North vs South bucket extravaganza

[madmartin]

Hi guys

We have the option to run on the kart track in Blenheim again
Several people have raised the idea of a group coming down from the North Island and a group up from chch to race on what many reckon is the best bucket track around
Of course the Nelson guys are keen and we are starting to get some enthusiasm from the Blenheim locals
The last meeting we had there was on one of the kart clubs fun days and was easy going with plenty of racing
Options for the next one are 2nd of August or 4th of October

Who's keen!

[Askor]

I'm keen (depending on University load at the time), and I have a spare space in the trailer if anyone can't get a ride up there from Chch

[madmartin]

OK, so Paul has started a thread here on F4 Racing forum

http://www.fxr150.co.nz/forum/showthread.php?1035-North-vs-South-bucket-extravaganza

But we'll keep both updated as we sort out dates etc.

[speedpro]

If at all possible I'd be keen. Of all the kart tracks I like this one the best. Will rev up Dave & Gary as well

[koba]

Both dates are clear of a clash with Kaitoke...
When is greymouth and the BOB?

[madmartin]

Greymouth street race is always Labour weekend

[koba]

I've extended the question to the NZ Moto 4 Racing page on arsebook.

[madmartin]

nice work there

[koba]

Greymouth street race is always Labour weekend

BOB was the week before from memory, not quite lose enough to link them all in one trip.
Still Blenheim isn't hard from Wellington.

[Henk]

I could be keen depending on work and financial situation by then, being unemployed sucks.

[madmartin]

Worth noting that as this is a Kart track all bikes will require FULL nylon to pass scrutineering. Your bike must not cause any damage to the track in the event that you fall off trying to go as slow as me.

[Henk]

Looks like a cool track.

[Kickaha]

Looks like a cool track.

It is

Long time since we've been there, Jay Lawrance was skinny back then, they've always been ok with us going back there but after long tracks down here not to many guys were that keen last time we looked at it

[TALLIS]

It is

Long time since we've been there, Jay Lawrance was skinny back then, they've always been ok with us going back there but after long tracks down here not to many guys were that keen last time we looked at it

Yeah, S I boys might as well not turn up as the northies will clean up :bleh: any how, keen as for this!!!

[speedpro]

It will be a long track for us

[chrisc]

Looks fun!

310940

[Kickaha]

It will be a long track for us

930 m,it is a cool track but I'm getting tired just thinking about it

[John_H]

Looks fun!

310940

Looks awesome! What are the average times to get a bike round there?

[Kickaha]

Looks awesome!
Some small elevation changes as well, you climb uphill at the hairpin on the right end of the photo along a straight and then down again, track runs anti clockwise although I think we ran it both ways last ime

[Henk]

No date clash with Auckland, both dates look to be a week before Mt Welly.
I'd suggest fly drive communal efforts from this end, worked out last time we went to Kaitoke.

[Buddha#81]

Ride ya bikes on the ferry with one van with ya gear and I'm sure us souf guys can get the bike the 30min to Blenheim from Picton. I think we camped there last time....... Was my second ever bucket meet so was 15 odd years back.

[Kickaha]

Was my second ever bucket meet so was 15 odd years back.

Yeah I think you and DC were still on the MBs, still remember following him when he rode the GN reverse circuit and he changed gear the wrong way and nearly highsided

[Bert]

Well - looks interesting.. When is BOB?

Hillbillie road trip could be in order...

[speedpro]

Ride ya bikes on the ferry with one van with ya gear and I'm sure us souf guys can get the bike the 30min to Blenheim from Picton. I think we camped there last time....... Was my second ever bucket meet so was 15 odd years back.

Camped in Blenheim, got cabins. We did it once with one van with all the bikes and bodies walked on the ferry and were collected on the other side. Seem to remember getting reasonably drunk at Mr & Mrs Marty Wood's. Or that might have been the last Woodbourne GP, there was quite a bit of "getting drunk" going on at that.

[Buddha#81]

Yeah I think you and DC were still on the MBs, still remember following him when he rode the GN reverse circuit and he changed gear the wrong way and nearly highsided

They were the perfect bikes for the two up race!

[F5 Dave]

Tis my fav kart track. Sadly im too broken to come as I've been waiting for this to come up again. Make the effort as it's worth the experience. If I'm back together I would consider coming to spectate/ wave a flag.

