And yet we have lost another event !
Submitted by kaney68 on Tue, 2010-02-09 07:59
First we lost Rally Australia as the state government happily offered our number 1 iconic sporting event to anyone who wanted it on a golden platter....
Now we have lost the Perth leg of V8 Supercars series !
Bring on another round of the World Flying Disc Championships or maybe World Series Chess.
You've got to love this place, it's people and our government - well maybe not the last option !
kempy
Posts: 810
Date Joined: 28/05/09
stupid government just dont
stupid government just dont no where to spent the money
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Colin Hay
Posts: 10407
Date Joined: 23/10/07
At least we have the Bell Tower
Maybe we can have world bell ringing championship.
Moderator. Proud member of the Fishwrecked "Old Farts". Make sure your subscribed to Fishwrecked Reeltime http://fishwrecked-reeltime.com/
mako magic
Posts: 5785
Date Joined: 03/08/05
the ferris wheel
the ferris wheel championships.
Whats next, this state is sooooooooooooooooooooooo far behind the times its not funny, what an event to miss out on, and the government wonders why no one wants to support them.
Ripped off again by a lousy p!ssweek government
scotto
Posts: 2470
Date Joined: 21/04/08
short sighted state government.
jesarz, they give me the shits.
we as a state, are holding up the rest of the country with our resources, yet we get the minmal amount of funding for anything.
look at the danny green vs roy jones jnr fight - he (green) wanted to have the fight here in perth, and approached the state government for a small amount of funding (about $200k). they declined. Sydney snapped it up, and turned over more than 5 million in tourism dollars.
This is pretty small in the big scheme of things, however it is still the principal of it all. If you build it, they WILL come. look at the way they were only going to increase seating at subi oval by 20 odd thousand!! the opportunity to hold some bigger international events will go down the drain unless it seats 80 thousand. whats an extra few million to increase it further at the time of construction? Then, they shelve the whole thing anyway!! ridiculous!!
the government had the chance to support a stage of the v8s, with a street race throught the streets of perth a couple of years back, but they knocked that on the head. anyone that has been to indi car, or the f1's will see how much tourism $'s that stuff brings in.
why the f**k are we letting this happen people? stand up and let your local polly know that they have screwed up.
Pete D
Posts: 1681
Date Joined: 07/06/07
NO balls!
Pollies are only concerned about todays vote!
It does not matter who is in government.
There are NO pollies (or parties) with the balls to make long term investments for the good of the community now and into the future anymore
.
Here is another little example - I live within 5km of Perth CBD, but can not get Broadband! 3rd world alright!
Anyway, back to earning taxes for useless projects.
Cheers
Pete
Tigh82
Posts: 225
Date Joined: 04/05/06
Tourism
Your right with a lot of the stuff you are saying Scotto and totally agree that the government is missing a lot of oppurtunities in tourism dollars. There is a good following for v8's all around this country and the v8 council aproached the governemnt to put money into the v8's here but they didn't want to play ball. As for the street race, that was going to cost far to much money to hold in the city......yes it brings people in but townsvilles street race doubled the budget and it went over 40 million all up for that event. F1 loses a lot of money every year because there isn't a massive following here in Aus and was the same with the world rally championships.....still no excuse to get rid of it.
Like i said Scotto, i agree with what your saying and the money just needs to be used wisely to give this state the best chance on holding quality events and getting bang for our buck!
Lets hope one day we will get waht we deserve here!
Tigh
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
the bottom line is V8 champ
the bottom line is V8 champ organizers are far to powerful, as there is no competition to them. That was the back-breaker with WASCC, even with the $5m from the government, the changes needed was going to run into the $20m range. A lot of East Coast teams would rather fly to Dubai or China, than cross the Nullabor for a WA race...
To top it all, Barbagello is not a world class track and not near the safety and standard for 250km+ racing in big cars and super fast bikes. A deadly back straight to the pits has already claimed on bikers life due to no run off etc.
