Could a Goodwood Revival style meeting work in Oz

[Crash Test]

I'm not writing it off just yet, but as far as mainstream (ok, say State) circuit racing goes for next year, it'll be a bit hard in QLD because most things are are in rapidly setting concrete. I think QLD is a bit better organised than elsewhere, but if people get the shirts paying top dollar this year, it could be a real goer in 04.

[PVDA]

Originally posted by RaceTime
Correct - Winton is a 2+4 meeting BUT the Austin Seven Club officials have this - how can I say it - very 'distant' attitude to the bikes. They depart their places and literally hand over the circuit to the bike officials.

Just to correct RACETIME, When the bikes are running the A7CC Recovery, Race Control officials wander in for a coffee and hand over the running of the bikes to their own officials. The Safety Team, Flag Marshalls and Communications Officials remain on post to provide protection to the motorcycle competitors as they always have.

This situation is not unusual, after all the V8Supercar circus takes over when their cars hit the track.

[RaceTime]

However, the V8 circus is an entirely different concept to 2+4 meetings - they are all run under CAMS rules and use the same flaggies, fire marshalls, safety crews etc - bikes have their own as well as having different rules in place.

[PVDA]

Other than the "Race Control" Officials the trackside bike marshalls haven't attended the Winton Historic for several years now and they've commoned up as many of the flag and hand signals they could during the V8/Superbike combined events period which has sadly now passed on to make things easier at the 2+4 events.

[RaceTime]

???? There hasn't been a V8/Superbike meeting now for what? 4 years? So don't follow...

[PVDA]

The last V8/Bike meetings where about 2 or 3 years ago (what year did Lowndes upend the car at Calder as that was the last year they ran).

Anyway I do enjoy the historic events more than the bigger ones (V8's) and would like to see more of them.

[racer69]

1999 was the last year. Oran Park was probably the last meeting that they ran together.

Wasn't there an attempt to get Formula Xtreme onto the touring car supports for 2002 but it fell over due to earlier mentioned mentioed problems.

[PEPSI]

The only chance this country has of a Goodwood style of event is if a rich car nut like Lord March (read Lindsay Fox) wants it to happen. He could run it at his own facility or Albert Park as previously mentioned

[GTRMagic]

We could call it the TESNA syndicate... has about as much chance as that particular debacle did of getting off the ground....

[moffman]

I agree with Vanda & think an event like this would be huge.I think the best place to see a broad mix of cars at full noise at the moment is Targa Tasmania

[William Dale Jr]

What state is the old Warwick Farm circuit currently in (and the first person to say NSW will be given a swift kick in the rear)?

If they were to go the whole hog, and restore a now-unused circuit to what it was in the '60s and run and Revival-style meeting, wouldn't the Farm be an ideal venue?

[GTRMagic]

The Premier State then....

I think the took most of it out, or at least covered it in grass anyways

[Morris 1100]

The Farm is gone! there is very little track left at all just some of the Causeway and Polo corner.

But Parramatta Park is almost untouched!

[GTV27]

Classic Adelaide is probably the biggest gathering of classic cars in Oz at the moment.

Qld's historic racing (inc hillclimbs and sprints) scene is booming - Leyburn, Noosa, Tweed, Gatton, Pittsworth, Lowood (departed it seems), MG Hillclimbs, HRCC races (QR and Morgan Park) and Sprint Series at Morgan Park (2 series of 4 rounds each).

From my experience competing in most of these events, Tweed has the best chance at being an Oz equivalent to Goodwood (smaller scale obviously). The location and community support are outstanding - if they get a hillclimb up the Burringbar range on the old Pac Hwy, it will be awesome. Noosa would be a stronger contender if they re-surfaced the goat track.

Spoiled for choice.

[PVDA]

Originally posted by PEPSI
The only chance this country has of a Goodwood style of event is if a rich car nut like Lord March (read Lindsay Fox) wants it to happen. He could run it at his own facility or Albert Park as previously mentioned

Mr Fox was rumoured to be considering buying the Phillip Island GP circuit which is up for sale.

