HAPPY NEW YEAR and best of luck for the coming racing season…. and you’re gonna need it.

This year’s National Championship is going to be an absolute cracker.  If you don’t think Santa was good enough to you, wait till you see what the Western Desert Racers have lined up for Round 1 at Easter at Smithy’s Place, Hyden, Western Australia.

If you want to test drive your car and you don’t like travelling, go to Donald.  If you want to race and be a part of the Australian Off Road Championship, pack your bongos and come to Hyden.

The hardest working committee in off-road racing in Australia has been working during the break over Christmas (and half of the guys have been taking the wheat off the paddocks) so you blokes can get out there in your cars at Easter.  The rest of us have been talking to sponsors, sorting out track drafts and trying to pack as much action into Easter this year as any off-roader could want!

It’s fantastic to see that ARB and the Statewide Group once again have jumped in to be our major sponsors, opening their hearts and their cheque books.  It’s great to see the generosity of other sponsors stepping up and keen to be a part of a professionally run event.  Madison Ceilings have thrown a wheelbarrow full of cash at us to try to get the Top Ten Shootout a real top ten shootout, not to mention Meridian Investigators (was I supposed to mention them?), Phillips Engineering, Hyden Hotel/Motel, Shell Travel Stop, Odin Road Hardware, Kerr Race Engineering, Drugscreen Australia, Pinjarra Engineering, Flash Fotos and Graphics, Great Southern Fuels, Hyde Park Hotel, Racer Imports, Searle Race Equipment, Wheels Of Wanneroo and Works Automotives.  The CAMS office has even opened early in an effort to allow us to get these supp regs out very early so you blokes can get into your planning.

Terry Rogers Signs has produced 2000 bigger “arrow-heads” because he reckons you blokes need them (that’s for you Hayden).  Outerbounds Racing, French Bros Racing and Meridian Investigators have produced a great little promotional disc which will be available shortly for your further enjoyment.

The committee has been particularly encouraged by the support and endorsement from not just the competitors and spectators but also the local shire members and business owners who have once again got behind this fantastic event, wanting to help and increase their input from last year, riding on the back of the success the event.  The committee also received a letter of commendation and thanks from the Shire President for bringing the championship to Hyden and a further endorsement that they will once again get behind this event because they see it as a fantastic promotional opportunity for Hyden and the surrounding areas.

We received many congratulatory notes and votes of support in taking the plunge and running a national round with competitors stating it was fantastic to see our national competition take a further step to becoming truly national so the efforts put in by our champions do reflect the fact that they have taken on every competitor in every country.  I look forward to the day that Tasmania once again runs an event. I can recall many years ago attending some of the very competitive inter-island challenges run at St Helens in Tasmania that were fully supported by off-roaders from the mainland.

In discussions with John Paterson recently, there were comments made about the possibility of “tow money” being made available for competitors.  The committee discussed this situation last year and felt that following the guidelines set down in the CAMS manual, viz: “Every competitor that enters an event must have an equal opportunity to win” paying “tow money” to any competitor would be an unfair advantage to some competitors regardless of the distance they have travelled.  The committee investigated other marques of national rounds held in Western Australia including Black Track Formula V, Formula Ford, historic and rally and found that no tow money was paid with any category although in some cases, sponsorship deals had been arranged on a more individual basis.

I’d be more than keen to pay Brian Robinson a bit of extra money to travel east to give you fellas a whopping but I don’t think that’s in the true spirit of the sport.

The committee did feel that the “a tyranny of distance” was a real consideration and did their best try to offset some of the costs normally incurred at a National Round.  If you didn’t notice and you wanted to check your receipts, you’d find that the entry fee last year was a lot less than that of other National Rounds.  Your “show bags” include the sort of gear you pay for at other events.  If you choose to sleep at the venue at Smithy’s Place the accommodation is free (flushing toilets and hot and cold showers).  Food and alcohol available at the venue, some 400km east of Perth, is provided at reasonable prices and is of excellent quality.  The beer is cold all weekend.  Pit lighting, the availability of repair gear (including welders), the onsite fuel, (that’s your race fuel at city prices), the fantastic experience of visiting Hyden in WA (not even charged for) and the goodwill extended by your off-roading cousins are just some of the benefits of competing at Hyden.  This all adds up to value for money plus, and you wouldn’t be seen dead in Victoria at Easter.

It is imperative that we, as national competitors, try to support all events to ensure that our championship is truly national so that we may approach major sponsors in the future with a serious series and not a quasi-national series.  Our sport has taken a huge step forward in that regard.  We are doing our best to encourage Western Australians to head across the border and race in the Eastern States and no doubt after Darian Smith’s Class 5 win last season, I know that there are other teams gearing up with transporters, sponsors and race cars to come over and give you guys a good whooping after Hyden.

THE BIG NEWS

The event will be a 400km off-road race comprising Round 1 of the 2006 Australian Off Road Championship and Round 2 of the WA State Off Road Championship.

The event will comprise three Sections.

Section 1 is a point-to-point race from the Start/Finish line at Smithy’s Place through 20 kilometres of track to the Hyden township.  This will be followed by a run of some 30 kilometres.  Park for lunch for an hour and a half and then return to the start/finish line at Smithy’s Place.  The entire length of Section 1 will be approximately 100 kilometres. 

Section 2 will be conducted on Saturday night, a short course dash format around a Prologue course, one at a time.

Section 3 will comprise three laps of a circuit around Smithy’s Place conducted on Sunday morning, with a lap distance of approximately 47 kilometres

Section 4 will comprise a further four laps around Smithy’s Place on Sunday afternoon, depending on the number of competitors challenging for the Australian Off Road Championship or the WA Off Road Championship.

