Some Good News For Sa Motorsport!

[mr_rbman]

(taken from evo oz)

MEDIA RELEASE

4 November 2009

Exciting Motor Sport development opportunity

for the former Mitsubishi test track site

The prospect of additional motor sports and training facilities for road users and all sectors

of the automotive industry looks set to proceed following a decision announced today by the

Coorong District Council and other key parties.

Involving Motorcycling South Australia (MSA) and the Sporting Car Club of South Australia

(SCC of SA) with the support of The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) and

Motorcycling Australia (MA) the plan when fully implemented would see the former

Mitsubishi test site at Tailem Bend transformed into a complex for on and off road motor

sport events for both motorcycles and cars.

Other uses for the complex that covers approximately 1680 acres would include driver

training, and vehicle testing for motorcycles, cars, heavy vehicles, and machinery.

The site is located on the corner of the Dukes and Mallee Highways approx 100 kilometres

from Adelaide and approx 570 kilometres from Melbourne.

Fully developing the facility will require a multi-million dollar investment over several years.

The complex will hold motor sport events including motorcycle and car circuit racing, drag

racing, drifting, super motard, rallying, motocross, and endurance events.

The next step in the process is a full feasibility study of the project to be part funded by

CAMS together with the other parties involved.

Parties involved with the project said today that the Tailem Bend facility would provide an

economic stimulus in the area and would include both long term and short-term

employment.

‘The proposal would supplement existing facilities in South Australia.

Mr. Lyn Punshon a spokesperson for the Sporting Car Club of SA said today:

.

‘There is a great need for more facilities Australia wide and South Australia can take a

position of leadership when the Tailem Bend motorsport facility comes on stream’.

“The Sporting Car Club sees this as a great opportunity to work in with MSA, CAMS, MA

and the Coorong District Council to establish a motorsport and driver training facility that

can be utilized by all motoring and motorcycle clubs in South Australia.”,

MEDIA RELEASE

4 November 2009

Ivan Golding, President of Motorcycling South Australia said:

“This is a most exciting project, which will take us into the future with substantial benefits for

motorsport. We look forward to working closely with the Sporting Car Club of SA and the

Coorong District Council to continue to deliver motorsport not only in South Australia but

also nationally, which will include both motorcycling and car events.

Jo Malloy from Motorcycling South Australia said:

“We have a fantastic opportunity to develop an international standard complete motorsport

facility. This exciting project will provide South Australian motorsport enthusiasts another

facility in which they can enjoy their sport whether it is as a participant or spectator and

whether they enjoy cars or bikes, both on road and off road. It is our intention to cater for all

codes of motorsport. We are very happy to be in a position in which we can work in

conjunction with the Sporting Car Club of South Australia and we are delighted to have the

backing of all the relevant governing bodies both nationally and internationally. The

Coorong District Council along with the Regional Development Board have been very

proactive in their decision to develop the site and we look forward to working with them to

create the motorsport facility”

The CEO of CAMS Mr. Graham Fountain today also welcomed the announcement.

“Access to motor sport facilities is one of the key challenges faced by the sport and the

addition of Tailem Bend to Mallala in South Australia is a tremendous boost for the sport

and community. In addition, this venue will provide a key facility for the conduct of a range

of education and training programs, which will include the full range of CAMS new and

exciting proactive community and youth development programs”, Mr. Fountain said..

Coorong District Council Mayor Roger Strother said:

“There has been quite a lot of public and media interest in the former test track site since

Council acquired it earlier this year. I am very excited at the prospect of having a

Motorsport Facility developed on the former test track site. Such a development will bring

enormous economic benefit to the district and put the Coorong District Council on the map

with national exposure. I am sure the announcement of this exciting opportunity will bring

renewed confidence in the district which has recently been undermined with on going

issues regarding drought and water issues. I look forward to working with the SCCSA and

MSA to ensure their vision for the site becomes a reality.”

