Hi everyone,
I am just getting into racing PB as I can now afford too. My friends have been racing for a while, an gee have I been envious, though I have been there plenty of times to watch them race, and have enjoyed that a great deal. Any motor sport is good to be involved in, either racing, watching, or even in the pits helping.
I see the track at Parklands is in need of resurfacing, though as it is inside the Gold Coast Showgrounds, which I believe is owned and maintained by the Gold Coast City Council, and if you know much about the GCCC, I doubt it will be resurfaced in the near future, or ever.
Though with the amount of people I have seen there the last few weeks, do you think it would be a good idea to try to get as many signatures as possible over a few weeks of racing, and maybe ask steve to confront the council with the proposal of resurfacing the track? Or even someone else, especially if they know someone in the council, cos you all know, it's who ya know and not what ya know.
Please, I know this is a free-to-say what you want forum, but can we try and keep this topic constructive, with no sledging, and maybe we can make something happen?
Thanks and will be racing and having fun with you all again in a couple of weeks when the track reopens,
jj
hopeful, but I would still be happy riding anywhere...
I'm a part of the Benaraby raceway committee(drag racing, i do promotions, sponsorship and website).
The cost of resurfacing our race strip 400mtr/2 lanes is in excess off $400,000 in hot mix and thats just the racing surface, not the deep end and extra 400mtrs. it works out to approx $50,000 per 100mtr single lane.
Im not sure what the contract is for Pocket racer at parklands is but id doubt if GCCC would be obliged to resurface as its leased to a business not a club.but before you start taking up your time taking signatures,find out where they (PR) stand for maintainence of the facility then start the ball rolling. Just consider your options.
i would suggest you look at-
1/ Starting an ofilliated Pocket Bike Club, approach your council(GCCC/brisbane etc) to lease some land for a minimum 10yr term, find a track sponsor for the total duration(10yrs) in exchange for a track surface, ie Boral or Ready Mix may be able/willing to look at sponsorship. If you start a club look into a well written propsal to Jupiters casino as they yearly have grants. Its the same way R/C car clubs etc start out also.
The main problems i find with every club is insurance, (we use ANDRA)the lack of vollunteers for race meets/working bees/fund raising/committee etc, & a sh*t load of whingers that think it better to do things their way and dont raise it with committee and just bring the moral down.
The cost of lighting is another big expense, try $6000 a night for lighting towers, generators etc. We just put in 600mtrs of cable, power poles, over 20,000W's of lighting at a cost of $25,000, and we still have to use generators till we get 3 phase power. it will pay it self off in the long run. If you put your own lighting in you will also need 3 phase power $$$
2/ Find an existing track to part lease the track say 2 weekend a month as a club.
3/ Staying as it is at the moment and use the track that you can race at, (From nth to sth, Rockhampton/yeppon, Bundaberg, Willowbank, archerfield, & Parklands). Not a bad choice really when you look at it. Once the AKA sought at the insurance side it will open up even more. The bonus of using a business is that they do all this for you and you just turn up and race. i hope this doesnt put you off and im not trying to turn you away from doing anything pro active. If you have conserns with any track you use put it to them in writing as its then in their hands if something happens.
If you approach GCCC, have in your proposal-
1/ A detailed list of what you need doing.
2/ A detailed quote for the full restoration of the track surface
3/ A genuine reason/consern for the resurface, you just cant say 'cause it needs it', 'racing would be better'. It would have to something along the lines of 'safety', 'rapid groath of the sport', 'upgrade to racing standards for sustain and developement of junior sport', push the 'junior' side as junior sports get majority of the funding, 'High profile backing/support' ie Wayne Gardiner.
I hope this helps and good luck with the quest, remember the force be with you. :wink:
Jake
Hi,
thanks for the in depth reply, that was one of the best things I have read on this forum, you are very knowledgable in this area, abviously as you have just gone through the procedure of setting up your own track.
It has made me think about a few different avenues, and approaches, even if the cost of this process have far exceeded my expectations. I will have go back to the drawing board and spend alot of time working, or thinking out this properly, as you have mentioned, and I don't have that time for at least a couple of months. I have only got the time at present to do a little racing, and maybe a couple of hours of practise now and then.
Thank you for all the sponsorship ideas, I never thought of an actual sponsor for the surface from the asphalt company it self, and I have heard of grants from the Jupiters group, though I always thought they were for charitys only.
I will look into the jupiter's grants, are they for children's sporting events?
Once again, I would just like to thank you for your very constructive and informative reply, this sport is growing rapidly here in Australia, and if it wasn't for the crazy insurance hikes in the last few years I feel would have grown even more.
From another person who loves all types of motorsport, from pocketbikes to formula 1,
jj
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