Elevation changes are cool down the hill banked corner.

[mr bucketracer]

Yeah, S I boys might as well not turn up as the northies will clean up :bleh: any how, keen as for this!!!game on , you going play gun shot for me ? or just kick me ass

[TALLIS]

game on , you going play gun shot for me ? or just kick me ass

Almost a 1 km per lap, it'll be a endurance race with any more than 5 laps! May have to come in for a drink :baby:

[nsrpaul]

Looks awesome! What are the average times to get a bike round there?

The track is epic, around 50sec a lap ish
Back at the last big meet there I think Adrian main set the fastest lap with a 46 (I think)

[mr bucketracer]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmHTrpmXmL8

[Bert]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmHTrpmXmL8

A little bit of an interesting completion to the race....
A bit keen...:shit:

[TALLIS]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmHTrpmXmL8

that really dose look awesome!

[seymour14]

A little bit of an interesting completion to the race....
A bit keen...:shit:

Ouchy!!!:facepalm:

[nsrpaul]

A lesson in what not to do round the sweeper
Cool track tho eh!?

[koba]

So, is the 4th of October going to be the date we all try and converge on Blenheim?

[seymour14]

So, is the 4th of October going to be the date we all try and converge on Blenheim?

Lets all just turn up there on the 4th anyway.

North Island win assured...;)

[koba]

Lets all just turn up there on the 4th anyway.

North Island win assured...;)

Welly rather than Palmy too.
:headbang:

[seymour14]

Welly rather than Palmy too.
:headbang:

You guys are considered the south as well....:shifty:

[Henk]

You guys are considered the south as well....:shifty:

You're all a bunch of damn southerners as far as I'm concerned.

[F5 Dave]

Sheesh. It's the Ohakea GP North vs South races all over again where we had to be in team South to make up the numbers.

[ajturbo]

i'm friggin busy in Oct.
August would be better for me..
it's all about me..!!!!:bash:

[seymour14]

i'm friggin busy in Oct.
August would be better for me..
it's all about me..!!!!:bash:

August or October is alright by GPR, (well, the ones I have spoken to that were still coherent at the time...), so we just need you Southies to come up with a definitive time, and we will make a date of it.

Sooner the better, but no pressure implied. :soon:

[Henk]

I'm not 100% that I'll be able to make it but October would probably be better if only weather wise, long way to go to ride around in the rain.

[ajturbo]

I'm not 100% that I'll be able to make it but October would probably be better if only weather wise, long way to go to ride around in the rain.

Pff... it only rains of the west coat and Auckland...

[nsrpaul]

Quick catch up with the Blenheim boys today, piggy backing on their fun day on the 4th of October still sounds like the go
Get it in the calendar!!

[mr bucketracer]

nice if they let us have a play on saturday as its a long way to go

[TALLIS]

Any decisions been made on dates? As long as not during October now.... I'm baby sitting that month

[seymour14]

Silence is deafening, this still happening, otherwise I will be putting my money into the Auckland property market...:rolleyes:

[Henk]

Silence is deafening, this still happening, otherwise I will be putting my money into the Auckland property market...:rolleyes:

Have I got a deal for you, I'll go take some photos at low tide.

[TALLIS]

Silence is deafening, this still happening, otherwise I will be putting my money into the Auckland property market...:rolleyes:

Maybe all contact with the south has been lost..... Dave Bain may have relocated to blenheim

[mr bucketracer]

Maybe all contact with the south has been lost..... Dave Bain may have relocated to blenheimthere all dead!! or just backing out as they know henk is going to deal to them all;)

[TALLIS]

We will have to plan our own road trip round at this rate... who knows where we'll end up.... coming to a track near you!

[seymour14]

We will have to plan our own road trip round at this rate... who knows where we'll end up.... coming to a track near you!

I think we should do the Wanganui Cemetery circuit.

How's October for everyone?

[kel]

How's October for everyone?
Isn't that when they are having the BOB. Speaking of which, does anyone have a confirmed date, is it the weekend before Greymouth street race? someone start a BOB thread will you.

[seymour14]

Isn't that when they are having the BOB. Speaking of which, does anyone have a confirmed date, is it the weekend before Greymouth street race? someone start a BOB thread will you.

