Palmer 'delighted' not to be hosting WSBK

Motorsport Vision director Jonathan Palmer admits he is 'delighted' that Brands Hatch will not be hosting a round of the World Superbike Championship in 2009, claiming the economic downturn wouldn't have made the event 'viable'.

The British round, which regularly attracts the largest audience of any other WSBK event, was controversially dropped from the 2009 calendar when MSV and WSBK promoters Infront couldn't agree on new contractual terms.

Palmer claims the organisers wanted to double MSV's fee for hosting the event, a move that would have filtered down to a significant increase in ticket prices. At a time of economic hardship, MSV decided that it wasn't an option to pass the fee onto the consumer.

With this in mind, Palmer admits he is not too sad to see Brands Hatch missing from World Superbikes because the event wouldn't have been economically viable.

"Frankly I am delighted that we don't have World Superbikes at the moment," he told PA Sport. "Essentially I am a businessman and I don't run things which are not economically viable.

"When we first had World Superbikes here after I took over it wasn't viable. I told the promoters that and we discussed and agreed terms on which it could be run here. That continued until the end of last season when they wanted to double the fee.

"I told them that it wasn't viable, the weakening pound made it less so and with the credit crunch as well it was a non starter. The public wouldn't pay the increase in ticket prices we'd have to do to run it."

Although he won't rule out a return for World Superbikes in the future, Palmer insists he is just as happy to be turning his attentions to the British Superbike Championship, a series that MSV also oversee.

"Whether or not the promoters will feel they want to come back to Brands Hatch on a basis that suits everyone I have no idea.vIt would be nice if they did. We'd like to have it and I know all the riders love racing here.

"We are going to have an event that hopefully will match the entertainment value here with British Superbikes. I think that will be even closer this year now Ducati aren't racing. We will have a big following here anyway and I am perfectly happy with our schedule."