Daytona Blog
  • Daytona.co.uk
  • Blog

Why we aren’t looking forward to the Olympics

Posted in: General|April 18, 2012

A few years ago, the UK celebrated the announcement that London would host the 2012 Olympics. A few negative comments followed shortly afterwards regarding the expense of such an undertaking – especially as the World Economy was suffering from what one could describe as a very bad case of hiccups – but generally we were all happy that we would be hosting an Olympic Games during our lifetimes. Little did we know that the wonderful success of winning the rights to host the games would actually cost us so much money!

Over the next couple of years, Lord Coe and his team did a quite amazing job. Despite the doom and gloom regarding the credit crunch, the UK was going to deliver the Olympic Games on time and within budget. Some people in the East End of London were understandably a little put out that they were being moved on but the area would benefit from some very significant investment – and London would proudly boast world leading sporting venues. All well and good, but lets not forget that this was all costing the London population in extra council tax.

As the project continued, the Organising Committee had one or two minor wobbles. Such as the ticketing fiasco. Well, I call it a fiasco, they secretly call it a huge success. The London Olympic Games is sold out. Even the most unpopular sports have sold out. There shouldn’t be any television images showing empty seating in any of the grandstands at any of the events. Of course, 99% of ticket buyers didn’t get the tickets they wanted. But the Games Organisers were happy – even when the re-sale system crashed on the first day due to the overwhelming number of people trying to offload their unwanted tickets.

Suddenly in mid 2010, Daytona received a colourful “newsletter” telling us the wonderful news that London and Surrey Roads would be the venue for the Olympic Road Racing. I happen to like cycling and road racing – the professional version that is. I abhor the cycling nazi’s on the roads around where I live who think all motorists should be shot (even though they are mostly motorists themselves 6 days a week). You would therefore think that I would be pleased to learn that the road races would be coming through Esher this Summer – and that I could line the route and cheer on the cyclists FOR FREE!

Unfortunately that is not the case. Instead, I have to work out how to make up for the fact that Daytona Sandown Park will have no public access from 6am until 7pm on three days this summer. Over a popular weekend in July and a Wednesday in August, we will have to close the venue. We will lose out on something like £40,000 of revenue.

There are no rights of appeal against this enforced closure. We have no opportunity to claim compensation from the Games Organisers. We have to either come up with a special event where our clients can camp at Sandown Park and race throughout the weekend – or we have to close. We are thinking about options for long endurance races and either telling drivers to get here for 5:45am or we have to invite drivers to camp at the racecourse over Friday or Saturday Night.

All other businesses within the circular route are similarly affected. If they had asked me, I would have suggested they use the opposing lanes on a dual carriageway route for the races so that the closed route didn’t circle major areas. Then all the people of Esher wouldn’t be effectively landlocked for 13 plus hours each day.

But they didn’t ask me… So whilst I hope that the Olympics are a glittering success, I shan’t be celebrating as the people who will be making a fortune out of the games do not have to pay compensation to those of us who are barred from getting on with commerce…

Jim Graham
TEAM DAYTONA

 

 

← RPJ Update
Is everything alright with your meal? →

Keep In Touch

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on RSSFollow Us on Twitter

Recent Posts

  • We Host Dare To Be Different Inaugural Event
    We Host Dare To Be Different Inaugural Event

    We were very proud to be asked to host the first ever Dare To Be Different event...

  • Bentley Boy
    Bentley Boy

    We caught up with Rick Parfitt Junior as he and Team Parker Racing launched thei...

  • David Coulthard’s Lucky Underpants
    David Coulthard’s Lucky Underpants

    We caught up with BBC F1’s David Coulthard at The Race Of Champions in Lon...

  • The City Go Kart Grand Prix at Daytona Sandown Park
    The City Go Kart Grand Prix at Daytona Sandown Park

    Daytona Sandown Park was delighted to be chosen to host the inaugural City GoKar...

  • Alonso – last to first in three laps at Daytona Sandown Park
    Alonso – last to first in three laps at Daytona Sandown Park

    Fernando Alonso popped down to Daytona Sandown Park last week for a race with a...

Categories

  • CEO Blog (3)
  • General (76)
  • Racing News (12)
  • Uncategorized (4)
  • Venues (2)

Recent Tweets

Recent Comments

    Contact Us

    Your message was successfully sent. Thank You!

    Networkedblog

    NetworkedBlogs
    Blog:
    Daytona Karting
    Topics:
    karting, kart, motorsport
     
    Follow my blog

    Daytona Tags

    apex bambino champs charity christmas circuit corner corporate daughter daytona discount dmax entertainment f1 father floodlighting formula 1 games hamilton junior kart karting laptimes london milton keynes motorsport olympic olympics pirelli racing red bull sale sandown park son speed sponsorship sport summer tarmac teambuilding tuition tyres vettel video wbber
    KartsVodafoneOcean PrintClubSpeedRoad Angelclara.netBOX
    Daytona Manchester 0845 644 5505 // Daytona Milton Keynes 0845 644 5503 // Daytona Sandown 0845 644 5502