Canberra Times: Another Rally of Canberra article - Brindabella Motor Sport Club

fro · 23-04-2007, 02:40 AM

A bit of mis-quoting and not-quite-rightness, but this was in the Canberra Times over the weekend, apparently:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Canberra Times

Rally of Canberra may spin out of existence unless major sponsor found
Merryn Sherwood

ACT rally officials are concerned over the future of the capital's premier rallying event The Rally of Canberra.

The ACT government confirmed yesterday it was yet to secure a major sponsor for the 2008 event.

The government is currently the major financial backer of the Rally of Canberra. Last year it contributed $750,000 of ACT taxpayers' money to the event and yesterday a spokesperson from the ACT government confirmed the absence of a major sponsor combined with the declining visitor numbers [would] have an impact on the future viability of the event.

Driver and administrator Stephen Horobin from Brindabella Motor Sport Club said he was concerned about the race's future. Horobin said any cancellation of the race would be detrimental to the sport in Canberra.

"I suppose the direct effects of not having a flagship rally event in Canberra will be really missing that recognition on the Australian and the world stage," he said.

"Then there is the possibility of losing support for the local rallying business community, there is a number of businesses in the ACT and surrounding region."

Horobin said national rally teams had offered contracts to staff at a Murrumbateman automotive business as a direct result of the Canberra rally.

"It just offers so many opportunities for drivers, officials, pit crew etc. to bridge the gap between ACT-level rallying to Australian and international levels," Horobin said. "So not having the flagship event to help local competitors reach the next level will really damage the sport."

Horobin was assistant race clerk in 2004 and 2006 and drove in the event in 2005. He will drive in the event again this year, from June 1-3 at Kowen Forrest.

ACT motor enthusiasts have run national-level rally events since the 1960s but first ran the Rally Australia-sanctioned Rally of Canberra in 1999.

Past champions include rally luminaries Possum Bourne, Ed Ordynski and Cody Croker, and home-town hero and current driver Neal Bates.

2007 Rally of Canberra, June 1-3, Kowen Forest.

So, I spoke to Merryn on Friday afternoon, on my way up to Sydney for the RAP meeting. On Saturday morning I got a call and did an interview with 2CC. Dunno if anyone heard it?

mroberts · 23-04-2007, 01:07 PM

Can we get some perspective on the $750k ?

Summernats got $300k from the govt, right ?

How much did the govt. contribute to the mountain biking thing out near stromlo ?

What about the funding for the AIS ?

I'm sure everyone looks at that and says "3/4 of a million for a bunch of people to tear around back roads", but how does that compare to other sporting events / venues / activities ?

Maybe visitor numbers woudl go up if we had a special stage OVER parliament house.

Kagan · 23-04-2007, 01:17 PM

Or some decent spectating that didn't cost $40 odd dollars for the two days... Surely as others have said, the tickets sales wouldn't make up for the lack of money being spent!!!!!

Matt Dyne · 23-04-2007, 01:24 PM

The writing is on the wall...MTB world championships is costing $1M...quote from Barr is it's "new" money, ie, not otherwise committed.

Guess what...ROC ends this year, "new" money then gets apportioned to MTB WC...winner.

M

Bede · 23-04-2007, 01:26 PM

Last year's RoC was close to some of the best spectating I have ever done at RoC... might not be enough to change general perceptions of 'value for money' by the general public though.

Kagan · 23-04-2007, 01:28 PM

I agree the place was good Bede, but that was the only (or pretty much the only) place to spectate. I think a few more places, with some good bits of road would make things a lot better.