Filling the Grandstands Club Motorsport & It’s Sponsorship Potential

Sponsorship is proving ever harder to find, many competitors and almost every team is out there are looking for new ways to attract it…

It’s this line of thinking which has led me to a problem, which has been rife throughout motorsport the entire time I’ve been involved. Simply put, it’s a severe lack of spectators. Even Formula 1 has struggled in recent years to fill the grandstands, so what, if anything can be done about this?

I can’t help but think that a loss leader approach is required, for example a recent club event it cost me over £20 for a spectator entry – come on this is a bit much for club racing isn’t it? If gate prices for spectators were reduced this might just help boost club motorsport hugely in every aspect from the amount of competitors to the race meeting earnings with circuits earning themselves more revenue in the process. Surely getting people through the door is the most important thing?

Big events like the Silverstone Classic and Goodwood can see gate prices of in excess of £50 quid per adult for a Saturday ticket admittedly both these events are highlights of the historic racing calendar so you would expect to pay more but that’s a £200 day for 4 adults – I am sure I used to be able to have a week in Spain for that having said that a family day out at Legoland is just as expensive…These big events still rarely come up short on the spectator front because of what they are; a great show with some of the finest racing cars in existence being driven like they were designed to be. But if they do ever get to the point that they are struggling to sell tickets and filling the grandstands then the first thing they would reduce surely is the ticket price; encouraging packed grandstands, thus upping sales of everything from food and drink to stalls inside the venue…The Silverstone Classic has gone from strength to strength over the last few years and the revival of the Goodwood circuit is nothing short of exceptional. Having a runway in the middle of the circuit helps to add fantastic air displays, to the incredible racing and so many other extras; visitors turn up in period attire and staff are all dressed to look the part. Atmosphere is everything and Lord March and his team have worked hard to make it the sell out event it is.

But back to club racing as we know it, my idea is this; make all club motorsport events £5 per adult and free for under 18’s to enter. This way going to the racing becomes a cheap, fun, family day out. By getting more spectators in, the food and drink sales on circuit will go up (most likely making up the reduction on the gate entries). Most importantly though, is the fact that if companies and businesses see race circuits full of spectators every weekend, they are are far more likely to want to get involved to promote their brands and services.

As anyone involved in sponsorship will tell you, its not how much money you ask for, its what your offer is worth to the person or company you are approaching. Whether its motorsport or knitting give them a crowd to sell too and they will look at it seriously. Sponsors will sponsor the racers, race series, supporting race clubs and the ultimately the circuits – a win win for all involved.

Motorsport is worth £6 billion per annum in the UK, yet at most races, even British GT and F3, the only people in the stands are the friends and family of the competitors, and they usually get in free with the race entry. Most of this £6 billion is surely generated by Formula 1 but maybe much more money could be generated from all the other levels of motorsport if this simple idea was put into place? After all, future F1 drivers are racing in the UK club racing scene right now be it in karts or single seaters…

In the US all levels of motorsport offer entry and prize money and they do this because they realise, (like good old Bernie Ecclestone), that it’s a show! The competitors take it very seriously but the spectators want to be taken on an emotional roller coaster with exciting overtaking moves and nail biting tension as the racers vie for victory. The spectator should have their heart in their mouth as the soap opera of who will come out on top plays out before them. The more spectators, the better the atmosphere the more encouragement for the drivers to give a show.

When a club hires out a circuit it’s the circuit who takes all the money from the spectator gates, this offers the club little incentive to increase spectator amounts for them its all about the race entry numbers. I’d be keen to find out just why it is the way it is and if you know more then please do let me know. The problem at the moment is that if you approach a sponsor and tell them that they could come to race meetings, see the car in all their livery and eat some food under an awning, that may not very appealing, especially not for the sort of sums of money people need to go racing. Like I mentioned before, companies are looking for ways to boost profits, not bankroll other people’s ambitions. Why would they put money into motorsport with an attendance of 10 when they can be at a football or rugby match where they are guaranteed packed grandstands, huge atmosphere and much more media coverage? In answer, only for love and fortunately some sponsors have strong enough businesses that can support such love. Motorsport has always been an expensive past time but maybe the UK motorsport world itself has been slow in keeping up with modern demands, spectator and sponsor alike. The money is always at one end – the upper echelons of the the sport, for example BTCC always have a good turn out from devoted fans but somehow a way has to be sought to help clubs survive and thrive, grandstands fill up and money made by the circuits to ensure they can keep providing the fine facilities that they do.

It only takes one influential person to take the leap to make it happen, I just wonder who may actually be maverick enough to get the ball rolling…

Main image of Reims.

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