Sandown 500 ripoff!

snakeoil · 16-09-2015, 08:09 AM

This years Sandown 500 saw for the first time ever a charge of $30 being levied to sit in the grandstand.I have been going to the 500 for over 30 years and can only remember a few times when the grandstand was so packed you struggled to get a seat so the sheer greed of the organisers to charge $30 on top of the $80 admission ticket is a rip off.

A family of mum dad plus 2 kids over twelve who did not want to stand up all day and wanted to do a pit tour would have to shell out $560 that seems a lot to me when I consider that as a teenager mum would drop me and a mate of mine off at the gate with some money for lunch but entry to the track and the pits was free.

We go to Adelaides Clipsal 500 every year and can understand why they charge extra for all the infra structure they build but all the way around the track there are heaps of good viewing mini grandstands which they erect but they are all free so the Sandown decision is laughable by comparison

As a Member of the FPV Club of victoria many of our club members and the guys from HSV Owners VE club Ford Fairlane Falcon said they would just not bother taking the time to put there cars on show next year

Thanks

EDManual · 16-09-2015, 09:40 AM

Crazy prices. I used to go a bit with my dad years ago.

I'm going to start to do track days myself at Winton etc, $150, plus fuel and some wear on tyres etc. Seems reasonable...

Full_Monty · 16-09-2015, 01:07 PM

yep, bloody greed!

It's practically the only place to view from on Friday! Before they open the back of the circuit up on race day.

v8's will die a slow miserable death, sold the rights to Pay TV for short term gain...flipside is less people following the sport week to week, therefore less people interested in attending races over time.

blueoval · 16-09-2015, 01:35 PM

It's business and as long as they keep the share holders happy, that's all that matters.

/end sarcasm

LASTXR · 16-09-2015, 02:52 PM

Same this year at SMSP (Eastern Creek)
$30 on top for 1 day grandstand.
Kids under 12 were free to get in but still
had to pay $30 for grandstand

vbvbvb088 · 16-09-2015, 02:52 PM

Ahhh the days when a young lad could scale a cyclone fence and run like crazy....

g220ba · 16-09-2015, 03:05 PM

It was the emptiest I had seen the grandstand on a sunday at sandown In the 7 years I've been attending. That is until one of the mrc staff checking the tickets gave up as he couldn't cover the 2 ramps up and a few hundred managed to get a seat for free. They called in reinforcements pretty quickly though. Remarkably they still checked tickets right up until the last lap.

Probably fall on deaf ears but when I got home I sent them an email expressing my concerns that they were alienating a large part of their fan base with these decisions and a lot of the people I spoke to on sunday weren't really optimistic of returning next year if they do it again. That and the only non smoking and shaded areas of the general admin area are in the grandstand which doesn't really help if you have young kids to keep healthy.

Dezza · 16-09-2015, 05:08 PM

I've been going to Sandown nearly every year since 2001. I've only missed a couple, but it's an event I've always enjoyed and always looked forward to. As if the tickets weren't already expensive enough, making people pay extra to sit down is pathetic and greedy. I'm so disgusted by the actions of V8SC, I'm having second thoughts about going back next year. I might as well just save my money and watch it on TV. I'm sure plenty other fans will do the same.

Adamz Ghia · 16-09-2015, 05:13 PM

With the uncertain future of the sport with regards to brand participation I wouldn't have thought they'd be in a position to gouge fans.

**thefargo** · 16-09-2015, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dezza

I've been going to Sandown nearly every year since 2001. I've only missed a couple, but it's an event I've always enjoyed and always looked forward to. As if the tickets weren't already expensive enough, making people pay extra to sit down is pathetic and greedy. I'm so disgusted by the actions of V8SC, I'm having second thoughts about going back next year. I might as well just save my money and watch it on TV. I'm sure plenty other fans will do the same.

At least you can sit down at home for free.
all they are doing is shooting themselves in the foot

Pilko FNQ · 16-09-2015, 06:05 PM

Wow....you guys get a bargain! Try the prices at Townsville.

Binny · 16-09-2015, 07:49 PM

That's a bargain. The cheapest grandstand ticket at Motogp is $300.

joolz · 16-09-2015, 08:20 PM

Maybe they are warming you up to PAY PER VIEW on Poxtel!!

**GasoLane** · 16-09-2015, 08:53 PM

If the trend continues I wonder how many people they'll manage to scare away from the grandstand at the 12hr next year.

deesun · 16-09-2015, 10:57 PM

They look at it this way, if the gs holds 600ppl then last year 600 x 0 = 0. This year even if they only got 1 person in it they are ahead and sooner or later no one will remember when it was free and it will be full. But for every person in it they are ahead. I think it's 350 inc entry for the covered gs on mountain straight at Bathurst for the 4 days.

FPV8U · 17-09-2015, 03:41 AM

I don't mind an additional charge but I thought $30pp or $60pp for the full weekend was a bit steep going from being free previously.

