Possible new event - Brindabella Motor Sport Club

Spac · 21-06-2002, 12:29 PM

Possible event.

OK, so no iron-clad promises, but we have been looking at the idea of running a small, painless event sometime late in the year, or early next year. The current working title is “Micro rally” – I guess it will be kinda along the lines of the old mid-week events, but seeing as I wasn’t around for them, I can’t really comment…. In any case, it is designed purely to get people out there and having a go. For the majority of people, the lack of events and lack of money seems to be the biggest issues stopping us getting out there much more often than we do – this is a part solution, as I see it…
I did a rally at Jerawangla (on the coast, kids) in late 2000, and it was the most enjoyable event I’ve ever done, but I am yet to see anything like it again…

The general plan, at this stage, is along the lines of:

1. Super low entry fee.
2. No prizes (see point #1). Maybe trophies though.
3. Somewhere between 50 and 100kms competitive.
4. Centralised servicing.
5. Secret route….

Now, before this idea goes any further, we need to know if anyone would actually be interested in entering such an event, and if so, what issues would actually matter to them.

I want to know:

A) Is location important? I’d love Bluetts, but there are issues with access. Something based Uriarra way, on the other hand… Any favourites? And, most importantly, would the area make the difference between you entering or not?

B) We can see a couple of formats – first is a “typical” rally, where every bit of road gets used once only, the second is to use one ~20km bit of road four times – and reverse the direction every time to minimise people’s ability to learn the roads. Suggestions?

C) Are prizes important? If the consensus was that they were, do people like the idea of making prizes available only to 2WD cars? AWDs would still be welcome to enter, but would be ineligible for prizes.

D) If the road book was emailed out the day before the event (saving printing costs), would anyone be interested in taking up that option? Anyone who couldn’t take that option could buy a book for the cost of printing only. And, YES, the route would be policed the night before for pre-runners…

E) Do the number of competitors in the event worry the competitors? The Dell was over subscribed last year, and probably will be this year, so would competitors have an issue if it was run for (say) 50 cars? I know this changes things for forestry, etc, but I am just trying to find out what the competitors want at this stage.

F) ANYTHING else you wish to add. At this point, I am just trying to find out what people are interested in, not get too caught up with the nuts and bolts of everything – I know there are many bridges to cross and hurdles to leap, but I’m not keen to do so until I know there’s support for an event like this.

The bigger plan would be to set up a number of events like this and then cycle through them. The paper work, road books etc would be freely available to anyone who wanted to run one.

Over to you….

Swill · 21-06-2002, 01:21 PM

Go for it Spacman, Ill enter it/them. But is it to late for the rally calender?? or will it be a BMSC only thing?

beanpole · 21-06-2002, 01:36 PM

I was thinking more about rallysprints, rather than traditional styled events, but I guess either works, I think RS's have a lot more hoops to jump thru?

I like the road book idea as well, internet access isn't the problem but decent printers and ability to bind the book in a useable manner might be?

Keep it short, 30- 50 km, 4-6 stages, daylight, I think you'll be on a winner.

Tall Kev

fro · 21-06-2002, 01:54 PM

Spac, it's tops that you want to run an event. Heaps of people whinge about how there's not enough events, but they don't happen if people don't run them...Gold, you grouse Aussie shearer...

The calendar dates need to be in by the end of the month for next year...give Adrian or Fiona McM a call to secure your date now....

fro · 21-06-2002, 01:56 PM

Oooh, and I'll definitely enter...I'd love to have something with repeated stages, but maybe that's just me. Good for figuring out better lines and where people make time on you...and figuring out different things on the car...

Daniel · 21-06-2002, 01:59 PM

Love the idea - and why not make them part of the ACT series? There are too few events here!!

fro · 21-06-2002, 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Daniel
Love the idea - and why not make them part of the ACT series? There are too few events here!!

Because having it as part of the ACT Series (as the regs stand now) may not gel with what Spac wants to run.

As for the "too few events" statement, see above. I know, I know, you want to run one, but if you want more events, we need more people to run them...

Matt Sosi · 21-06-2002, 02:08 PM

I like the idea as well as it is getting more and more people involved in the sport.

