Toddler stays.......The Paperclip goes.....Townsville street race

[retro]

Toddler seems to be staying...

The last Paperclip 300-28 this year or next year....

Townsville to get a street race in place of the Paperclip.

[Falcadore]

Really? If that is so, mayhaps the disgusted about to be abandoned Brisbane fans should stand up and inform of this in the know that Australia's third largest population centre desrves its own race.

A city of nearing million and a half people compared to a city of - how big is Townsville? Is it even 150,000? A tenth of the size?

Can someone explain to me that math?

[Spunky]

Sadly Falc it is not Math it sounds more like politics.

[Raglanparade]

I wouldnt be sad to see the end of Willowbank. Ive never been a fan of the place.

[D.R.T.]

If this does turn out to be true, which I hope it doesnt means all events that the 5 litres compete in QLD will be street races, that dont support infrastructure that help grass roots motorsport. Go Team.

[Mattracer]

APALLING!

I IMPLORE the fans of motorsport, get out to Qld Raceway and make a stand by showing your support for this permanent circuit. Remember, this circuit was apparently designed for this very purpose- to hold a round of the championship and provide great spectating facilities due to the loss of Lakeside Raceway. While it has had its detractors, it has always provided great racing and particularly the 500 and 300k distances, no one could really complain about the races that have unfolded.

Remember too, that this is the designated test circuit for so many of the top teams- SBR, DJR, 888, PMM, and holds drive days for car clubs, state series racing and other motoring activities.

Lakeside, Amaroo, Surfers Paradise, all gone. Oran park looking shaky so it seems, what next?

Qld has a large population as has been stated, so it would seem logical to have a race at a permanent circuit to provide economic spinoffs to the motorsport community through the use of infrastructure. Tell me how a street circuit benefits a young F Vee racer, or a guy with talent and big dreams in club cars? Sure there is infastructure but it is packed up and out of there after the event is concluded.

[pete55]

If it is true my disgust for Cochrane will only get deeper. I have said before he is a leech but i would have to find another word to describe him.

[cavvy]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Really?
Can someone explain to me that math?

100 cents in the $ from the good citizens of Townsville.

[Chubby1]

Originally Posted by pete55

If it is true my disgust for Cochrane will only get deeper. I have said before he is a leech but i would have to find another word to describe him.

It is true he maybe is looking for the most $ but he has made V8 racing almost mainstream. I think we need a race in Nth Queensland what a great event it would be. We have never been there before, all these new fans it must be good for the sport. Having said that I will be making the once a year trip from Sydney to go to the paperclip. It is a great track to see V8 racing. I hope we can keep it and Indy and Townsville, QLD is big enough for 3 V8 races for sure its a massive state.

[Raglanparade]

If QLD gets three rounds... why can't VIC ?

I think sometimes the good people of Winton are forgoten in all this. We sacrificed a grass roots Aussie circuit to go to china. We are going to sacrifice a grass roots circuit to go to Townsville..

Some with Pukekohe, and eventually will happen with Barbagello and probably even Symmonds Plains

When the Symmonds Plains contract is up... tip on a waterfront round in Hobart using the Constitution Dock/Salamanca Place area

[GTRMagic]

Willowbank is not under threat as long as Mr Beattie requires that round to be maintained (after insight gleaned from TC and friends) that makes the Townsville race contingent on continuing the QR circuit.

No worries on that front...

[spook]

Rest assured if this is the last Q300, the QLD based V8 teams will have to find a new test track from NEXT WEEK.

The operators of QR have said on many occasions that the benefits of hosting a V8 Round are marginal at best, and the track business is now so broad and strong in non-V8 areas - who needs the aggravation.

Sorry Mr Stone, Johnson, Dane, Howard, Morris, Larkham, etc, etc - do ALL your testing at Eastern Creek - it's just not worth it for QR any more. And with TEGA cutting test days again next year - test day income is even less to the permanent circuits.

Without a V8 Round run under CAMS, there goes another nail in the CAMS Coffin outside the gates of QR. Come on down AASA. Tear up that 2006 track licence application Mr Nethercote.

Hope TC has upgraded his plans this week-end, the anti-AVESCO sentiment in the crowd will be huge. I can see the banners now - pity we won't see them on the home of motorsport. Bet we don't see TC on the balcony of the AVESCO Suite or on the podium either.

[racer69]

Originally Posted by jasonhill9884

I wouldnt be sad to see the end of Willowbank. Ive never been a fan of the place.

Where will the Queenslanders go then? It would only leave Morgan Park.

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by jasonhill9884

I wouldnt be sad to see the end of Willowbank. Ive never been a fan of the place.

The nature of the circuit is a side issue. This is Australia's third largest population centre being snubbed. V8Supercar has bent over backwards trying to attract the Sydney audience, why should Brisbane be snubbed?

It is politics, to blame the circuit is simplistic and wrong.

[Falcadore]

Originally Posted by spook

Rest assured if this is the last Q300, the QLD based V8 teams will have to find a new test track from NEXT WEEK.

The operators of QR have said on many occasions that the benefits of hosting a V8 Round are marginal at best, and the track business is now so broad and strong in non-V8 areas - who needs the aggravation.

Sorry Mr Stone, Johnson, Dane, Howard, Morris, Larkham, etc, etc - do ALL your testing at Eastern Creek - it's just not worth it for QR any more. And with TEGA cutting test days again next year - test day income is even less to the permanent circuits.

Without a V8 Round run under CAMS, there goes another nail in the CAMS Coffin outside the gates of QR. Come on down AASA. Tear up that 2006 track licence application Mr Nethercote.