Scotty tells me he thinks the BOB is on the 18th of October (a Sunday), not 100% sure, but it would be great if a Blenheim Round happened to fall on the Saturday (17th), hint hint, wink wink, say no more...

[timg]

Scotty tells me he thinks the BOB is on the 18th of October (a Sunday), not 100% sure, but it would be great if a Blenheim Round happened to fall on the Saturday (17th), hint hint, wink wink, say no more... Close but no cigar :no: BOB is on the 17 October :wings: Greymouth street races are the following weekend :Punk:Cheers

[seymour14]

Close but no cigar :no: BOB is on the 17 October :wings: Greymouth street races are the following weekend :Punk:Cheers

Looks like I will win the BOB on the 18th then, you can all ride for the minor trophies on that other event on the 17th...:shifty::bleh:

Blenheim must be on the 18th then I take it...Sweet, works in better, we will be coming back up the country by then.:first:

[ajturbo]

Day licences? once again Luke wants to do this, but he will need a day licence.

Also, anyone have a spare bike? that they do not want to race in this race? he will look after it.
last time he only did 2 laps.. so your engine will still be good....

if not, looks like first father/son team win..:banana: (luke will probably lap everyone 5 times.. then when i get on it.. everyone will lap me 4 times = WIN..:headbang:

[nsrpaul]

Hi guys, sorry for the lack of updates
I was watching the Facebook pages and fxr150 forum more than here
The plan is still on for the 4th of October, the guts is the Blenheim kart club are having a fun day on the 4th
Kart turnouts have been very low and they are expecting and excited to be overrun with buckets

[seymour14]

Hi guys, sorry for the lack of updates
I was watching the Facebook pages and fxr150 forum more than here
The plan is still on for the 4th of October, the guts is the Blenheim kart club are having a fun day on the 4th
Kart turnouts have been very low and they are expecting and excited to be overrun with buckets

Cheers Paul, keep us informed, some of our lot will very likely come down, but we will need to do boat bookings early in September at the latest.

October 4th till we hear anything new.:2thumbsup

[ajturbo]

dam.. In welly that weekend....:facepalm:

[TALLIS]

Ok, just afew details before we start booking the boat. Can we stay at the track? possibly Friday night also. Are they willing to open the track for practice on Saturday? and do they accept NZD down there?

[mr bucketracer]

and who is going from the north island ? and team gpr , i dont want to be piggy in the the f'n middle .

[madmartin]

Ok, just afew details before we start booking the boat. Can we stay at the track? possibly Friday night also. Are they willing to open the track for practice on Saturday? and do they accept NZD down there?

I wouldn't count on staying at the track, I doubt they're set up, or keen for that. Paul was trying to get hold of them to answer your questions but to my knowledge he's had no answers yet.

There's camp grounds in Blenheim and they will be cheap as, might be the best bet if you are trying to do it on a budget. As pretty much all of us are from Nelson we're unable to help out with accommodation unless you fancy another two hour drive out of your way.

As for practice, I'm not sure that'll happen as I think there is a two day Kart meet on that weekend. But you're not exactly at a disadvantage, most of us have only done two meets there.

[TALLIS]

we have worked out the accommodation and ferry crossing today, but still would be nice to have the track available for partof Saturday, were not worried about practice, more so getting our moneys worth for the trip... please do your best :love:

[Tard]

2nd that on the hopes of practice on Saturday...
Which ferry options did you look at Nick? Looks like below times would give us enough time to arrive and have a bit of practice on Sat arvo.
Interislander:
Sat 3rd, depart 09:00, arrives 12:30, 4 adults, vehicle & trailer = $458
Sun 4th, depart 18:45 = $458

Bluebridge:
Sat 3rd, depart 08:30, arrives 11:30, 4 adults, vehicle & trailer = $452-$516
Sun 4th, depart 19:00 = $452-$516.

Above prices don't include any discounts or 'promo' codes.

[Bert]

If you guys look at the MNZ or VMCC website s: there is a company that does offer discount for Motorsport. (Can't find the links - currently on the worlds slowest internet speed).

