Crazy people attract money – Isle of Man TT

Increased global distribution and strong media coverage for the 2009 TT Races boost Isle of Man’s profile, acording to RoadRacingWorld.com. The promotion of the event is part of a wide-ranging strategy by the Department of Tourism and Leisure to raise the number of visitors to the Isle of Man TT. This year saw an increase of around 2,500 visitors compared to the 2008 TT fortnight.

The TT races topped the ITV 4 viewing figures during race week with the Pokerstars Senior TT on Friday 12th achieving ITV 4’s highest viewing figures of the week with an average audience of 462,000 and a peak of over 500,000. The TT races occupied the first four places in ITV4’s audience ratings for the week ending 14th June.

Leading broadcasters Discovery Channel (US), Channel Ten (Australia), TVE (Spain), Rai (Italy), Abu Dhabi TV (UAE), Sport Five (Czech Republic), ViaSat (Scandinavia), Channel 4 (Finland) and Band Sport (Brazil) all took the full package of ten hour long international programmes produced by North One. ESPN (Brazil) also took the 2 one hour highlight shows. In total 35 countries carried the full international highlights package, with a total household reach of 209,627,000.

Independent analysis of the Television coverage by media analysts TNS Sport has revealed that the Isle of Man TT brand received global exposure through the Television coverage to an equivalent advertising value of £4,914,550 of which £406,753 was in the UK. In addition a further £2,188,405 was generated in press coverage, including over £1.000,000 in UK titles.

And yes, I’m back… Oh, joy!

Stunt Ride 2009 again

Stunt Ride 2009 again. This time from the British people. But first I need to explain some things.

I was at this “world championship”, I spoke with the riders and the organizer, and not all the information in this text are correct. I wrote an article about this and I will translate it soon. So:

* Maczo Istvan is from Romania, not Hungary
* He did not run with the money, he just din not had the money to pay the riders
* The hotel bills where already paid, and the riders got their fuel money – that I know from the organizer

Details have emerged of a ‘world championship’ stunt competition whose organiser abandoned it halfway through, taking with him all EUR16,500 prize money.

Maczro Istvan, from Hungary, also left riders’ hotel and fuel bills unpaid when he fled Stunt Ride 2009 in Romania last month.

Some of the world’s best stunt riders from Europe and North America were left high and dry by the event.

Ian Arnott manages Scottish rider Andrew Nisbet, who was due to compete at Stunt Ride before his van broke down: “We had a lucky escape, but the other riders are enraged.

It looks like the whole thing was a scam. Either that or the sponsor pulled out and Istvan bailed with what cash he had.”

More on MCN

130 km/h, fără frâne

Am văzut pentru prima dată weekendul ăsta un GP de speedway, şi anume ăla din Suedia, care e super cool, exceptând comentatorii groaznic de enervanţi.

În finală, după o căzătură a doi dintre cei patru piloţi, Nicki Pedersen (unul dintre cei doi) a dat un interviu plin de nervi, pentru că urma să fie eliminat. Nu numai că nu au tradus decât prima propoziţie, dar nici măcar nu m-au lăsat să ascult în engleză ce spune omu’ acolo, comentatorii fiind ocupaţi să povestească tot felul de chestii despre pistă şi ce le mai trecea lor prin cap. Cred că asta a venit de la entuziasmul pentru că  li s-a dat drumu’ să vorbească la tv.

Eniueiz, Emil Sayfutdinov, un rus de 19 ani, a ieşit pe primul loc la GP-ul din Suedia, fiind câştigător pentru a doua oară, din trei etape, dar e pe locul 2 la clasamentul general, cu 46 de puncte, după Jason Crump – 52 de puncte.

Ce îmi place la speedway : o cursă durează super puţin – are doar 4 tururi de circuit (adică nu iţi pierzi interesul pe parcursul unei curse), la un GP sunt mai multe curse – nu ştiu exact câte că am vazut asta pentru prima dată, cum spuneam mai devreme, piloţii merg cu 100-130 km/h fără frâne.

Well, mă mai documentez până pe 13 iunie, când e următoarea etapă, în Danemarca.

Clasamant: Crump 52, Sayfutdinov 46, Jonsson 39, Pedersen 34, Hancock 31, Gollob 31, Lindgren 30, Bjerre 23, Adams 22, Holta 22,