Yellow Flags at the BIC?

This is a follow-on article discussing the results of the Speed post. For a full picture please read Speed and its comments.

Although I don’t have “the answer” on how to popularise motorsports primarily, or the BIC secondarily, I’ll share with you my thoughts on the excellent points and suggestions raised. If you have some more please do post them, and that goes for your own methods of getting things sorted as well.

The assumptions I shall keep in mind here are: (1) The BIC must turn a profit, (2) Increase the country’s revenue from tourism, (3) Increase the country’s profile as a tourism destination, and finally and most importantly (4) create new business opportunities and their resultant job creation activities.

I also do not subscribe to the idea of “Bahrain does not have any motorsporting heritage” at all. Judging by the number of cars on the road in various states of serviceability, and by the active shunning of public transportation in favour of driving one’s own car leads me to believe that Bahrainis love their cars. I have known people who still live with their parents, have a job whose salary barely cover their daily needs yet they go out and buy muscle cars on loan. That to me demonstrates either fiscal irresponsibility, showingoffness, passion for cars or all of these factors!

I have seen documentary footage of rallies and drag racing going back to the 1930’s as well as the huge crowds, who by word of mouth, flood to the old airstrip in Sakhir with numbers in the thousands on the possibility of a drag race happening that day.

To this day you see the tell-tale signs on asphalt of screeching tyres, and after midnight which highway, or neighbourhood that has a straight enough road, does not have road-racing?

Have you also peeked into any of the hundreds of garages all around the island and not seen a chassis waiting to be spruced up? That’s why the 140J is such a ubiquitous platform although it went out of production probably in the 1970s! I’ve known some fanatics put a 280Z engine on a 140J platform and then use that for drag racing! Okay, sometimes they leave their wheels behind, literally, but they do build their own dragsters and muscle cars with their limited resources. The same goes for rallying. How many Evolution 7s are there on the island and do you notice the number of people watching these events when they happen, even sometimes unadvertised by the Bahrain Motor Federation?

Yes, Bahrain has had a good history of motorsports, so the presence of the BIC is not a fluke, it was built I think based on the illustrious history we have had in this arena, and in an attempt to take motorsports to the next level here. Building the BIC is a grand vision for not only elevating motorsports we already are passionate about, but also a hard-cash generator when you consider not only the circuit itself, but the business and leisure parks to be built around it. The problem is, that vision, I personally think, is not being sold properly, and it is this, rather than the details which must be given full attention.

Let me now address some of the points you raised, and do remember please that this is my personal opinion. I have not discussed these points with the BIC management yet and I might be completely off the mark and going off at a tangent:

1. Absence of availability of transport from various cities to the BIC.

This I think is the most important point raised here. I honestly didn’t give it a moments’ thought before but I realise its importance now. I too would like to just jump on a bus or a tram which run at regular published intervals to get to the BIC and back to my house or work. I don’t know if bus transportation is actually available to the BIC at the moment but I suspect that this service does not exist, or at least I have not noticed any bus stops at or near the BIC. I don’t know if the BIC has looked into this issue, nor do I know if the CARS company which has been given the franchise to run the public transportation has looked into this either. This is a point well worth investigating.

Unfortunately if you clicked the link to the CARS company above, you would have noticed that the site is only a placeholder with no information whatsoever.

2. Requirement of public involvement in the motorsports activities and the BIC, access to pits and paddock cited.

Would I be able to go to “the bench” during football matches played in the National Stadium? Ok, how about the bench at the Juffair Dome for any basketball or voleyball tournament? Of course not! That doesn’t stop me from being “involved” in the game or match just watching and rooting for my team or player from the stands. So why should the BIC or motorsports be any different? And given the speeds that racing cars go at, is it even wise to want to go to the pits during a race? Or watch the race from the pit wall? If you haven’t done that yet (yes you stupidly did have that chance last weekend) then let me tell you that you need to wear goggles to protect your eyes at least because of the flying debris and “marbles” that get thrown at you there. What if a car crashes into the pit wall, do you think you will have the required reaction time to pull yourself away from the wall before possibly your head or any of your limbs depart from your body?