[Kickaha]

If you guys look at the MNZ or VMCC website s: there is a company that does offer discount for Motorsport. (Can't find the links - currently on the worlds slowest internet speed).

http://www.mnz.co.nz/member-benefits/interislander---tony-hirst

We used him last year for Wangas, about $100 cheaper than normal for van, trailer and three adults

[F5 Dave]

Yeah he seems like a good guy too. Don't have to pay till the terminal either. Wish I was coming.

[Kickaha]

Yeah he seems like a good guy too. Don't have to pay till the terminal either. .

Just remined me though, we got to Picton to get on the boat, Lady at the terminal sez you're booked the wrong way around, you are Welly to Picton today, lucky there was space to change them

[nsrpaul]

Hi guys

We can't do much for practice on Saturday, there is a classic cart meeting on
We could investigate options in nelson and are talking with the club about practice fees for non members there at the mo, noise is super strict in nelson and we all run standard fxr pipes (moved underneath) any form of race pipes would likely be to loud

[kel]

Ok, just afew details before we start booking the boat. Can we stay at the track?
NO


possibly Friday night also.
NO


Are they willing to open the track for practice on Saturday?
NO


and do they accept NZD down there?
NO, come on no one carries cash anymore.

And don't forget to put your standard FXR pipes on :confused:


Lot of no's in that list. BOB is in October (just saying)

[Bert]

NO,NO,NO,NO, come on no one carries cash anymore.

And don't forget to put your standard FXR pipes on :confused:

Lot of no's in that list. BOB is in October (just saying)

It really seems that way...

The call went out and we and others have responded, to the point of getting crossing sorted.
Seems a whole lot of effort has gone in so far without any real communication of requirements and expectations... Until now. And it's almost NO don't come.

There are currently 6-8 people from our group that are or were keen to come down.
Is there anything else that we should know about?
Threaded tyres???? Superman suits???

Side note PMCC are running two of their summer series rounds at Taupo 2.
Buckets welcome in the development class...
North Island series is just around the corner....
KOK starts shortly and BOB. And not forgetting AMCC.
Maybe road trip money better spend elsewhere.

[kel]

Side note PMCC are running two of their summer series rounds at Taupo 2.
Buckets welcome in the development class.

now you're talking :banana:

[nsrpaul]

Apologies if it wasn't clear, standard pipes and the strict noise restrictions are for nelson not for Blenheim
If we were to try and organise an option for the sat it would have to be in nelson so was attempting to gauge if the bikes coming would meet the criteria
As long as the bikes rant obnoxiously loud we expect no issues in Blenheim as they are less strict and don't have the resident pressure
Blenheim is an epic track and rated by many as the best in nz, the club there is pretty flexible but we are in the early stages of the relationship so unfortunately don't have the option to set dates etc and as such work around their plans

[madmartin]

It really seems that way...

The call went out and we and others have responded, to the point of getting crossing sorted.
Seems a whole lot of effort has gone in so far without any real communication of requirements and expectations... Until now. And it's almost NO don't come.

There are currently 6-8 people from our group that are or were keen to come down.
Is there anything else that we should know about?
Threaded tyres???? Superman suits???

Side note PMCC are running two of their summer series rounds at Taupo 2.
Buckets welcome in the development class...
North Island series is just around the corner....
KOK starts shortly and BOB. And not forgetting AMCC.
Maybe road trip money better spend elsewhere.

Dude nobody ever said don't come, Paul and myself are busy people, the Blenheim track is 2 hours away from where we live also.

Perhaps it was a little ambitious to organise this before we're really established down here with buckets, but it is a cool track and the idea of getting some extra guys down for a turn seemed like a good one.

Apologies if you don't feel welcome, but it's certainly not the case.

[madmartin]

good point though, it's a sheitload of money for one day's racing:crazy:

[speedpro]

Awesome track though. You are very unlikely to regret going even if only for one day. Should check out having a few beers at the Air Force base Sat night. Actually probably not a good idea if the last time was anything to go by.

[TALLIS]

we will be at Nelson on Saturday ready to go, what time do the gates open? what is the db limit? as scottys go a db meter.