Speaking on behalf of the consortium Mr. Punshon said that while the master planning and

feasibility stage would take 18 months to complete; club and, community events as well as

driver/rider training activities at the Tailem Bend site could commence as early as the

beginning of 2010 with sprint, motorkana, burnout and off road events likely to be the first

conducted at the Tailem Bend complex.

An open day will be held at the site in the near future to enable clubs and driver training

organizations to view the current facilities and also have input into the vision for the site.

MEDIA RELEASE

4 November 2009

Background

At a special Council meeting held on Monday 26th October 2009 the Coorong District

Council resolved to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sporting

Car Club of South Australia (SCCSA) and Motorcycling South Australia (MSA) to develop

the former Mitsubishi Test Track site into an International Motor Sport Facility. The MoU will

allow for the commencement of more detailed negotiations and investigations required to

create a final contract on the land and ensure the development proceeds.

The Council commenced an Expression of Interest process in June this year with the aim of

identifying development opportunities for the site. Following a comprehensive assessment

and evaluation process the Council has decided the combined SCCSA and MSA

submission is the best proposal to deliver a major economic development opportunity for

the Council. The Councils main intention when it purchased the site was to facilitate a major

development that would bring economic development to the district.

The SCCSA and MSA intend to design and develop a multi purpose International Standard

Motorsport Facility for both on and off road motorsport events, driver training, vehicle

testing and other motor sport and motor club events for on road and off road events for

bikes and cars (including but not limited to circuit racing, drag racing, drifting, motard,

rallying) and training for bikes, cars, heavy vehicles and machinery.

The Council, SCCSA and MSA are eager to work together to ensure the proposed

development is successful. The Council is pleased to be working with two South Australia

organisations that have both demonstrated a commitment to establishing an international

motorsport facility in South Australia, are highly regarded and reputable with significant

expertise in motor sport and have the support of the Confederation of Australian Motorsport

(CAMS). The SCCSA is the oldest motorsport club in southern hemisphere and has a

membership base of 1800 motoring enthusiasts, it promotes and organises all of SA’s state

level car circuit racing activities. MSA is the governing body for motorcycle sports in SA and

has a membership of 6000 motorcycle sport enthusiasts and over 40 affiliated clubs

throughout the state. MSA is supported by Motorcycling Australia (MA).

The Council would like to acknowledge the tremendous support it has received from the

Murraylands Regional Development Board (MRDB) throughout the EOI process. The

MRDB has been proactive in assisting Council with its aims of promoting economic

development in the area.

[craig R33]

sweet! id consider making the trip for sure!

[D_Stirls]

It's too far away and if it gets built well never get the proper complex from the consortium.

[Dohmar]

It's too far away and if it gets built well never get the proper complex from the consortium.

TB is less than 2 hours away from the CBD

it takes southies that much time to get to lala or even virginia in some cases

i'd definately make the journey for skidpan practicing

would be a good venue for autofest too. inject a bit of money into TB. who knows how big it can get - with the right political support, it could turn into the premier sa motorsport venue...

wishful thinking sure, but this is a step in the right direction and I welcome it as such

-D

[D_Stirls]

So how are the street meets going to work? you have to trailer your car there because if you break anything you'd be up for $500 or more to get it towed home or you will have to go to the city hire a trailer and then do another trip to pick it up.

Also due to the distance it will have little or no effect on the 'hoon' problem because the punks aren't going to travel 130km when they can do it closer to the city.

EDIT!!

And really what is the advantage in the Tailem bend site, the fact that it as some bitumen already laid? this is no advantage as the building of the strip will require that a proper surface is laid down otherwise ANDRA won't certify it like they pulled their certification of AIR. So again what is the advantage in using that site??????

Gillman is a much better site and the fact that the land their isn't suitable to residential housing is the biggest + because it means that there will never be a curfew put on the strip like what occurred at AIR and Speedway park.

