Revisiting alternate sites

[David Leikvold]

Bugger! I had a well considered reply and now it's gone. Here's the gist of it:

Thanks for the heads up Zork, I should have known Woomera was a no chance deal, the runways look perfect on Google Maps.

I don't see a Mojave Mile style future for the DLRA. What I think may well happen is a combination of venues and local events that keep members racing all over the country. Speedweek will be more reliable as the drought returns. If Lake Omeo is a success and we run three meetings there every year we'll take some of the pressure and expectation off Lake Gairdner and the DLRA to somehow always be able to magically provide good hard salt year after year. We might get a meeting up on the Bilpa Morea claypan in far west Queensland but that won't happen until the drought is back. If we find a bitumen venue in Qld for example, the QTA could get an organising committee together and run a local meeting in partnership with local CAMS car and bike clubs that already have plenty of experience, e.g. the MG Car Club in Brisbane which has successfully run race meetings and their own hillclimb for many years. The Warwick District Sporting Car Club runs Morgan Park Raceway very well. The Motorcycle Sportsmen have just celebrated their 50th year of running race meetings. With some of these people involved we could run a meeting for all comers and make a profit as well.

So maybe in a few years we could have a handful of very different venues in various states all running multiple meetings a year for an Australian LSR championship that culminated at Speedweek. That sounds alright to me!

Cheers
Dave

[Mossy]

G'day JD
I think you'll find the new drag strip length is a 1,000ft, not metres. I have thought of gearing the bike down and running at Whyalla strip but thats only 1/8 mile (200m), Much better running at Tailem Bend.
Cheers Mossy

[zork]

Ahhh yes Mossy, seem to have put my imperial foot in my metric mouth there. Still is drag racing....the clock that is.

[momec3]

Greg,

We will revisit the Bilpa Morea plan soon, its far from a dead duck.
Its location is a bit against it but its size is comparable with Lake G or bigger in possible track length so could be a unique worldwide for a clay event.
Again insurance is the big question.
The rest is not impossible.

Our thoughts regarding Omeo is that a one day event is a waste of time. Ask yourself,would you drag 3 cars from QLD with no gaurantee of a run...Your kidding. Every man and his dog will be hangin for a run. It will be overwhelmed and there will be blood spilt from those that miss out.
There must be a cutoff for entries.

Chris

[PLUCKA]

Hi everyone 7 years ago when I finished the Monaro I asked to test it at Woomera Airbase. I contacted the local copper who put me onto the guy in charge up there and who works for the Commonwealth. In dealings with him I ticked all the boxes other than the insurance issue which for me was out of my league cost wise but as one of you have said spread over several would be very doable. The township itself for those that do not know has many empty dorm style rooms and a great hotel, supermarket,ect. This not far from the airbase at all, and all bitumen roads leading there. After this weekend just gone and the frustration, I have decided to revisit this option so I have made contact again. It is again in the embro stages but the Commonwealth will more than likely say yes as long as we met the requirements they require. I will keep you all informed on proceedings.

Omeo is a great venue and I will support it when I am able to. We could go as far as saying like I have read earlier that have several events such as Omeo, Woomera and perhap a QLD track finishing off at Lake G for the end of year Speed Week. It certainly seems that the management of our club are listening and are in fact moving forward. Well done.

Plucka

[David Leikvold]

Chris,

You're right about having too many entries for the first Lake Omeo meeting. We all need to remember that more than anything, this event is NOT a replacement for Speedweek 2012, it is a display event designed solely to present the DLRA in its best possible light to the people of Benambra and Omeo. We have to make them want us to come back a few times a year forever.

A good initial impression could well mean entry by invitation only. If we were to choose entrants for this display meeting I would imagine the first thing to do is find out who would be available to run on the chosen date, whenever that may be. Then have a rain date backup plan. Announce both dates together and call for entries pointing out that in this instance, asking to race doesn't necessarily mean getting to race. Entrants must be available for both dates. The organisers then pick the best looking and fastest cars and bikes in a wide variety of classes from the list of applicants. Choose an easily managed number of entrants, tell them they're in and tell the rest they're not. Once that's sorted get on top of the logistics so that nothing catches us out when it matters.

Does anyone have a plan for the duration of this event? I'm thinking that Friday could be for setup and testing the track with Saturday and Sunday for racing. Any more than that and in a town that quiet they'd be sick of the noise!

Cheers
Dave

[David Leikvold]

Plucka,

If you can get us onto Woomera I'll recommend you for Commissioner ! Maybe we should try the same sort of thing as I just suggested for Lake Omeo. We'll only get one chance to make a good first impression.

Cheers
Dave

[RGV]

The organisers then pick the best looking and fastest cars and bikes in a wide variety of classes from the list of applicants.

Ya kidding??? The fastest and best looking???

So us guys giving it our best shot on a small budget dont get a look in???

And who decides if a bike/car looks good. Some people like Rat Rods.

[Greg Watters]

No real need to limit the entrys
it will end up running ,more like a drag meet with a fairly short run time and quick turnover at the start line .
even if we only get a couple of runs in a day it will be better than bench racing

Oh and to get you keen for a qld or vic dirt event here is some footage from last weeks ElMirage
http://youtu.be/troxFvRXzI0

[David Leikvold]

RGV Dave,

I guess I qualified "the best looking and fastest cars and bikes" by adding "in a wide variety of classes". I'm not saying you can't run your bike just because there are faster bikes, I''m just saying we have to make a good impression at the first event or there won't be a second. Lake Omeo is not a done deal, nothing is guaranteed yet. The organising committee can decide for themselves what's best for the event, whether that be entry by invitation only or entries open to all.

I should also point out that my posts on this subject are merely suggestions designed to encourage other members to contribute to the discussion. I don't live in Victoria, I'm not on the Lake Omeo organising committee, I have no influence over the decisions of the committee, I won't be racing there for at least another two years and I can't even be there as a spectator.

What makes a car or bike one of the "best looking"? Most of all, it needs to look like the owner took real pride in every aspect of the build, regardless of their budget.

It doesn't have to have a show quality paint job or megabuck componentry, it just needs good bodywork without bits that are wrong and were never fixed, a shine to the paint with no rattle can overspray, good engineering standards, neat signwriting, nicely run wiring, nothing in the "she'll be right" category and no rust. In short, a vehicle that gets through scrutineering first time, every time. If it looks like it cost $300, one weekend and a couple of slabs of VB to build then it's no chance. Things done well don't have to cost more, they just take more care and more time to make and because we only race once a year we have plenty of that. Bob Ellis' Falcon is a great example of that quality workmanship. The Shaguar is the pinnacle of that art.

Cheers
Dave

[RGV]

So its a black tie event? Looks can be very deceiving.

[zork]

No worries Dave,
You live in the Adelaide hills and drive a Land Rover, all you need is a shave and a poodle. lol

[David Leikvold]

Well, I wasn't going to mention the dress code until much later, but now that you've broached the subject....

Cheers
Dave

[Greg Watters]

Guess i'm out then rattle can black seems to be all i have time for lately

[RGV]

A shaved poodle??