Quick word to those that have not heard....the Nationals will be held in WSID for the next 3 years:
http://www.andra.com.au/release.asp?ID=1125
Full Version: Willowbank Without Nationals
yet another signe that the sport is dying in the arse 
Yeah....I dunno about that.....not so much dying in the arse, rather Willowbank management trying to ensure that they don't dye in the arse. Got to remember that the last few Nationals events have been plagued with poor weather hence the reason it kept getting bounced around with the event date.
I know one thing....when the boss at work finds out he's not going to be pleased - one of the two major income events gone from the calendar. Just means we'll have to rethink the way we trade up there.
I know one thing....when the boss at work finds out he's not going to be pleased - one of the two major income events gone from the calendar. Just means we'll have to rethink the way we trade up there.
look at all the annule fee hikes the DRDF (the msot poorly though about and constructed scheme ever.. you want the sportsman and group 3 and 2 to pay for it then give us some exposure... not jsut group one) and all the bullshit that went on about 12 months ago with how andra was trading... althat being said there has abeen a bit of a pick up in the past 6 months of how everything has been organised and run but then again look at the feed back from mini jam ....
Don't even get me started on Mini Jam.....that was the most mismanaged event to date IMHO.
The DRDF is something I've not looked deeply into , but yes on the surface I agree with you in that they are stealing from the poor to give to the rich so to speak. Though correct me if I'm wrong but that is a n ANDRA thing that the tracks don't have a say in?
When you think about it though, it's the same situation with the street meets & test & tunes....funds from those events go towards track expenses for the next tier up, i.e. the track championship rounds.
I'm not saying that losing the nationals is a good thing, but perhaps with this event gone & the revenue loss generated by loosing it may spark some life back into the management to run a few extra grass roots events during the year......that or expect another test & tune / street meet price hike.
I remember when I first started racing up there in '95, ASP used to run the Streetcar Shootout (back then "The Yokohama Streetcar Shootout") and the Jamboree events, both of which used to have a 16.99 cut-off. Someone needs to revisit this format of racing to try to spark some interest back into the sport.
What puzzles me is that you hear of all these "street races" that seem to be going on and yet the grass roots events seem to suffer a loss of interest (I consider Mini-Jam to be a grass roots event). WHat can be done to get these racers out to the track? I'm buggered if I can work it out.
One idea I've had bouncing around in my head for a while is to run a "Pinks" style event along the following lines:
- flat entry fee to cover the cost of the track for the day/night as well as allowing for prizemoney for set eliminator classes (unless provided by a sponsor)
- Run a 4, 6, 8, Rotary & Bike Eliminator, all for street registered vehicles (no race cars allowed - rules to be drawn up as to what constitutes a "race car") akin to what used to happen at the old ASP event say 12 - 16.99 cutoff.
- Two lanes in staging are marked for "Money Runs" i.e. two drivers decide they want to race each other & put the money up the winner takes all. One lane would be for "heads up" format to see who has the faster car, the other as a "dial your own" to see who is the better driver". If you're worried about sand baggers in the DYO class simple answer is that people will see that person is sand bagging & will choose not to race them.
- $20 lower limit & $200 upper limit imposed on challenges for money runs.
What are your thoughts "in principle" for an event like this?
The DRDF is something I've not looked deeply into , but yes on the surface I agree with you in that they are stealing from the poor to give to the rich so to speak. Though correct me if I'm wrong but that is a n ANDRA thing that the tracks don't have a say in?
When you think about it though, it's the same situation with the street meets & test & tunes....funds from those events go towards track expenses for the next tier up, i.e. the track championship rounds.I'm not saying that losing the nationals is a good thing, but perhaps with this event gone & the revenue loss generated by loosing it may spark some life back into the management to run a few extra grass roots events during the year......that or expect another test & tune / street meet price hike.
I remember when I first started racing up there in '95, ASP used to run the Streetcar Shootout (back then "The Yokohama Streetcar Shootout") and the Jamboree events, both of which used to have a 16.99 cut-off. Someone needs to revisit this format of racing to try to spark some interest back into the sport.
What puzzles me is that you hear of all these "street races" that seem to be going on and yet the grass roots events seem to suffer a loss of interest (I consider Mini-Jam to be a grass roots event). WHat can be done to get these racers out to the track? I'm buggered if I can work it out.
One idea I've had bouncing around in my head for a while is to run a "Pinks" style event along the following lines:
- flat entry fee to cover the cost of the track for the day/night as well as allowing for prizemoney for set eliminator classes (unless provided by a sponsor)
- Run a 4, 6, 8, Rotary & Bike Eliminator, all for street registered vehicles (no race cars allowed - rules to be drawn up as to what constitutes a "race car") akin to what used to happen at the old ASP event say 12 - 16.99 cutoff.