EARLY ENTRY COMPETITION (FREE ENTRY TO THE WINNER

Once again we will be running an early entry incentive competition.  Entries that include payment received by 14 February 2006 (that’s Valentines Day because we love you) will go in the draw to have their entry fee refunded.

Normal entries close 1 April 2006.  (That’s April Fools Day because you would be a fool not to enter.)

Thursday 13 April 2006

Competitors are free to arrive and set up camp (Smithy’s Place).  The Legend’s Bar will be open, as will the shop.

Friday 14 April 2006

The track will be open for free reconnaissance.  The shop and bar will be open.  Scrutineering will start at 3.00 p.m. at the Hyden Hotel.  By 9.00 p.m. we hope to have scrutineering complete and during the day we may see some action from the quad bikes.

Saturday 15 April 2006

The shop will be open again and Prologue will commence in the morning around 9.00 a.m.  The bar will be open about 12.00 noon.

After a Top Ten Shootout we will kick off with Section 1 about 12.30 p.m.  There will be a parc ferme in the parking area at the centre of the Hyden township.  A light lunch will be served compliments of the Hyden Hotel (without alcohol).

Once the track is cleared, there will be a run back to Smithy’s Place.  Approximately 5.30 p.m., a one lap dash of the Prologue course will commence, finalising the day’s racing activities.  A cocktail party at the Legend’s Bar at 7.00 p.m. will round off the day.

Sunday 16 April 2006

The shop will be open at 8.00 a.m. for breakfast.  We will kick off the action with section 2 at about 9.30/10.00 a.m. and stop for lunch for an hour  Section 3 will start about 2.00 p.m.  At 6.00 p.m. we will have pre-dinner drinks at the Legends Bar and commence the formal/semi-formal bush dinner at 7.30 p.m. at the event tent to the rear of the Legends Bar.  There will be a trophy presentation which will go through till about 10.00 p.m. then some social activities.

At the track, there are plenty of videoing opportunities and spectator vantage points to take some great still shots; some within walking distance; some you can drive a sedan or 4WD to various points of the track through clearly marked access roads.

The Saturday morning section of the race track runs adjacent to the sealed road running into Hyden and crews and teams leaving Smithy’s Place and heading down the road will easily arrive at the Hyden township prior to the race vehicles arriving.  There are many viewing points en route.

The Hyden township is 19km west of Smithy’s Place and we hope to be running a shuttle service with the local shire bus back and forward - one, to allow transport access and two, obviously, for the drink driving situation.

There is a 24 hour BP fuel outlet (wholesaler card access) and a Shell service station/roadhouse that serves Shell Ultra fuel.  We have organised BP Ultra on site through Great Southern Fuel Supplies and we will know more about the price the closer we get to the event.  

For those of you who are planning to make the trek by road, it’s a great adventure.  Over the years we’ve been travelling west-east and east-west we find that the sooner you start organising, the more pain free the trip is.  The best bet is to grab yourself a group of guys from your local off-road club or family, hire a five tonne truck from Thrifty, hook a trailer on the back and maybe get a Thrifty bus or the usual 4WD and head towards the common meeting place in the middle of the Nullarbor (Eyre Highway)

If you’ve never seen central Australia, it’s a great time to have a look around with the family and enjoy the experience.  Your second stop could be gold city at Kalgoorlie which has a great lot of Australian history and a lot of activities for tourists.  Alternatively, there’s a road from Norseman to Hyden which will save you a few kilometres.

The weather will still be fairly warm (high twenties, low thirties) and the chance of rain about 1% and that will only be if we have cyclonic activity in the North West. 

The committee is still working hard to try to organise sponsorship and advantages to competitors and will keep you informed as we go.

Keep planning to get to hyden

It will be a fantastic off-road experience for those of you who didn’t attend last year and something that will be talked about for years to come.  If you have any doubts about how great this event is, please ring Australian Class 5 Champion Darian Smith and he’s sure to tell you.

ACCOMMODATION

Once you get to the race site, you can definitely do the accommodation on a budget at Smithy’s Place if you wish to.  However, a variety of accommodation is available for off-roaders for the event including…

Wave Rock Hotel (19km from race venue)

Phone: (08) 9880 5852

-        57 comfortable suites including three luxurious executive suites with spa;

-        In-house bar and private garden;

-        Billabong pool and gymnasium;

-        Coffee making facilities, fridge, phone;

-        Private facilities.

Wave Rock Resort (12km from race venue)

Phone: (08) 9880 5022

-        A new development of quality accommodation at affordable prices;

-        14 colonial style, two bedroom cottages, all with private facilities;

-        Can accommodate families and up to six or eight people.

Wave Rock Caravan Park Cabins (10km from race venue)

Phone: (08) 9880 5022

-        30 powered sites in a natural bush setting;

-        30 tent sites;

-        Close to Wave Rock;

-        On site vans.

On site accommodation at Smithy’s Place

(the greatest off-road venue in Australia)

Open paddock camping with facilities at the site including hot and cold showers, flushing toilets, the Legend’s Bar (open most hours), Desert Café (club shop), breakfast, lunch and dinner, good quality food at reasonably prices.  This venue is designed so competitors can arrive at Hyden, unload their gear and stay on site all weekend.

Supp Regs are available on this website now. Go here

Your Event Liaison Officer is Darian Smith (0427 801 608) who is one of a team of dedicated off-road enthusiasts who will answer your every requirement (including finding excuses for your wife or employer).

I can’t thank enough all of those members of the off-road family who have contacted me over the past 12 months endorsing our bid to run Hyden a second time and I look forward to seeing you all there.  I also look forward to seeing some new faces who didn’t experience Smithy’s Place last year.  Watch this spot.

Cheers

Ian French