Canberra 400 R.I.P.

[Onlooker]

The Canberra 400 was officialy put out of it's misery today in a joint announcement by AVESC and the Government.
The ACT Government and AVESCO today announced that plans to run the Canberra
400 V8 Supercar race for the next two years would not proceed.

In a joint statement, both parties said they had agreed to terminate the
Canberra event due to the unacceptable outcome of a cost benefit analysis
and the continuing burden this placed on the ACT rate payer.

CTEC had successfully negotiated a contract with AVESCO in 1999 for the
rights to stage a round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series from 2000 -
2004 inclusive. AVESCO has agreed to a financial settlement on the remaining
two years of the contract

The decision comes after scrutiny of race results for the past three years
and acceptance that original plans for a V8 Supercar race in the national
capital, in the middle of winter, could not be realised.

ACT Tourism and Sports Minister, Ted Quinlan said he can't understand why
the previous Liberal Government decided to hold an event of this calibre in
the middle of a Canberra winter.

"Severe winter conditions have done little to show Canberra at its best and
images of freezing fans huddling in the grandstands say it all. Extensive TV
coverage and other publicity is negated by images that reinforce a
stereotype that our city is cold and bleak," Mr Quinlan said.

"A prime concern for both AVESCO and CTEC has been the mid-winter timing,
but advice from the National Capital Authority has unequivocally ruled out a
different date for the event.

"Moving the event to a warm time of year was essential to attract visitors,
sell tickets and enjoy a successful event. Retaining the event in winter
posed unacceptable financial risks to the ACT rate payer."

AVESCO Chairman, Tony Cochrane, agreed that a change of date was essential
for the viability of the event.

"AVESCO has publicly supported a change of date to a warmer month where
Canberra could achieve the proven combination of a street circuit race and a
carnival or party atmosphere," he said.

"As a result of this decision we will be reviewing other options to add
another showcase event to the V8 Supercar calendar in 2003.

"The race formats developed for the Canberra event received positive reviews
from fans in general and generated strong television ratings, these may be
used at other rounds of the V8 Supercar Championship Series in the future.

V8 Supercars remain Australia's premier motorsport category with crowds at
all other V8 Supercar event experiencing growth of between 10% - 25%. The
slide in crowd support for the Canberra event can only be attributed to the
timing of the event.

AVESCO and the ACT Government have agreed that should there be an
opportunity to create a carnival atmosphere around a car race at a more
appropriate time of year, then this option would remain available for a
period of 5 years.

[Motor Ace]

well, i wonder what will come of that. i had heard the stories that it was going but i didn't believe it. thanks for clearing it all up! bye bye canberra!

[275GTB-4]

This whole sorry saga has been one long disaster after another. The race itself had the potential to be one of the most memorable and enduring events on the V8 calendar, but no, the forces of the sniveling, whining and carping have won out over the silent majority once a #@%&*^% 'gain!!

The Capital of Australia has about 350,000 residents. A town of this size does not warrant the full "snout in trough" bunch of loser politicians we have been saddled with. A few years ago there was a referendum, costing milions no doubt which returned an 80% against vote for self government. With greedy politicians involved they ignored that and are now trying to expand the assembly!!.

The National (Planning)Capital Authority appears to be the real villians (expletive to strong to use here) in the axing of the event. Evidently, they would not let the promoters move the race to a warmer part of the year!! What sort of dopes insist on having an outdoor event in an area that can experience -10 degree centigrade temps!! (Monte Carlo Rally? sure, great, rally cars can have spiked tyres!!)

I am ashamed to say I live in Canberra. A perfectly nice place being destroyed by small minded people!! And as for you Jacquie Rees, you churlish little squeaky wheel, may you burn in hell for your anti-V8 lobbying!!!!!!!!





