number66.net

Sometimes things don't work out as they were planned and this is one of those times. I had hoped to be starting my Formula Palmer Audi career this weekend when the series kicks off at Silverstone. I'm not and that's life. I do, however, honestly believe we have a clear strategy to move forwards, both with number66.net, in UK Formula Vee and ultimately, with my career. Saying that it is difficult to raise a serious motor sport budget from scratch is probably an understatement. It is almost impossible. Both in motor sport circles and throughout the world I'm forever finding that "sponsorship is a far too common phrase. Everyone and everything is "sponsored: that girl next door who is running the London Marathon, your local under-16s football club, Big Brother, Andrew Flintoff! More often than not what they mean is not sponsorship but patronage. Some are genuinely sponsorship but many are not and I think that overall it devalues the entire concept. Personally, I have been trying to move away from the term, not just for superficial reasons but more practically towards something that actually explicitly implies a Return on Investment. Regular readers will recall a phrase I keep repeating: commercial value. It is the key to it all. If a professional valuation of TV and press coverage is applied to even one of the better national single seater race series, a massive shortfall of benefit over cost is likely. That is why it is so hard, the figures just don't add up. I do wish to reiterate this point. We do have a strategy. When I drew up my master-plan for world domination a few years ago, I set aside three-years in UK Formula Vee. Welcome to year three. Our strategy is as follows. First, it is to continue developing the number66.net concept into a saleable product. Expect a new announcement before Castle Combe. Second, it is to continue winning races, regardless of what series that is in. That was our intention when we planned year three and so far I am one from one. The past few days have been spent agonising whether we should compete at Lydden Hill or not. It was not in our schedule, we were not planning on contesting the championship. However, I am leading the championship now and that complicates matters. If we do decide the mount a title challenge after a strong result at Castle Combe, we would be disadvantaged by not going to Lydden. Granted, the championship does not count the two lowest scores but nominating these as Lydden leaves no room for a DNF later on in the year. Regardless, we have not submitted our entry. We have a schedule of development for the car and a test programme which commences shortly after. A change now would have a greater effect later in the year. I think it is brave not enter the two rounds (Lydden is a double header weekend) of a championship you are leading. Either that or it is foolish. You decide. So, before I get placed in the "promising young racing driver who didn't have the money pile", think again. Progress is being made.