TBK-Light.com

Well if Indycar leave then you can say local government isn't paying their transportation costs. I believe that's the reason they're trying to get the Surfers date next to the Motegi date.

Do IRL even draw crowds of 300,000 people over 4 days?

Probs because they have a anti fun policy. I mean you just got to look at what you can and cannot take to some tracks when IRL are there.

Items allowed into facility:
- Clear plastic bags or see-through mesh bags into seating areas. In terms of bag size, it must be able to fit under your seat without obstructing the aisles.
Items not allowed:
- Food or beverages not sold by track vendors.
- Coolers, glass containers.
- Fireworks, weapons or animals of any kind.
- Helium balloons, beach balls, umbrellas, noisemakers, folding chairs.

Items allowed into facility:
- Coolers and bags/backpacks that do not exceed 15”x15”x15,” plastic bottles, seat cushions, stadium seats.
Items not allowed into facility:
- Cans/bottles/glass containers, alcohol, lawn chairs, umbrellas.

Items allowed into the facility:
- One soft-sided bag/cooler per person, no larger than 6”x6”x12.” Ice is allowed.
- One clear plastic souvenir bag per person (not allowed to contain ice) no larger than 18”x18”x4.”
- Cameras and video cameras on race days.
Not allowed:
- Strollers, chairs, wagons, bicycles, roller blades, skateboards, pets (unless legally registered aid pets), umbrellas, large back-packs, large bags and/or large camera bags (larger than 6”x6”x12.”
- Glass containers, bottles.

Oh look its raining. I can't use my umbrella and I didn't bring my rain coat as it doesn't fit in my bag. Hmmmmm I sure am hungry. I wonder where a foodstand is so I can get in line and get some shitty greasy food for an outstanding price.

They make a fuckload of money on overpriced food and drinks though, and would no doubt make a massive difference to their budget for the event. So it's not necessarily a bad thing if it means keeping a race running strong over the years.

More than a one-off, we had 11 full NASCAR championships in Australia (they ran over the summer months), championship winners included Brad Jones, and Jim Richards. The series as a whole was quite popular in the early 90s, there was big prizemoney up for grabs, a good TV deal, big grids and good crowds, there was even a plan to pave the outside of Parramatta Speedway to make a 'Bristol-style' circuit.... however when the new-for-1993 V8 touring cars came around, the 'dome started to lose its luster.... the NASCAR's also ventured to road circuits like Bathurst (in 1996 and 1998), Surfers Paradise (support event at Indy from 1991-1995), Albert Park (AGP support race in 1999 and 2000), Eastern Creek, Oran Park, Barbagello, Adelaide International Raceway had a half-mile oval etc....


The first event was in late-February 1988, the race was slotted in between Rds 2 & 3 of that years Winston Cup, so the Americans could come out. Neil Bonnett won the race from Bobby Allison... there was another big International race at the end of the year, the XMAS 500, full of Winston Cup regulars (including Michael Waltrip & Kyle Petty), was won by Morgan Sheppard with Sterling Marlin in 2nd. Terry Labonte won the 1990 XMAS 500 also.


Unfortunatly it all died when Bob Jane pulled the plug on the series in early 2000, saying he'd only start it back up if the interest was there. They tried to get a road coarse series (dubbed 'V8 Stock Cars', as only Bob Jane had the licencing rights from the Frances' to use the NASCAR name) going in 2001 and 2002 on the 'PowerTour' program, but the series died when the PowerTour went belly up..... Bob's made noises over the years of re-opening it, but it hasn't come to fruition....

A shame because the Thunderdome and its program of NASCARs, AUSCARs, Sportsmans, HQs, plus the various other series that raced there over the years (Formula Vee's raced around the track in the wet, they also had a Truck race (as in proper Trucks!!) around there once..., the place produced some of the best racing in this country.

That's exactly how it was at Caifornia speedway went I went to the nascar race in february. Maybe racetracks think that umbrellas are weapons or something retarded like that. And yeah, the beers were like $8.50 there, and there was always a huge line of rednecks...

Im sure they get enough money as everything is very expensive. But I don't know why. Maybe Indycar would rather go somewhere else?

I hate it when track vendors short change you as well knowing you are buying a lot and can't exactly count the change right there.

Thanks for the pics scotty Great to see it still there, but so said to see it not in use....

I'm not suprised by the Sega competition, they certainly had good ways to attract competitors. There was the NASTRACK program, the Fastrack driving school, Real McCoy bourban competition... great stuff

Had some big International names race there as well like Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner, Win Percy and others like Wyatt Earp III (yes, from the same family), even ice skater Christopher Dean (from Torvill & Dean) had a race at the Moomba meeting in 1989....in the process totalling the car Larry Perkins had lent him......

Here are some Auscar highlights. You can clearly see a lot of cars like the #6 Valvoline Ford.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65CnQwo9cd8

Thats true, though in the clip they only show the Valvoline-backed NASCARs

Valvoline had a big presence in Australian Superspeedway racing, firstly with Allan Grice in NASCAR, then in later years they backed the John Sidney Racing cars in NASCAR, and the Garry Rogers Motorsport cars in AUSCAR (as well as entries in HQs and Sportsman), and their colours were as you mentioned in the same livery as Mark Martin's #6 Winston Cup cars of the similiar period.

In 1996 though, due in part to the loss of the Thunderdome TV deal, Valvoline moved it's focus to V8Supercars, taking their teams (Garry Rogers Motorsport & John Sidney Racing) with them.... JSR returned to the 'dome after 1996, though GRM hasn't looked back