Proposal: Excel Test/Practice/Tuition Day in Sydney

[Glenn]

Hi guys,

I just wanted to float an idea regarding a Test/Practice/Tuition Day similar to what's proposed for the Victorian teams through the Rally Drive sponsorship arrangement (which I think is a brilliant thing BTW).....but in the Sydney case it would be more of a DIY operation.

What I'm thinking is a weekday out at Oran Park on the Figure 8 Dirt Circuit. It's fast enough to get into 3rd and there's nothing to hit, so you can explore the limits of your car.

I'm a C3. Crazy Dave is an S3. All we would need is a steward and we'd be away.

You could use it for practice and testing. Also there could be the opportunity to get some tuition if you wanted it. We could arrange someone to come along, or we could just get in and critique each other. :) It would be worthwhile either way I reckon.

I'd want to limit it to Excel Series Competitors...doesn't matter where from, if you're keen and can make it you'd be more than welcome.

Weekdays are much easier and cheaper to book Oran Park, so that's my reasoning there. An alternative could be a forest somewhere...maybe down the south coast or around Hampton. Then we could do it on a weekend.

Cost would be on a cost-share basis...I reckon it would be around $100-$150 for the day (8am to 5pm).

Any comments?

Cheers

Glenn

[Whitey]

Great idea, Yep i'd definitely be in for a weekday, as long as its not too soon (next 4-6 weeks) as i have my car in bits.

[Trevor]

Well I doubt my car will be ready in time, but I would be interested anyway as it would give me a chance to look over other peoples cars, and maybe get some ideas for building my own.

If my car is ready, then I definitely would bring it up.

I can understand the reasoning for a weekday, but can you at least try and make it a Monday or Friday, that way I could make a long weekend out of it :)

Oh and please don't organise it between mid-Aug to mid-Sept as I won't be here.

[Glenn]

Excellent.

I reckon we'd need almost all of the NSW cars there to make it worthwhile...or we could open it up to a limited number of "others" I suppose.

I'm thinking of making it early August (i.e. between Bay Stages and Coffs) though I really don't mind. It could be something we plan to run before the first rally next year as a worst case.

So here's a list....2ish starters so far (though one will be CoC)

x Fazz
x Whitey
Crazy Dave
Mick
Matt and Ben
Andrei
Haggers
Fro
x Trevor?
MrBob?
Tom Lunney?
Blacky?
Dazzler?
Others?

[Glenn]

Monday or Friday is a good idea Trevor.

[ae86trueno]

You so know well be there.

Just not on the Buladelah weekend 4th/5th :naughty:

Ben.

[matt mead]

ill come in my ae82 auto rolla, easy left foot braking :D, the misses will have ago aswell....

thats if u guys dont mind

[Whitey]

Maybe we could make it a sponsors ride day in the arvo:naughty: .
Say testing from 9-2pm BBQ lunch then rides for sponsors & potential punters for a couple of hours.

What is the cost to hire the Figure 8 on a weekday?

Do you need a CoC, if we hire it privately?

[Glenn]

Maybe we could make it a sponsors ride day in the arvo:naughty: .
Say testing from 9-2pm BBQ lunch then rides for sponsors & potential punters for a couple of hours.

What is the cost to hire the Figure 8 on a weekday?

Do you need a CoC, if we hire it privately?

I like the Ride Day idea.

Cost is around $500 for the day. But I'm not sure if that would include insurance if we ran it "privately".

I'm going to have a chat to Robyn at CAMS to see if there's a permit that we can obtain at a reasonable price that would take care of any insurance issues. That would be my preference at this stage.

The simplest option will be for a test day with everyone with an NRL and running in a bona-fide rally car. The complexity increases from there, but I'm sure we can find a good compromise.

[matt mead]

cant u just run it under a khanacross/motorkhana permit, i remeber dave telling me the permit is like 90$...

[Glenn]

Closed to club khanacross is $180 permit fee. But you aren't allowed to carry passengers, or do more than 100m in a straight line and no more than 1.5km length for each run...so it's too restrictive for what we want to do here.

[HMCA]

I'm Inn

Would really like to include sponsors in the afternoon. I doo need some time in the car if I'm to have any chance of keeping with the Fazz at Coffs.

Even if I'm in my own backyard.

Cheers Mick

[matt mead]

check this..

Cams fee structures:
http://www.cams.com.au/content.asp?PageID=About&ObjectID=983

rallysprint??? but thats 45$ a person

[Glenn]

Matt, I will speak to Robyn and work out the best option for us.

[AnnaR]

I'm an A3/Bronze Event Admin official type person if that helps?

Would be happy to take the day off work to come down and help out :) I'm sure Spac would too.

[Crazy Dave]

I would be in at that time of year (away from mid september to mid november) and provide assistance with organising it (Bronze A,S,C,V). With the new rules you can use Club Chief officials for roles as well for club and multi club events (if you now any club chiefs yet or we can get some qualified). I think the day could be run straight of as a practice day accordingly. If you wanted to save cost you could use forest roads on the coast ($20- a car to state forest) but that would add travelling cost and time plus make it less viable as a PR day, but then the roads are more realistic. You could even use a road like old highway (magical twisty road) that is used in Bay Stages. I wonder if there is any chance of getting Mr Taylor or Bates there for a bit of guidance.

