"Survey" Calder Park & AIR

[SLY LS1]

On behalf of the Australian Motorsport Club we have created a survey regarding Calder Park & "AIR" Virginia Raceway - we ask that all interested off street drag racing participants and spectators please take a couple of minutes to complete the survey.

With both track undergoing major renovations, we are interested to know our customers thoughts on a range of issues, especially the preferred day of off street drag racing at both venues.

Theres plenty of exciting new to be released over the next couple of months

Thanks in advance...

Survey
http://www.slydesigns.com.au/limesur...=88957&lang=en

[SLY LS1]

First off let me say a big thanks to the over 340 people who have completed the survey so far, it will be running until the end of the May so please if you haven’t already completed it click on the link in the 1st post and help us get as much feedback as we can.
There’s been some great feedback so far, some negative “understandably” but plenty of positive ideas coming through as well.

Some of the things we will be looking at from the feed back received so far are
• Pricing – Entrant & Spectator
• What day the week off street drags are run
• Timing boards in kph & mph also showing 60’ time instead of RT
• How we get updates and Information to the public – racers – spectators
• Use of garages
• Scrutineering rules
• Beginners – how to drag race days
• Burnout comp issues – when/if to run it etc
• Food & drink range & pricing

Please keep the comments coming


Also I would just like to clear up a few items in some of the comments, they regarded the return road, the pits and the timing boards. Understandably some people haven’t been out the Calder for awhile and hadn’t realised these issues had been fixed.
The return road, pits and line up area were fully resealed approx 6 months ago, so no more dust, dirt & stones
The new Timing boards were up and running in March 2005

Now for the latest info

Calder Park

Off Street Drags will be run fortnightly on the following dates

Friday May 16th 2008
Friday May 30th 2008
Friday June 13th 2008
Friday June 27th 2008

Calder Park will then be closed for the months of July & August 2008 for major works including

1. Move the start and finish down the track by some 15 meters
2. Install all new cabling systems for timing etc
3. Move the left hand concrete wall over to the edge of the strip eliminating the current grassed area
4. If time allows we will build a new Drag Race Control centre on the hill in line with the strip centre line. If we run out of time they will do it later in the year.

also

The first of many big drag race meeting has been confirmed

November 15th ’08 with an contingency of November 16th ‘08
Big Open Drag Race Meeting at Calder Park presented by Australian Motorsport Club and Exesive Motorsport
Most Brackets plus Motorcycles
Lots of Spectator prizes
Really good Competitor Prizes

This will be the first big meeting on the realign drag strip – more details soon…

Adelaide International Raceway

Adelaide International Raceway has started the resurfacing and the drag strip will be finished this week!!!


Once again thanks to everyone who has completed the survey, once completed we will be sitting down and having a good look at what you the public would prefer and hopefully implementing a lot of the ideas put forward.

Also thanks to the forum owners for allowing us to use the forums to keep your Members up to date with what is going on.

Stay tuned more news soon..

Cheers

[GT 8888]

as a rough idea is there any indication when the 1st event will be held at AIR.

Cheers

Brad

[SpoolMan]

Get rid of the burnout competition it wastes valuable racing time.
$25 for a spectator at street meet is to much, or look at eg: $70 entry fee for a racer with one mate included.
Yes I have done the survey..

[Craig]

As if BJ and his boys are going to take any notice of a survey. What a joke......

[PALE ALE]

BJ worried that he might have a couple of white elephant's on his hand's, if the new track's get up in Adelaide and Melbourne. People, as long as you race at these venue's, there will be less chance of the new track's getting government support and built. What would you rather race at, a AIR/Calder Park style venue, or a Perth Motorplex/WSID style venue. Vote with your wheel's and boycott these track's

[Aaron_EF8]

WTF? How do you boycott AIR when it hasn't had street meets since 2003, and one ANDRA event since 2001?

I personally don't care where I race. AIR used to be the fastest strip in the world, and I don't have a Category 1 dragster that needs 700m of run-off, so AIR suits me fine. Oh, except the track running west, whoever thought that would work was on crack.

The closest 1/4 mile to Adelaide is currently Heathcote Park in Vic...

[Craig]

Originally Posted by Aaron_EF8

AIR used to be the fastest strip in the world

Don't think that's quite right but yes when it was last re-surfaced it was certainly smooth.

[Aaron_EF8]

Which re-surfacing? by the mid to late 80's virtually every car in oz that had run at AIR and other tracks had a PB there. A few US cars have come over and done the same thing. Being below sea level and being built on the plains certainly helps.

[SLY LS1]

Official AMC announcement...

