Show your support for a Melb Drag Strip - Leave the Vic Gov a message here

Tell the premier of Victoria you want a new drag strip... click the "Promote" button to add your vote and join up and post your comment on the Vic Gov website here

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/share-...melbourne.html

Voted .. But as it says, this has been going for years now .. don't see them advancing in the near future.

Thousands turned up at Tooradin Airport for a private meeting .. and nothing ever came of that either.

Hey evryone A Currant Affiar is doing a story on motorvate melbourne _ drag strip tonight. Tuesday the 23rd 6.30pm channel 9.

Below is email i got from motorvate melbourne, Please watch and give A currant affair good feedback.

We have just been advised that A Current Affair are doing a piece tonight.

If it is positive email them and thank them for their support and let them know how good this will be for a variety of reasons (Economic, Social etc)

Let them know that Governments provide sporting facilities for all sports, Football, Cricket, Swimming, Tennis, Basketball why even an Ice Rink!

So why not a venue that would be for the Victorian Drag Racing community...

If it is negative...do not slam them...but try to educate them (again with the points above).

Many of you have great stories about how you travel interstate to race or spectate taking valuable $$$$ out of the Victorian economy.

Remember - thank them if positive...and educate them if it is not supportive....

For anyone who hasn't looked at the link yet or for a couple of days there are now almost 1300 votes and over 47 well written coments on this subject.

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/share-...melbourne.html

If your a drag racer, spectator or just someone interested and have a few minutes, click the link, sign up and post up your thoughts on the subject.

Every comment will count.. yes even yours

Cheers
Wayne

Keep up the good work Wayne.
I have the form on our office counter and I'am sure the gang will sign it.
WE NEED A DRAG STRIP VIC GOVERNMENT TO GET OUR KIDS COMFORTABLE IN A CONTROLLED DRAG RACING ENVIRONMENT.

Chev:goodjob:

Has anyone else received correspondence from the minister. Yesterday I received a personal letter from James Merlino MP after addressing a few issues with him.

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Originally Posted by ILLUSIV1

Has anyone else received correspondence from the minister. Yesterday I received a personal letter from James Merlino MP after addressing a few issues with him.

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Did he have much to say?

Not a whole lot. Its not the first time I have written to an MP so it did not surprise me that he skirted around the issue slightly. It sounds like he is trying to pass off an image of making an effort to support the idea. Reading between the lines though, it seems it's all a bit hard and he really doesn't like the idea of a drag strip, as he has no personal interest in it.

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Originally Posted by ILLUSIV1

Reading between the lines though, it seems it's all a bit hard and he really doesn't like the idea of a drag strip, as he has no personal interest in it.

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He also had no personal interest in sailing either but was happy to do the season opening at mordialloc Sailing club.

Maybee water sports are safer than motor sports:jester:

Well maybe we should build a small lake in the middle for his toy boats.

send the same email to the opposition sports minister, he seemed a little more receptive to the idea.

Besides, in an election year its the job of the incumbent to offend the least amount of people by weighing up the needs of a minority compared to those with greater weight of numbers ("hoons" versus non hoons) while the opposition will say yes to everyone in a vain attempt to garner a majority vote base come november.

What ever happened to this?

Last I hear, the bloke who was in charge of MOTORvate Melbourne has given it the flick due to conflict with ANDRA.

Pitty Melbourne won't have a top class Drag Strip for another couple of decades...

Cheers, Mick

What ever happened to this?

Last I hear, the bloke who was in charge of MOTORvate Melbourne has given it the flick due to conflict with ANDRA.

Pitty Melbourne won't have a top class Drag Strip for another couple of decades...

Cheers, Mick

nothing happened, just like all the other times.

better make me a sign "behead those who wont build a dragstrip" and start burning some shit and tipping over cars...

not being from Vic- what's the go with Calder Park I thought it has a drag strip

someone spent some money in anticipation of making a shitload more of it, someone else changed the realities of the outcome away from what might have originally been discussed and when there was less money to be made for the risk involved, like any good businessman the guy walked away.

risk vs. reward and all that, there was nothing altruistic at all about any of it.

Official word from the man who was calling the shots.

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Originally Posted by Gary Miocevich

In 2006 it was clear that there was little happening that was likely to deliver a new Drag Racing venue. It was suggested that I might be able to help the Victorian racers by pushing the Victorian Government to fund a new venue using the experience I gained convincing the Western Australian Government to build the Perth Motorplex.

Having been a Drag Racing competitor for decades and the Director of Perth Motorplex (& Ravenswood Int Raceway before that), I sat down with ANDRA and we reached an agreement, where I would pay all costs and do the work to convince the Victorian Government to fund a new ANDRA Drag Racing venue.

In exchange, my company would operate the venue for an initial period (5 yrs + 5yr option to recover the investment).

This would ensure the venue was running efficiently with proven systems and provide a low risk for the Government. At the conclusion of the initial period, ANDRA could go out for to tender for a commercial operator to achieve the required ANDRA objectives.

This agreement was clear and conditional on ANDRA's ongoing support with no interference from ANDRA on any issues.

I take this moment to highly commend Tony Thornton (ANDRA CEO at the time) who was the ANDRA executive overseeing and supporting my work as well as attending some of the hundreds of meetings in pursuit of the new Melbourne venue.

After some years of frustration with the former (Labor) Government we were very refreshed by the current Liberal Government, who didn't make it an election promise, however they did say that they know the demand for a new Drag Racing venue was there and they would like to help.

Since the election the Premier has publically re-stated, that while they are financially stressed currently, they would consider building the new Drag Racing venue as and when finances allowed.

Now the disappointing section.

Over the period that we were working on this project it became apparent that there was interference by a few ANDRA Divisional Directors and things were becoming more difficult within ANDRA. This culminated in 2011 when ANDRA changed from an Association to a Company Ltd.

While this change was not a problem, some of the people were. Some of the new ANDRA Board decided that the promoters, which included me, were the enemy. Their damaging actions made my position as the Hon ANDRA Project Director and the person supplying the funding, completely untenable.

By this stage, I had invested some $600,000 in the new Melbourne Drag Racing project. This investment over some years was based on my agreement with ANDRA, which I relied upon, in my decision to make the investment and help Drag Racing prosper again in Victoria.

I have been advised to take legal action against ANDRA however my desire was to help ANDRA, the Victorian racers and the sport generally. I have little desire to pursue a legal remedy and I plan to focus my energies on positively growing the success of Perth Motorplex into the future, with my great Perth team.

I have tried to reach a mutually acceptable position with ANDRA, without success so I'm withdrawing my services (and funding).

I've advised ANDRA some time ago that I was not prepared to throw any further money away, given ANDRA's actions and the alleged breeches of the agreement.

I hope the ANDRA Board have a long-term plan for the Victorian Drag racers, however I seriously doubt they have the capability or experience to secure a new venue.

My personal losses on this project are significant and disappointing, however my main concern is that the Victorian Drag Racers have lost a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a world-class new Drag Racing venue.

I take this opportunity to thank all the Victorian Drag Racers and their friends for their support, enthusiasm and friendship over the years.

My best wishes go to all the Victorian Racers that helped with this project only to be let down by ANDRA's failure to honour the agreement with little discussion with me or consideration of the impact on the Victorian racers environment.

I would still be happy to offer advice should anyone else that wishes to try and pick up the task. My estimation is that we are between 80% and 85% of the process to achieve a Government commitment.

In the mean time, you are all welcome to join us for the Drag Racing boom times that are occurring at Perth Motorplex.

Yours Sincerely in Drag Racing.

Gary Miocevich
Director
Perth Motorplex

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