I’m sorry but I don’t buy the “involvement” bit by getting lay spectators in or near the pits, pit lane, grid, or even the paddock. There is nothing elitist in here, just simple down-to-earth safety, your safety, more than anything else.

YES, I agree, that being able to do so is extremely sexy and the ultimate accolade you can receive, being so close to those machines, people who run them, and the “beautiful people” who are and forever be around them. But I would see that as a privilege rather than a right. It is the ultimate marketing tool in motorsports arsenal through which teams can milk their sponsors for the the huge wads of cash required to stay and compete in motorsports. They made it exclusive as a marketing ploy, nothing more and nothing less, so what makes lay people think that they deserve to be in there? Are they going to contribute to the millions of dollars required to run a team?

But even with that the BIC gives you the opportunity to come that close to the machines and the glamour, yet not a lot of people take that opportunity.

Did you know for instance if you buy your F1 tickets now you will be able to go to the paddock and possibly the pits on the Thursday before the race? Name me one circuit in the world that even comes close to allowing people to do that.

My answer to this involvement requirement is that as we do have a vibrant motorsports hobby (if it cannot be classified as an industry in the traditional sense) we do have that involvement in the sport by default. We also have the passion. We need to translate those into bums on seats, and it doesn’t require the right of going to the pits and mingling with the teams and the rich and famous.

3. Access to track for people to race on using their own cars.

We already have that, the circuit runs almost a monthly “track day” where you can take your car and whizz around the circuit. You do need to satisfy the safety requirement of course, and pay the fee to get on the track, but you can do so. The fee is very reasonable too and possibly the cheapest in the world.

Consider this, no car is allowed on track for the purpose of racing without the following being present:

a. Race marshals.
b. Emergency personnel.
c. Emergency equipment and vehicles.
d. Functional race control and communications equipment and personnel.
e. Maintenance equipment and personnel, and,
f. the various other required support services.

Don’t you think that all of these services and people require funds to function? The last I heard is that it costs the BIC BD 4,000 per day as a minimum to run these track days, possibly a bit less for the drag strip, but with the number of cars taking part in the open track days at the moment I doubt very much that they are turning a profit from these open days. And yes, the BIC must turn a profit in order for it to survive. Fact of life.
4. Absence of proper advertising. More advertising recommended.

I don’t know what their advertising budget is, but it must be huge. I see an event advertised by full/half-pages in ALL the papers, sometimes even the front or back pages which are even more expensive in full colour, I see street hoardings specially designed to be eye-catching using primary colours and uncrouded to be seen all over the island, certainly on the main roads I drive on every day which are the major arteries from Budaiya all the way to the centre of Manama, I’ve also heard their ads being repeated time and again on 96.5 and 93.3 and in fact the Arabic adverts on 93.3 are especially good. I have not seen any ads on TV simply because I do not watch TV but I assume, based on the the overall advertising campaigns they run that they must use TV ads as well.

I am really surprised by the number of comments entered in response to this topic that say that they were not aware of motorsporting activities at the BIC. Are you not looking? I am really at a loss here, I’m not being fascetious or difficult here and I’m not defending the BIC in any way whatsoever, they are more than capable of doing that themselves, but I fail to understand how most people just didn’t know about these activities. Can you please enlighten me, seriously, why you don’t see/hear the ads? Please let me know (1) what station do you listen to on the radio and when (driving to work, driving home, 6am – 7am, etc), (2) what newspaper/magazine do you regularly read, (3) do you actually notice any other advert on a road hoarding? What made you notice it rather than ones advertising the BIC’s activities? (4) do you watch TV? Which channels and what times do you do that?

5. Timing of events should be carefully chosen.

Did you notice that ALL motorsporting events in the world run on Saturday and Sunday, but in Bahrain they run on Thursday/Friday? Other than the F1 of course and that is because of the world-wide coverage it gets and it is contractual, every other event is run on our own weekend, and as the government, schools and the vast majority of businesses take Thursday and Friday as their weekend, why should the BIC change its activities to Friday and Saturday? If they do do that, I still would attend, but I probably will be the only one there! Until the government unifies the weekends (I’m so looking forward to that) then the BIC must run its events when the majority of the public are off.