On behalf of the "AMC" Australian Motorsport Club we would like to thank everyone that has completed the survey so far, the comments have been a real opener for all involved and we hope to implement many of the ideas coming out of the survey, we would also like to thank all Competitors & Spectators for coming out last Friday May 16th on such a cold May night, the night was a huge success with 170 street entries and 13 comp car entries, we would like to say thank for your patience during the rather huge oil down issue from one of the comp cars that took a little time to be fixed as well. Our new track prep team produced a super sticky track as commented on by many competitors and saw many cars set new PB's and even a couple of great wheel stands from the comp cars.

From now on we will be keeping everyone up to date with all the renovations at both Calder Park and Virginia Raceway, both of our websites are under total reconstruction and should be up and running very soon.

Just some of the things happening at Calder are

Moving the start and finish line down some 15 meters - "the drag strip then becomes a stand alone track with the circuit racers using the line up road as their main straight, this meaning the drag strip will be used for drag racing only.

Installing all new cabling for the timing lights.

Moving the left hand wall into the track edge, erecting cushioned saftey barrier on the right hand wall eliminating all the grass and providing a soft impact zone rather than a solid concrete wall.

Moving all seating from the Thunderdome to the drag racing mounds.

Re routing the return road so it becomes a straight line back to the pit area.

Here are a few photos for people who have not been out for a while to show some works that have already been completed.

Pit area re asphalted and old building removed, all buildings painted in the AMC colours









Re asphalted the current return road







Re asphalted the line up road







Virginia Park

I hope to have some updates and photos of Virginia Park in the new few days for the Adelaide people and then a re opening date very soon.

[SLY LS1]

Originally Posted by Craig

As if BJ and his boys are going to take any notice of a survey. What a joke......

That's the attitude Craig..

There's 2 choices I guess, sit back and winge in the internet or get off your and try and get things changed for the better...

I know where i'm at, I guess we know where your at to..

Feel free to come round to Phonsys on Monday Craig and i'll explain to you, its no joke.

[Grechie]

this is wicked news, cant wait for the new reno's now!

cheers SLY LS1

EDIT: just completed survey

[SpoolMan]

Originally Posted by SLY LS1

Moving the left hand wall into the track edge, erecting cushioned saftey barrier on the right hand wall eliminating all the grass and providing a soft impact zone rather than a solid concrete wall.

Moving all seating from the Thunderdome to the drag racing mounds.

.

Great news, seating from the Thunderdome to the drag racing mounds is awesome news for the spectators.
Is the end for the Thunderdome?
Sly is the aim of these improvements and upgrades to bring ANDRA group one racing back to Calder?

[montyv8]

Originally Posted by SLY LS1

the comments have been a real opener for all involved.

lol.. I'd love to see some of the ones regarding AIR :

Originally Posted by SLY LS1

Virginia Park

I hope to have some updates and photos of Virginia Park in the new few days for the Adelaide people and then a re opening date very soon.

I, amongst many hundreds of others, eagerly await this news

one thing I forgot to add to the survey, perhaps for the majority of street meets, limit the comp cars that are running. Well, at first anyway.
Could you imagine, after so many years without a local track, lining up at a meet.. just before your first run, being told theres a long wait due to a major oil-down?

it'd be like the soccer fans when their big-screen died

[SpoolMan]

Oil downs will always happen, its how they respond to the oil down how quickly its cleaned and the resources they have to clean the mess up, I seen how they do it at WSID and its quick..

[Bluepower]

Originally Posted by SLY LS1

That's the attitude Craig..

There's 2 choices I guess, sit back and winge in the internet or get off your and try and get things changed for the better...

I know where i'm at, I guess we know where your at to..

Feel free to come round to Phonsys on Monday Craig and i'll explain to you, its no joke.

Ease up Wayno - try spending a major wad of $$$ on a funny car only to see the local metro track change its mind more times than a reasonably hygenic person would change underpants.

This is YEARS overdue Wayne. Until you spend some major cash, and im not talking about a Nos LS1 or a RX4, you wont know the pain like craig and I do. I have an $80k engine sitting here that hasn't seen light of day due to the fact that to "test" the car, I need to go to sydney. Not easy when you are trying to run at office hours.

Ive since had to sell the car due to the dust forming on it. That leaves me with 150k worth of gear that needs a new home. Jerico 4 spds, clutches, alloy 9"s digital MSD's, transbrake auto's - and all when the dollar was ordinary, and been sitting there devaluing.

Ask Darren if he would have preferred to have a local track to keep up on the tune on his fuel car.

All because SOMEONE has sat on their hands for so long.............

Im glad this is finally happening Wayne, but I wont be getting on my hands and knee's and thanking anyone, more like ITS ABOUT ******* time.

[SLY LS1]

Originally Posted by Bluepower

Ease up Wayno - try spending a major wad of $$$ on a funny car only to see the local metro track change its mind more times than a reasonably hygenic person would change underpants.

