need somewhere for drag races

Peanuts Inc. · #1 04-09-2005, 02:15 PM

it has been bought up at the local council meetings for 3 years running and nothing has been done about it.....the funding is there, it has been voted a good idea by the public in a poll that was sent out, but the council wont organise it to go ahead.
i also think that the local police doesnt want it to go ahead because of the security and "policing" of the events is too much work for them.

the one that is "supposedly" being built in barmera is just an empty sheep paddock....hasnt even been marked out or surveyed yet. this drag strip is supposed to be replacing the adelaide international dragstrip because that is getting a little outdated and needs repair. still nothing is being done....

rattattack1313 · #2 04-09-2005, 03:04 PM

We don't advocate street dragging, burnouts etc etc in here mate....I have already deleted one of your posts from the other day............. :rat:

ElDubya · #3 04-09-2005, 03:36 PM

Rat,

I believe he is talking about legal "off-street" drags, at a circuit like Willowbank that the council in S.A has been umming and arring about for the last three years.

pacey · #4 04-09-2005, 09:13 PM

It's not that police don't want the work (I'd personally love to go and supervise a drag race)I believe its the safety issue of inexperienced drivers and the reprocussions if things go bad. I'm assuming of course that this drag strip is open to all persons who hold a licence. A drag strip for amatuers won't last long at all. The first major incident would see the whole operation shut down immediatly. Most people even parents would be like "yeah what a awsome idea" but when someone is seriously injured the council will have some very angry parents on their back. Even signing something that holds you fully responsible if something goes wrong won't save the council.Thats why the council is "umming and ahhing".

I suppose you could argue that it would be in a more controlled environment and lessens the risk but behind every idea lies consequences and these are the things the council will also be considering.

However... If drag racing is restricted to drivers over 25 with a full licence and has undergone advanced driving courses then I'd be all for it. I do believe that if this drag strip is going ahead, the council is probably still considering certain aspects of the idea or you have one of those stubborn politicians hence the delay.

Thats my 2 cents worth, good night big dog, good night boys and girls.... sweet dreams.

Stretchomatic · #5 04-09-2005, 09:30 PM

u should get in contact with narrandera or leeton council they have had three race days this year, and they use an airstrip for the dragstrip, its fully legal and insured and stuff, maybe they could help sway your council.

pacey · #6 04-09-2005, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rattattack1313

We don't advocate street dragging, burnouts etc etc in here mate....I have already deleted one of your posts from the other day............. :rat:

.. Rat.. Another bad day in the office mate! You were a bit quick jumpin' on that poor bloke!

Wombat · #7 04-09-2005, 10:52 PM

The only reply I can think of is to cut and paste a previous post of mine which I think says it all...
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Simple answer mate...money, politics (of drag-racing organisations), and insurance.
Money...you have to find someone good hearted enough to pay to set up a facility with maybe a 1/8 mile drag strip, burnout area, and skidpan...that costs big moolah, believe me. Before that though the interested party would have to go through all sorts of council approvals and complaints from "not in my back yard" people who don't want it near them. Then you have to be garanteed of clients who will pay to use the place regularly...yes, pay...no-one is going to set up a place like this as a charity. If no-one ends up using it, it will fall on it's arse and die.
Politics of drag racing bodies: I once asked several very in-the-know people about why we don't have a drag strip, even a 1/8 mile set up, in Bundaberg...the answer was that there is a strip at Willowbank and one at Bernaraby 200 km away...if someone wanted to build one, an officially recognised one here, they wouldn't get ANDRA approval...something to do with distance from other drag strips. This brings us back to someone paying out big to set it up themselves and running it privately.
Insurance: Don't get me started...our motorbike club has to pay an exhorbatant amount each year in insurance just to run a one-day motorbike rally in case some schmuck falls off his ride and decides to sue us...we have filled out indemnity forms, saying it is all "at your own risk", but apparently these common forms aren't worth the paper they are written on...if you want to sue, you can go to court and even if you have signed a carefully worded form saying you knew the risks about whatever activity you have undertaken, it is disregarded in court. Any fun sport, from rent-a-go-kart tracks to sedate motorcycle ride days to horse riding clubs are slapped with massive insurance premiums because of a percieved risk in these activities.

Basically, it is all too hard. If I won Lotto I might consider doing something just for the hell of it, but even with millions behind me I would be checking that all the people who say they would attend something like that regularly and pay for it aren't just ****ing in the wind, and were serious about getting off the streets.
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"and that's all I have to say about that...."