- Two lanes in staging are marked for "Money Runs" i.e. two drivers decide they want to race each other & put the money up the winner takes all. One lane would be for "heads up" format to see who has the faster car, the other as a "dial your own" to see who is the better driver". If you're worried about sand baggers in the DYO class simple answer is that people will see that person is sand bagging & will choose not to race them.
- $20 lower limit & $200 upper limit imposed on challenges for money runs.
What are your thoughts "in principle" for an event like this?
have you noticed it seems to be you and i the only 2 who are ever consistantly posting in this area ?? but yeahi completly agree with you there needs to be some kind of life injected back in to it .. i think that we should do somthign similar to what they have had down south at times where they have $100-500 prize up for the first perfect reaction time of the night .. somehting that will draw a crowd and where every one has an equal chance at winning you know..
I haven't been to the street meets regularly lately, but I know they still run the "Perfect" light award at the bigger meetings for the first or closest to perfect reaction during the meeting during race conditions (qualifiers do not count).
I'd be keen to get something happening with a one off event or series of events to try to boost interest in getting people out at the track, but I suppose that is the responsibility of the appointed tract staff who are paid to do that. The other way to look at it would be is find out what days are not allocated to race meets & formulate a concept to get the Boost cruising days happening on a more regular basis to the point where it is big enough to support it's own series.
It would be interesting to do the math & find out what it costs for a "run" based on the track hire fee & the number of hours you get for that, and hire the track out charging a flat entry fee for getting in....say $10-$15 & pay...say $5 per run...... & if you oil down you are booted from coming back into the staging lanes.
I'm really keen to get an event where you race for money each round happening....I think it's the one thing that will get cars racing & bums on seats......don't think the legalities of things would permit racing for "pinks", though I would like to see that as well.
I'd be keen to get something happening with a one off event or series of events to try to boost interest in getting people out at the track, but I suppose that is the responsibility of the appointed tract staff who are paid to do that. The other way to look at it would be is find out what days are not allocated to race meets & formulate a concept to get the Boost cruising days happening on a more regular basis to the point where it is big enough to support it's own series.
It would be interesting to do the math & find out what it costs for a "run" based on the track hire fee & the number of hours you get for that, and hire the track out charging a flat entry fee for getting in....say $10-$15 & pay...say $5 per run...... & if you oil down you are booted from coming back into the staging lanes.
I'm really keen to get an event where you race for money each round happening....I think it's the one thing that will get cars racing & bums on seats......don't think the legalities of things would permit racing for "pinks", though I would like to see that as well.
id be interested in actualy sitting down with you discussing the numbers on organisings an event as a 1 off
Always up for a challenge....name a time & place & I'll see what I can do. Tin Tops would be a good time if you're up for it - I'll be up there for that meet & gives us access to basically anyone we need to ask questions of. 
ill be at the tin tops .
QUOTE(TuFFvs @ Mar 26 2008, 06:19 AM) [snapback]1282094523[/snapback]
ill be at the tin tops crewing so sure would be good lol you'll prob think im a timewaster when you realise im 21 hahaha but im deadly serious ..
Time will tell
ha ha ha and good luck
With the lack of success of the nationals I don't think Willowbank really cared about losing the nationals.
You are right about the way ANDRA is run though.
I think it is a big call to say drag racing is dying in the arse. I think Sport Compact will die in the arse if things don't improve though. Look at people like Tony Wedlock and Signorelli - They bought these awesome things into the country and have nowhere to race them - They have to drive around the country doing exhibition classes - Somebody needs to prop these guys up
You are right about the way ANDRA is run though.
I think it is a big call to say drag racing is dying in the arse. I think Sport Compact will die in the arse if things don't improve though. Look at people like Tony Wedlock and Signorelli - They bought these awesome things into the country and have nowhere to race them - They have to drive around the country doing exhibition classes - Somebody needs to prop these guys up
Actually they are propping themselves up in that F/X is not an ANDRA class, rather a class that a group has formed to try to make senes of the madness that is going on. Look at it this way.....V8 Supercars was born out of Group A racing whose motto was "Win on Sunday....Sell on Monday" i.e. the factories could identify a marketing avenue that would assist in selling product. Where does drag racing having the same formula? Certainly not Pro Stock or Top Doorslamer, that's for sure.
