Of late, we are beginning to tire of those who make it a habit of rolling up with their entry form, sometimes late on Thursday prior to an event. Most other major tracks either don't take entries that close to the event or alternatively, apply stiff fees. Commencing from the July 11 "Winter Finals" we will be applying a $40 late entry fee, which applies to all entering at the office on Thursday and any mail postmarked Wednesday. If this doesn't work, then the figure will be increased with regularity until one of two things happen. One - you will have your entry to us by the stated deadline or Two, we finish up owning your house!

Just a reminder that at Pro/Am events, the across-the-line rule for Super Eliminator (0-10.99) is not enforced, as this bracket contains both Modified and Super Sedan cars. However, unless your tires are from the Jurassic age, a short burnout is all that is needed, simply because your equivalent classes in the U.S. also have restricted burnout rules and the tires are designed to accommodate this. While those smoky burnouts might get the crowd excited, as one racer said succinctly a while ago,"... when I see those big burnouts, all I see is dollar signs floating in the air."

The expectations arising from track preparation these days has reached absurd levels. Kelvin and Adrian Bell and their team who prep the track and maintain it after oil-downs will be the first to tell you there is nothing magical about track preparation. But for some, track preparation has taken on an aura of the "Magic Pudding", the cure-all for all that ails you. It doesn't matter if you set your clutch too loose, or too tight, or you step up the blower, or slow it down, or run different tires, or less air, or more air, or change rear gears, or take weight out, or put weight in, or put more wing on, or less wing or whatever. It doesn't matter whatever you do, the all powerful "Magic Pudding" will automatically guarantee that all of your mistakes will be overcome. And if it doesn't, then its the tracks fault!

This may come as a shock to some, but many, if not all of the wild rides we see from time to time are the result of bad calls in the pits. The track at the Winternationals was too good for most, probably because of the seven drums of traction compound that went down over the week-end, cleaning up the numerous oil-downs. A comparison of the weather conditions between the Top Fuel finals at the '97 and '98 events is interesting.

Track temperatures were identical, but the air was much better in '97 and the lane that Graeme Cowin ran his historic 4.81 had no oil downs during the entire event.

The reality is that a chemical based adhesive, sprayed on a clean surface can do only so much. The rest is up to the racer. A classic example occurred at Heathcote Park in last year's Doorslammer show. The track was VERY slippery, even after a full prep on the day. Years of zero preparation, oil-downs left to soak into the bitumen and total neglect had made the track a nightmare for everybody. Except for Scotty Cannon. From all accounts, he looked at the track and instead of sitting down for the usual Aussie whinge - "the track's ~#$%A~~, he made adjustments to suit and promptly ran a mid-six, when no one else could get into the sixes.

Last year, in a conversation with John Scialpi at the Willowbank office, he told me that he had run mid-sixes on tracks in the U.S. with traction "..about as good as your carpet!" A conversation I had at the conclusion of the May 23rd Street meet with two high profile Super Street racers provided another insight. We had just waded through a 73 car Quick Eliminator bracket (0 -12.99) and a comment made by one of them provided food for thought - "..you can learn a lot more about setting up your car at a Street Meet than you can at a major event."

This made a lot of sense. First, you won't always find Willowbank big meet traction at many other tracks. Second, if your car can't get down a Willowbank Street Meet surface, then, more than likely, you have a future appointment with the concrete wall. Street meet traction is not as bad as some make it out to be. We have had a five second pass from an Alcohol Dragster at a Street meet. We have had a six second pass from a Wild Bunch car a few years ago. Pro Stock cars have run 8.0's on shutting down passes.

However, we have no pretensions about the traction at Street meets or Test'n'Tunes. The very nature of what these events are precludes this. But there are times when the track will not be as good, even at major events. Hot summer days ensure the track will be unpredictable at best. Even the "Magic Pudding" can't help you here! In today's ultra competitive fields, the ability to run good numbers under ALL circumstances will determine whether you are still in the staging lanes for the final rounds or sitting in the stands feeling sorry for yourself.

Recently, a Comp Eliminator racer suffered minor burns at a Test'n'tune from a radiator opened too quickly. He was transported to Ipswich Hospital for treatment. Imagine his shock when he received a bill from Queensland Ambulance for $500! At major events, you have some cover from the ANDRA Injured Drivers Insurance. But the entire costs are not always met by the I.D.F. A southern racer, air lifted for attention after burns from a nitro Funny Car fire, was presented with a bill around $3000. Many racers are not aware that there is no automatic I.D.F. at Street meets and Test'n'tunes. You need to ask for it and pay $12 for cover.

However, there is a way to cover yourself for all occasions against highly expensive ambulance transport. For just $55 annually you can join the Ambulance and be covered 24 hours a day Australia wide, including air lifts to hospitals etc. While we don't like to think about it, accidents can and do happen and for such a small investment, it does make sense.

There seems to be confusion on the proposed changes to Super Stock. In fact in most cases, the changes made require little more than a new class name on your window. Of all the eliminators in the ANDRA rule book, Super Stock is the stand-alone mess. The need for a "National Classifier" exists only because of Super Stock. The myriad of body rules and the conflicting interpretations of rules by both racers and officials have been an ongoing headache for years. Then there is the overlapping of classes with identical engine rules and weight breaks that have made a complete mockery of the index system. There is little incentive to build a full chassis car for a Gas class, when the system can be rorted by cars built to Modified Production rules flirting between their /MP and the corresponding Gas class, thus splitting their index "inputs" over two classes. Hardly a fair situation.

All that is proposed is that the body rules restrictions be dropped, with all classes able to comply to Gas rules, but are not forced to do so. Only one class, C/MS has been dropped completely. At 11.35 lbs. per cube it is a parts breaker and participation nationally is almost non-existent. A/S merges with B/MS for the obvious reasons they are virtually identical. Once these changes have been made, with one fell swoop, all the controversy over this class will disappear like the morning mist. Wheel tubs, tire sizes etc., will be open. Only the engine rules remain.

These changes will be the best thing to happen to Super Stock since its inception. The controversy that surrounds the bracket will be gone and with simpler Gas body rules in place, it will become more attractive for new racers from Group 3 classes to become a part of the bracket.

Currently there is a proposal to be decided at this year's ANDRA A.G.M. to grant both North Queensland tracks, Palmyra and Townsville, ADRS status each year, instead of the current system which alternates between tracks. The reasoning behind this is to allow both events to grow to their potential, something that is not possible under the current format. For racers from south of Mackay it provides the opportunity for two-bites-of-the-cherry when chasing ADRS points, as the events are usually no more than a fortnight apart. But now there's an additional incentive for South Queensland racers to attend "Northern Sweep" events.

John O'Kearney, from John William Auto Sales has announced he will donate $500 to the Queensland based racer earning the most ADR Series points from the Nightfire Championships at Willowbank, the Queensland Championships at Palmyra, the Northernationals at Townsville and finally, the Konica Winternationals at Willowbank. Although not discussed formally at the South Queensland Divisional Council level, I'm sure the Division will be happy to provide a significant trophy, in keeping with the status of the achievement.

from Willowbank's Latest News June 19, 1998 © Willowbank Raceway 1998