Ideal locations could be the following:

* Bullocks Paddock Road/Sinclairs Circuit with the service area at the Settlement.

* East West Road finishing on Blue Range Road and have the service area at the old hut at Condor Creek.

* Pierces Creek, starting on Tidbinbilla Lane and finishing at five ways (ala ROC 2002) with a service area down at Murrays Corner.

Just my two cents worth.

Matt Sosi

rocky_&_henrietta · 21-06-2002, 02:30 PM

We haven't actually got a car going yet, but when we do (prolly not til end 2003), this sounds like it would be a real winner.

Count us in.....later......

Ciao.

Miss · 21-06-2002, 04:03 PM

Hella good idea, Spacman.

The idea of the Dell and events like it is, AFAIK, to get entries that aren't necessarily the top runners. Now, I'd run a Dell-ish event, knowing that nuthins gonna be dead serious, no one seeded behind (hahaha) me is gonna get the ****s cause I'm slow, etcetc. Oh, and I'm pretty happy with the roads around Canberra, I'm likely to enter myself! Stuff Gefgef! Pinch the Sillycar!

But seriously, something along your lines Spac, something for FUN, none of this pointscore bull****. Get people running cause they wanna have a go, even if it's having a go at organising (no I did not just volunteer). But you know what I mean.

Before anyone has a go at my lack of coherency, it's Friday today.

Mark · 21-06-2002, 04:08 PM

As Spac isn't online, I might wack in my two cents as we both were kicking the whole 'concept' around....

It's probably too small to be part of the ACT Series. Not that it matters, but we were going to try and run it as an LCCC event as they need the funds and we may be able to control it our way a bit more (sorry about the blatant honesty) as in, it is suppose to be a learning experience for all involved.

I was very keen to document the entire process heavily so once we had organised it, next time we could give some one else a folder with the entire rally plan, costs and contacts numbers in it and they could run the rally with a minimum amount of fuss....because we wanted a rally that we would enjoy the most when we did the rally in future.

Whether to Rallysprint or Rally depends on the cost & time involved. Rallysprint fees maybe cheaper(?) but means that marshalls need to be in place for longer etc etc. We're interested in making rallying a Saturday afternoon affair, so you can still do stuff (work in the morning, maybe) and go out afterwards either side of it....

If people can answer Spac's questions directly i.e. "....I would like two see two stages run 2 times, reverse the second time..." then that would be great! We'd love to actually use market research!!!!

I'll leave the rest of the answers upto Spac...

mark

Matt Dyne · 21-06-2002, 04:41 PM

I'm interested to see why running it as an LCCC event lets you "control" it your way a bit more ??

Rules are rules and it doesn't matter which club you are from, you have to meet those basic criteria if it's going to be a proper CAMS event.

What other aspects do you think you can do differently as an LCCC event ?

I'm prepared to offer my assistance where required.

Uriarra is an easy base, there's mobile comms, good central buildings and good facilities. More importantly theres a bunch of people who live there who enjoy looking after rallies.

Who are you by the way ?

MadDog · 21-06-2002, 05:19 PM

Top Idea Spac,

Midweek rallying would deffinately be the go, I just spoke to a guy who rides dirt bikes in competitive rides through ACT Forests and the Brindies, they get the forest closed off, there entry fees are only $60. It makes me wonder why Rally events like the Dell are still up there in price???

Mark · 21-06-2002, 05:24 PM

Matt,

What do you mean, "...who are you???...". You nicked my car keys, remember?

My name is Mark Sessions. Clarified???

"Control" translates to not having to do what other people say. Some people say, "don't contact or go near the bloke who lives along Coppins Crossing unless you have $900 to do...", yet other people run events in Bluetts without such assistance, we think?

Mark

fro · 21-06-2002, 05:24 PM

Because I bet that they don't pay a fee "per car/per kilometre" like we do...and they don't pay as high a permit fee either...

I wouldn't mind hearing aobut how other forest users are charged for their forest usage. As it is, we've got the advertising costs for putting the forest closure in the paper, the rangers hourly fee, the admin fee, the car/kilometre usage fee, and I'm sure that there's more there as well...

Matt/Tortfeaser prolly knows it off the top of their heads...