Motorsport Developement Fund!

[jamesc]

Last year at the British Grand Prix, the Labour government set a £16 million fund to help motorsport.

Does anyone know where this money has been spent?

What should the money be spent on?

Bernie is running the British Grand Prix and surely he should pay for the improvements and not the taxpayer.

Should some of the money go to help TVR Tuscan drivers?

Any other ideas????

James

[Eric Mc]

Every government in every country hosting a GP has made some contribution to the event (and Bernie's pocket of course). Up to now, the UK has been the only one not to.

I am not putting forward any opinion as to whether it is right or wrong for taxpayers money to be used to assist the running of GPs - but that is the current situation.

Does anyone know what the source of funding was to be for this Motorsport Fund - and was the fund aimed purely at the wealthiest end of motor racing (e.g. GP racing) or to be spread over the whole spectrum (karting, club motor sport. national championships etc)?

[Graham]

mmm let me think this money could go to silverstone and they could build another car park and some more fences and gates,

or it could go to places like anglesey, castle coomb and mallory ect.. can you imaging the difference a million quid could make to a place like anglesey...


or maybe some could go to promoting motorsport (nah why would you want to do that)


you could spend 160 million at silverstone and not notice....

[HiRich]

The Taurus Sport diesel, and Nasamax bio-ethanol cars at Le Mans both received some money, out of a £145k pot for the "Energy Efficient Motorsport" project.

The £16m seems to be more directed at engineering training and technology development, rather than a nice new pitlane for Silverstone or Donington. I believe there are also plans for a college of race engineering, which is a good idea - this might be related to the work Rob Wilson has been doing with MIRA.

[jamesc]

One of the best ideas I heard about was Student involvement with Britcar and MG. However I would like to where all this money is going as British Motorsport is in a bad way with too many championships.

[pwig]

They could spend the money putting Silverstone back to a proper circuit?

[john75]

Did any of the money from the Motorsport Development fund go into Formula Woman ?

[Graham]

john75 said:

Did any of the money from the Motorsport Development fund go into Formula Woman ?

pass that large spoon

[jamesc]

I remember when LoCost started, within 3 years there were over 80 cars competing. The MDF was supposed to support grass roots motorsport.

These are the circuit racing areas I call grass roots

1 LoCost

2 Stockhatch

3 Formula Student

4 FF1600

5 Various bike engined cars

The budget is £16 million! Challenge to all PH's! How would you allocate the money. You need to include admin costs! I will work on mine and may be Ted can chose the best.

[Graham]

I'd spend the lot on marketing and advertising !!!!


part of the problem with motorsport in the uk, is that you can drive right past a place like cadwell, or Snetterton on a race weekend and not have a clue there is anything going on... no signs, no radio, no posters in town. FFS even the banger racing place in grimsby has a Show car driving around the week before a mtg telling peple whats on..


imho.. the place to start is getting punters to watch. do that and the money will eventually find its way to competitors, i.e sponsorship, reduced entry heck even prize money !!!!

Handing out cash to the racers ( which i'd be ready to accept!!!) is abit like giving food to the starving. when its gone its gone. give them the means to grow their own food and its sustainable. same with racing.

WHAT WE NEED IS PEOPLE WATCHING. The racing cat club level can me far more interesting than f1..

Get people watching, the grids will get bigger as people can find sponsorship which brings better racing....