[MGMetroCup]

I'm lucky enough to live about 30 minutes from Goodwood and I can tell you it is the most incredible weekend of the year. The key to the whole event is its autheniticity. So many of the cars are the original ones that raced there in the 50's and 60's, and if not would have been elidgable to do so. Add to that the fact that they are driven in the way in which their constructors intended them to be. The racing is the closest and hardest you'll see all year, and the names behind the wheels are just incredible.
What really sets it off is the fact that the attention to detail is so minute - try buying anything but Camp Coffee and you'll have a job! All the staff are dressed correctly and the only non-period vehicles inside the grounds are emergency ones.
Goodwood has also not changed its layout since the old days which really completes the authticity of the weekend.
It isn't so much about getting big names in old cars, as getting the right cars into the right setting, and avoiding as many anacronysms as possible.
How about a classic Bathurst meeting in a Goodwood stylee...now that would be worth making the trip for... (just do something with The Chase before hand!)

[roscoe]

Originally posted by PEPSI
The only chance this country has of a Goodwood style of event is if a rich car nut like Lord March (read Lindsay Fox) wants it to happen. He could run it at his own facility or Albert Park as previously mentioned

No one has mentioned "Hume Weir", isn't it still there I know it was recently?!?! As MGMETROCUP says goodwood has been meticulously restored. I am lucky enough to work there as an instructor on a regular basis and the atention to detail is increadible. On revival weekend it is just like a step back in time, anything that isn't "period" is not in view. That is what makes it magic, you can't do that on a circuit that has been modernized, has signage and gravel traps. Sadly that rules out Bathurst and Albert Park. Yes you need a rich car nut to create that, it needs to be an occasion, not just a historic race meeting. Can it be done in Australia??? I think so.

[William Dale Jr]

Another thing that helps Goodwood is its racing history. Goodwood was one of Britain's major circuits in the 50's and 60's along with Silverstone, Brands, and Oulton Park - would events like the Festival or the Revival have worked at a place like Thruxton if it had been closed in the 70's and been renovated in period style? Probably not. That would be the only thing I'd have against Hume Weir and part of the reason why I'd suggested Warwick Farm. However, having recently seen pictures showing the state of The Farm at the moment, I fear that such a restoration would be almost impossible.

[RaceTime]

Nothing is impossible - but realistically, the best place for any event like this would have to be Albert park - at least then any manufacturers of yellow ribbons would show an enormous profit

[Monaro]

They could try Catalina at Katoomba.Track is still complete .Would need cleaning up a bit.The weather is the same as pommy land.Great fun racing with fog rolling in at lunch time.

[MGMetroCup]

Thats largely how Goodwood came about. The circuit was just used for testing until the first revival in 1998. The revival is the only racing that happens there so re-opening a defunct circuit and restoring it to the desired state would be a good option. I guess the car nut with the big wallet is the real sticking point.

[Morris 1100]

So we need an old race track that is just sitting there.

Catalina Park ...... Too many greenies and the council has given it to the Aboriginals.

Parramatta Park ...... If they winge about the trains going past then we have no chance.

Schofields Aerodrome ..... Used for driver training, Noise may be a problem.

Lakeside .... Maybe

Warwick Farm .....Gone

Longford .....Gone

Gnoo Blas ..... They have a historic get together every year with sprints, so this would be a chance but being public roads there would be a lot of safety issues, the track was faster than Bathurst when it was runing.

Any More?

[RaceTime]

Phillip Island (original)
Albert Park
Calder Park

[Morris 1100]

Did you ever hear the story about how Calder came to be? The bloke that built the track bought the land to build a wrecking yard and his mate convinced him to build a track. I still think they made the wrong choice!
Calder has been mucked up with too much for a Goodwood type event.
Albert Park would have been perfect 10 years ago but it has been spoilt now. (the idiots go the wrong way!)
that leaves Philip Island........

[PVDA]

No one has mentioned "Hume Weir", isn't it still there I know it was recently?!?!

Last I heard Hume Weir was pretty badly damaged and dug up to save the weir wall which was shifting enough to scare the authorities into doing something about it.

Anyone up Albury/Wodonga way that can fill us in on what condition the old Hume Weir Circuit is in?