Modified Live Snetterton June 9th *BP stand*

[Bladerider]

It was nice to see some old faces.

Its a difficult compromise to strike, between the requirements of competitors to have a good event to bring their 100k cars to, making it something the public can interact with while also maintaining insurance, managing risk and stopping people from being overly harressed or stuff nicked.

Its not just ML thats suffering from lower attendence, all the events from F1 downwards are having issues due to that dreaded economy word, people are having to pick and choose which effectively reduces your national footprint. This is also being compounded by places like Facebook effectively giving every tom dick and harry a massive advertising forum to pull in people to their field or car park based collection that can be hosted on a shoestring budget and people will happily go for a tenner as its half price of ML and their expectations are therefore lower and if they are not then they are put off from the next event thanks to a poor experience at the last similar sounding one.

It was one of the arguments for trying to maintain high standards when drift demos were first getting asked for at events. I'd happily get a dozen of the then best guys sorted, with decent accomodation, food, travel costs all paid, tyres supplied and maybe even a few quid for their trouble. Which would effectively be a 5k investment or more from the organiser, rapidly those demos were viewed as "skid time" or advertising for sponsors time and every nirk with a shitbox s13 suddenly had a "Drift squad" and was offering themselves for free, which diluted the experience and the crowds were seeing mediocre stuff maybe one shade up from maccyD's on a saturday night.

EVERYONE has been talking about Aasbo and Mike and how awesome they were and you can see the difference between them and the regular drift taxi guys. But the cost difference in machinery, backup, tyres and money those guys have in track time is immense compared to George in his half working Silvia running remoulds !!

I think one of the issues that you are all talking about in relation to Big Power and its dwindling numbers and attendees at what was a truly remarkable club only a few years ago is case in point. Less money, less cars and suddenly you are on a downward spiral to where it is at now. ML is trying to prevent that by reinventing itself, partnering where appropriate so that core funds arent wasted and mixung it up as it always has done with other formulae and race groups to try and keep fresh. So for me i dont think its any worse in the overall makeup of the UK scene, its just the whole scene is down from where it was possibly at its peak 5 years ago.

J.

[RX7]

NIce writeup on Speedhunters.....
http://www.speedhunters.com/2013/06/drift-tour-the-uk-leg-from-the-drivers-view/