I have had cars and bikes on that track and it's good for club races and Formula Fords etc, but for quick V8's Porsche Cup GT2's or touring cars, it has it limitations.
The pits are from the 1960's and need to be able today to handle big 18wheeler rigs that bring these cars and teams, plus the "open pit" situation is absolutely cr@p when the wind is blowing sand and rain into your motor or gearbox when trying to work there.
Instead of us wasting money on a full circuit that may not get the full usage of top-end race-sports events, we should rather have a state and Perth leadership able to promote a good street race.
Hell around the foreshore area, past the Bell tower and back up around etc would be fun!
Then again if WA is as rich as they make out with all this minerals and wealth boom going on again, we could do a new circuit with private funds if they could control the green-freaks and environmental NIMBY's from stone walling it with a 5 year study / EIS etc.
Hey even just a good average track with hotels and real facilities would be a nice start. and at least three access roads, some good catering etc... never mind a bit of shade and quality toilets...
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
kaney68
Posts: 401
Date Joined: 29/07/08
several years ago
Several years ago (about 10) there was a push for Perth to set up a facility to cater for a Le Mans type series for South East Asia, based near the airport.
I presume this facility would have been part of what is now the AHG/RAC (or whatever it is now called) driver training track.
That was back in Dicky Courts time... There was an election, change of government and all of a sudden - wham.... the deal was scrapped !
I for one, would love to see Barbagallo's relocated to near the airport.
They have the land, easy access from all points, airport facilities, close proximity to the city.
Just build up on what is already there and they will have a winner...
The facility could/would still be utilised in conjunction with major/club sporting events.
But then I'm not a politician or wealthy businessman.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
100% with you, the old track
100% with you,
the old track is just to far out of the way for easy access from hotels, public transport, shops etc....
Even when I raced in South Africa, most of the tracks in each province ( state) had enclosed pit areas and quality seating areas etc...
We in WA seem to have got stuck again in a time warp and the fact that some of the people with influence in the WA motor sport just resist change all the time, keeps us sliding back and back and back.
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
A similar set up was going
A similar set up was going to be built down in Bunbury, funds were secured as well as events, but the whole thing was stopped by a donkey orchid growing where the faculty was to go. :(
http://www.pimm.org/
Cheers
Dale
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
Seaquest
Posts: 1131
Date Joined: 22/10/09
Not good news. Will be hard
Not good news.
Will be hard to win it back now with more and more international interest.
Alan James
Posts: 2223
Date Joined: 30/06/09
On a positive side tho
On 7 News tonight the alleys in the CBD may get a facelift and attract tourists, business etc like has proven successful in Melbourne. But then again what's the point, they won't be allowed to open outside of "Perth normal trading hours". Doh!!!
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
Did'nt i read
somewhere that the v8's are nearly finished due to fords not wanting to race [and loose] to the mighty Holdens.
Seaquest
Posts: 1131
Date Joined: 22/10/09
Holden might win a few races
Holden might win a few races this year now that triple 8 racing has changed from ford to holden.
Tony I have to disagree with allowing other cars into the series. They tried that before and it failed. Leave it as a Aussie V8 race.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
um why??? as far as I know
um why???
as far as I know they would have their ASS's kid to hell and gone and back again by modern multi-valved, overhead cam V8's from Europe and Japan!!!
It's the most boring series I have ever seen, second only in boredom to F1 on who' going to win.... all the cars are basically the same, it's more one make drivers champ than a true car makers series. Nissan have just launched a GTR with two wheel drive and a V8 in it for the German series and that would be an awesome car to see race here, same goes for the M5 BMW and V8 Lexus, Same rules as for Holden and Ford, but allowing in other world wide production V8's and V6's even.
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
Seaquest
Posts: 1131
Date Joined: 22/10/09
Yes a lot of international
Yes a lot of international cars would leave the Aussie V8s for dead but Im positive V8 fans would hate to see GTRs winning every race. Its been tried before with the ford sierras and nissan GT-Rs. These cars dominated in the early 90s and the series struggled to survive.
Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
Is there an actually ruling
Is there an actually ruling in the Aussie V8 circuit that doesnt allow other brands, or is it more to do with the specs of the other vehicles not matching the parameters of the race?
That would be interesting. Get every brand of car in the world, tell them to present their best race car, put them on a race track, and see who wins(obviously in different classes v6, v8 etc)
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
think the wording of the
think the wording of the local content stops others using motors not made here!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V8_Supercars
(Buz this link answers it all)
Kind of a two horse race and if you want to join you need to cut your horses legs shorter and poke out one eye to be even with them. Hell those V8 are still push rod motors with buggger all technology in them anymore. You can buy a 600~800hp motor off the shelf from the USA, even my Mercuiser pushes out 415hp standard in marine form,
oh well back to box-carts and tricycles we go in WA!
pps,
here is the spec for the Nissan GTR (GT500 series & FIA racecar GB Series):
Super GT
Nismo GT-R for 2008 season of Super GT
Nismo, the motorsport arm of Nissan, will be entering the Nissan GT-R in the Super GT race series in the GT500 class for the 2008 season, replacing the Nissan 350Z.[68]
Unlike the production car, the GT500 version has a completely different drivetrain. The race car has a 4.5 litre naturally-aspirated V8 with 6 speed sequential manual gearbox and a RWD layout from its predecessor, the 350Z race car.[69]
A prototype was spotted testing around the Suzuka Circuit as well as Fuji Speedway in Japan.[70][71] The car itself went on to win the opening race of the 2008 Super GT season at Suzuka scoring a one-two finish for Nissan.[72] The dominant performances in the opening race has led to all GT-Rs being applied a 50 kg weight penalty in addition to the race weight penalty under the Special Adjustment of Performance under the Super GT regulations.[73] In race two, the GT-R repeated their 1-2 result in Suzuka despite the race winning car of team Nismo carrying a 100 kg weight penalty making it only the 3rd team in JGTC/Super GT history to do so. The last time this feat was achieved was 10 years ago by Nismo Skyline GT-R racing under the same number 23.[74] Despite the weight handicap, it did in fact become the champion in this 2008 season through the Xanavi Nismo GT-R driven by Satoshi Motoyama and Benoit Treluyer, as well as winning 7 out of 9 races driven by 4 different teams using GT-Rs.
On 27 February 2009, Nismo announced a partnership with British racing team Gigawave Motorsports to enter a GT-R in four races in the 2009 FIA GT Championship season. The entry will not be competing for championship points, but will be used by Nismo to refine the performance of the GT-R for future customer teams to use the car in the planned FIA GT1 World Championship in 2010. Nismo driver Michael Krumm and Gigawave driver Darren Turner will co-drive the GT1 GT-R.[75]
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
Buz
Posts: 1555
Date Joined: 28/08/07
Thanks for that Tony. Seems
Thanks for that Tony. Seems a shame that they have made the class for racing in the V8's so exclusive. Seems like an aussie made cars boys club. I only ever went to the V8's once up at Hidden Valley in Darwin. Didnt find the big Fords and Holdens racing all that interesting. Though i found the Porsches pretty cool.
Oh well guess we'll just have to see what they bring into WA to replace all the sporting event we are losing.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
there is more to motorsport
there is more to motorsport than V8 racing in a two brand series!!!
I'd love to see GTRs and Big Lexus V8's, BMW M5's and Mercs bashing doors with the Fords & Holdens to see how they would shape up in a real world competition!
As for the $5m promised by the state, it would cover the resurfing of the pits and lanes and not much change left for the major upgrades.
Barbagello needs more like a total rebuild in the region of $20m and then some private extra investment in hotel / lodge facilities and private catering facilities etc. Never mind more access roads to the venue, to stop the 2 hr bottle neck when trying to get in!
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
kaney68
Posts: 401
Date Joined: 29/07/08
Was talking
Was talking to someone last night who mentioned a track and facilities based at Dowerin is rumoured to be in the pipeline !
