Will Record Fan Numbers For Official Test Day Persuade V8 Supercars To Return To Sydney Motorsport Park?

Official V8 Supercar Test Day. (C)

    Enthusiastic Sydney fans were eager to witness the new for 2013 V8 Supercar Car Of The Future, and subsequently descended in large numbers for last weekend's Official Test Day at Sydney Motorsport Park. A record number for an official pre-season test translated to 17-odd thousand punters attending the free event. 
    The day included a lunchtime fan grid walk with drivers ever present to chat with fans and gladly posing for photos. Fans were then treated to a couple of practise restarts behind the Safety Car. Remember in 2013, restarts are double file. Will the leading driver choose the inside line to cover the run into Turn 1 bearing in mind that it may not always be the racing line where there's more rubber down and therefore grip? The cars will be much closer together definitely raising excitement levels. The last 15 minutes of the day resembled the frantic dying stages of a qualifying session with teams trying to gain a psychological advantage over their rivals going into next weekend's season opening Clipsal 500 in Adelaide. A great day was had by all.
    But are the big crowd numbers enough to persuade V8 Supercars to include Sydney Motorsport Park as a regular venue on the championship calendar? In the past we've spoken about the importance of brand promotion through TV and online exposure to generate both corporate and fan interest. 
    However it all starts with crowd numbers through the gates doesn't it? Venues and promoters need to know that an event is first of all fiscally viable. Big crowd numbers then entice TV to broadcast the event. This then seduces more fans watching at home to attend next year as it looks like an event you can't miss. Business interest therefore increases as companies see a great avenue to promote their own brands through both team and trackside sponsorship. The cycle continues. Alternatively, if the venue looks half empty on TV, the event seems less appealing to both fans and business, and consequently, interest wanes.
    So do you think that crowd numbers have such a large influence on venues staging events? More importantly, will you be attending the next V8 Supercar event when they return to Sydney Motorsport Park? It is a great facility with the circuit upgrades transforming the circuit. Would love to see the V8's plunging into the new section though. 
    Let us know what you think. Leave a comment or send us an email at: greenflag@formulafrontrow.com. In our next post formulafrontrow.com will be previewing the Australian Formula One Grand Prix. See you soon. Cheers....
    
    

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