Horrible Event management at speed run 07

satish_appasani · 19th February 2007, 16:52

And here is the response:

Thanks for your mail and feedback Satish.

Yes, I am well aware that there huge problems for the spectators and team-bhp members, many of whom I know personally. We had a problem of limited spectating space because CIDCO couldn't clear certain areas in time for us to make proper stands for the general public.

However, we have taken this feedback on board and the next time we will ticket the event so that we can invest in proper stands, refreshments and amenities to make this an enjoyable experience. I am hopeful that the next event will be at a different level to those in the past few years.

Best wishes,

Hormazd

IMP · 19th February 2007, 17:22

I hope whatever there is in the reply gets implemented at the next speed run.

I hated the way the event was organized, saw people bribing the guards, the spectators stand was at least 20 times short in capacity, and there was no seating arrangement at all. I couldn't wait there for more than 3 hrs. and then there was the commentator, who didn't know a thing about cars, he invented quiet a few new cars for e.g a Mercedes M5, and a new categories e.g. 15CeeCeeCee category instead of 1500CC.

There was also no policing around the venue, the roads leading to the venue were full of wannabe racers showing off with whatever they had. Even saw an rider falling hard while attempting a wheelie, with no protective gear whatsoever. Cars zooming full throttle centimetres away from spectators, on a crowded piece of road, cars and bikes heading towards each other while doing stunts. It was an perfect recipe for accidents.

amit_sound · 19th February 2007, 18:01

Satish Sir,

Thank your very much for taking up the issue with the event orginizers.

Regards,

Amit

Samurai · 19th February 2007, 18:30

Imagine if F1 comes to India, and people could get in paying bribe instead of ticket.

Why are police involved in Speedrun security, shouldn't that be handled by private security people who are at least accountable? If you use police to provide security for these events, they will do whatever they like and nobody can tell them what do to. Pushing away NK and asking him Who are you? at a Speedrun event is a sick joke.

autozealot · 19th February 2007, 20:30

Hi Satish. Glad that you have taken up the matter with Autocar in an effective way. Hope Hormazd & his team do not forget it 365 days hence.

Elf, wise thought. I am sure other members will give it due importance as well.

OT- Though the two events are far different, I can surely say that the VCCI vintage car rally was better organised by WIAA & others.

az

danlalan · 19th February 2007, 21:06

The worst was the commentator....SHOOODA...he kept saying SHOODA for skoda...and he couldnt say anything expect...this event has been bought to you by SPEED the premium blah blah blah.....

I hope that there is no next AUTOCAR SPEED RUN...hope some rival magazine comes up with something better.Cause if there is its only going to get worse...

Note from support staff: Avoid typing in all capital.

Nikhilb2008 · 19th February 2007, 22:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by danlalan

The worst was the commentator....SHOOODA...he kept saying SHOODA for skoda...and he couldnt say anything expect...this event has been bought to you by SPEED the premium blah blah blah.....

That happened even last year at the Bangalore Speed Run.

The commentator was a female and she invented a few bikes and cars.... She didnt know what to say except promote Speed High performance fuel from Bharat Petroleum.

And in Bangalore, the events havent been this bad.... myabe because Jakkur is a much bigger place and there is enough space to stand next to the track...

autozealot · 19th February 2007, 22:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by danlalan

The worst was the commentator....SHOOODA...he kept saying SHOODA for skoda...!

Yes

Was too amusing & irritating......"show-da RS"
The scorpio wheelie & the tow car

race...... god knows what was wrong with the commentator & where he sourced these wierd ideas from.......lol

revtech · 19th February 2007, 22:56

hahha yea i remember the scorpio wheelie one LOL....and all they ever said was this is broought to you by speed high performance petrol from BP..was soo annoying.

Rev

kkr2k2 · 20th February 2007, 12:01

I thought the worst way calling a skoda is sakoda.
But this is way worse than i could ever imagine.............

Quote:

Originally Posted by danlalan

The worst was the commentator....SHOOODA...he kept saying SHOODA for skoda...

