Blatant rip-off

[red750]

My daughter spent yesterday and today at the F1 practice sessions at Albert Park. She and others paid to pre-book their normal places (she has attended every GP in Melbourne for nearly 10 years. When they went to claim their tickets, they were told others had bid higher than the base ticket fee, and all seats were sold out. When they asked for their pre-book money back, they were refused. She went, but couldn't get her home straight seat, had to accept lesser quality places. Could not get tickets for Saturday and Sunday, will have to be satisfied with TV.

 

As for merchandising, polo shirts were going for $140.00.  All told, a blatant rip-off.

[facthunter]

Unfettered Free Enterprise. Don't You like it? Those pocketing the money do. Nev

[Marty_d]

If she'd paid to prebook a specific seat, and they subsequently sell it to someone else, then unless she agreed to that possibility in the terms and conditions somewhere then I would think they'd be in breach of contract,  and should be reported to the ACCC. 

[Jerry_Atrick]

Agree, Marty. I am not familiar with Aussie or Vic contract law, but even if it were in ther Ts and Cs, it because of the pootential impact on her not having the  eqivalent enjoyment, that term that they could sell would may have to be prominently displayed, or if she bought somethign akin to a standy ticket. ACCC  would be your best bet

[spenaroo]

I was amazed at the Adelaide Motorsport festival in comparison.
$60 ticket

$25 parking (paddock infront of the gate)

 

went to the pop-up bar for a coke.. paid $5 and was given a 600ml bottle. I was very impressed I was expecting a can at event prices.

 

had a dozen F1 cars from the 80/90s, a few group C le-mans cars. some ultra rare bikes (including older motoGP machines) and even a few group B rally cars.

(along with the ferraris, porsche cup cars and the V8 racing taxis)

[facthunter]

It's Part of a World series. It's not a Tarrangower hillclimb.  Record crowd. Results  outcome exactly what I wanted to see.. Now more popular with a younger set against most trends.. One top driver only 24 ears of age. You get there by being the best, not how rich your dad is. I've been to plenty of Winton Historics but I usually just talk to people I know.. Broadford at easter is good too.. Nev

[spacesailor]

The winner of EasternCreek ' motorcycle ' racing was a 16 year old , 

Who hadn't started shaving.  LoL

spacesailor

[spenaroo]

1 hour ago, facthunter said:

It's Part of a World series. It's not a Tarrangower hillclimb.  Record crowd. Results  outcome exactly what I wanted to see.. Now more popular with a younger set against most trends.. One top driver only 24 ears of age. You get there by being the best, not how rich your dad is. I've been to plenty of Winton Historics but I usually just talk to people I know.. Broadford at easter is good too.. Nev

Arguably F1 is about how rich your dad is.

you dont get to that level now, without bringing serious cash to the table along the way.

 

sure the F1 drivers might be getting paid for the seat. but they still need to meet personal sponsor quotas,
and pay for F3, F2 races etc... to get there. plenty of pay to drives while they make the way though lower classes.

The sport is changing, Netflix and off track entertainment drives it.

look at the Horner saga this year

[spenaroo]

but I do agree the two are very different events.

Adelaide Motorsports festival is trying to become Goodwood in the southern hemisphere - and attracting some great cars and names

interesting talking to the people crewing the vehicles. a ton of cars coming from overseas. and not just one, owners bringing 6 or 7 with local talent to race (usually retired world class guys)

Edited March 25 by spenaroo

[facthunter]

Sometimes I feel a lot of the vehicles are now too rare and valuable to be raced after all this time of survival as I know it doesn't do them a lot of good and some of the Drivers are not that good either.  They are not the original drivers as they are all as old as me or dead. Also the people who had expertise on the older technology are thin on the ground and a lot of the restoration damages the original stuff rather than fixing it. Parts age harden and fail and a lot of that stuff is not made anymore.. I  was involved when the stuff was current and saw plenty of destruction then when you COULD buy it and it was an industry. and the development had a place in improving cars on the road. Now a few who can pay the high prices for ORIGINAL cars seek a relatively cheap way of having a brief moment of glory in things irreplaceable.  and can't see that it's not sustainable  and don't care that much or have any respect  for their rarity either. It comes and goes in waves and I've seen it over the years. With a it of organisation  reproduction things can be made new but in all racing those who've been there and were part of it know a lot of rule bending makes speed kings of many of us. The clubman racer and back yard artisan who can beat the newer stuff for a while are long gone. It's Super high tech that even a lot of Auto makes cannot afford to be in  and drivers and team managers getting unbelievable figures  for the skills they have.. I had lots of fun while it lasted back then but it was when many of the Mods people did ended up in production vehicles in later  improved versions of the Family car which were by and Large pretty BAD in many ways.  Nev

[spacesailor]

Was our own, '  Stan Sainty ' , the last of those ' backyard builders ' .

His legacy lives on , with his son running the Riverstone ' speedworks ' shop.

A great legacy " wheels by Stan Sainty " . the English Royal Coach .

