and help out when we need to, otherwise we are free to watch all the other racing that's taking place, GT's F3, and some other crap, oops!! didn't mean that, sorry!
So what do you get for your money, a great expirience, the knowledge that without you your driver would not be racing, a load of fun , a good piss up or two and crabs, but I've got cream for those, 4 day course and no after effects, £3.50 a jar!!!
A lot of race fans talk the talk, but as they said in that great film "platoon", can you walk the walk??? Quite a few tvr owners club members have tried very hard to do this or something simular but nobody has really done it yet, can pistonheaders suceed where others have failed? It's up to you boy's and girl's or "are you gunna be happy to eat the peanuts out of my s***" ( platoon again, love that film!) no insults intended, just wanted to use the quote,
>> Edited by TUSCAN 29 on Sunday 27th April 01:12
Maybe a system of different levels of sponsorship (Similar to the one used by Polar_Ben) would enable those (Me!) with a lower income level to help out. I would be happy to help out in any way without any great benefit to myself, someone has to do the dirty jobs........
Damn good idea.
Damn good idea.
I think its a great idea and would be happy to stump up £200 smackers To be part of a Race Team even if its just running around for the mechanics,Name on car etc.
Allright the Tuscan Racing isnt as Glamerous as some racing but i think TVR enthusiasts would be up for this
It be intersting to see how much interest this gets,Especially during the week when all them IT bods are back at work.
Come on eveyone speak up
Allright the Tuscan Racing isnt as Glamerous as some racing but i think TVR enthusiasts would be up for this
It be intersting to see how much interest this gets,Especially during the week when all them IT bods are back at work.
Come on eveyone speak up 
) weekend. Nice hotel near the circuit and just a fun weekend away. Sounds good to me ,obviously finner details would be ironed out once it has been deemed feesable
But one thing is certain it can't be run by commitee as good ideas go into them and carp ones come out
So first we need numbers then cost (as cost will be obviously be determined by numbers)
But so far count me in
But one thing is certain it can't be run by commitee as good ideas go into them and carp ones come out
So first we need numbers then cost (as cost will be obviously be determined by numbers)
But so far count me in
29 Ted, judging by the responses so far, would you (a) take on the role of "Pistonheads race team co-ordinator, and (b) consider placing this project on the pistonheads home page so that we can reach as many people as possible? I would suggest that all concerned be prepared to allow Ted to set the framework for driver selection, entertainment, and fundraising/ distribution, but please bear in mind that a driver with Tuscan experience would be cheaper to insure then one that has never driven one,and if you want to see the Pistonheads car on the podium or on the top step for that matter, then you need to choose a driver that can win!In addition, he must have a national A licence, and be able to fund his 25% share of the costs which we will need to cover deposits,team costs,hospitality,car decals and one off preparation/race ready costs. Ted, there are a number of "T's" to cross and "i's" to dot relating to set up costs, driver insurance, accident damage, etc etc, and we need to be looking at the number of race weekends we can do, for the more we can commit to the cheaper it becomes. I don't want to jump the gun, or over excite everyone, but lets say that if one could set this up for the last 6 race weekends, be it with one driver or with 2 or 3 of your choice, we would need 6x25 sponsors, that's 150 @ £200, or 25 racing nutcases @ £1200. Just wanted to put that in everybodies mind, it's attention grabbing isn't it??
This is a great idea! What better way to get a driver racing and give people the chance to get involved with a the series, wouldnt it be great for TVR fans to get up and close with a team! I would be very interested in this! There most be lots of ways people can contribute. There does deffinately need to be more than circuit involvement, socialising off track is a must! (Bear me in Mind Please)
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