While there is novelty factor associated with a race in the desert, you don't actually see a hell of a lot of the sand since Hermann "the Other German Bastard" Tilke is such a fan of tarmac/concrete run-offs (he's doing another one in South Korea for 2008 or 2009 but it's half-street, half-parkland a la Albert Park). Sure they might be safer than spearing off into the kitty litter (as it's much easier to flip in the sandtraps and your brakes actually work on tarmac), but it looks like you're racing around a carpark! Also, it was a HUGE mistake to cut the first loop. Sure, it might bring the circuit length down to a much more sensible figure, but that first loop has some very interesting and technical corners. Actually, the entire circuit at Sakhit would be so much better if it were to be run in reverse.
Cape, Cochrane is simply going for the "hard sell" in running overseas events. The V8s are arguably one of the three or four best production car series in the world along with Japan's SuperGT, Germany's DTM and the American NASCAR. Sure, the latter might be taxis turning left for 500 miles on end, but the racing formula works (as do the V8s, DTM and SuperGT) for one very simple reason: the number of manufacturers is restricted. The V8s obviously only run Falcons and Commodores, but NASCAR runs Ford, Dodge and Chevrolet while SuperGT runs Toyota/Lexus, Nissan and Honda and DTM only allows Mercedes-Benz, Audi and Opel. Take a look at any other production car series - the BTCC and WTC spring to mind - and they ultimately fail because every year manufacturers come and go freely. Cochrane is simply trying to capitalise on the format, and who can blame him given that it's so successful? He's simply doing it in the wrong places; Shanghai was easily the better choice. The Asian continent would be much better for the V8s because it's so much closer to home. Sure, it would be in competition with the SuperGTs, but look at it this way: Shanghai would be on at a much more reasonable time (only the truly dedicated stayed up until one in the morning), China is far easier to access than the Middle East (especially now) and the crowd figures speak for themselves. And if not at the Grand Prix circuit, then China has another two circuits available with a thrid under construction and talk of a fourth for A1GP; a street circuit through Shanghai's Pudong New Area (actually used by DTM) and a compact Formula One-standard circuit at Zuhai which has existed since 1997 while a circuit outside Beijing is being built and A1GP is looking to race on the capital's street. Bahrain has just one circuit, though I suppose they could always go to the superbike circuit at Doha Aerodrome in Qatar or the much more user-freindly Dubai circuit.
The other reason the V8s aren't doing that well overseas is because they're cutting the circuit. Bahrain is a prime example as the track became little more than a glorified Symmonds Plains; a couple of dragstrips linked by hairpins (Craig Lowndes commented ove rhis radio that Race II would be fairly boring to watch). They did exactly the same thing in China, though it was not as dramatic; although the corner they cut out was a good one, the majority of challenging corners stayed in the circuit. The reason is obviously that Australian racing circuits are fairly short - look at Barbagallo, Malalla, Lakeside, Ipswich, the old Winton, Pukekhoe (sp?), Symmonds Plains and, to a lesser extent, Oran Park. Bathurst is easily our longest raceway and probably twice as long as its nearest ribval in terms of distance. New races are being proposed for Townsville, Perth and Sydney, so I think these should at least be about four kilometres in length (if they go ahead, Barbagallo, Ipswich and Oran Park are likely to get the chop) to get the V8 scene ready for longer races.
So if Australia is going to keep going overseas, where should they go? The answer would be Japan. They've got plenty of circuits from Suzuka and Fuji to Aida and Autopolis and Japanese cars are also popular over here. SuperGT has proven international events can work when done correctly, so how about a little quid pro quo? We have an event at one of their circuits and they race at one of ours. Or even an Australia vs. Japan event with V8s lining up next to SuperGTs (subject to a few controls to keep the racing even)?