I know that some businesses, like mine, don’t take a two-day weekend, we work 5.5 days a week and take Thursday afternoon and the full day Friday off, so a lot of people won’t be able to attend until Thursday afternoon. But it is still better than no one around at all on Saturday.

I think timing of BIC events is chosen well and take the country norms into consideration when running their events.

6. Absence of motorsporting culture in Bahrain.

see above

7. Failure of media coverage to create the required “buzz”.

This is the most important failure but it is hardly the BIC’s fault entirely! Bahrain TV is the only broadcaster on the island and they suck, their so called sports channel is anything but professional. Yes they have done some programs and broadcast them live from the circuit and those were good enough for a fledgeling activity by BRTC, but they seem to completely ignore putting motorsports in between race weekends, and as there are no real statistics on who watches the Sports channel anyway, you cannot ascertain penetration and you cannot even work on improving the service. As far as I can see they depend completely on 2 people in every broadcast, Haitham is one, and another guy whose name escapes me. The other guy is very well informed and is a petrol-head for sure, which makes listening to him a pleasure, but more is needed.

I think even more important than the TV coverage, is the absence of motorsporting programs in the radio and the coverage in the papers is simply a joke. They don’t have anyone who understands the sport and publishers don’t want (it seems) to spend the required time and money to get proper motorsports writers.

Ok fine, then the BIC should feed them continuous press releases in both Arabic and English, provide them with publishable pictures as well as provide video feeds and documentaries to the TV stations (not just for Bahrain TV).

I think this failure is squarely at the BIC’s doorsteps, not the media completely. The BIC must take the blame for 90% of this failure and it must improve its PR and Media efforts immediately. As we have seen above, advertising by itself does not work and PR at this stage in the game is much more critical than advertising.

8. Absence of alcoholic beverages.

They’re available and always have been available, but due to the country’s culture alcoholic beverages are only available through the hospitality suites which are very affordable (for a continuous open tap) for the normal events. BD 40 per person for food and drink and an excellent vantage point is not bad no matter how you look at it. The F1 is a different kettle of fish of course.

It is hardly proper as well to allow people to BYOB, that will invite chaos.

9. Food thought to be expensive and not enough food outlets.

Even during the 2005 F1 event food was very reasonable. A double cheeseburger meal from Dairy Queen was BD 2. The same price for the meal during last weekend’s event, which is the same price as getting the meal from any of Dairy Queens’ other outlets around the island, and the same approximately for similar meals from any other fast food shop.

The perception of expensiveness was borne from the stupidity of the 2004 event prices, that has changed almost immediately because the management immediately took steps to sort it out.

10. Absence of “big names/stars”

I stood next to, and took pictures of Dr. Thiessen last weekend. Yet not many people even knew who he was! I bet if Michael Schumacher walked throughout the Seef Mall he probably will only be recognised by less than a handful. We don’t have the same “wild fan” mentality here as they do in the West. Look at Michael Jackson for instance, he was seen several times at Seef and he was not mobbed. He was also around during the Karting 25-hour Endurance event at Seef and the most he got was a few fans asking politely for his autograph and a picture with them.

What I’m trying to say is that we give “stars” space, we don’t mob them as they are possibly used to elsewhere. And we don’t put stars next to God that we must have them to make the event successful. I certainly don’t. I would personally feel privileged if and when I meet someone I admire, but I would not make that a condition for me going to, and subsequently enjoying an event.

Sure stars would add some pizzaz to the event, but when the engines roar, they might as well disappear as I wouldn’t care what they’re doing and whether they are still around. If they are, I hope that they enjoy the activity and then go home to their families.

11. Public “Ownership” of the BIC and its events.

Yes, this is one of the problems that need to be hashed out.

People feel affinity to all ball sports because they feel that they can participate in them for next to nothing but are afraid or at least hesitant to indulge their passion of motorsports.

I personally don’t believe that a person must actually participate in a sport to actually feel that s/he belongs in it. I don’t play football but enjoy watching the matches and become really passionate when Bahrain’s national team is playing (ask my kids and wife, they won’t sit next to me while I’m watching the match as I sometimes get emotional!) and the same in virtually any other sport that has Bahrainis competing. Do I have to be a footballer, a runner, a steeple-chaser, or a dressage king to be able to enjoy and be “involved” in the sport? Not at all.

