Quote:
Originally Posted by SilverSurfer
What amazes me is the money in euro rallycross teams.
UK guy's have a beaten up old caravan and a knackered trailer, the Swede's and Norge's have full on transporters and hospitality.
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In many cases sponsors play a very little part in the big teams. Going by what I saw in the 90's it's the drivers that generate the monies involved.
Dimi Mavaropolis was one of the biggest fruit exporters in Greece, Gary Baker (RS200), his father owns Baker Construction, John Welch had his own company, Will Gollop owned a large motor franchise, Martin Schanche was loaded, Steve Palmer sold everything to race, Mark Renison owns a large motor company, Shields was into scrap metal, Matti Alamakis paid £100K to hire the Peugeot TE16 per season and had to return it in it's true form at the end of each year, and the list goes on.
It's near on the same now other than Rockstar like teams. The only reason Pat Doran is racing is because he sold his recycling company, although he now owns lydden race track no other owner has ever earned from owning that track. All have gone bust at one point.
Shields and Palmer would think nothing of leaving hotels in Europe without paying a thing. They would collect their cars from repair and not pay. There where LOADS of things like this that went on as I know the list of people that were after them. They owed money everywhere.
VERY few (if any) drivers had normal jobs with sponsorship paying for the sport as it falls in the same bracket as drag racing. They do not generate enough interest for big sponsorship despite being greats motorsports.