I am absolutely beyond outrage with the whole damn fiasco

[petrolheader]

I think it has more to do with the economics of the event rather than the weather which is a bit of a furphy.
street races are delicate affairs that rely on political will to perpetuate.
AVESCO cooked their own goose when they fell out with PROCAR.
A street event is about the total event and quality of supports.
A number of senior pollies were overheard commenting at CANBERRA this year ,about the whereabouts of the Ferraris,lamborghinis and Porsches.
These events need to be a total show.
I like V8 Supercar racing and am a fan,however the majority of people that come to these events are "once a year"attendees and they want value for money.
They get it at the Clipsal 500,GP and INDY.

[DNQ]

Never thought much of the race to be honest.
Stupid track, stupid reverse grid, stupid idea.
Now it's all gone. How sad.

[racer69]

yipee


Lets hope a permanent facilitie is able to be added to the calendar.

As for the race format being adopted at other rounds, i really hope not.

And for how many years have attendances been growing by 10-25%

[mtpanorama]

Originally posted by Onlooker

"The race formats developed for the Canberra event received positive reviews
from fans in general and generated strong television ratings, these may be
used at other rounds of the V8 Supercar Championship Series in the future.

I for one am glad it is gone. The amount of money the gov wasted on the stupid street circuit they could have built a permanent circuit and been done with it. But thats not what King Tony wants. He will find some other suckers to put up there money to stage the event.
It was a stupid format with the reverse grid race, what a waste of time.
Hopefully this might just be the start of something and a few more places might decide to tell the V8 what they can do with their races, but i cant really see it happening.

[D.R.T.]

Yes, I agree, that hopefully now some more people will take a leaf out the Canberra people and WA people books, and telling Tony C where he can go. I like it, I can't wait for another one of his barrages.
The race was different and in 2000 was something new, but what drag the race in 2002, but then most of them have been thus year.
ALso, corwds growing by 15-25%, thats real funny

[petrolheader]

Yeh, I think TONY C is starting to disappear up his own a*se.

[mac]

Originally posted by Onlooker
ACT Tourism and Sports Minister, Ted Quinlan said he can't understand why
the previous Liberal Government decided to hold an event of this calibre in
the middle of a Canberra winter.

"A prime concern for both AVESCO and CTEC has been the mid-winter timing,
but advice from the National Capital Authority has unequivocally ruled out a
different date for the event.

AVESCO Chairman, Tony Cochrane, agreed that a change of date was essential
for the viability of the event.

"AVESCO has publicly supported a change of date to a warmer month where
Canberra could achieve the proven combination of a street circuit race and a
carnival or party atmosphere," he said.

Interesting how Cochrane backs the current minister's criticism of the "previous Liberal government's" decision to hold a race in the middle of winter. Surely Cochrane would have had just as much say, if not more on when the race would be held. If not, what kind of circus is he running?

It's a lot easier to blame someone who is no longer around, rather than accept responsibility for a mistake.

[FatBoy]

I'd love to see a Sydney street race, along the lines of Indy... Knowing the freaks and geeks that tend to live in the city i doubt it would ever happen, but i'd certainly like to see it...

[racer69]

I'd prefer to see the race go to somewhere like Symmons or Wakefield Park, rather than another street race.

This is the first of Cochrane's 'master pieces' to fall apart, be interesting to see his reactions over the next few days, i wonder if this is a sign of things to come with all the things he 'created'.

[D.R.T.]

Originally posted by FatBoy
I'd love to see a Sydney street race, along the lines of Indy... Knowing the freaks and geeks that tend to live in the city i doubt it would ever happen, but i'd certainly like to see it...

Avesco bears enough freaks and geeks with out having to rely on sydney to provide

[petrolheader]

Yep he only has Clipsal Left,but he shares that with PROCAR,who have their 5 categories there.

[Monaro]

We do not need street races.All the money should be used to build race tracks.What sort of track could have been built with the loses from Canberra.At least us club racers can drive on race tracks all year long instead of the elite V8 once a year on street tracks.

[byatenth]

I personally am glad to see it go,

terrible track, Saifey should stick to driving, he has proven he can't design a track. Who's idea was it to build a track that is only one car wide?

[flaggie1]

Always said that canberra was a glorified go-kart track and go riddance if that is the best that skaife can design then i hope he has nothing to do with the new track that Adrenalin Motorsports are building at Deer Park in Melbourne. Canberra was cold, wet, and a miserable place to be in the middle of winter and as far as i'm concerned GOOD RIDDANCE. Is this the start of the rot?

