RALLY, DOLLAR AND LARI

SOPHICO SICHINAVA

Perhaps, few people know that European Rally Championship is to be held in Georgia in August. Georgia has won the right to hold championship after two candidate events has been arranged and observed by FIA representatives.

It is noteworthy that in CIS scales such high-level competition is held here for the first time. While auto sport – the most expensive kind of sport – has reached the peak of popularity and prosperity and while the world lives on high emotions, big money and colossal advertisement of “Formula-1”, in Georgia one can hardly find a sponsor to help organize this event.
As it seems, “Chevron” will sponsor rally Georgia this year. It was so two years ago. As for the sum, it is 70-80 thousand dollars, which is a small one compared with the money spent on this kind of sport in the world. For instance, in accordance with “Formula-1” estimation, a very insignificant contract with “Gasprom” in the amount of 3 millions has become quite important for “Minardi”. While in accordance with official data “Ferrari” budget totals 150 millions, that of Mclaren and Williams is 120 thousand dollars. According to unofficial information, expenses of these three “top-teams” make up 400 million dollars for a season.
Victor Todadze (President of Georgian Automobile Federation): The event is quite large-scale and FIA requirements are quite strict and obligatory. We encounter great problems in organizational work. There are many problems in the customs: sport cars arrive in the customs together with many tyres and special petrol not sold in Georgia as well as anywhere in CIS. Another problem is visa and blocking of roads. Police should be mobilized, ambulance cars should stand everywhere near the roads. FIA require one helicopter for emergency case. Organisation of football and volleyball matches is simple compared with rally. Game takes place in a closed building. Everything is different in rally. A very important issue is also safety of public.
This sport is of great interest, still this does not help us to find sponsors. I reckon that about 300-400 people will come to Georgia at that time. The problem of hotels is settled, too. Hotels should also meet specific requirements: they should have a big garden so that to make it possible for the visitor to park his car and repair it. Apart from sportsmen, there will be also observers. The requirement is that rally director must be a foreigner”.
Georgia sportsmen will also take part in the Championship. Yet, we should not imagine that everything is the same as in civilised world. The Georgian party does not have the so-called “club”. Georgians themselves take care and pay for their carrier, cars and other things necessary for auto sport. A good sport car costs 100-120 thousand dollars. There are only three such cars in Georgia and all of them are private property of sportsmen. As they do not have their own finances, they manage to find sponsors through their acquaintances. Victor Todadze says that Georgia will have a strong team in the Championship that is not far from victory.
The president of Automobile Federation can not account for such indifference of potential sponsors:
“The production of “Chevron” should be promoted via cars. It will be funny if the company decides to sponsor “Beauty contest”. Yet, there are many such examples in Georgia. Some businessmen invest money in events that are in no connection with the business and, therefore, the advertisement brings insignificant result.
“Chevron” has sponsored us for two years and it has helped us to reach the result, i.e. the right to hold Championship in Georgia. They do not wish to give up and they try to find sums for sponsorship. We are in the same situation. If they do not finance the rally, we will still make advertisement of “Chevron”.
The Government Commission formed specially for rally and consisting of all interested ministries provides great assistance in covering roads, mobilisation of police, financing of ambulances and fire-brigades. This requires much money. Thus, the government is also our sponsor.
If economy does not develop, nothing will help us. As a rule, businessmen wish to advertise their production, but if they are alone in the market, they will not, certainly, need any advertisement. For instance, does “Kazbegi” need any advertisement?
Automobile sport was forbidden in the Soviet Union. It was called capitalistic. Then, there arose a dilemma ? Russia was a car-producing country and the best way to advertise cars is automobile sport. It was decided to call this kind of sport VSAAF – Voluntary Society for Assisting Army and Fleet. It included auto sport, parachuting, motor sport, etc. After the break-up of the mentioned “voluntary society’, all these kinds of sport have formed their own federations.
There was not “Formula-1” in the former Soviet Union, but there was “Formula-3” and the so-called “Formula Vostok”. Roadways were built in that period ? in Riga, Ukraine and Georgia (Rustavi Rally Roadway).
Victor Todadze: “In fact, this roadway does not exist any more. After the re-organisation it was for some reason transferred to the Ministry of Defence”, but in reality, it has no owner. The federation has been fighting for this roadway ever since it has been formed. There were many sponsors. They came from Germany, Austria to help repair the road so that at least to make it possible to hold “Formula-3”. Yet they have no right for sponsorship as the mentioned roadway is the property of military department. Presently, this roadway will be suitable for rally. However, formula can not be held here.
The regrettable fact is that the Georgian government loses much money due to its indifference. There is problem of reconnaissance in the world. One-hour reconnaissance in Austria costs 25 thousand dollars. Let us not make reconnaissance, let us at least repair the roadway and make it possible for foreigners to make reconnaissance. Organising formula-1 in this roadway would be difficult, but there is nothing impossible if we have sponsors.
Foreigners have another problem. For instance, when a new car or new engine is produced, thousands of people get interested in it. There is unheard-off espionage during the testing of novelties. They record the voice of engine by means of “locator” and do god knows what. Thus, it is more suitable for them to come to such country as Georgia, to test their cars and go. Great firms, for instance Ferrari, have well-protected roadways so they are less concerned with such problems. However, there are teams that pay much money for taking roadway on lease. Georgia could gain much profit from this. Sponsors are interested in it. The roadway will have good return. It is possible to repair Rustavi Ring roadway while building a new roadway would cost a great sum of money. For instance, in Petersburg auto competition is held in the city, but it is not a FIA-sanctioned event. Auto competition is held in the city only in Monte-Carlo where this sport comes from”.
Such are small problems of auto sport in small Georgia. From this point of view, problems of auto sport are much different from those of Georgia.