Re: JPM to McLaren for 05

Mike Fleming <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> > 
> > That's it is an FIA-sanctioned Grand Prix for F1 cars, of course.
> > Australia's most important domestic series is for V8 tin-top
> > dinosaurs. Very entertaining and they race on some exciting tracks,
> > but hardly rocket science <g>. 
> 
> Yebbut that's what I was getting at, the Bathurst is (probably) the
> biggest and most important race to Australians. Or maybe WSB or MotoGP
> might be, as one had an Australian champion a couple of years ago and
> the other has got that champion currently riding in it, plus another
> Aussie, and Mick Doohan used to be in it...
> 
> > Only one of those races has any
> > international status or interest. They don't have a worthwhile big
> > single-seater series any more, although they used to.
> 
> That's the perspective of the outsider though, isn't it? I don't know
> which of the races is the most important to Aussies.


Well as an Aussie, I suppose it behooves me to put my 2c worth in at
this point.

I wopuld say that Bathurst is the highest profile motor sport event in
Australia - I suspect if you asked the average Australian to name a
racing driver, the most common response would be 'Peter Brock'. Like
Nascar in the States (upon which it has been slavishly modelled), the
V8s have a large and devoted fan base (mostly youngish male blue
collar) who loudly proclaim that any other form of racing is for
chardonnay-sipping poofs! :-) Its organising body AVESCO are also
known for using Bernie-like tactics to white-ant any other event that
looks like a threat to their hegemony.

Having said that, F1 has quite a high profile in OZ, especially around
GP time - our average Australian would probably have heard of at least
Ferrari and Michael Schumacher. As well as enthusiasts like myself,
don't forget Sydney and Melbourne both have substantial Italian
populations, all of whom turn into tifosi at GP time! Certainly,
having been in the UK in GP week, I was amazed at how little general
media coverage there was, relative to Oz.

Despite the Aussie successes, I would think that F1 has a higher
profile that superbikes or Moto GP.

David is absolutely right,m however, in suggesting that, despite our
glorious Tasman tradition, single-seater racing here is pretty well
moribund and has been for 20 years or more. I can't help thinking that
what Australia really needs is a  revival of the F5000 concept -
stonking great V8s in proprietary chassis. I'd love to see that but I
aint holding my breath... :-(

Michael