Apparently, the surrounding shires/districts (I believe 5 or 6) are all prepared to fund the construction.
Might be interesting to see how this progresses..
The good - At least we will get a top class track and facilities for modern motor racing.
The bad - even bloody further to go !
The I also heard one of the reasons the 2010 race was dropped, was due to AVESCO wanting to shift the race to earlier in the year.
Financially, this was too hard to achieve running 2 events in 6 months..
Same as the Red Bull Air Race having basically skipped a a year.
But rest assured.... The 8's will be back in WA in 2011 !!
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
honestly I don't see V8's
honestly I don't see V8's and top racing coming back to WA for a long time till we have facilities to match the east coast.
Loads of top bike racers are peed-off with the dust and dirt in the pit area when they race here.
do your self a favor and google pics of local and regional race tracks around USA, South Africa, Europe and even Japan, to see what club guys expect! let alone National events.
http://blogs.timeslive.co.za/wheeldeal/files/2009/05/bmw-vs-subaru-track-day.jpg
http://www.carsinaction.net/userfiles/image/newsletters/lb_2358opc.jpg
http://resources.motogp.com/files/images/xy/2003/MotoGP/n360876_107452_Grid+MotoGP+Welkom-1280x960-jan9.jpg._original.original.jpg
motor GP grid at Welkom, 400km south of Johanesburg and a little mining town! yet they got a first world track and the motoGP !
We could have SBK or motoGP or even F1 events if we had a first world facility. Toruing cars or Porche Cup international, never mind endurance racing where you need pits able to allow full motor rebuilds and lights at nigh!
oh and the population of south africa is 48 million with less than half a million interested in motor sport! Football / Soccer has 95% of the population support, yet there are a number of top facilities there for car / bike racing.
Same goes for our East coast Aussieland, but here in WA, well we still the richest state with the poorest infrastructure in everything!
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
Rod P
Posts: 725
Date Joined: 20/05/08
Who needs the V8's. next Sat
Who needs the V8's. next Sat the first night series kicks of and the mighty HQ's will be back racing again. Can't wait. Heaps of new drivers, short track and at night should be heaps of carnage.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
oh god help us!!! is Trent
oh god help us!!! is Trent back to his bad old ways and fender bending again???lol. maybe you need to put a pink teddy bear in his back window to get him to drive faster...lol
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
Lastchance
Posts: 1273
Date Joined: 02/02/09
Craziness
At least the Drag strip is world class. Shame about the rest though. There is so much interest in motorsport in WA most would expect the best of the best to be built here - Ahh well, WA does stand for Wait Awhile!
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
Tony i dont think
to many are interested in car racing in that shity country SA. So no point in telling us how good the place is.
Tony Halliday
Posts: 2500
Date Joined: 14/06/07
thats the point! that sh!ty
thats the point! that sh!ty country has better racing track facilities than wealthy WA?? WTF...
why do we have to pay high taxes, see billions in royalties taken from mining etc and get stuff all back in the form of first class tracks and facilities!
Besides the dragstrip, not much else here is world classed!! our horse racing facilities need a huge upgrade, no decent soccer or rugby stadium and lets not even start on Subie oval! This state has away of blowing billions of dollars of revenue collected and having very little to show for it. A rail system that has no parking at it's stations and stations that are too short for longer trains...buss';
s falling to pieces ( take the bus every day to the station and back!!! I see the cr@p they send out our way)
Why do we as WA residents and taxpayers always have to look like the orphans of Austria, when we the richest state!!!???
JMO
Tony Halliday: ~Meals on Reels ~
It takes a strong fish to swim against the current. Even a dead one can float with it
"It is always in season for old men to learn." Aeschylus (525-456 BC)
"In a mad world only the mad are sane." Akira Kurosawa (1910-1998)
out wide
Posts: 1535
Date Joined: 30/12/08
True Tony
but we have the biggest per head of population public service in oz and i believe ripper [ALP] had to spend 5 billion dollars to get it. Stuff hospitals and those niosy race tracks and the likes. Jobs for the true believers comes first.