[spook]

Remember last years V8 telecast from Barbegallo - with Barry Sheene suggesting the place (Barbagallo) was a disaster and "the sooner we have a street race in WA the better". Some time later (2002) BS is suddenly right behind Barbagallo - want to know why?. He can't race his motorcycle on a street circuit, and the motorcycle sport cannot be the financial saviors to the permanent circuits abandoned by Tony Cochrane because they don't fit his business model. That's the model where you get a government/council to support/subsidise your unviable business to the tune of several million dollars in return for "economic benefit of visiting race fans". I don't think that TC has thought this through - when all the permanent circuits have gone bust because he prefers the "Signature Events on the streets of "comevisitville"", just where will his teams find their "test tracks"? And where will the next generation of drivers start racing - oh I see - Max Wilson may be a sign of what the future holds - lets use all imported talent and be rid of the local motor sport altogether.

[elephino]

I don't quite see your Barry Sheene link here. Especially as he does very little motorcycle racing and motorcycle racing in Australia brings in very little to the race tracks in general anyway.

Most likely the reason for Barry changing his mind was an improvement to the facilities at Wanneroo.

[Onlooker]

I see your link spook.
as I said else where isn't it funny how WA was the pits due to poor tiolets,traffic and food stands in 2001 but in 2002 with the addition of and extra gate and new pitlane the joint is a real bonza.Channel ten know how to sing the company tune
ACT the same -first year and wow how fantastic, what a great track etc etc etc.Realty the pit area was a disgrace the pitlane was a joke the barriers were on the track not the top of the gutters so it was so narrow that you couldn't get passed a car just to grid up.
Eastern Creek 2001 first time they get a decent crowd at the unpopular track and the joint gets a caning for the lines coming into the place but down the road at Oran Park wher it is always hard to get in and out of the sun is shining brightly with poor at best facilitys if you ignore the new garages.

[spook]

Thanks Onlooker. Ignore the hoopla of the street circuit concepts and you simply have a means where a private company - AVESCO - can run it's business - Entertainment - with great government subsidies - while pouring nothing back into the local motorsport community. When was the last time that AVESCO helped any of the volounteer organisations of officials or supported the local sport without putting it's own show first. They even told Historic Groun N competitors that if they chose to go to the Historics At Qld Raceway this week-end instead of supporting the V8 round at Oran Park - their chance to run at Bathurst later in the year would be at risk. What a lovely example of what they think of the motorsport competitor - and I don't mean the Supercar Teams - they are shareholders in this business - not amateur sports people. AVESCO even shafts the circuits by restricting test days - limiting the number of test days is explained as a cost saving exercise - but what teams pay for circuit hire is a pittance to what they pay for their bottled water. I wonder what would happen if QR left the V8's out in the cold and said -"we are no longer supportive of AVESCO's restrictive trade practices (# test days) and will not hire to V8 Supercars". At last count that would mean about 12 race teams that would have to truck their cars & crews to Sydney for their "test days" - now what would that cost? Don't get me wrong - I'm not out to bash the V8 system - just the way it feeds off our sport and gives nothing back - except if you believe that TC has single handedly raised the profile of motorsport more than the efforts of Mark Webber - I think not.

[275 GTB-4]

I nearly fell off my chair tonight when Annabelle Pegrum from the National Capital Planning mob (the people who refused to allow the race to be moved to a warmer part of the year) was taliking up another attempt at running a race in Canberra. The complete idiot from the Canberra Tourism and Debacles Corp was all flustered and could only yabber about how the races were not really profitable.

I am far from confident that we will ever be treated to a high profile Motorsport event here again!! (I know, Rally of Canberra is a high profile event but something like the V8s is a step up in profile!!)

[Crash Test]

Gees, you did well to find this thread!

Thanks for the update

[Bomn]

Next thing she will want to dig a lake.

[Lowndes Crazy]

I know the Canberra track was but I would love to see the V8's return.