Its all good Chriso, just Craigs attitude the the survey being a joke ****ed me off! Im sick of seeing people winging and whining of the forums about the place, then when someone trys to get some information so we can get some changes that the majority want we get comments like that.

For people who missed it in the original post

On behalf of the Australian Motorsport Club we have created a survey regarding Calder Park & "AIR" Virginia Raceway - we ask that all interested off street drag racing participants and spectators please take a couple of minutes to complete the survey.

This is nothing to do with getting ANDRA racing back at either venue, anyone who wants to discuss ANDRA and Calder I suggest you ring the ANDRA, AMC or Bob Jane and speak to them personaly about it.


Thanks to all the other posters for your positive support.

[RG]

It's all very nice that these upgrades are happening but obviously everything costs. The last round of upgrades the cost was passed straight on to the competitors. Not a good thing as it went from reasonably priced to just silly for the amount of runs you get.

With these upgrades being on such a scale would I be correct in guessing that we are up for another price hike?

[SLY LS1]

Originally Posted by Russell

It's all very nice that these upgrades are happening but obviously everything costs. The last round of upgrades the cost was passed straight on to the competitors. Not a good thing as it went from reasonably priced to just silly for the amount of runs you get.

With these upgrades being on such a scale would I be correct in guessing that we are up for another price hike?

See this has been the problem and one reason I put my hand up to help get information flowing in both directions, I know your only saying what you heard from a bloke or read on the internet so clearly not your fault, but the price rises had nothing to do with any upgrades, they had to do with a rise in insurance costs resulting from 3 comp car accident claims last year and the massive rise in land tax the govenment introduced in the previous couple of years, something places like WSID do not have to deal with as they are govenment owned.

All these issues are being addressed, one of the major concerns of the people who filled in the survey was the pricing so all the pricing will be looked at.

Hopefully with a new information flow we can cut out some of the rumors and crap people post on the forums and instead get the real facts.

[RG]

Originally Posted by SLY LS1

See this has been the problem and one reason I put my hand up to help get information flowing in both directions, I know your only saying what you heard from a bloke or read on the internet so clearly not your fault, but the price rises had nothing to do with any upgrades, they had to do with a rise in insurance costs resulting from 3 comp car accident claims last year and the massive rise in land tax the govenment introduced in the previous couple of years, something places like WSID do not have to deal with as they are govenment owned.

All these issues are being addressed, one of the major concerns of the people who filled in the survey was the pricing so all the pricing will be looked at.

Hopefully with a new information flow we can cut out some of the rumors and crap people post on the forums and instead get the real facts.

Fair enough but they were still resulting from costs and they were still passed straight on to competitors. No matter how it happened it still did happen.

[SLY LS1]

Originally Posted by Russell

Fair enough but they were still resulting from costs and they were still passed straight on to competitors. No matter how it happened it still did happen.

Yep true... hopefully with some of the upcoming changes will help fix the pricing issues.

Better conditions and run on a better day should mean more racers and more bums on seats meaning a better division of costs, hopefully a win for all.

Thanks for you comments Russell

[RG]

Originally Posted by SLY LS1

Yep true... hopefully with some of the upcoming changes will help fix the pricing issues.

Better conditions and run on a better day should mean more racers and more bums on seats meaning a better division of costs, hopefully a win for all.

Thanks for you comments Russell

By what the questions were on the survey and what you have just said here it would seem that you are going from a Friday night event to a Saturday arvo, is this the case?

If so I think this will make the event less appealing to the morons and more of a family orientated friendly scene. A good thing IMO.

[jcxr]

If they can have a relaxed friendly atmosphere similiar to Heathcote all the better. Get rid of the "fully " brigade. Wicked Wednesdays @ WSID seem to be a popular gig.

[SLY LS1]

Originally Posted by Russell

By what the questions were on the survey and what you have just said here it would seem that you are going from a Friday night event to a Saturday arvo, is this the case?

If so I think this will make the event less appealing to the morons and more of a family orientated friendly scene. A good thing IMO.

And maybe even Sundays... we are discussing all options

Another issue that the survey results came up with was the problems of getting to Calder on a Friday night, re time, traffic etc etc then the amount of runs you can get when you do finaly get there and also the temprature during winter.

Hopefully some changes for the better so we can all enjoy a full days racing without having to rush round like idiots on a Friday arvo.

Cheers

[SPK-250]

I just wanna race my car

[GRNKPR]

Originally Posted by SLY LS1

Its all good Chriso, just Craigs attitude the the survey being a joke ****ed me off! Im sick of seeing people winging and whining of the forums about the place, then when someone trys to get some information so we can get some changes that the majority want we get comments like that.

