9 week break, any story will make news

[Matt]

Originally Posted by Razor

I for one am against a summer season series. High ambient temps + high cabin temps + hot, heavy race suits and fire protection clothing = Disaster. Remeber Steve Owen a few years ago collapsing from heat stroke at Clipsal?

The NASCAR Cup drivers deal with it.

[inpitlane]

Australia seems to be about the only country in the world to not understand that motor racing is a summer sport.
If they ran a few more races in decent weather they might stand a better chance of getting some sort of crowd.
BTW how many people were at Eastern Creek yesterday. It looked almost as small as the PI GT round.

[anthony81901]

Australia is also about the only country that does not have a winter where there is a high chance of inclement weather forcing events to be cancelled. After the Symmons Plains round was held in freezing conditions last year, V8SA was a bit smarter this year moving it to November. The only 2 winter events this year were in Darwin and Townsville both in 25-30 degree temperatures.

Having been to Eastern Creek a few years ago in December, I believe that motorsport is better off being conducted in the cooler months.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by inpitlane

Australia seems to be about the only country in the world to not understand that motor racing is a summer sport..

It depends on how your seasons work, though. It's only a summer sport if you get the right summer. Frankly I'd take your winters over our summers most of the time...

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by Woolley

It depends on how your seasons work, though. It's only a summer sport if you get the right summer. Frankly I'd take your winters over our summers most of the time...

Exactly. I well remember race meetings in December where the temperature was in the forties (Centigrade), tarmac going soft, hot dry, dusty winds - so really tough but we were outside. The standard allowance for in cabin temperatures in a V8 is add 25 or so to ambient so they would have had to deal with 60 plus degrees C in all the gear and still drive the car.

Hard to consider that to be anything other than foolish. I know that we can also get summer days when it's only in the 30s but it is the fear of extreme heat that is generally the thing that stops summer racing for the series.

[Woolley]

Originally Posted by Tourer

I know that we can also get summer days when it's only in the 30s

Proves my point. We sometimes get summer days that are nearly 30s. I've done one day in early summer this year where it was so cold we were putting on extra layers!

[bortall]

With a 9 week break why aren't we seeing news of driver appearances & factory open days to keep the media & public interested????

[XR8Chic]

Originally Posted by bortall

With a 9 week break why aren't we seeing news of driver appearances & factory open days to keep the media & public interested????

There is a thing at FPR next wednesday. V8Xtra will be there.

[Silver GT]

I see Skaife considered taking a year off.....thats big news






not!!!!

[PVDA]

Originally Posted by anthony81901

Having been to Eastern Creek a few years ago in December, I believe that motorsport is better off being conducted in the cooler months.

I was at a motorcycle event at EC in December several years ago and it was damn hot.

They also ran a round of the Aussie Superbikes at Hidden Valley in early April this year which is at the tail end of the wet season, now that was hot.

[1200Datto27]

Another issue to consider with running events over the summer period is how fire restrictions come into force, and how they will affect motorsport events.

[inpitlane]

Phillip Island ran for years right throughout the Summer as did the Lakeland Hillclimb, when Channel O used to telecast them many years ago.
While it's true that it can and does get very hot in Summer it's no different to most of the USA, Mexico, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal etc. Anyone would think that only Australia had hot Summers. The temperature at the recent Grand-Am round in New Jersey was in the high 30s.
Moving some of the State series and the Nationals to a Spring, Summer-Autumn calendar would make it easier to attract crowds, get away from the dominating Winter footy codes and possibly be more attractive to overseas drivers.
They do race in New Zealand in the Summer as well and at least in the North Island it can get pretty warm there in Summer as well.

[Tourer]

Originally Posted by inpitlane

Phillip Island ran for years right throughout the Summer as did the Lakeland Hillclimb, when Channel O used to telecast them many years ago.
While it's true that it can and does get very hot in Summer it's no different to most of the USA, Mexico, France, Italy, Greece, Spain, Portugal etc. Anyone would think that only Australia had hot Summers. The temperature at the recent Grand-Am round in New Jersey was in the high 30s.
Moving some of the State series and the Nationals to a Spring, Summer-Autumn calendar would make it easier to attract crowds, get away from the dominating Winter footy codes and possibly be more attractive to overseas drivers.
They do race in New Zealand in the Summer as well and at least in the North Island it can get pretty warm there in Summer as well.

It might be no different down there in Victoria to the places that you mentions but by & large, Oz summer tends to be pretty harsh in comparison. WRC cars have significant heat issues for their crews at some of the places that you mention & I think that they now run AC to deal with it - was a significant issue for the FIA medical people for a while.

From personal experience I have done heaps of racing & testing in all the places that you mention and it is only occasionally that the climate really gets up to Oz summer levels. I was in Darwin in April (like PVDA) and have NEVER encountered that level of heat related stress anywhere else that I've been.

NZ pretty much have to run through their summer (generally milder then here) as their weather is too cold, wet & unpredictable in the winter.

[PVDA]

Tourer I was there to do Fire/Rescue for the Aussie Racers and unlike most people up there had to wear a single layer fire suit all day for 3 days, although the ute ran all day with the AC in flat out the humidity was the real killer during some of the oil clean ups and other jobs we got to do.

It never went below 27 degrees overnight but the humidity hovered around 98-99% all day & night.

I was at Avalon Speedway on Black Saturday last year for an event.

I arrived at 2pm as usual to find the gate being locked behind me as they heard the temp over the freeway at the airport had hit 47

There was no way they could've kept the water into the track with that level of heat and hot wind so they wisely pulled the pin.

I walked around the track perimeter checking a few items and it nearly killed me. I left and drove home at around 3:30pm listening to the reports on 3AW of all the fires starting around the state.

After having to visit many of the affected areas in the days/weeks after the fires for work purposes I tip my hat to the emergency services who worked on that day and in the weeks following.

[PVDA]

For those looking for a motorsport fix in Melbourne this weekend why not wander out to Sandown for the Victorian State Race Series, entry is cheap (compared to the V8's) and all the crews are only too happy to talk to you. Just remember the back straight is closed as is most of the grandstand so you're restricted to the Pit area but you can still see plenty of on track action.

[samoaair707]

I know it sux no v8s for 9 weeks but still plenty of entertainment to come in SE Qld.
Heading off to Moragn Park at Warwick for the Historic Race Car Nationals this weekend with MarcusWTF.
Should be good with heaps of Group N,Group A and Group C cars entered.
Fortnight after that Historic Lakeside is on.
Weekend after that nostalgia drags at Willowbank.
Then weekend after that the Powercruise is on at QR.
What v8supercars??????????????????????
Haha
Hanging out for the enduros though