[fro]

I would certainly be interested, if it was later in the year (sometime from November onwards).

By then I should have the Excel running... if not, I'll help out.

[Glenn]

Turns out Oran Park Figure 8 Dirt circuit is a little more than expected at $800/day for a weekday (It's $900 for a Saturday and $950 for a Sunday but it's booked out most weekends). The 4WD dirt circuit is cheaper but there's things to hit (it has already claimed Ben's Sprinter....twice!)

Ansell Park is not really representative of a rally stage (it's mostly grass). Penrose/Belanglo/Wingello State forests are a definite no-go zone due to Wingecarribee Shire Council...pity.

Any other suggestions for appropriate venues that are close to Sydney?

I suppose that if we go further away it detracts from the ride day idea and if we head off to the forest then there's things to hit.

Still waiting to get through to the CAMS State office to get the details on the permit costs...

[Crazy Dave]

SKDACs rally (at Nowra now) in october is going to be about $130- to enter and you will be able to double enter a car showing that there is enough time for multiple rides. More like a rallysprint but without the restrictions.
a it shows things can be done cheaply in the bush and
b you may be able to do something with it

[Glenn]

Robyn and Ian are discussing a suitable set of regs and permit structure for it to be run under if we run it at Oran Park. There was a bit of a precedent last year for the Starter's Rally at the Bay Stages where they ran a day for the newbies at Oran Park where Mark was to assist (the actual driving got washed out but at least the event was organised appropriately). So I should have some details within a week or so.

In the meantime, if anyone's got any other suggestions, then let us know.

BTW, I'm currently thinking of a date of Friday 10 August. It's clear of Buladelah and a week prior to Coffs and I think that would allow most people to make it. Comments?

[Whitey]

Bummer, that would proably count me out as i don't think i can swing two Fridays in a row to drive to Coffs on the 17th.

[MrBob]

Extremely interested, but No car yet and 8 days before my wedding:mad:

[Crazy Dave]

Finding a date suitable to the widest range of people is always going to be the hardest thing, and the thing that the success of the event will mostly ride on. Depending on where costs end up (as it sounds a fair inevestment for the track anyway), may it be more feasible to approach Rick Bates or Molly's dad in getting them to run a day, where they provide the area and driving and car set up tuition. Probably are lot to gain from such an enterprise.

sorry but this is not really being helpful in keeping the flow of building this event going, but just a thought I had to say.

[Glenn]

They're good thoughts Dave. Certainly there's no use trying to do something on a day that's hard for people to get to.

Keep the suggestions coming.

In the meantime, I'll keep working to get some basic regs sorted so that we can run these days on a more regular basis in future too.

[MrBob]

I've still got my $500 Rallyschool voucher I won at the Starters Rally!!

I wonder if that would cover an instructor for a group for an afternoon - anyone wanna let me drive their car??:deal:

[Whitey]

Hey Bob (and others),
there is a roughy on BMSC for a bit over a grand.
http://www.bmsc.com.au/forums/buy-sell-rally-cars/12687-twin-cam-excell.html

and a damaged shell here for $350, if you ahve a mat who is a panel beater
http://www.bmsc.com.au/forums/buy-sell-rally-cars/12572-excel-rally-project-sale.html

[MrBob]

I've already seen them. Unfortunately I'm beyone broke at the moment, and time and space are also two huge problems:mad:

Maybe after the wedding, I will hopefully have time and space sorted - just need my new business to start making it's millions and I'll be right!!:naughty:

[Whitey]

So I did some ringing around and basically the Oran Park Figure 8 is $800 for a weekday, a permit from CAMS for a media/promtional day is $660. (Would be less if the day was run by a CAMS affiliated car club, North shore, cough, sporting car club, cough)
We also need a safety plan and a Clerk of Course.

The Oran Park Figure 8 is free on Friday 7, 14 & 21st December at this point.

I suggest we have private practice in the morning and the potential competitor, promotional & sponsors rides after lunch.

Everyone chips in $200, and Race Brakes sponsor the Lunch and some beers when we are done.

How about that for a plan.

[Andrei]

How about that for a plan.

Sounds good, thanks Dave.
Whether or not I will be there, is a different question which can only be answered in 2.5 weeks time :)

[HMCA]

Sounds good, thanks Dave.
Whether or not I will be there, is a different question which can only be answered in 2.5 weeks time :)

Had dinner with John Carney tonight, I recon he will tow you if he has to to the finish!!!

[Whitey]

So I guess everyone is all rallied out for '07. not a huge positive response:(

Well, i think we will hold the practice/ride/promo day idea over until Early Feb 08.

[ae86trueno]

a little rallied out, after 13 rallies, and a couple of sprints and club events thrown in there, I know im a little stuffed :(

But there is still kids race day to go :clap: info out hopefully tonight.

Ben.

[haggers]

I had hoped for a little bit of a dirt squirt before Xmas but looks like Kids Race day will be it. I bow to the inevitable

Haggers