( the smoothest the Royals have ever rode in ) .

spacesailor

 

 

 

s 

 

[spenaroo]

16 hours ago, facthunter said:

Sometimes I feel a lot of the vehicles are now too rare and valuable to be raced after all this time of survival as I know it doesn't do them a lot of good and some of the Drivers are not that good either.  They are not the original drivers as they are all as old as me or dead. Also the people who had expertise on the older technology are thin on the ground and a lot of the restoration damages the original stuff rather than fixing it. Parts age harden and fail and a lot of that stuff is not made anymore.. I  was involved when the stuff was current and saw plenty of destruction then when you COULD buy it and it was an industry. and the development had a place in improving cars on the road. Now a few who can pay the high prices for ORIGINAL cars seek a relatively cheap way of having a brief moment of glory in things irreplaceable.  and can't see that it's not sustainable  and don't care that much or have any respect  for their rarity either. It comes and goes in waves and I've seen it over the years. With a it of organisation  reproduction things can be made new but in all racing those who've been there and were part of it know a lot of rule bending makes speed kings of many of us. The clubman racer and back yard artisan who can beat the newer stuff for a while are long gone. It's Super high tech that even a lot of Auto makes cannot afford to be in  and drivers and team managers getting unbelievable figures  for the skills they have.. I had lots of fun while it lasted back then but it was when many of the Mods people did ended up in production vehicles in later  improved versions of the Family car which were by and Large pretty BAD in many ways.  Nev

interestingly the vintage stuff is often lapping quicker now then they were qualifying originally.

a lot of this is down to updated components especially tyres.
 

there is a debate of original vs replacement components. (for example in classic racing, the Suzuki race bikes cant easily replace the crankcases so run a more conservative tune. the Yamaha engines are able to use modern crankcases as they were still produced for the XJR1300 well into the 2010's - this lead to a few hybrids being built to race competitively)
same thing was chatting to the guys at TREX, who's vintage honda has the lap record around broadford - and while the suspension is for all appearances standard from the outside. everything on the inside is modern and custom built for that bike.

 

and then you have the Irving-Vincent.....

I believe its the same with the cars. there is whole industries built around keeping them running and can rebuild from scratch if needed - using modern methods

e.g.

https://tdf.co.uk/

 

like most things i this world - it just comes down to money

Edited March 25 by spenaroo

[onetrack]

I was always of the opinion that racing was all about building big-dollar, cutting edge technology machines, and then setting out to drive them into the ground as fast as possible.

I have to agree with Nev, it's just plain stupid to race historic machines, just as it's just plain stupid to tear around the sky in ancient, rare and highly valuable warplanes.

[facthunter]

I've been offered quite a few rides in warplanes and have no intention of being over a town hoping  some engine part that has age hardened won't let me down. The Dh 60 VH-ULM worried me about it's  aged wooden  frame.  A newly Built Bleriot X1 would be fine at the right aerodrome. SLOW. Nev.

[Marty_d]

For a ride in a two seat Spitfire, I'd take that chance.

[facthunter]

Yeah THEY are pretty Docile if you watch some of the clips of kids learning on them during the war with their "The GROUND Must be down there SOMEWHERE" Landings.   Nev

[spenaroo]

2 hours ago, onetrack said:

I was always of the opinion that racing was all about building big-dollar, cutting edge technology machines, and then setting out to drive them into the ground as fast as possible.

I have to agree with Nev, it's just plain stupid to race historic machines, just as it's just plain stupid to tear around the sky in ancient, rare and highly valuable warplanes.

The line then gets blurred with restorations and rebuilds.

 

I agree with something original.

But what of the wreck reconstructed around a vin plate?

or of a new machine built to the original specifications (becoming very popular with vintage race classes)?

[facthunter]

Read a bit about CATERHAMS,   Nev

[spenaroo]

3 hours ago, facthunter said:

Read a bit about CATERHAMS,   Nev

which ones,

the factory built, of the kit cars.

from which decade?

[facthunter]

I think you can build any of them as a Kit car.  Nev

[spenaroo]

Not in Australia,

I believe we only get factory Caterhams...

which themselves are based on the lotus 7

 

of course its become a bit like Harley or scotch tape- where everyone just uses the brand to refer to that style of car.

very few Caterhams here, most of this style of car, are other kit car manufacturers interpretation on the "Clubman" (which is a derivative of the Locost, which is inspired by the lotus 7)

[facthunter]

I wouldn't consider that more than a VERY cursory Coverage. All this stuff is a world market not necessarily for Tyre Kickers. Gary Cooper made the Elfin Clubman in South Australia in the 60s. Renmax in Sydney built nickel bronze welded space framed  Mid engined openwheeler cars  in lower quantity at the same time. Clubman racing was a CLASS like Formula Junior  Formula Ford and  Formula Vee and Tasman formula . COOPER Cars UK had their distinctively sprung open wheeler green cars up to the 2.5 liter Coventry Climax engined car and the Blue Brabhams were there to all in the running. The Clubman class was front engined and a live rear axle to provide a good entry level circuit and hill climb vehicle using the Ford Kent Motor and the Ubiquitous Triumph Herald front suspension used on all bar  the COOPER UK which had transverse leaf springs like some TQ rear engined Motorcycle engined cars which were surprisingly quick.  The LO COST appears to be a late US based entry to  the personalised basic  kit car rather than any serious circuit car. No doubt it won't be the last (clone) but I doubt it will ever be a CATERHAM. There was also a dutchbuilt car of somenote but I can't recall the Name at the moment. They are ALL very expensive these days.  Nev

[spenaroo]

Yeah, the ones im more familiar with are the modern style,

like the Puma, built in Adelaide through the 90's - running the Nissan and Toyota engines

[spacesailor]

In NSW, you will be hard pressed to change your wheels , without a " engineering certificate " . The larger the diameter the smoother the ride on corrugated roads. 

spacesailor

 

[facthunter]

Most of them are quite light weight, spacey. In the kit's that's already done for you.. Loads on  axles etc. Nev