Recently I attended a meeting with Bob Jane from Calder Park, Gary Miocevich from Ravenswood Raceway and ANDRA C.E.O. Tony Thornton.

For some time now, there has been considerable disquiet that the current structure of the sport is incapable of handling the needs of sport in the '90's and into the next millennium. The current system, created in the mid-sixties, was adequate while the sport grew from its purely amateur beginnings, but in the nineties, it has proved to be inadequate to cater for the needs of the current day. In short, things need to be changed and very soon!

With apparently no chance of Championship drag racing at Eastern Creek for the foreseeable future and Raceway Park (Heathcote) now having administrators appointed, it is vital that the sport remain united under one governing body.

A number of changes are to be made to the sport, restructuring it to be more like our contemporaries in the U.S. the NHRA and the IHRA.

Everybody will ultimately benefit from the change, both racers and tracks, with the possible exception of a select few who have created their own little fiefdoms in the cracks of the current archaic system.

Walk up to almost any racer in the pits and ask them "how's it going?" If you're lucky, you get to walk away fifteen to twenty minutes later. But there is a way to silence many racers. Stick a microphone in their mouth!

The raceway expends in excess of $200,000 on the production of Drag Racing '98. This show is designed to provide leverage in the quest for sponsorships, to raise the knowledge of viewers on our sport and last but not least, to provide racers with the opportunity to secure sponsorships for their operation.

Yet a great number of racers blow their chance for securing outside financial help by a series of embarrassing "ums" and "ers", stumbling over words and generally looking like they would like to be anywhere but there. Remember, this is the same person who will talk your head off in the pits in a one-on-one situation. If you were interviewed at the finish line and were wondering why your interview wasn't broadcast, then it's probably because it wasn't good enough. The interviews you see on Drag Racing '98 are the best of what was available.

But it's not that hard. Make yourself a list. Most important is to mention your sponsors, large or small, talk about the run if it was a good one. Thank your crew and if there's something special worth mentioning bring that up. Mike Tinney's interview at the Nightfires was a good example of how this should be done. He had his cap out with sponsor name on immediately after the run, thanked his sponsors and spoke well. Rehearse your interview at home, just in case you get to the final. Study the touring car drivers on TV. Those guys are consummate professionals. Not everybody can be a Dick Johnson or Craig Lowndes, but you can learn a lot from their approach.

There's another important factor. We'd like to think that our TV show is as least as good as most other motor sport on the box. We are trying to establish in the public's mind that we are running a professional entertainment which we hope they will enjoy. But if some of our racers come across as "yobs", which is the perception many uninformed people think drag racing is, then that's not good for the cause.

One final observation. Drag racing women are, on average better than the guys with a microphone in their hands. That includes Junior Dragsters where the confidence gap between the boys and girls is much more noticeable.

Commencing from the May 9th event, payment for a round of racing will be conditional on the racer at least doing a burnout under power in that round. In other words, having won a round of racing, unless you at least do a burnout under power, you are only entitled to the previous round loser money. There's a "quid pro quo" in this. You do the run, or at least attempt it, then you get paid. Otherwise you don't!.

No person who does not hold a driving license is allowed to drive motorized vehicles in the pits. As well, motorized skate boards are banned, regardless of the age of the person using it.

In the lead up to the Konica Winternationals a number of promotional activities are planned. This is in the period 23rd May to June 4th. We need cars and bikes for various shopping centre and outdoor displays. If you want exposure for your race car or bike, while helping the Winternationals promotion, call Karen Oberg at (07) 3201-0872.

Full details of the Winternationals were posted to some 2,200 racers throughout Australia on Tuesday, 21st April. Because we use a different database for the Winternationals than for our local events, some of you who may have got your ANDRA license recently may not have been in that database. If you have not received your regulations for the Winternationals give us a call.

An agreement with Foxtel has now been reached for the televising of this years' Drag Racing '98 TV show. Dates are: May 8th, 8:00pm, May 9th, 5:30pm, May 29th, 9:30pm, May 30th, 6:00am. The Foxtel show is 8 to 10 minutes longer than the Seven Network show, allowing for extra footage not seen in the Seven screening.

from Willowbank's Latest News April 22, 1998 © Willowbank Raceway 1998