But I’m not everyone, and yes, in order for an event to succeed, you would need people to be involved in it somehow, or at least pushed or enthused enough to bother to attend. Look at the (mostly) crappy fireworks we have every National Day, hundreds of thousands come out and watch the display. Let’s leave that, do you realise that tens of thousands go every single sunset to the location where they fire the Iftar Cannon in Manama, forsaking the immediate chance to stuff themselves after a full day of fasting to just listen up close to a cannon firing blanks? What is these people’s involvement in either event to get them to come out? They’re both free? Well, the BIC events other than the F1 are virtually free, but they don’t come!

Maybe what they should promise people is a huge fireworks display to get them to come? Oh hang on a minute, they tried that, together with laser shows, bunjee jumping and everything in between. There was a fantastic contraption that allows children to really soar over trampolines and elastic ropes last weekend that made me wish that I was that young again!

12. The BIC hosts elitist sports which naturally alienate the “normal” people.

see above

13. Clash with Friday prayer and inavailability of a mosque at the BIC

there is actually, and several rooms have been dedicated to prayer at both the Oasis and Main grandstands. Friday prayer is conducted as well and imam led at the Oasis prayer room. just wanted to comment on this important point now rather than later.

14. People need to know the purpose of the race.

No they don’t, they need to realise that it is a sporting event which ultimately results in one or more people holding aloft a cup proudly. What happens after that with the cup, or how much a competitor gets is immaterial.

15. There are too many events at the BIC.

Sorry I don’t follow this one. The BIC is providing almost weekly public events (there are many in-between corporate and private events at the facility as well) for almost nothing where the whole family is involved and people complain? What would you rather do? Vegitate in front of a TV? Well fine, you sometimes need to do nothing to unwind, but remember that we are a population of over 700,000 people, wouldn’t you think that 20,000 – 50,000 from that number could be enticed to come and spend their weekend or at least one day of their weekend at the BIC and not necessarily the same crowd all the time?

16. There are clashing international events during the same weekend (Horse Endurance, Golf, Tennis, etc.)

Someone reminded me that the world does not revolve around motorsports exclusively (thanks) and he’s completely right. As there are many leisure pursuits, it is only right that we expect variety and we can pick and choose which event we would like to go attend. At any given weekend (other than the summer) you would expect that a lot of activities are running at the same time. Before the BIC there has been weekends where there were important football matches, basketball games, yachting or speedboating events, horse racing, showjumpting, dressage and maybe tens of other events going on at the same time, yet no one complained. You just go to the events you like to watch on that particular weekend.

Running many events or “too many events” actually gives you an unbelievable choice. The more the merrier I say.

17. The supposition that as the F1 is an elitist sport, then all events at the BIC must be the same.

Well yes, there is some truth to that, but it is the same with horse racing, showjumping, football, and every other sport there is. If you mean that it’s only for rich families then I must differ with you, if you imply that motorsports in Bahrain is presided over by a member or members of the Royal family, then list the sporting activities that they do not! And realistically what should this matter anyway? Regardless of rich people or royal family involvement, these are sporting events, not political events. Go and enjoy yourself!

18. Need to develop the racing personalities to create affinity.

Last weekend we had not one, but TWO budding motorsport local champions: Salman bin Rashid and Hamad Al-Fardan. The first from the Royal family, the second is commoner. Salman unfortunately crashed out on the first lap while Hamad started at almost the very back of the grid due to a penalty yet clawed his way from 32 and finished 18. Both guys are Bahraini regardless of their familial connections and sect they belong to, why not just support them as Bahrainis who are making a name for themselves and lifting the name of these island up high? Does an engine or a gearbox actually give a damn if someone is sunni and the other is shi’a or that one is a royal and the other a commoner? Not one bit, in fact, they both are absolutely equal in the motorsporting arena, sports is the only activity that does not distinguish titles, beliefs or descent. Why didn’t more Bahrainis come and support their fellow Bahrainis?

19. No motorsporting awareness on the island.

See above

I must emphasise again that these are my personal points of view which to you might be completely wrong, or right. In either case I would like to read your comments please.

Can we expand objectively on the points raised and discussed above?