New Race series in 2010.. and no MA involvement.

[MadKaw]

Exciting New Era Announced For Australian Road Racing
Official Press Release:

New Road Racing Promotions Company Announced For New Era Of Road Racing

Australian motorcycle road racing is about to enter a new phase of opportunity and stability with certainty for racers, sponsors and motorcycle distributors alike with the launch of a newly formed joint venture company apply named ‘Australian Road & Track Rider Promotions Pty Ltd’.

The Company has been formed with the goals of regenerating interest and growth in motorcycle road racing at a cost effective and affordable level. It will provide a high level of stability and certainty for sponsors, distributors, the industry and as previously stated most importantly competitors in these recent uncertain times. This will be achieved because of the combination of partners involved in the new Company.

Geoff Arnold of ARDC and one of the Australian Road & Track Rider Promotions founding partners said; “Benella Auto Club and Australian Racing Drivers Club, two of the largest and oldest motor sport clubs in Australia have been concerned for some time over the decline in participation rates in motor cycle racing. These clubs operate the Winton, Wakefield Park and Eastern Creek race circuits in Victoria and NSW. After a meeting held earlier this year, it was agreed that both clubs should work together wherever possible to encourage all forms of motor sport.”

Arnold added; “To this end, the Clubs sought out possible partners with the right level and fields of expertise to assist in developing new and affordable motorbike racing series, we are pleased that these initial discussions have seen the creation of a new joint venture between Winton Raceway; Wakefield Park Raceway; Eastern Creek Raceway; AVE TV and the Australasian Superbike Championship Company.”

Each of the five partners brings specific skill sets and assets to the new JV Company which will compliment each other in achieving the Companies stated goals for motorcycle road racing.

For the first time a National Road Racing Championship Series will be conducted under approval by a different sanctioning body, AASA. The AASA has successfully sanctioned affordable 4-wheel motorsport events as diverse and successful from club car racing through to the Targa Tasmania. AASA has been operating for over eight year’s and will now add motorcycle road racing to the categories it authorises in 2010.

Because of the close working relationship between the circuits and the sanctioning body Australian Road & Track Rider Promotions has been able to secure a finalised calendar with eight events spread across two main and one Club series for the 2010 racing season, this finalised calendar will allow riders and teams to approach sponsors with the certainty that the series they are intending to compete in will both be run professionally and on the announced dates at the announced venues.

The 2010 Calendar and Series Titles is as follows:

Australian Formula Xtreme Championship Series:

Rnd 1 ...26-28 March Wakefield Park Raceway NSW.
Rnd 2 ...5-6 June Winton Raceway Vic.
Rnd 3 ...2-4 July Eastern Creek Raceway NSW
Rnd 4 ...10-12 September Wakefield Park Raceway NSW
Rnd 5 ... 29-31 October Eastern Creek Raceway NSW (Series Finale)


Australasian FX Superbike Championship Series (Day / Night)

Rnd 1 ...3-4 December Eastern Creek Raceway NSW .........( Saturday Day/Night)
Rnd 2 ...11-12 December Wakefield Park Raceway NSW.....( Saturday / Sunday)
Rnd 3 ...18-19 December Winton Raceway Vic .....................(Saturday Day/Night)

Both series have been carefully formulated to keep the potentially huge costs of racing down as low as possible to a sustainable level for the vast majority of racers; this has been achieved with the tried and proven Formula Xtreme series structures and class rules. With about 80% of the nations existing competitors living within approximately a days drive from all three circuits both series will cater for the majority of racers who now will be able to race at Australian Championship level events without having to take large amounts of time off of work. This format will greatly reduce the high costs of travel and lost work days for competitors without reducing the level of professionalism or stature of the events.

On another and very important and progressive front the new venture company will own, produce and operate a road bike and track bike orientated magazine style TV series (Australian Road & Track Rider). The TV series will bring road and track tests of the latest sports bikes along with race series updates and interviews.

A specialist workshop at Wakefield Park Raceway is being built at present that will have a Dyno, specialist scales plus on board telemetry systems that will measure lap times, position on track, cornering, braking and acceleration forces and tacho read outs, top speeds etc. These and other technologies such as on board camera’s will all come together to produce the most comprehensive and accurate information available for road bike tests in Australia today. The plan is to also have a ‘Hot lap’ comparison from model to model as they are tested.

The track tests that will be seen on the Australian Road & Track Rider TV show will bring a previously unseen in Australia level of technical data including on board telemetry and dyno read outs that will showcase the latest sports bikes strengths

The Australian Road & Track Rider show is also considering partnering with one of the many specialist motorcycle magazines so they to can provide their readers with a level of information unseen before in this country.