[Bert]

Apologies if it wasn't clear, standard pipes and the strict noise restrictions are for nelson not for Blenheim
If we were to try and organise an option for the sat it would have to be in nelson so was attempting to gauge if the bikes coming would meet the criteria
As long as the bikes rant obnoxiously loud we expect no issues in Blenheim as they are less strict and don't have the resident pressure
Blenheim is an epic track and rated by many as the best in nz, the club there is pretty flexible but we are in the early stages of the relationship so unfortunately don't have the option to set dates etc and as such work around their plans


Dude nobody ever said don't come, Paul and myself are busy people, the Blenheim track is 2 hours away from where we live also.

Perhaps it was a little ambitious to organise this before we're really established down here with buckets, but it is a cool track and the idea of getting some extra guys down for a turn seemed like a good one.

Apologies if you don't feel welcome, but it's certainly not the case.

Gentlemen, we do appreciate the efforts (and recognise everyone is busy) - and apologies for the tone: purely out of frustration trying to plan and get the ball rolling (to reduce costs).

It's not like we can pack up the vans and drive there (the pond in the middle causes a few issues).

We are keen to support any new emerging bucket scene and/or track (as we hope one day soon people will support us here). But we just need to understand the situation a little better.


we will be at Nelson on Saturday ready to go, what time do the gates open? what is the db limit? as scottys go a db meter.

Yip - Scott's got mine, but not sure if it still works after being in his shed...
I could talk to VMCC and get their one if needed. Dale on Mon were thinking about a road trip away for the weekend to come laugh at us!!!

[madmartin]

pretty sure the limit at Nelson is 90dB but need to confirm that, like Paul said we're pretty much all running standard FXR pipes because of this. The have some whiney bitch neighbors....

Presently bucket time on track is 3-5 Saturday and you've gotta share that with the carts, but it's also members only. We need to negotiate this to a longer time frame to make it worth your while. This is also an example of how much more easy going the Kart club in Blenheim is, some of Nelson crowd aren't exactly bucket friendly....

We will do our best to make the Nelson track available to you to have a practice, watch this space

[nsrpaul]

Houston we have a problem

The original plan was the Blenheim club were having a "fun day" on the Sunday and a vintage kart day on the sat
Neither of these were permitted kartsport meets and they were happy for us to join in as we have previously
At the kartsport conference they had a rule change with the vintage karts meaning they are now permitted meets, as part of that they now have the track sat and sun!
This means we are out on that day, and even the local karters won't be running
To say we are disappointed is an understatement as we have had this organised for a long time but unfortunately there seems to be little we can do
For now the meeting is cancelled, hopefully postponed
Apologies to all, we are gutted

[TALLIS]

this is an absolute fucken joke, this has cost me and others hundreds in motels and travel... Wtf

[nsrpaul]

It was absolute news to us that there may have been an issue last night and we got straight onto finding out the details
We are also gutted and until last night all the comunication had been very different and all systems go
We are hugely disappointed but unfortunately not faced with a lot of options that we can see that would be helpful

[seymour14]

Houston we have a problem

The original plan was the Blenheim club were having a "fun day" on the Sunday and a vintage kart day on the sat
Neither of these were permitted kartsport meets and they were happy for us to join in as we have previously
At the kartsport conference they had a rule change with the vintage karts meaning they are now permitted meets, as part of that they now have the track sat and sun!
This means we are out on that day, and even the local karters won't be running
To say we are disappointed is an understatement as we have had this organised for a long time but unfortunately there seems to be little we can do
For now the meeting is cancelled, hopefully postponed
Apologies to all, we are gutted

That's a real kicker, know you guys did your best. :weep:

[nsrpaul]

Thanks, hard to not to feel like we have been let down here

[Grumph]

Thanks, hard to not to feel like we have been let down here

I feel for you - but you can now join the masses who over the years have been fucked over by Kartsport NZ.....

[Tard]

Is there any chance the Vintage Kart guys will consider running a joint meeting, if the permit allowed?

It can't be a Kartsport NZ issue?
At Kaitoke in Wellington, our standard monthly meetings are run with Kartsport Wellington - we basically do everything practical to comply with Kartsport regulations.
The meetings are not run under MNZ - though we do run to '95'% of MNZ F4 and F5 rules too.

It's all extra income for the Kartsport guys and it's not like they'd normally be on the track 100% of the time - unless this is some huge Vintage meeting?

Just asking...


