In issue #849 of Dragster Australia, page 31, a side article about the recent Phil Vinci crash appeared. Unfortunately without attribution to who had wrote it (therefore making it look like a part of the main race report attributed to me), it has come to my attention that most, if not all, of the incident report was either false or misleading and has upset a few people, either connected to the team or to Pgil himself.
I would like to apologise to Phil Vinci, his crew and all other third parties involved personally and would like to correct the error in a future issue of DA if possible.
For further feedback on the article in question, please don’t hesistate to phone me (0410949461) or email me (monarodoorslammer@gmail.com – Subject line “849 Vinci Article”)
Man, so many things have happened lately, let’s have a brief look at the latest otaku happenings:
Top Fuel: went well, cars ran good numbers and declared a success in general. Although it has to be said it was bloody hot for everyone concerned.
Wai-Con 2012: for me, this was a great event to be a part of. Working the cameras for the live feed was an interesting experience and something I would definitely love to do again.
RC race: there was another one on the Sunday just passed. Although the car was quick, finding more speed in different tyres was very positive. Got to rebuild the car though, as it must be overdue now.
Jeff Clarke fundraiser: a hugely successful night for Full Boar Racing’s Jeffrey Clarke. $70,000 raised in one night, very outstanding effort! Jeff’s now in China and in a positive mood for the treatment, so let’s see how he goes in the next few weeks.
This week, we see the Night of Fire event at the Motorplex with the jet dragsters and also the wheelstanding Holden is back again. Other than that, that’s about it for February really. Hopefully I can devote a bit more time to the Twitter and WordPress accounts, as these have suffered lately.
Sorry, have become an all-time regular slack person at blog and Twitter maintaining lately. I have plenty to talk about and will make use of it in the next few weeks for sure.
In the meantime, Wai-Con is this weekend at the Perth Convention Centre (for the properly defined otakus). Or there is Top Fuel’s second seasonal race at the Perth Motorplex on Friday evening and Saturday all day (that’s for the drag racing… erm, otakus).
Plus, at some point this week I shall chat about rFactor developments. More specifically, my racing adventures online.
Busy weekend or what?
A year ago (or possibly further back, maybe), there was a YouTube gathering in Brisbane. Many of Australia’s top video blog/video makers got round and had a good old time having fun at many of Brisbane’s gathering spots. I say most, as there was one place they didn’t have fun at, which got a fair bit of media attention afterwards. Which was hilarious in my opinion.
Anyway, I didn’t go last year as I’d already done a trip over to the eastern states and hadn’t exactly gathered the money to go on another trip. Hard luck for me, but I knew I would one day be able to join in the fun and meet all those faces that you feel familiar with on a daily basis.
Well, looks like the opportunity has arrived sooner than expected, as the next YouTube gathering in Australia is set to be in Perth. The big date pencilled in is April the 7th 2012 (that’s Easter Saturday), although detailed specifics have not been announced as yet. Luckily for me, the drag racing season finishes the week before, so no clashes with anything else. Excellent.
At the moment, I’m waiting on more specific details like everyone else, but be sure that I’ll be trying to get the Gardner Broz. in on this event as well. Will be good for all three of us to check it out.
Anyway, enough rambling. I’m off to watch some vlogs…
Amazing how time flies. 2011 has certainly come and gone in record time (that’s right, it physically broke the laws of physics. It should get 6 or 7 light years for that.) and that means a brand new year can be expected in 2012. Obviously.
I’m pretty sure a few people will be looking forward to forgetting about 2011. Many iconic drag racing drivers have gone through a battled-scarred year with things going wrong, engine blocks going bang and cars becoming nothing more than twisted lumps of tube. It’s probably been no more than the usual rate, but it certainly feels like it has been.
The Goldenstates, for example, had Gary Phillips have no chutes at the end of his amazingly fast lap, which meant his car ploughed the sand and practically destroyed the car. Andrew Sutton also found the sand trap at the end of the track, and even though it was a slower speed, rendered that car out for repairs. Plus add to the carnage the amount of motors ruined in Top Alcohol and throughout the Group 3 classes, everyone’s bank accounts will suffer for the rest of the year.