Edited November 4, 2009 by D_Stirls

[Dohmar]

So how are the street meets going to work? you have to trailer your car there because if you break anything you'd be up for $500 or more to get it towed home or you will have to go to the city hire a trailer and then do another trip to pick it up.

Also due to the distance it will have little or no effect on the 'hoon' problem because the punks aren't going to travel 130km when they can do it closer to the city.

EDIT!!

And really what is the advantage in the Tailem bend site, the fact that it as some bitumen already laid? this is no advantage as the building of the strip will require that a proper surface is laid down otherwise ANDRA won't certify it like they pulled their certification of AIR. So again what is the advantage in using that site??????

Gillman is a much better site and the fact that the land their isn't suitable to residential housing is the biggest + because it means that there will never be a curfew put on the strip like what occurred at AIR and Speedway park.

I wont argue most of those points because they are true in most regards, however I would argue that Gilman (while I'd LOOOOVE it to happen) is looking more and more unlikely due to lobbying from housing development groups and people concerned about the noise level.

IMHO the tb site isnt remotely competitive to the gilman venue - its another venue in the country to support people that dont live in the city - its not about drawing city folks away, but if they want to make that trip then it adds to the competition and variety and so forth. Also, having a rural site with lots of land makes it a perfect 'festival' setting where people can park their own cars and pitch tents/place caravans in an off section and then have a main event in the middle (a motorsport version of oakbank in other words)

not sure about the whole andra thing re AIR but as far as I know the decision to revoke the AIR status was due to a conflict with bob jane. this wouldnt be the case if it was administered by the TB council and or the sporting car club - provided the site is maintained and brought up to the proper safe standards that ANDRA recommend then I welcome another venue

we shouldnt be knocking this. the more venues, the more the people of SA win.

-D

[mid life crisis]

christ all we need is another dusty shit hole like mallala tailem bend friggen hot in the summer and freeze ya nuts off in the winter .

people wont go there for mid week drags once the novelty has worn off its just too far and makes a long night specially if ya have work the next day .

i agree we need a place too race but i think tailem bend is not that place

[D_Stirls]

I have spoken to the Liberal party about the proposed new motorsprot park and the TB site is 100% an alternative to the Gillman site. That is what they were proposing (although they haven't spoke to the consortium yet), so if the TB site gets built the Gillman site will never get built.

Also Andra pulled their certification because the surface wasn't flat enough and the run off wasn't long enough. They gave their requirements to Bob Jane and he refused to comply so they pulled their certification.

The Gillman site is a 100 year flood plain so there will not be residential housing built there, it'll be an industrial zone at best.

Edited November 4, 2009 by D_Stirls

[craig R33]

id def rather gillman, but something is better than nothing....

and dont do it for teh ''hoons''

do it for enthusiasts that will want to make the effort....

[rhys5169]

this is a joke, i hope for the sake of motorsport in this state that this stupid plan falls through.

d_stirls has made a number of valid points, but to elaborate on the distance issue.

i live the mid coast of the state:

- it takes a hour Max to get to the port

- it takes a little over a Hour (70 minutes) to get to Lala

- it takes a basically a hour to get to AIR

all of these places i have grown up attending and have no issue with the drive, its a nice distance and can cruise home after street meets. but tailem f**king bend is close to 3 hours away, there is a shitload of car enthusiest in the southern suburbs and as far down as victor harbour... the poor blokes at victor would have half a days travel just to get to this dust bowl. 6 hours return trip just to do a few burnouts and 400m's is pathetic....

lets hope the media doesnt start picking up on this and cancel any chance of the gilman project.....

[dark.sky]

Yeah Ive got to admit, I would love for AIR to reopen since I live just over 10 minutes from it, and less than 30 minutes to Mallala lol. But any motorsport venue is a good venue. I'd go there, probably not for street drags though..... Bit too far

But overall

[Madaz]

It's too far away and if it gets built well never get the proper complex from the consortium.

christ all we need is another dusty shit hole like mallala tailem bend friggen hot in the summer and freeze ya nuts off in the winter .

people wont go there for mid week drags once the novelty has worn off its just too far and makes a long night specially if ya have work the next day .

i agree we need a place too race but i think tailem bend is not that place

i agree hardly good news and i wouldnt travel there for anything

[TALBO]

I used to work for Mitsi's and have been to this facility and imo the only thing fun about it is the 4WD offroad track!

