What's The Benefit Of Joining Andra?

[BezerkR32]

they are whinging about paying $400 for a liscence let alone paying for a cage, and i guess its something you should be looking at seeing that your car is capable of 130+mph now. it was my first purchase.

But I'd rather be in a caged sedan than one without a cage if it came to that.

[2rismo]

Gotta earn your cage just like you gotta earn your bars and your 'chute.

[BezerkR32]

How do you earn a cage, hit the wall and then say yes, know i need a cage. And stop whinging about a chute Paul, your cars not fast enough for one anyway,

Gotta earn your cage just like you gotta earn your bars and your 'chute.

[Swiper the Fox]

How do you earn a cage, hit the wall and then say yes, know i need a cage. And stop whinging about a chute Paul, your cars not fast enough for one anyway,

0.3 MPH to go!

GTR's have 5 forward gears...i might start using more than 3...good idea?

Edited July 28, 2008 by DiRTgarage

[2rismo]

GTR's have 5 forward gears...

Ironic considering the drivers are all backwards!

[1320ft]

i dont think 90% of the people who step onto an ANDRA track realise you guys are volunteers.

you certainly shouldn't be takign threats of violence and the like. those people should get a 1 year ban at least. i suppose when we see peopel in group one get less than a slap on the wrist for punching some one out at an event, yet a entry level person getting a year long ban for telling a track staff member to f off, it doesnt set a good example that the full force will be shown to those people who dont treat ANDRA and track staff with respect they should be given.

any one who doesnt know Aaron should take the time to have a chat with him at the track. very helpful guy and an asset to sport compact racers.

Shane

Awww, thanks shane. Make me feel all warm and fuzzy!

There is more to the "incident" you are describing, i'll talk to you about, next time I see you!

in an accident crumple is a good thing. modern cars are designed to crumple and even break up on impact. it dissipates and absorbs the impact forces of the crash. in cars like your older all street solid chassis cars those forces are instead transfered through to the driver. and you end up with whiplash, hyper extension, internal injuries and nasty things like steering column through the chest. anyone who thinks the safety of cars has gone backwards from 1975 to now really need to think again. with each generation of modern passenger vehicle we get occupant protection is improved. that is a fact.

The difference is like this. Say I have a highly modified nissan silvia and I want to go drifting. All i need is the following to attend practice days and comps:

Cams Level 2NS licence (costs $50 per year) + a Cams affiliated club membership (as little as $35 depends on the club)

Fire extinguisher ($20)

a couple of stickers (blue triangle $2)

secondary bonnet restraint $10

That's it. no permanent modifications to my vehicle, and no great expense either and no roll cage. $100 will get me started (providing I already have a helmet, if not allow for that too).

For circuit events it's pretty much the same, just swap the L2NS licence for a L2S licence which costs $95 a year.

Now, if my silvia is capable of running 10.8 on my drag radials then what is the expense required just to run at the wednesday night meets? My basic understanding is you need an UDL (around $400 odd), approved cage (couple thousand), some safety gear, ballistic blanket etc. You are up for a pretty big expenditure and some of the mods you need to make are pretty much permanent. that is a big outlay for a guy who just wants to accelerate hard in a straight (ish!) line for 10 seconds or so.

For guys like that it's hard to see why the costs are so high to compete in what seems (to them) like a comparitively "safe" sport (compared to drifting or circuit racing where you have long straights, higher speeds and corners etc).

Let me ask you this then.

When was the last time you were at a open track day, and you saw work place health and safety walking around, or the rep from CAMS insurer???

Ever wondered why at street meets you have to have a muffler?

Unfortunately in this day and age, we live in a world where if I slip on your kitchen floor, i'll sue the pants off you, because I can. The rules that ANDRA have to abide by are put in place by their insurer, to save themselves.

Some of you would have seen me or schultzy riding round on our little scooter and golf buggy. Did you know work place health and safety want us to wear a helmet at all times, when on those vehicles! Even tho my scooter struggles to do 20km/h down hill, with a tail wind!

And if you come and see me at WSID on a wed night, i'll happily point out the EPA inspectors walking around checking the noise levels.

Yeah - that was my point above.........

ahh well, you guys can keep paying out of your arse, it seems it won't change.

unless of course you start driving around corners

Some of us find corners boring!

In the end it all comes down to, are you an ET chaser or a RACER?

and you have to make your choice.......

And from the establishment side of things, the ET racers get no respect and never will.

Edited July 28, 2008 by 1320ft

[9krpm]

Love all of the comments so far

I don't mind all of the safety requirements. I SEE the benefits of PPE in this dangerous sport. If anything I would love to see a proper promotion of this aspect of the sport. There are a lot of misconceptions out there even among the marshals I have ballistic blankets and all of the other requirements. I just need a pair of front legs (or what ever you call em lol) + 2 side intrusion bars on top of my 4 points and I am good to go. That's not a real pain.

What I whinged about was the membership fee for casual racers like me. I love to have only one hobby and 1 mouth to feed but I have other commitments and can't drag race as often as I would love to. I like the sport and love to support it. It's interesting that you mentioned personal protection also. Every time I raced before I had to sign an indemnity form which I always assumed that I need to leave a few dough at home for the god forbid possible medical bills from an accident. Has this changed?

If you asked for a proposal I will do propose now in plain and simple term.

Andra, please reduce the joining fee otherwise people like me will take our businesses elsewhere.

[1320ft]

Love all of the comments so far

I don't mind all of the safety requirements. I SEE the benefits of PPE in this dangerous sport. If anything I would love to see a proper promotion of this aspect of the sport. There are a lot of misconceptions out there even among the marshals I have ballistic blankets and all of the other requirements. I just need a pair of front legs (or what ever you call em lol) + 2 side intrusion bars on top of my 4 points and I am good to go. That's not a real pain.

What I whinged about was the membership fee for casual racers like me. I love to have only one hobby and 1 mouth to feed but I have other commitments and can't drag race as often as I would love to. I like the sport and love to support it. It's interesting that you mentioned personal protection also. Every time I raced before I had to sign an indemnity form which I always assumed that I need to leave a few dough at home for the god forbid possible medical bills from an accident. Has this changed?

If you asked for a proposal I will do propose now in plain and simple term.

Andra, please reduce the joining fee otherwise people like me will take our businesses elsewhere.

On the cage deal,

If you have an unmodified floor pan, and dont run faster than 10.00, you only need to have the rollover hoop welded in, the two rear stays and drivers intrusion bar, only need to be bolted in. Aslon as the bolts go all the way through, with a plate on top and underneath.

On the liscence fee structure.

Rob Sharp and Dean Neal have just come back from the NHRA, to speak to prospective sponsors and also get pointers on how to promote the sport correctly. Hopefully by xmas, we will see the major sponsors signed and will drag the sport into the mainstream!

As for the licence fee's. Since you are in QLD (IIRC), I would contact:

Christine Steffens - 0419 019 236 [email protected]

She is the South QLD Divisional Director, and would be happy to see if there could be a proposal put forward to the QLD DC and NCC.

Maybe a licence that restricts you to Street Meets, and TnT's etc. Then if you wish to race at Bracket attacks, National Rounds etc, you have to pay more for the entry.

[9krpm]

Thanks for all of the information 1320ft. The information is very helpful and it's very kind of you to post that.

I almost got excited with the requirements until I realised that welding of any part of my existing cage to the car will deem it illegal on the QLD road.

As much as I wish to, that is not possible for me because I can only drive the car to the track.

I guess that will make me an ET chaser only