I think Factory Extreme will be the class that kicks some life into the dying animal that is drag racing. Tony has already got factory backing from Toyota....and they can lay claim to the fact that the engine that powers the race car is a hotted up version of what you can buy off the factory floor. The average newbie is not going to know what the hell a "Keith Black" is....nor are they going to have any sense of attachment to a body style that is not sold in this country.
All categories of drag racing, with the exception of Top Fuel & Jet Cars, have no relevance to existing non drag racing fans. And that is the market that needs to be tapped if the sport is going to have rapid growth. The only reason Top Fuel & Jet Cars capture the average punter is the sheer "wow" factor of them - something new which satisfies the senses - nothing else.
Factory Extreme is the only way for the sport to move forward and gain acceptance by the wider publis. As it stands, you mention the words "drag racing" and what does the average joe think of? A bunch of young hooligans terrorising the streets with their souped up cars. If the public sees that the manufacturers are behind the efforst of racers in this category, people's perceptions will change & the sport will gain a wider acceptance. Additionally, given time the rules can be formulated to create feeder categories for the "main show" to the point that F/X will be the feature bracket at an event & there will be enough "support" categories for the bracket to exist outside the current scope of ANDRA or SCGDRS.
I think Factory Extreme will be the class that kicks some life into the dying animal that is drag racing. Tony has already got factory backing from Toyota....and they can lay claim to the fact that the engine that powers the race car is a hotted up version of what you can buy off the factory floor. The average newbie is not going to know what the hell a "Keith Black" is....nor are they going to have any sense of attachment to a body style that is not sold in this country.
All categories of drag racing, with the exception of Top Fuel & Jet Cars, have no relevance to existing non drag racing fans. And that is the market that needs to be tapped if the sport is going to have rapid growth. The only reason Top Fuel & Jet Cars capture the average punter is the sheer "wow" factor of them - something new which satisfies the senses - nothing else.
Factory Extreme is the only way for the sport to move forward and gain acceptance by the wider publis. As it stands, you mention the words "drag racing" and what does the average joe think of? A bunch of young hooligans terrorising the streets with their souped up cars. If the public sees that the manufacturers are behind the efforst of racers in this category, people's perceptions will change & the sport will gain a wider acceptance. Additionally, given time the rules can be formulated to create feeder categories for the "main show" to the point that F/X will be the feature bracket at an event & there will be enough "support" categories for the bracket to exist outside the current scope of ANDRA or SCGDRS.
WSID has a perfect light cash pool that builds if it is not won on the night for the Wicked Wednesday's.
Another format of racing that is getting rather popular in USA is the flash light drags. They go to a small airport and go 50/50 on the takings. Car has to be registered and driven to track, DOT tyres etc and is heads up all the time. Flash light used to start. Not sure if they run it as 1/8 or 1/4, probably eighth to keep speeds down.
Maybe someone could hit up Archerfield!
Another format of racing that is getting rather popular in USA is the flash light drags. They go to a small airport and go 50/50 on the takings. Car has to be registered and driven to track, DOT tyres etc and is heads up all the time. Flash light used to start. Not sure if they run it as 1/8 or 1/4, probably eighth to keep speeds down.
Maybe someone could hit up Archerfield!
Orlando is getting huge too guys - Pro Street is where it is at these days too - Super tough street cars
QUOTE(15uzu @ Mar 24 2008, 12:25 PM) [snapback]1282086445[/snapback]
One idea I've had bouncing around in my head for a while is to run a "Pinks" style event along the following lines:
- flat entry fee to cover the cost of the track for the day/night as well as allowing for prizemoney for set eliminator classes (unless provided by a sponsor)
- Run a 4, 6, 8, Rotary & Bike Eliminator, all for street registered vehicles (no race cars allowed - rules to be drawn up as to what constitutes a "race car") akin to what used to happen at the old ASP event say 12 - 16.99 cutoff.
- Two lanes in staging are marked for "Money Runs" i.e. two drivers decide they want to race each other & put the money up the winner takes all. One lane would be for "heads up" format to see who has the faster car, the other as a "dial your own" to see who is the better driver". If you're worried about sand baggers in the DYO class simple answer is that people will see that person is sand bagging & will choose not to race them.
- $20 lower limit & $200 upper limit imposed on challenges for money runs.
What are your thoughts "in principle" for an event like this?
I think that is a really good idea for an event! Think alot of people would be interested in doing it. I think it would draw crowds too as it has that sort of 'Fast and Furious' street racing feel to it but in a more controlled environment.
a few good ideas here , i don't spose you want to come up and help run hvdra in darwin ?
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