Quote:

Originally Posted by autozealot

Yes

Was too amusing & irritating......"show-da RS"....lol

guys i think you had hell lot of fun with the commentary.
man i cant help myself, kept laughing and i think i am going to laugh all the day about the 'show da RS'.......

esteem_lover · 20th February 2007, 12:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by EVO6

The worst part is that the cops were pushing and hammering the competitors.. Infact they didnt even allow Hormadad Sohrabjee to come into the VIP Park Ferme area.. Cops said go around and come... They pushed even Narain Kartikayen while in the midst of an interview.. First they pushed the interviewer and then pushed him aside and said "who are you.. go behind.. go out".. Man it sucked so badly.. Our service cars were parked in the VIP parking area and even we couldnt access it.. coz they said this was only the vehicle exit gate and not for poeple..
It was so much better on day one when the cops werent around..
Cheers

Yeah, so much for motorsports in a place full of hooligans.

Samurai · 20th February 2007, 13:15

Actually I sympathise with the commentator, you take any good commentator and put him/her in charge of an unfamiliar event, they will end up putting their foot in the mouth.

Being a commentator is not an easy job, you should try it before trashing them. I tried it in a family re-union event and found myself groping for words. It didn't matter that I am an experienced speaker. Commenting at an event is a very different skill. In a speech or lecture, you have a listening audience and you can build a story by cascading your thoughts one by one. But in an event, most people don't listen to you most the time, you have to continously make random comments mostly disconnected from each other, many are instant/realtime thoughts triggered by the ongoing action. And then there is the period when nothing is happening, then the commentor is supposed to fill that vaccum, again with random but appropriate comments. And keeping the whole thing fluent is really a challenge. Even RJ/DJs get a break during the songs. Oh, you should try it first hand to understand the difficulty.

An ideal commentator at speedrun is somebody who has intricate knowledge about drag racing and with a skill for event commenting. How many such people exist? The usual choice is between either a race expert who can't comment or a commentator who doesn't know racing. So, it is a compromise. At least with the latter you get entertainment from all the faux pas, instead of just silence interrupted by curt comments.

speedzak · 20th February 2007, 13:36

Guys!
Those autocar, MAI, speedrun bashings are really great. It made nice reading.

I quiet agree with the event being not upto the expectations and could be better organised. But as with the cars, it's also easy to sit and crib about this event organising and mismanagement blah blahs.
I've seen organisers of this event and the crew who were on duty burnt, tired and even being rounded up by the crowd. Some even had lost their voices by the end of the event. Even after it ended, I am very surprised that nobody cares of what they have gone through.

For some pointers, let me list some here for this event being not soooo bad as it seems in the posts here.
1. Nearly all the motorsports event in india is equally bad or worst when it comes to organisation.
2. It was kept a free entry for all. And for that reason, you can't expect a lot of hospitality.
3. The climate was HOT! And you can't expect Air conditioned stalls! And ofcourse, the shaded stalls were almost equally becoming ovens after some hours under the sun. But, That's part of the action and spirit of motorsports. Imagine what the crew, competitors, pit mechanics and officials etc would've gone thru under that burning hot sun. I'm glad that I could atleast share a part of their pain although it was just heat.
Sorry guys! if somebody can't take some trouble in these kinda events, then Sofa in front of an idiot box is the place for them.
4. Regarding the bribes etc... It's not limited to this event/place. As we are indians, we should be more careful and should handle these situations/corruptions responsibly. No use blaming somebody.
5. The response we got from Hormazd says a lot and confirms that it is indeed a great effort from his side to host this event and It'll slowly mature into a more interesting and enjoyable event.
6. We were in the so called V.I.P area and it wasn't much different from the rest except for some chairs which most of us preferred to avoid. We also had to go thru unlimited hunger (especially ma friend V1P3R), shouting others, begging to the crew, and ofcourse cursing the event organisers etc... and a whole lot more which is not just worthy of mentioning. We also went to the pits often, been to the common gallery and strolled around almost every place possible there. So, please don't think that I am ignorant of what happened out there.