Disagree on the crowd numbers though,while still a way off what it was in the early to mid 2000's I felt it was the best crowd they have had in 2-3 years.

What email did you guys send your complaints to, I'd also like to send them some thoughts on their changes.

Franco Cozzo · 17-09-2015, 06:48 AM

Save up some coin, buy a 65" TV and a decent sound system, then buy a few slabs, some muchies, invite mates and kick the missus/kids out of the house for the day (if you have them), have a BBQ as well.

GT450 · 17-09-2015, 08:06 AM

[email protected] Try this FPV8U . I have already voiced my opinion with them.
After being to Sandown every year since the late sixties this sucks. Eihter amortise it into the ticket prices or leave it as it was.
Many were shocked to find they had to pay more AFTER buying a ticket and many families sat in the sun with no shade rather than fork out the extra , and I don't blame them.
Be up front, put it into the price and then people will make their mind up whether they want to go or not. I think they may have shot themselves in the foot with this one as many will stay home next year. Alas there will probably be only another couple of Sandowns as it appears there is talk of housing redevelopment after that, very sad indeed.
GT450

XG_Falcon · 17-09-2015, 08:25 AM

I don't think this is a coincidental occurrence, it seems like certain parties have been trying to wean the Australian public off motorsport for some time. There has been a big cultural shift over the last 15-20 years and now it has become more expensive than ever for the average person to attend major races.

At the very least, I think the motor racing industry (in general) has been putting serious effort into distancing themselves from the typical "bogan" image that has been so closely associated with Australian motorsport in the past.

blueoval · 17-09-2015, 08:52 AM

Like it or not, it is the cashed up bogans who have got the sport to where it is today. Weening out the bogans or the mentality as it stands will alienate the industry to the point where there will be little point hosting a race at all.

XG_Falcon · 17-09-2015, 09:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueoval

Like it or not, it is the cashed up bogans who have got the sport to where it is today. Weening out the bogans or the mentality as it stands will alienate the industry to the point where there will be little point hosting a race at all.

I agree, it feels good to have a bit of good ol' fashioned bogan pride about on race day any way.

exarmyxyute · 17-09-2015, 12:05 PM

I could not agree with everyone more. After going last year family of 4 cost of fuel to get there plus food and drinks thought of going this year but so ****ed with v8sc for no free to air as well thought I would save my money. Have loved cAr racing for 40 years bout to write v8sc off. If they don't change next year that is it.

vbvbvb088 · 17-09-2015, 06:46 PM

Was the crowd anything like this?

marty351 · 17-09-2015, 07:14 PM

Ahhh..., the good ol' days.
I was only a kid but I loved watching Bathurst and the wide variety of cars.V8sc has always been bland to me, barely anything to do with what we drive.

I hope touring car racing makes a comeback in a big way. Real cars, Real skill.

TS50AU · 17-09-2015, 08:31 PM

Dumb question, but have any of you been to an AFL game lately? Athletes get paid similar money to the drivers but don't need half million dollar boots to kick a footy. People still go and pay huge money for good seats. Let alone what you pay to see 3 pommy boofheads with 3 wheel cars poncing around...

FPV8U · 17-09-2015, 09:34 PM

Fair point, decent seats at the MCG are over $100pp for a couple hours, Sandown was $320 for myself and the Mrs, including Grandstand for 3 and 2 days respectively.

exarmyxyute · 18-09-2015, 09:22 AM

Yeh fair point but afl still free to air and you can go to 3 or 4 games in the one weekend if you want.

castellan · 18-09-2015, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueoval

Like it or not, it is the cashed up bogans who have got the sport to where it is today. Weening out the bogans or the mentality as it stands will alienate the industry to the point where there will be little point hosting a race at all.

It's become a Yuppies sport now and they are trying to make footy the same with all the Political Correct Nazis running the show now and them making idols out of the drivers or players and the money they get is far to much, It's un Australian.

FPV8U · 18-09-2015, 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by exarmyxyute

Yeh fair point but afl still free to air and you can go to 3 or 4 games in the one weekend if you want.

Some games are FTA not all, as for attending 3-4 games not totally sure what your suggesting, its not like you buy a weekend ticket, its for each game with no warm up match or anything beforehand.

Express · 18-09-2015, 06:15 PM

You can’t finger one without throwing the lot in the ring, almost all forms of entertainment have priced themselves out of the reach of many families.

Entry plus food prices are stunningly ridiculous and heaven help if you come from a large family.

So find something else to do and the non crowds may eventually open their eyes, though I doubt it as broadcasting revenue seems to be their holy grail.

When I was growing up in the bush we didn't have anything much available to go to so my mum used to throw us out in the backyard and turn the sprinkler on. By the time I was ten Dad thought I was old enough to have a motorbike.

Make your own fun and if it's available, watch the expensive stuff on tele.