What do people think of this?

[andrewcliffe]

Since the demise of TRC mag, there isn't much for the club racer to read. A couple of pages in the back of Autosprout, and likewise a brief mention in Motorsport News.

Tristan suggested starting a web-magazine, so after an evenings work have knocked up a brief framework using the Wordpress blogging software and a freebie skin (still have to knock up a logo)

What do people think? Is it worth persevering with? I will need lots of contributors to make it work - people from all the other series.

I would envisage it to cover club level motorsport, and I would think that club level could include BTCC support races such as Carrera Cup which have a lot of admittedly wealthy, but privateer drivers. There are plenty of similar sites for higher levels of motorsport.

No forum either - requires too much moderation.

Comments, suggestions, criticisms, offers of assistance gratefully received.

Lookee here: http://www.racingexposure.com/blog

[Dermot Healy]

Looks good to me!

[RedRedWine]

In paper form, club motorsport magazines show a consistent trend of utter failure. There was a quite well produced mag called "Wheelbase" in the early 90's, then something I can't remember which had free copies in the Mono tent in the early noughties and then TRC. All did/probably-will provide work for liquidators. The reason for this is that club motorsport competitors are selfish and uninterested in any universe but their own. So they don't want to read about the Lydden Hill Skoda Felicia Championship unless they're in it. (I think I've made that up, but nothing is impossible.)

BUT I think your idea of a web mag is good because people will read the bit that interests them, maybe one or two other bits, and you should get a good hit count which might attract sufficient advertisers to finance it. It's obviously cheaper to publish on the web than on paper.

As to the current demo - great layout, looks lively, I would look at it, and you could have anything I write for Startline on it. You may not want it but it's an idea that the club reports of webhacks like me, Patrick and the Club F3 lot could be a basis to build on. (I will write something about my theory of Socialist Collaborative Single Seater Motorsport ("Together We Can Beat The Tyranny Of Things With Roofs") another time.)

Incidentally Andrew, if we need to liven up the look of Startline can you help?

Tony

[RedRedWine]

BUGGER beaten to the draw again by Dermot

[omsracer]

Andrew,

Look very good to me. Means we can see all club racing in one place and pick and choose what we read. Another medium to demonstrate the Mono brand for those who would not nornally come across it. Excellent initiative.

[jimblockley]

Andrew

Looks excellent.

Club racer would be able to get info everthing and anything in club racing.

Would show competitors all the different types of racing that is it out there all in one place.

Hope it could be made commercially viable, perhaps you could be come an internet miilionare.

Jim Blockley

[tristancliffe]

I know I should have 'protected' my idea. If he becomes a millionaire off of it then I'll be a bit cross :p

[andrewcliffe]

I'll get you a catering size packet of jaffa cakes as compensation.

[samier]

Good idea!

Maybe you can add a section on circuit testing dates/costs etc, maybe a classifieds section too.

[tristancliffe]

A project of this very quickly becomes too much for one or two people to manage. Obviously, Andrew and I are reasonably clued on on Mono2000, but perhaps a lot of other Mono classes escapes us. Andrew keeps tabs on the BTCC support races (due to his photography), as well as the Toyota Sprint Series (due to his Toyota Sera Owners Club connections). But other championships and categories would have to be covered by people involved with those championships (or freelance reporters happy to give Andrew copy for free!).

Whilst it's nice to have testing dates/prices and a classified sections, these all require writing. Classifieds almost take care of themselves, as there are Web Scripts that will enable sellers to post adverts and take payment automatically.

But perhaps the testing dates/prices thing, if Andrew wants it at some point, would be something you're willing to help out on? This 'magazine' thing will only thrive and become useful/interesting/well known if volunteers are happy to to a bit of work for free for club racing in general.

Disclaimer - these views/thoughts/opinions are mine, and not Andrew. He might disagree entirely with my way of thinking, and this is his baby not mine.

[Dave]

I think this looks very promising.
But, it would require a lot of running.
The worst sites there are are those which never get updated. To do this properly you would require a daily update.

Best of luck but think very carefully about the time and effort factor before you progress.

[andrewcliffe]

Thanks for the kind words and comments both here and emailed to me.

Classifieds - good idea but there is already racecarsdirect and motorsportads and the mono forum. Is there any point competing with them? However, it could be considered as its an automatic system, so would not require much human intervention. Will look into it though.

Calendar - again a plugin is available to make an events calendar function, but requires a lot of time entering data. If someone tells me about a test session that is undersubscribed or is a blinding deal, then I can publicise it as news under the circuit menu (there is one for an Oulton Park session), but otherwise I think it would be too time-consuming to consider.

[RedRedWine]

I'll get you a catering size packet of jaffa cakes as compensation.

2 litres lagging behind the 1600's as usual. We have proper cakes thanks to the lovely Mrs Hughes, the world's most talented racing driver. (I think that's an extra slice for me. Get back DP!)

So how about a recipe page?

[andrewcliffe]

Tony, if you have any motor racing recipes to share, I'll put them up. However if the cakes are so nice in Mono1600, why are you joining Mono2000?

[tristancliffe]

Probably because of the smell from the colostomy bags... The assembly area is a particularly pungent place with the 1600s. They use the smell of baking to try and hide it at other times.