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Good news. The powers that be are finally waking up to the idea that we at Birmingham101 have been pushing for the last year, that reviving the Birmingham Super Prix in some form would be of immense benefit to Birmingham, the Midlands and the whole of the regions economy, especially the motor industry and services.

 It does seem a bit of a shame however that the Council has ignored the fact that we brought the issue up over a year ago and have now brought in an outside events organisation to look into the feasibility of re running the event. Originally a question was going to be put to the full Council meeting on our behalf by the Conservative group on the Council through our local councillor, but it was then decided that it was such a good idea (but one that the then controlling Labour group would almost certainly be against) that it would stand a better chance if the Conservatives possibly took it up in their manifesto or kept quiet about it until after the election when they might be in a position to get it through. The fact that we originally raised the idea of restaging a motorsport spectacular in Birmingham, and that we have been trying to rally support for the idea ever since, seems to have been ignored. Has no one in the Council read the papers and seen the very positive publicity we have got and what we have been trying to do for the City?

 It was particularly heartening to hear on the BBC that this new move would put Birmingham on the front pages of the news and bring large amounts of positive publicity for the region and show it as a very forward looking location. This is the point we have been making for the last year, particularly given the large amount of national high profile and very positive coverage the idea was given through ourselves after we raised the issue in everything from The Sun to the Sunday Times, not to mention several front page articles in Motorsport News, along with supportive comments from the likes of Damon Hill.

 Good news indeed if motor racing can actually be revived using the old circuit layout as is being suggested, but many questions would need to be answered such as what happens when the area around the existing Matthew Boulton College is presumably redeveloped in the near future, along with the area opposite PC World at the top of Belgrave Middleway. Pit and Paddock facilities were always a major problem and it is hard to imagine these being improved especially given that areas around Bristol Street are either being redeveloped or are surely ripe for redevelopment in the near future. All these potential problems could be overcome, but knowing that the legislation that can be used is so specific and in many ways restrictive, there is so little room for manoeuvre in terms of altering the circuit layout that seeing it as a long term event to be run beyond just a year or two is very difficult. Is this really what is wanted?

 I do hope that it is not a slightly cynical move by those involved to somewhat jump on the bandwagon of the positive publicity that has already been generated, only to conclude that it is not a viable long term proposition. Will the next stage be to then come up with the proposal to run a far wider variety of vehicles including exotic and sports models of roadgoing cars from the manufacturers alongside all forms of motorsport (including motorcycles) in a new, more flexible and more exciting format that would indeed be something new, and which we again have been advocating as a better and more attractive, not to mention more practical “Super Prix”. This is the format that would give any such event, in our opinion, the greatest chance of being both successfully staged in the first place in terms of impact and with the widest possible appeal, and more importantly be able to be developed and flourish into a truly unique and world class event in the longer term that benefited (and showcased) all aspects of motorsport and the general motor industry along with the whole of the regions economy. This is the line that we will be advocating to the steering committee being set up by the City Council to look into the possibilities.

SEE:  www.birminghamsuperprix.com