bathurst 24 hr race

[greg burke]

With all this yahoo about the 24 hr race at bathurst no one has thought about the officials.
at the nornal bathurst it takes almost 600 officials ? this one will take almost double that amount posibly more not to take into account the meetings in vic and the final of the power tour at OIran Park on the same weekend.
At the same time most officials are volenteers and work at there own expense. this is not a 24hr race for them dut at least 5 days practise as well.
Who is going to pay their wages that they lose so the promoters can
make money
Greg Burke
President MSOA

[Crash Test]

Welcome aboard Greg!

There seemed to be a problem with your original poll, so I added some choices.

I think most of what has been said seems to be the concern for most officials.... sadly, me thinks it would be better to have the race in 2003, but who am I to say what is right and wrong?

[Flaggie]

I for one will be extremely narky if they subsidise OS officials over locals.

To be honest, I cant see it happening. there just wont be the people.

[Buckshot]

I voted for the apes but we'd need to really monitor them as we don't want them eventually becoming our masters.

Just picture Charlton Heston 1,200 years into the future bashing his hands into the sand underneath an ancient Dunlop bridge screaming "You maniacs...."

[Flaggie]

Heheh Bucky...

Have you seen some of the Fireys? I swear they're apes... hehehe

(Just kiddin, firey type blokes....)

[D.R.T.]

I agree, that planning the race for 2003 seemed a much easier job, theres an awful ot in to do before November. Is Palmer a genius, only time will tell.

[gmontrack]

It will be interesting to see if it gets the OK. RP does this so often, in putting the cart before the horse, you make it so hard for the "powers that be" to say NO. Good business or just playing dirty, it seems to work for him every time. The 12hr was great, 24hrs will be fan-bl**** -tastic.

[Mr Squiggle]

I think Mr. Palmer has bitten off a bitmore than he can chew.
First we have the problem of a local motorsport infrastructure that probably couldn't put on a 24hr. race if it tried. Not enough manpower and only 6or so months to go.
Second we have the problem of teams trying to raise the dough to do this. I know of one team which wants to field at least one ferrari and are budgeting the race at $125,000!!! There's a $30,000 tyre bill to start with. D'Arcy Russel's boys reckon more like $220,000 for the viper as it will be r***ed by the end of it and will have to be rebuilt.
Thirdly, can you imagine a Ferrari 360 Modena, with a well to do but esentially club level driver coming across a Class C GTP car down conrod at 3am.
Scary stuff........

[flaggie1]

Check out the marshals forum on this. I had a birdie tell me on the weekend that a race secretary has been appointed and a permit is a formality(subsequently issued i'm lead to believe). So the race will happen and IMG has been appointed as the promoter, organiser etc. They will be sending info to officials that worked at INDY, CANBERRA AND BATHURST last year to try and get some support. Rossp isn't going to pull off a miracle but his got someone on board who will.

[Flaggie]

And as soon as I see International Money Grabbers are involved that settles it for me. I'm staying in Victoria. IMG couldn't organise a chook raffle in a pub.

[Mr Squiggle]

Then there's the little problem of getting a pack of bunnies to actually race for 24 hrs.

[flaggie1]

Well flaggie IMG probably couldn't organize a chook raffle in a pub. We all know your views on bathurst, i most likely won't be going either. My I/s meet this year will be Indy. But b 4 you start calling me a hypocrit it is more so for curiosity then anything else. Also i have friends up there and will be catching up with them as well.

Back to Bathurst, IMG are in danger of not getting the officials they need because it is to late in the year. Personally i think they'll train the apes.

[twig]

i guess there would have to be training for the locals, but well, they could just have more people and pay them, i mean, how much money does Cochrane need really!?

[flaggie1]

Cochrane won't have nothing to do with this event. It will all be Procar and Rossp with the help of the International Money Grabbers.

[sevi]

I was talking to the secretary the other day, I made a comment regarding "if" it happens, he was wondering what the hell I was talking about. Obviously wrong thing to say to him. One thing that has suprised me though is that I had my application forms for Canberra, Bathurst and Indy all before the season had even started. Here we are 7 months away from this race and still no anything.
I know myself after Adelaide, Canberra, Bathurst 1 and Indy I can not afford to go back there. but I tell you if I find out that overseas officials have been subsidised to go and us locals miss out I will be one very unhappy sevi.