[Damo_R34]

yeah im with the majority here.

It would be nice to have the TB site available for some club events, but not nice to see the "new complex" to set up there.

[Iron Chef]

Copy and paste from my comments on NS.com...

Its 'remote' location is the prime reason why the group pushing the Motorplex is still gunning for a venue at the Port.

Oh and the drag track is about 3m too narrow for drags, so would require a full resurface before any ANDRA events could be run.

It's good news for sure, and it WILL happen if the Sporting Car Club has announced it (Lyn Punshon is a champ, and he doesn't muck around), but it's not the silver bullet for motorsport that most people think (and more importantly that the government is hoping everyone will think, to take the wind out of the sails of the Motorplex)...

[SLED]

TB is less than 2 hours away from the CBD

it takes southies that much time to get to lala or even virginia in some cases

-D

this is a joke, i hope for the sake of motorsport in this state that this stupid plan falls through.

d_stirls has made a number of valid points, but to elaborate on the distance issue.

i live the mid coast of the state:

- it takes a hour Max to get to the port

- it takes a little over a Hour (70 minutes) to get to Lala

- it takes a basically a hour to get to AIR

all of these places i have grown up attending and have no issue with the drive, its a nice distance and can cruise home after street meets. but tailem f**king bend is close to 3 hours away, there is a shitload of car enthusiest in the southern suburbs and as far down as victor harbour... the poor blokes at victor would have half a days travel just to get to this dust bowl. 6 hours return trip just to do a few burnouts and 400m's is pathetic....

lets hope the media doesnt start picking up on this and cancel any chance of the gilman project.....

I travel both distances regularly and from Cross Roads, TB is less than an hour away (CBD via Glen Osmond Rd = just over an hour)

Malalla is a similar distance from the CBD but alot further for Southies.

Having said that, they're both dust bowls and I hate them equally.

Gillman makes alot more sense to the motor enthusiast but we're not the ones making the decision and the Rann govt only cares about the noise factor, not Hoons as he has labelled all of us.

[rhys5169]

cross roads isnt south though lol, im talking norlunga/willunga/mclaren vale etc where main south road is our main traffic way. we would have a hour drive into the city, 20 minutes to navigate through the city (anzac underpass, road works, city traffic, speed camera's etc etc) then a hour to get out to TB.

the TB idea just is not feasible for anyone who lives the south side of the city and its going to distract the media and public away from the real solution of motorsport at the port. for the sake of those investing in TB they would really wanna hope that the port complex doesnt get built as the place will just die off again because no one will travel 2 hours to use a decayed dust bowl if there is a brand new modern facility 15 minutes from the city

[D_Stirls]

I can see that it'll get built correctly anyway. Where is the SCCSA going to get the many millions of dollars needed to do the job correctly. If AIR needs 10-15 million to be spent on it to bring it up to scratch then at least taht amount is going to be need to build one correctly from scratch. They will find it dificult to get investment dollars while the consortium is planning to build a site MUCH closer to the city because TB would just die out if that ever got built.

What is more than likely going to happen is the a second rate site will be built (after all this is SA),meaning that we once again won't get top fuelers coming here, then the state government will close the book and say there you go you got what you wanted.

Edited November 4, 2009 by D_Stirls

[D_Stirls]

Just read on NS that the Gillman site has just been sold to Delfin. So if that's true then it's the end of the Gillman Motorplex.

Edited November 5, 2009 by D_Stirls

[TALBO]

That would make sense. Talking to a mate on Tuesday and he says a whole new residential development is going to go ahead in that area.