Aerial shots are now up on MSV showing the new layout. Looks good!

Always a favourite with TVRs (though it’s not close to anyone except Kev and Alex Gore) the “TVR Challenge Series” returns once more to Norfolk in 2011 and to the new layout. One of my favourites as its very fast and surprisingly technical and I’m not too sure about the changes, but now I’ve seen them I can’t wait to get out there again in May and try them. (29/30th).

Essentially an infield section has been added, with three new, banked viewing areas - and Korum has been re-profiled. That’s a brave move as they’ve altered everyone’s favourite corner and also the corner leading onto the longest straight! The tarmac, kerbs and banking are now all in with the new Paddock area coming over the spring. There’s even a lake on the cards!

 

The first runs were taken on Thursday 17th and reports are good (well they would be wouldn’t they. They’re not going to say its crap are they)?
“Flowing with good overtaking opportunities” said Jonathan Kennard after a session in his Williams F2. We’ll see.

I have mixed feelings about Mr Palmer and his associates. On the one hand…
*There hasn’t been a lot of real investment up to now - and they have been running it for a good few years with Track hire fees (and everything else) nearly doubling
*They’ve gone along with all the low noise stuff with barely a murmur
* Promotion seems to be all about MSV as opposed to “Motorsport”.
But then am I being unfair?
*They did save Brands from the developers – didn’t look like anyone else was very serious.
*They have developed a starter race series
*They have pushed the corporate side quite heavily.

I guess I can’t get away from the big fish in a small pond feeling. MSV charge what they want whilst attacking and undercutting all their business customers like Trackday organisers and corporate events companies when they have set the price. You only have to look at the website headers now. MSV are doing everything that’s track based them, proclaiming themselves the experts when they had little visible experience…in my experience.

Killing a Motorsport cottage industry for shareholder dividends? Or turning a cottage industry in a modern corporate industry where it should be in 2011?
I don’t think we are too far from finding out now.