It’s Top Fuel’s first play this season at the Perth Motorplex and they have to consider destruction as part of the budget, so the short term isn’t going to get any cheaper. Although many, if not everyone, would prefer safe racing and good health for the drivers if nothing else…
It’s been a while since I’ve had a decent “drive for the sake of a drive” day. So today’s cruise was a great excuse to do so for the first time since I purchased the HX.
Yeah, eagle eyed viewers probably noticed that HX is the wrong code for a Falcon cruise. Luckily, I just happened to be in it for video and photo purposes. And everyone knows I wouldn’t mind a four door XB at some point in time. If that ever happens, it would be a great day.
But back to today’s great day, the sun was out for the cruise, which went from the West Coast HiFi in Cannington across to the Kwinana Freeway, up through to the Mitchell Freeway and back across on the Reid Highway up to Mundaring. After a short break, it was back down the hill and into Hillside Farm in Gosnells, where the cruise concluded with a sausage sizzle and a short prize draw amongst the cruisers. Even had a Meat Loaf impersonator do a few numbers to finish the day. Better than the AFL final by far…
My thanks to the cruise organiser Kevin Bradney (and June for food cookage skills of course!) and everyone else turning up in their amazingly immaculate Falcons of yesteryear. Some videos and photos to follow real soon, I promise.
PS I will learn where the offramp is one day, I do swear...
Would you believe it’s already the start of the 2011/2012 season? Amazing how fast the year goes by sometimes.
Anyway, all the usual suspects will be there racing (and hopefully winning as well) so bring the family out for a fun filled day of ear-punishing, eye-watering fun. Kids go free tomorrow as well, so make the most of it and give the silly city barbie a miss.
I haven’t compiled a list of sites and info this time round, but it can all be obtained from:
http://www.motorplex.com.au
http://www.dragnews.com.au
http://www.bom.gov.au
See you all tomorrow.
With 180 (yes, you read that right, 180) entrants preparing for the big battles ahead, it’s going to be a huge three days for the Perth Motorplex.
TDRO has put together the links needed for those who need to know what’s going on and the endless possibilities ahead:
News story - http://www.motorplex.com.au/news.php?newsid=860&pg=drag
Saturday event details - http://www.motorplex.com.au/news.php?newsid=829&pg=home
Sunday event details - http://www.motorplex.com.au/news.php?newsid=737&pg=home
Entry list for Saturday - http://www.motorplex.com.au/media/docs/Entrant_list_15102011.pdf
Entry list for Sunday - http://www.motorplex.com.au/media/docs/Entrant_List_16102011.pdf
Perth forecast - http://www.bom.gov.au/wa/forecasts/perth.shtml
DNA Facebook (could be running live coverage) - http://www.facebook.com/groups/117721658254261/
TDRO Facebook (event page – RSVP today!) - http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=200461253355460
A non-official (and probably mostly made-up) list of all the things that must be hidden from view for the good of that Lady Wot Wears The Crown:
* Rubbish collection days.
* High-rise cranes.
* EA Falcons.
* Most of Gosnells.
* Harley Davidsons.
* Harley Davidson owners.
* All of Maddington.
* Bushfires.
* FESA.
* The drug dealer on the corner of Hay and Milligan St. No, not him, the other one.
* Yes, that’s him.
* Algae.
* Other pond scum.
* Those strange shops that sell incense. Well, we think it’s incense.
Sub-directives also include the provision for any homes in the Fremantle area that has an extensive hoarding collection. These are re-classified from “hovels” to “art installations”.
Non-inclusive directives will also correct the UV Index during CHOGM to a lower rating (reducing the chances of a leader being sunburnt during the meeting), rubbish bins in the city can only be filled with “nice smelling things”, the homeless being relocated to Adelaide, discarded beer bottles to be decorated with a single rose, nuisance dogs banned from barking and anything not pertaining to be of “utopian disposition in life” being punishable by death.
Actually, it might not be fiction for all I know…
The timetable for next week’s event has now been released:
Sunday 2nd October 2011
10am – Practice
11am – Circuit Sedans/Sports – Heat 1
11:30am – Drift Cars
12 noon – Buggies – Heat 1
12:30pm – Stadium Trucks – Heat 1
1pm – Circuit Sedans/Sports – Heat 2
1:30pm – Drift Cars
2pm – Buggies – Heat 2
2:30pm – Stadium Trucks – Heat 2
3pm – All class finals
Heat race length is set to 20 laps, finals include the top 6 in total laps and are 25 laps.
