Hampton Down$

[jasonu]

I'm fairly sure the Taupo council also own all the land around the Taupo circuit and won't allow any house building in the area. There is one house across the road on the western (generally upwind) side of the track but pretty sure that was there before the old circuit was built.

Fuck the Taupo track used to be in the middle of no where!

[swarfie]

Fuck the Taupo track used to be in the middle of no where!

It hasn't moved much.

[kifflom]

Holy shit there's a bunch of angry cunts around here. All I was trying to say is that prices have gone up, but very little has changed for us, facilities wise, at a club level. Racing is always going to be expensive, I get that. But it's gonna get a lot more expensive as the years go by as there are smaller and smaller grids to help pay for the track fees. I thought we might get an interesting debate, but all we ended up with was "I can afford it, if you can't fuck you".

[Drew]

There's this fucked idea that Tony Quinn doesn't like bikes too. Seems weird, he's in contact with Sloan regularly to organise things.

[kifflom]

There's this fucked idea that Tony Quinn doesn't like bikes too. Seems weird, he's in contact with Sloan regularly to organise things.

Yeah, that's a fair criticism, I was speaking out of turn there. I guess the sentiment I was trying to convey is that it seems like unless you are bringing sponsors and media coverage (and therefore money) to motorsport these days, it's gonna get harder and harder to race. While that might not seem like a big deal to people who have that kind of thing under control already, it is to plenty of people at the grassroots level. I know I'd rather see 30 riders in the Hyosung cup (some of them who can barely afford it, some who can comfortably) going at it, rather than 10 riders who can comfortably or barely afford it.

[jasonu]

So, all you Rocket Scientists who are screaming about the prices. How about being positive and contributing ideas on how to make racing less expensive. I suspect that Track Hire fees are not negotiable, neither are Paramedic fees,so rule them out.
More competitors will mean lower entry fees, because the hire costs are the same whether you have 50 competitors or 200.
On the other side of the coin, how do we get more Spectators to circuits. Before you say Advertise the meetings, bear in mind that 50 radio advert "slots" over 5 days on 4 Radio Stations is around $2500.
I look forward to Positive Feedback that will assist the clubs to make their events more successful and therefore cheaper for competitors to enter.

Its all been done before with sporadic success at best. The fact is the NZ general public don't give a flying fuck about motorbike racing and will never attend events in large enough numbers to offset the costs involved.

[jasonu]

It hasn't moved much.

But apparently Taupo has...

[jellywrestler]

Here's part of the problem with Hampton Downs... who's gonna drive 45 minutes out of town and pay $25 to sit on the grass and get a sunburn all day? If some the turnover of Hamptons was going into some facilities for spectators that might help a bit. Instead we get VIP boxes and new garages.

get on your bike and ride down, there's shade there, you just got to know where to look for it

[jellywrestler]

Get seven volunteers with video cameras set up around the track? Put that shit on youtube? I'll sort editing and post.

six volunteers and you maybe, but you'll still have to go near that grass you seem so scared of.

[Grumph]

Holy shit, I've never thought of it that way. The money just suddenly appears because you're passionate?


Oh yes, this thread is filled with stories of that. Oh actually it fucking isn't, it's full of stories of $60 trackdays at Pukekohe, and getting drunk for a dollar at the officer's mess at Ohakea.


So we've been driven out of the housing market, getting squeezed out of racing, and now you want to take away my god given right as a melonylemon to bitch about things on the internet? I would go down to the pub to cool off, but I don't have $12 for a beer.

The money appeared because I had NO social life for the 10 years or so I raced. The bikes were self financed on HP - and self maintained.
Tyres were softened with degreaser between meetings to make them last a bit longer ( ah triangulars, I don't miss them...)
And that was in the years when it was at least marginally affordable....
If I'd had a major blowup on the Manx I'd have been out immediately.
The drinking session at Wigram was at the invite of a mate in the mess who'd broken his bike, after I'd fallen off the Manx...And even with blood poisoning and wounds it was back to work on the Monday as bills had to be paid.
What I'm saying is that if you are prepared to sacrifice -and want it bad enough - it is possible.

[kifflom]

six volunteers and you maybe, but you'll still have to go near that grass you seem so scared of.

I'm gonna be on my bike, but I'll happily donate my services to wrangle footage, edit it, put some graphics on it and publicize it online. If it gets us bums on seats it would be a worthwhile exercise.

What I'm saying is that if you are prepared to sacrifice -and want it bad enough - it is possible.

Yep, I agree. But I'm also single with no kids and a halfway decent job. My concern is that constantly increasing costs will drive out, for example, some of the youngsters in the Hyosung Cup on a $1500 dollar bike who have to convince their parents that paying ever increasing entry fees is still worth it.

[jasonu]

The money appeared because I had NO social life for the 10 years or so I raced. The bikes were self financed on HP - and self maintained.
Tyres were softened with degreaser between meetings to make them last a bit longer ( ah triangulars, I don't miss them...)
And that was in the years when it was at least marginally affordable....
If I'd had a major blowup on the Manx I'd have been out immediately.
The drinking session at Wigram was at the invite of a mate in the mess who'd broken his bike, after I'd fallen off the Manx...And even with blood poisoning and wounds it was back to work on the Monday as bills had to be paid.
What I'm saying is that if you are prepared to sacrifice -and want it bad enough - it is possible.

That's about how I did it, along with the help of a visa card.

[nzspokes]

Yeah, that's a fair criticism, I was speaking out of turn there. I guess the sentiment I was trying to convey is that it seems like unless you are bringing sponsors and media coverage (and therefore money) to motorsport these days, it's gonna get harder and harder to race. While that might not seem like a big deal to people who have that kind of thing under control already, it is to plenty of people at the grassroots level. I know I'd rather see 30 riders in the Hyosung cup (some of them who can barely afford it, some who can comfortably) going at it, rather than 10 riders who can comfortably or barely afford it.

Get into trail riding, its a fuckton cheaper and everybody talks to you.

And you dont get shit at scrutineering for dumb shit.

[jellywrestler]

And you dont get shit at scrutineering for dumb shit.

no, you only get shit at scrutineering for doing dumb shit.

[nzspokes]

no, you only get shit at scrutineering for doing dumb shit.

Oh fuck off, I got reamed out for having worn out brake shoes. He wouldnt look at the back of the calipers where you could see they were brand new.