Guys! I maybe too much of a 'living in a triangle' kind. But, please! Some nice words would make many happy including the people who couldn't attend. Many by now think it was a crap show. I'm repeating once more; it was a great effort for indian motorsports scene.
I just pray it to be more better next time.

desigNation · 20th February 2007, 14:56

hey all, i jus called up autocar and complained about all that i read,even though i didnt go for the event,the person who took the call said he was really sorry about all what happend and it would not be repeated again[hope so]he said the next speedrun would be very organized.it seems they are getting a lot of complaints.anyway guys the number is 022-2415 2727.

Rtech · 20th February 2007, 15:36

Quote:

hey all, i jus called up autocar and complained about all that i read,even though i didnt go for the event,

umm, not sure why you would do this? If you are not present how can you take it upon yourself to call Autocar and complain about an event you have only read about!?!

Guys, please...lets stay off the bandwagons here. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but this sort of thing is what leads sponsors to withdraw from events.

19th February 2007, 16:52	#31
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 104 Times View My Garage	And here is the response: Thanks for your mail and feedback Satish. Yes, I am well aware that there huge problems for the spectators and team-bhp members, many of whom I know personally. We had a problem of limited spectating space because CIDCO couldn't clear certain areas in time for us to make proper stands for the general public. However, we have taken this feedback on board and the next time we will ticket the event so that we can invest in proper stands, refreshments and amenities to make this an enjoyable experience. I am hopeful that the next event will be at a different level to those in the past few years. Best wishes, Hormazd
	() Thanks

19th February 2007, 17:22	#32
IMP BHPian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Pune Posts: 123 Thanked: 30 Times	I hope whatever there is in the reply gets implemented at the next speed run. I hated the way the event was organized, saw people bribing the guards, the spectators stand was at least 20 times short in capacity, and there was no seating arrangement at all. I couldn't wait there for more than 3 hrs. and then there was the commentator, who didn't know a thing about cars, he invented quiet a few new cars for e.g a Mercedes M5, and a new categories e.g. 15CeeCeeCee category instead of 1500CC. There was also no policing around the venue, the roads leading to the venue were full of wannabe racers showing off with whatever they had. Even saw an rider falling hard while attempting a wheelie, with no protective gear whatsoever. Cars zooming full throttle centimetres away from spectators, on a crowded piece of road, cars and bikes heading towards each other while doing stunts. It was an perfect recipe for accidents.
	() Thanks

19th February 2007, 18:01	#33
amit_sound BHPian Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 596 Thanked: 11 Times	Satish Sir, Thank your very much for taking up the issue with the event orginizers. Regards, Amit
	() Thanks

19th February 2007, 18:30	#34
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 25,826 Thanked: 45,513 Times View My Garage	Imagine if F1 comes to India, and people could get in paying bribe instead of ticket. Why are police involved in Speedrun security, shouldn't that be handled by private security people who are at least accountable? If you use police to provide security for these events, they will do whatever they like and nobody can tell them what do to. Pushing away NK and asking him Who are you? at a Speedrun event is a sick joke.
	() Thanks

19th February 2007, 20:30	#35
autozealot BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Mumbai Posts: 204 Thanked: 12 Times	Hi Satish. Glad that you have taken up the matter with Autocar in an effective way. Hope Hormazd & his team do not forget it 365 days hence. Elf, wise thought. I am sure other members will give it due importance as well. OT- Though the two events are far different, I can surely say that the VCCI vintage car rally was better organised by WIAA & others. az Last edited by autozealot : 19th February 2007 at 20:39.
	() Thanks

19th February 2007, 21:06	#36
danlalan Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: mumbai,JUHU Posts: 1,636 Thanked: 263 Times View My Garage	The worst was the commentator....SHOOODA...he kept saying SHOODA for skoda...and he couldnt say anything expect...this event has been bought to you by SPEED the premium blah blah blah..... I hope that there is no next AUTOCAR SPEED RUN...hope some rival magazine comes up with something better.Cause if there is its only going to get worse... Note from support staff: Avoid typing in all capital. Last edited by adya33 : 19th February 2007 at 23:57.
	() Thanks

19th February 2007, 22:56	#39
revtech Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,992 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	hahha yea i remember the scorpio wheelie one LOL....and all they ever said was this is broought to you by speed high performance petrol from BP..was soo annoying. Rev
	() Thanks

