It is unfortunate that there are idiots around. I could say the organisers should be doing more to police where the spectators are, but I guess on such a long course, it is very difficult to police the situation. I hope it doesn't get to the point where someone in the crowd gets hurt, or worse, before some solution is found.

TOYOTAPOWR wrote:

---

The only solution is to fence the track- 460 km if you do both sides- and that is not going to happen for many other reasons besides cost.
The only solution is to educate the public which is not that easy.
Its strange how in Australia people are outraged by this potentially dangerous situation yet footage shows time and time again bigger crowds in more dangerous situations in America.
Which DVD is it that shows 2 trophy trucks racing through a small village with one side swiping a motor home and another one where Robby Gordan backs his trophy truck into the crowd just after leaving the start line.

---

Agreed, people should be smarter and make sure they are in areas where they are safer.  However, perhaps we need to look at having more crowd marshalls, etc at the more popular viewing areas to make sure that people are in safe areas.  The entire track could never be covered, but the most popular areas possibly could be.

As for comparing it to the US, that shouldn't have anything to do with it.  I would hate to be a driver who gets a bit loose over a crest and wipes out a few people.  Sure, it isn't the driver who is at fault, but the effect on the driver from such an incident would be huge.  Not to mention the effect it would have on the racing of every competitor.... insurance costs woudl most likely rise, policing methods would need to change, adding to costs, etc, etc.  This is not something that anyone would want to see.

 

There were upwards of 12,000 people camped along the track according to NT police. We found that most people were well off the track, not on the outside of corners etc and we certainly had no dramas.

More scary for us was that caution/danger signs and arrows had been removed from the track. We saw some that had been pulled up and used to mark the entry for peoples camps from the service track.

I'd say that 11,900 of the people were fine, it was the pissed 100 looking for carnage that were the big worry.

The PA was constant about warning people about standing too close, camping positions, litter removal, drink driving, following cars and bikes on the track etc. The alice club did a great job trying to educate people I thought.