It's Goodbye from them
The Thundersprint is pulled for 2015
So it is goodbye to the The Thundersprint for 2015 at least. The organising team of Frank and Carol Melling, who have run this great event very successfully for 17 years, have finally had to bow to the vagaries of the English weather and are sadly not going to hold the Thundersprint next year.
In 2013 the event was held at the Anglesey Circuit in North Wales but turned out soggy when it was hit by terrible rain. In search of better weather the organisers switched to Darley Moor race track for 2014, but yet again were followed by torrential May rain over both days.
Although the Thundersprint has a large and faithful following,
Mr Melling said:
“The 55mm of rain we had over two days this year at Darley Moor hit spectator attendance very badly. In the simplest possible terms, we just cannot take a chance on a third year of hostile weather.
“The problem we, and many other organisers, face is that the cost of promoting a big, complex event like the Thundersprint rises every year.
“Circuit owners want their income guaranteeing regardless of ticket sales. There is nothing wrong with this policy but it means that all the pressure is on the event organiser to cover costs and, hopefully, make a profit.
“In the final analysis, we are a two person business and we can’t continue to risk what we have built up over the last 17 years on the bet that we will have good weather in 2015.
The Thundersprint is very much alive and well and Carol and I remain as enthusiastic as ever for the future – if and when the event can make economic sense.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all competitors, traders and spectators for their fantastic support and we hope that they we will all continue to remain the good friends that they are now.”
The Thundersprint is a great event and will be missed – let’s hope it is back one day in the not too distant future, and the sun shines down on it when it is.
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