For people who missed it in the original post



This is nothing to do with getting ANDRA racing back at either venue, anyone who wants to discuss ANDRA and Calder I suggest you ring the ANDRA, AMC or Bob Jane and speak to them personaly about it.


Thanks to all the other posters for your positive support.

im in for craig here try running events and having Bob bend you over so may times ,its not funny you may be having a go now but for over 20 years he has been F$$KING us the public ,Spectators and racers alike !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Ask Chris how many times while crewing on cars @ the drags and other types of motorsports Bob has changed prize money conditions and even when little clubs try to have track days he trys to spoil by back dooring the punter !!!!Even our trackdays are out of reach for most of our club members as for the B*LLSHIT prices he wants to charge

Evey time there is a hint of another track going ahead bob pulls a stunt like this to bluff everyone who knows is this another one of his scams !!!!!Only time will tell

Didnt he just get $10,000,000 from the government????????????????
where will that be spent?????

Crusty event was poor and he made a packet

A bit more than a splash of tar is needed to calm people down .I can see you are trying but we keep going down the same road and everyone is sick of it !!!so dont be startled that some get a little uptight as constant kicking in the ballls does take its toll

[SLY LS1]

Originally Posted by GRNKPR

Didnt he just get $10,000,000 from the government????????????????
where will that be spent?????

Crusty event was poor and he made a packet

Seems your a bit more in the know than I am, I didnt know either of those facts!! or were they questions or rumours ?

No ones disputing the fact that things in the past have been done wrong, even Calder have admitted this, all i'm trying to do here is get a better deal & system for the off street drag participants and spectators and some information flowing both ways.

Anyway we will see what comes out of the survey and what changes take affect for the "off street drags" when the strip re opens up in September...

[Laminge]

Originally Posted by SLY LS1

Its all good Chriso, just Craigs attitude the the survey being a joke ****ed me off! Im sick of seeing people winging and whining of the forums about the place, then when someone trys to get some information so we can get some changes that the majority want we get comments like that.

For people who missed it in the original post



This is nothing to do with getting ANDRA racing back at either venue, anyone who wants to discuss ANDRA and Calder I suggest you ring the ANDRA, AMC or Bob Jane and speak to them personaly about it.


Thanks to all the other posters for your positive support.

Eeek

That post has just confirmed to me how rude, childish and pathetic calder park are as a group, to go further - the staff are rude, there is no customer service, the prices are a bloody rip off and there is no attempt to bring the clubs into the fold to build the drag racing industry up - and this was last Friday.

Now I would not normally bother posting such rubbish to counteract rubbish, calder park might get my visit once or twice a year now, but hey why the hell would you want me to attend or bring my 10yo. :

Before you post next, I make another point in this vain attempt of a reply, Craig has done more for the drag racing scene than the average punter on these forums over the last 4 years than any other workshop that has been involved in this site (sorry Chris) your sarcasm and rudeness is only a true reflection of what Calder Park portrays, turn that around and you might have a clue.

I was just a spectator, but facts are facts.

[SLY LS1]

Originally Posted by Laminge

Eeek

That post has just confirmed to me how rude, childish and pathetic calder park are as a group, to go further - the staff are rude, there is no customer service, the prices are a bloody rip off and there is no attempt to bring the clubs into the fold to build the drag racing industry up - and this was last Friday.

Now I would not normally bother posting such rubbish to counteract rubbish, calder park might get my visit once or twice a year now, but hey why the hell would you want me to attend or bring my 10yo. :

Before you post next, I make another point in this vain attempt of a reply, Craig has done more for the drag racing scene than the average punter on these forums over the last 4 years than any other workshop that has been involved in this site (sorry Chris) your sarcasm and rudeness is only a true reflection of what Calder Park portrays, turn that around and you might have a clue.

I was just a spectator, but facts are facts.

What are you on about?

Craig had a crack at the survey being basicly a waste of time and I had a crack back saying I think his attitude is wrong and offering to explain to him what the over 550 results have shown and what i have discussed with Calder and what could happen when the track reopens in September, what more could I offer ?

It's not about you or the forum champ, its posted on all the forums, it's about the average punter and joe average being myself trying to supply information back and forth in the hope that we my get some change for the good.

Makes you wonder why you bother some times.....

[GRNKPR]

you give people and places a couple of chances but with Calder they used theirs a long time ago ,Ask Victor Bray ,Rachelle Splatt only to mention a couple about non paying BOB ,he is a user and a selfish PR$CK he uses others to get what he wants

promises ,promises ,promises,The sooner the place gets dozed the better !!!bury all the bad feelings and lets start fresh without that manipulating pr$ck insight

i dont Know who he has got on his side in Parliment but it has to stop why give money to him and it dosnt go into better Facilites and pricing for the public!!!!!!!!!