Hope TC has upgraded his plans this week-end, the anti-AVESCO sentiment in the crowd will be huge. I can see the banners now - pity we won't see them on the home of motorsport. Bet we don't see TC on the balcony of the AVESCO Suite or on the podium either.

Why would they need a new test track? Testing at Winton has continued despite the fact the Winton no longer holds a V8Supercar round when Phillip Island does.

In fact Mallala is still in use as well for testing. Only two of the present four circuits used for testing have V8 rounds.

[Uncle Cranker]

Originally Posted by Mattracer

APALLING!

I IMPLORE the fans of motorsport, get out to Qld Raceway and make a stand by showing your support for this permanent circuit. Remember, this circuit was apparently designed for this very purpose- to hold a round of the championship and provide great spectating facilities due to the loss of Lakeside Raceway. While it has had its detractors, it has always provided great racing and particularly the 500 and 300k distances, no one could really complain about the races that have unfolded.

Remember too, that this is the designated test circuit for so many of the top teams- SBR, DJR, 888, PMM, and holds drive days for car clubs, state series racing and other motoring activities.

Lakeside, Amaroo, Surfers Paradise, all gone. Oran park looking shaky so it seems, what next?

Qld has a large population as has been stated, so it would seem logical to have a race at a permanent circuit to provide economic spinoffs to the motorsport community through the use of infrastructure. Tell me how a street circuit benefits a young F Vee racer, or a guy with talent and big dreams in club cars? Sure there is infastructure but it is packed up and out of there after the event is concluded.

Is there an echo in here ?????

Wind the clock back 12 months and nobody in Qld gave a sh1t about the most popular round in Victoria getting the Tijuana Brass.

Boo Hoo, gnashing of teeth, wringing of hands, outrage, threats of Boycotts, complaints of lack of support for the grass roots motorsport competitors.

It seems that Queensland is the centre of Queensland, and the rest of Australia doesn't matter.


Is there an echo in here?

[Falcadore]

Losing Winton was akin to losing Surfers Paradise. Losing the round held away from the population centre.

Losing QR is akin to losing the Sandown round, Melbourne's event rather than Victoria's event.

[Silent Number]

avesco have not given it the flick, the people who runs it has pulled the pin on avesco

[Joe5619]

You have to test in your home state... So the QLD teams ARE focred to test at the paper clip (no other QLD tracks around)... Regardless of weather a round is held there or not!!

[Uncle Cranker]

Originally Posted by Falcadore

Losing Winton was akin to losing Surfers Paradise. Losing the round held away from the population centre.

Losing QR is akin to losing the Sandown round, Melbourne's event rather than Victoria's event.

Falc, in theory you are very much correct in you analogy, but in real terms you are a little wide of the mark.



Winton, since its return to the V8 calendar in the late 90’s has had crowds approaching & then far exceeding the 30,000 mark, despite AVE$$CO always scheduling the race in the depths of a south eastern Australian winter, unlike the sunny warm day "beautiful" Queensland experiences. And REAL crowds too as the BAC are not scared of over or under quoting.



The facility at Winton has evolved an enormous amount, on the back of the monies made by hosting successful big events, all of which benefit racers from club to National, cars, bikes & karts.



The Paperclip too hosts all-comers, but is in effect ‘New’, and clearly is run for profit by its owners.



Sandown on the other hand is by tradition, wet, as Melbourne is in spring, and has always struggled to get a crowd anywhere near that of Winton, despite being less than 40 minutes from a population base of close to 2 million people, in the fastest growing urban development in Victoria.

AFL finals & rain have always been the prime enemies of the Sandown race.

Sandown is a limited resource in terms of Car Racing, with the Melbourne Racing Club [Horses] holding a view that the long term future of the cars is limited, because of their Risk Management issues. It is also limited to 6 or 7 events a year, with heavy noise constraints placed on it by the council.





But if 10,000 + people chose to drive 2 - 3 hours to a cold wet Winton round, it must have had something going for it.

The other 20 or so thousand spectators were drawn from an area that reaches north to Canberra, west to past Ballarat & south to most of Melbourne.





It is no secret that the CAMS AVE$$CO alliance are not the flavour of the month at both the Paperclip, and at Winton, but to let politics cloud the judgement as much as it does simply astounds me.



Here was I thinking that money made the world go round.





What a simplistic view I must have.......

[mayhem]

Not true Joe, teams have an option to travel to a track that holds a round if their testing track is pulled. And if I read someone's post right on Page 1 of this thread, QR mightn't be so keen to have V8 testing there, if that's the case, the track may be dropping some revenue, but it would severely hurt the SE Queensland teams, having to travel to NSW to test.

[MHDT]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Willowbank is not under threat as long as Mr Beattie requires that round to be maintained (after insight gleaned from TC and friends) that makes the Townsville race contingent on continuing the QR circuit.

No worries on that front...

I hold little hope of a solution from a state labour government that not only cannot operate essential services such as law, health, and policing; but continually wash their hands of the mismanagement they are responsible for causing.

[hemi71]

hopefully the Kilcoy circuit happens and we dont have to go to the clip anymore. As far as facilities go at q.r they arent as good as morgan park,the bumps in the track are a joke not much money has been spent there since it opened

[Raglanparade]

Could the V8 Teams test at Morgan Park ? is it suitable ?

[Falcadore]

Not really. The track is a little on the small side, and the facilities are a fair bit inferior to QR, while developing at a much greater speed to be fair. At present I doubt that pitlane at Morgan Park could handle more than three V8 teams at once.

The nature of the track I think they might only get into fourth gear once down the chute.