With so much information to be released no one press release could do justice to all the important aspects of what will be implemented by Australian Road & Track Rider Promotions for 2010. With that in mind we would ask all interested parties and stakeholders to bear with us as we make a number of further announcements regarding the make up of both series over the next several weeks.

For further information please contact the general manager of Australian Road & Track Rider Promotions Terry O'Neill on 0419 448 452 in business hours.

[Six Addict]

do we really have enough motorcyclists with enough money to compete in another championship?

[MadKaw]

Its not really another ones as this is reworked FX series.
Given whats happening to the ASBK series I think this may be quite popular..

Other than this, theres only the St George series which may be quite limited with Oran not available, and it may be difficult for them to get more days at EC or Wakefield as both of these tracks operators are now involved with the new series...

[Wattie]

sound reasonable...

[Naked Twin]

A five round national series that is only in two states, not sure how much coverage this will get. I agree that the current series is dead as there is virtually no manufacturer support for next year. Which in itself is a complete shame to think that we are competing so well on an international level, motorcycling as a recreational sport has never been so big but somehow egos got in the way and stuffed a racing championship.

I hope the ARDC have improved since I was last involved with them, this is the same organisation that sold off Annagrove park and was left with how much cash?

Nick

[Six Addict]

SO what is mr oneill running next year? didnt he have the FX brand name??

[MickLC]

Sounds pretty interesting, especially given the ASBK problems as you say....but my main concern is this

....the general manager of Australian Road & Track Rider Promotions Terry O'Neill ....

Isn't he the reason the ASBK series has been left in such a huge pile of shit?

[robracer]

Ha started reading it & thought T.ON had to be involved... & I was right....Good luck to them as anything he is involved in generally turns to shit.
mmm 2 meetings at Wakefield good on ya Terry, its still just an exercise to line his pockets.

[Naked Twin]

Good point Mick C, judging by how he responds to criticism on the formula extreme forums I am not so sure you want him as your front man. Diplomacy is not one of his strong points.

The problem will be if they do it half arsed, as in the present situation being in only two states, then that leaves someone else to come in and do a half arsed job as well. Two series doesn't work, ask the NRL. The clubs are still paying for the Super league debacle.

I hope I am wrong as the local lads have always provided some good racing.

Nick

[oldmanmike]

Wonder what will/would happen when/if MA withdraw their track licences / promotor licences in retaliation.

Not that Winton should have a track licence. The piss poor state of the racing surface these days.
Maybe the health department could have a close look at the hygene/food quality as well, but hey that's another can of worms.....

[simidau]

Interesting.. But too far south. We still need more tracks.

[Strika]

Wonder what will/would happen when/if MA withdraw their track licences / promotor licences in retaliation.

Not that Winton should have a track licence. The piss poor state of the racing surface these days.
Maybe the health department could have a close look at the hygene/food quality as well, but hey that's another can of worms.....

That's only to run an MA sanctioned event. Effectively, what this new mob are is the NEW sanctioning body! They don;t need MA. As it is, I doubt MA would be so short sighted as to withdraw the MA licences. It would predicate that the MA sanctioned series, would be worse off in terms of coverage. Imagine and Aus championship which doesn't have a round in NSW!!

In my opinion, I see this as a good thing. It creates competition for MA. They now have someone potentially, taking aware some of their income. So, one of three things will happen. Either MA will become focussed and market/promote better and win the riders patronage, or the newly formed sanctioning body will market better and win the riders patronage. Or, the Australian market can handle two sanctioning bodies and the competition will create better conditions, events, coverage, professionalism and lower costs to riders, with the two companies continually touting for the punters coin!!!!

[robracer]

professionalism and lower costs to riders

Not possible with TON

[matt6]

This sounds eerily like a carbon copy of recent years events with 4 wheeled motorsport, particulalry in Victoria with the AASA starting up in opposition to CAMS. CAMS being the rough equivilant of MA for cars. This has ended up with a pretty ordinary outcome with effectively 2 state championships, the CAMS one still gets 200+ entries per round, with the AASA one getting about 50-70 with combined classes to get grid numbers. It also puts a big strain on volunteer officials trying to cover more events.

Usual motivation is people being utterly frustrated (often rightly so) with the establishment (MA or CAMS) and taking anything that comes up as an option. This can be a case of the grass being greener and a lot of people realising they would have been beter off putting effort in fixing the existing issues than jumping ship. Options are worth loooking at, just make sure they are "apples for apples" with things like insurance coverage.

[the kid]

professionalism and lower costs to riders

Not possible with TON