20th February 2007, 13:15	#42
Samurai Team-BHP Support Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Bangalore/Udupi Posts: 25,826 Thanked: 45,513 Times View My Garage	Actually I sympathise with the commentator, you take any good commentator and put him/her in charge of an unfamiliar event, they will end up putting their foot in the mouth. Being a commentator is not an easy job, you should try it before trashing them. I tried it in a family re-union event and found myself groping for words. It didn't matter that I am an experienced speaker. Commenting at an event is a very different skill. In a speech or lecture, you have a listening audience and you can build a story by cascading your thoughts one by one. But in an event, most people don't listen to you most the time, you have to continously make random comments mostly disconnected from each other, many are instant/realtime thoughts triggered by the ongoing action. And then there is the period when nothing is happening, then the commentor is supposed to fill that vaccum, again with random but appropriate comments. And keeping the whole thing fluent is really a challenge. Even RJ/DJs get a break during the songs. Oh, you should try it first hand to understand the difficulty. An ideal commentator at speedrun is somebody who has intricate knowledge about drag racing and with a skill for event commenting. How many such people exist? The usual choice is between either a race expert who can't comment or a commentator who doesn't know racing. So, it is a compromise. At least with the latter you get entertainment from all the faux pas, instead of just silence interrupted by curt comments.
	() Thanks

20th February 2007, 13:36	#43
speedzak BANNED Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: India Posts: 4,347 Thanked: 27 Times	Guys! Those autocar, MAI, speedrun bashings are really great. It made nice reading. I quiet agree with the event being not upto the expectations and could be better organised. But as with the cars, it's also easy to sit and crib about this event organising and mismanagement blah blahs. I've seen organisers of this event and the crew who were on duty burnt, tired and even being rounded up by the crowd. Some even had lost their voices by the end of the event. Even after it ended, I am very surprised that nobody cares of what they have gone through. For some pointers, let me list some here for this event being not soooo bad as it seems in the posts here. 1. Nearly all the motorsports event in india is equally bad or worst when it comes to organisation. 2. It was kept a free entry for all. And for that reason, you can't expect a lot of hospitality. 3. The climate was HOT! And you can't expect Air conditioned stalls! And ofcourse, the shaded stalls were almost equally becoming ovens after some hours under the sun. But, That's part of the action and spirit of motorsports. Imagine what the crew, competitors, pit mechanics and officials etc would've gone thru under that burning hot sun. I'm glad that I could atleast share a part of their pain although it was just heat. Sorry guys! if somebody can't take some trouble in these kinda events, then Sofa in front of an idiot box is the place for them. 4. Regarding the bribes etc... It's not limited to this event/place. As we are indians, we should be more careful and should handle these situations/corruptions responsibly. No use blaming somebody. 5. The response we got from Hormazd says a lot and confirms that it is indeed a great effort from his side to host this event and It'll slowly mature into a more interesting and enjoyable event. 6. We were in the so called V.I.P area and it wasn't much different from the rest except for some chairs which most of us preferred to avoid. We also had to go thru unlimited hunger (especially ma friend V1P3R), shouting others, begging to the crew, and ofcourse cursing the event organisers etc... and a whole lot more which is not just worthy of mentioning. We also went to the pits often, been to the common gallery and strolled around almost every place possible there. So, please don't think that I am ignorant of what happened out there. Guys! I maybe too much of a 'living in a triangle' kind. But, please! Some nice words would make many happy including the people who couldn't attend. Many by now think it was a crap show. I'm repeating once more; it was a great effort for indian motorsports scene. I just pray it to be more better next time.
	() Thanks

20th February 2007, 14:56	#44
desigNation BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: calicut Posts: 661 Thanked: 51 Times View My Garage	hey all, i jus called up autocar and complained about all that i read,even though i didnt go for the event,the person who took the call said he was really sorry about all what happend and it would not be repeated again[hope so]he said the next speedrun would be very organized.it seems they are getting a lot of complaints.anyway guys the number is 022-2415 2727.
	() Thanks