If the Vintage Kart people aren't/ won't consider this...I believe that comes down to the individuals involved (Kart people not bike people).
The more 'savvy' kart people usually welcome the extra revenue - and in many cases the variety and 'spectacle' that bucket racing adds to meetings.

PS. Not having a go at you either Paul, appreciate you're doing your best as Seymour says...

[madmartin]

When all this came to light it was something we considered, track time is going to be significantly reduced compared to what we were expecting though.

I think Paul has asked the question of the Blenheim crowd.

To those that had paid for travel already i am truly sorry, this has turned into one big shit flavored sandwich.

[TALLIS]

ok, so from the Blenheim kartsport website it states there is a 3 day vintage kart meet that fri, sat, sun. The most vintage karts i have ever seen run at an event in the north island is around 30. Im assuming you guys have asked if it is possible for one class of bikes to run on one day of the three days?? considering at kaitoke we have 5 classes of karts and two classes of bikes and everyone has plenty of track time. so is it a definite no, or the questions haven't been asked?

[madmartin]

my understanding is the question has been asked and he's waiting on a response from the Blenheim people

[nsrpaul]

Hi guys

The questions were asked and it was a no, they are expecting 100 karts
God only knows if that is realistic however
We will be seeing the guys from the Blenheim club face to face next weekend at which point I intend to have a quality conversation
There didn't seem to be much to gain by climbing into them over the phone and I thought it best to have some to think on a response as the disappointment was and is large, also taking into account we have had this lined up for a long time
I am still hopeful of some kind of outcome and will keep everyone updated
We were however very aware of people making travel plans and did not and do not want to inconvenience anyone if possible when things started to change unexpectedly

Blenheim is an epic venue for buckets so we are still committed to getting more racing underway there

[madmartin]

I still think there's value in asking if we can have a bucket only meet there during the week after... Especially if you North Island guys are continuing onto the BOB in Christchurch. All depends on the travel arrangements you had made obviously.

[TALLIS]

Hi guys

The questions were asked and it was a no, they are expecting 100 karts
God only knows if that is realistic however
We will be seeing the guys from the Blenheim club face to face next weekend at which point I intend to have a quality conversation
There didn't seem to be much to gain by climbing into them over the phone and I thought it best to have some to think on a response as the disappointment was and is large, also taking into account we have had this lined up for a long time
I am still hopeful of some kind of outcome and will keep everyone updated
We were however very aware of people making travel plans and did not and do not want to inconvenience anyone if possible when things started to change unexpectedly

Blenheim is an epic venue for buckets so we are still committed to getting more racing underway there

any updates with this? absolute no go on the Sunday?

[madmartin]

There was a Kart meet in Nelson on the weekend and Paul had spoken to a couple of the guys from over Blenheim way about the problems we've had, I believe his next plan was to contact the president of the club over there but I've not had an update since Saturday.

[Grumph]

I spoke to a Kartsport steward friend of mine in ChCh on Friday, asked him about your problem. Yes, many more meetings have to be permitted now. Yes, that vintage kart meeting will be big - he's actually driving at it. No, it's not likely to get any easier. Too many kart classes running now at most meetings to find room for buckets...His personal opinion was that room could be found but most organisers in his experience were too slow getting meetings through...and that was not likely to change.

[TALLIS]

just about to load the van as we have a morning sailing tomorrow. what time dose it start sunday? :crybaby:

[mr bucketracer]

not one kart at the track today and only 2 yesterday , what a joke

[TALLIS]

yes, i have just been to the track and there is no one there, i didn't take my bike and gear as there was no fucking communication on the so called piss poor organizers part. the trip has been allocated to family time, so all wasn't lost... but i wouldn't support these fuck wits again or trust them as far as i could throw them (which i was planning on doing but there not there)

ok rant over.... ill take my pills now lol

[seymour14]

yes, i have just been to the track and there is no one there, i didn't take my bike and gear as there was no fucking communication on the so called piss poor organizers part. the trip has been allocated to family time, so all wasn't lost... but i wouldn't support these fuck wits again or trust them as far as i could throw them (which i was planning on doing but there not there)

ok rant over.... ill take my pills now lol

You missed some great racing at Sherriff's road today...:laugh:

[mr bucketracer]

You missed some great racing at Sherriff's road today...:laugh:told you to say nothing:facepalm: