How would you police which cars required the extra safety features, and which cars didn't? I don't have the money to be able to get myself into a Jimco, or whatever, and I very much doubt I ever will (hell, at present I can't even afford a $10k car!!). But, how can you impose one set of safety rules on one part of the field, and different rules for the other part? It is either all in, or none in. Like many, I don't see the reason for the seat belt replacements so often, but they are the rules that are currently set down, so if you want to race, they are the rules you race by.

As for the footwear issue, once again, maybe it is a bit of overkill, but think of the insurance that ever single racer is covered by. Insurance companies like to minimise their chances of big payouts, so they put pressure on the rule makers to ensure safety is at the highest practical level possible. This means that the rule makers/safety people have to show the insurers, etc that the sport is doing everything possible to keep its competitors safe. If they weren't able to show this, then the insurance premiums would be so high that you wouldn't be able to afford to go racing.

And in my opinion, splitting the sport into the haves and have-nots would be a disaster, and both sides of the sport would quickly die. I never had a problem when I raced of having faster cars in the field, etc. With the speed differences between the cars, they generally don't have too many problems with finding a way past. And I think having vehicels of all levels competing against each other is fantastic, it is what the sport is about. A case in point... Cameron McClelland was the quickest Super 1650 car at DOnald, and won the event in class. Now his car, whilst an excellent car for its class, is not close to the same level as some of the other cars that competed in that same class at Donald. Should Camerosn jus run in the "have nots" class and let the other guys run in a different event? I don't think so. That is one o fthe great challenges of off road... working hard and driving hard to beat other cars that may be better on paper, but not necessarily on the road.

Azteck wrote:

---

Perhaps we should try to get our sport seen by more that just the Off road comunity.  We all read Dirtcomp, visit offroadracing.com.au  etc...buy why can't you read about Off road in any motorsport mags? Sure you get the odd 1/4 page article in Auto action on Finke...big deal!  Surely AORCom or our state panels could find someone that could write a story on each round and send it to a few mags with some pictures, even if we had to pay for it.         
 
Mainstream motorsport magazines such as Auto Action and Motorsport News wont allocate much in the way of column inches as Off Road Racing is thought to have a very small following compared to other areas of motorsport. Any serious attempt to get more coverage in these magazines would most likely have to be paid for. One simple way to increase the sport profile would be to get AORCom to buy a centre spread poster at the end of each year with the AORC champions on it. A great keepsake and alot more people would take notice.

-- Edited by Dusteater at 10:51, 2008-05-14

yep, great discussion.

teh basis of the post was ideas to send to AORCom. There are a few here which even though we all may not agree on them are still very worthwhile proposals.

RE footwear - I saw my stepfather burnt badly at a speedway racemeeting when the racecar caught fire - and that was in the pits when he wasnt in the car. So I race with boots on anyway.

re the safety for some and not for others - I think its getting to be too big a discusson for an informal forum. Stinger, I'd make sure you add it to pato's email to make sure it get brought up. And from what Ive heard you're probably right abotu the .05 comment!

Your right though, costs do need to be taken into consideration when it comes to safety as to not price out new punters. Of course Im not suggesting that we race unsafely, but things like if its decided that all racers must have neck protection then hans is strongly advised, but horseshoes are allowed etc.

RE more exposure, isnt there a committee just started to get moving on this? Hopefully more successfull than the last attempt in early 2000's! Nice suggestion on the autofiction page, talk to jamin, he covers the nsw rounds for them.

finke is the new bathurst of offroad isnt it?

Just want to clear one thing up. I am not against compulsary fireproof footwear, I find it nothing short of stupid that you must have a fireproof suit, fireproof boots but not gloves. Leaving your hands exposed when the rest of your body must be protected is beyond comprehension.  

sorry, obviously didnt drip enough sarcasm when I wrote it!

 i dont necessarily think that we have to reserect the kempsey race but i think we need a long 1000 k race to more a line ourselfs with the baja , i bet more poeple have heared of baja 1000 than say hyden or donald or gondi .

Hi Stingray,
I must say, I like your thinkng. . . . . and this is the old guy talking, not my son who highjacks this call sign to compliment on his photos whenever they appear.
Our sport has developed an element which is worthy and presentable as an exiting and pretty package which will make good tv.
I don't want to try to qualify to get into that group but I do want to benfit from the exposure they can give our sport.
Why not create an 'Off Road Supercar' category, which can be packaged and promoted as an 'entertainment' medium?
I heard recently that to film, edit and package one round of a Drift championship to the stage it could be delivered to a network, ready to air, cost $60,000.
Do you think an Off Road event would be cheaper??? not likely
TV coverage for off road racing is not going to happen by accident or evolution but if there are those prepared to make it happen then they should be supported by all of us because we will all benefit.
JC

Can't find it anywhere Russell.
Am I too early??

Top of the right hand column Maurie.

 did anyone go to the meet in alice about the noise issue, was there any outcome to the meeting