Tierp drag strip

[Jon C]

If I won the Lottery (and bear in mind I only normally do it on double roll-overs, as I have some pretty expensive dreams...), I would promote a chicago-style event for Pro Modified... People have very rose-tinted memories of the CannonBall, but apart from it being a financial disaster for the promoters, I can actually remember maybe 3 or 4 events that were actually 'classics.'. The Fuel Funnies all broke, the alky cars picked up the pieces and this (IMHO) actually damaged AA/FC racing in Europe. Now if the format were revived, but with Pro Mods, that could be a classic. Pay sensible money and run it at Gardermoen weekend after Mantorp. I reckon if I threw enough cash at it we would get 30 plus cars there. Apologies for the hijack, I think Tierp will be fab. In a reccession is absolutely the best time to make this kind of investment because you can build it for far lower cost, and when the upturn comes, the facility is still there.

[Tet]

Jon C said:

Pay sensible money and run it at Gardermoen weekend after Mantorp.

I like the way you think. I loved racing at Gardermoen. Compared to the other tracks, the facilities are next to non-existent. But the track is awesome, and the people were great. All in all, it was my favourite round of the tour (and not just because of our #1 qualifier, either, although that certainly helped make it a good weekend). I understand some of the reasons why it's no longer on the FIA tour, but I'd still like to see it return.

[Burndown]

If you are going to go to all of the effort of organising a cannonball style event outside of the FIA championship, I think you would be better just to run an extra event at Tierp the weekend after Mantorp and include it in the Championship.

[robc3303]

Burndown said:

If you are going to go to all of the effort of organising a cannonball style event outside of the FIA championship, I think you would be better just to run an extra event at Tierp the weekend after Mantorp and include it in the Championship.

The European equivalent of "the Western Swing" !! Not a bad idea, back to back races.

[nitro507]

Back to back races sounds great, but the crews will find it even harder to attend all the races.I gave up 14 days holiday to do 5 races and i have to balance that with a home life.I think this may apply to a lot of the "pro" crews.However,i am all for expanding the championship,but someone will have to pay!!

[robc3303]

June 10 12th

FIA/UEM Round 2 of 6 ! (UEM of 7)

[wicked fish]

you could count out all of the brits from that one!

[Burndown]

Ah, that's why the Summer nationals is later next year

[wicked fish]

Burndown said:

Ah, that's why the Summer nationals is later next year

Two weeks befour Alastaro same as last year

[robc3303]

They've yet to build the facility yet ! But...

Say they progress well and the strip is ready for next June and the sixth round is confirmed... then on the face of it a brand new 20,000 seater drag strip in Europe is great news. But from what I've learnt from this thread is that all the hard work is yet to come regarding expanding the championship. That is with growth, where do the funds come from to encourage / support teams to participate in six rounds ?

Maybe the best funded teams with decent sponsorship will be able to participate in all six and are ready to go. However, can the sport evolve financially ? Will it get to a point where the "pro" classes have a reward / funding scheme in place that, if not providing full time professional fees (a world away I know), will at least be strong enough incentive to get most players to all six rounds ?

Not expecting all the answers here as this is one evolutionary step, but one in a certain direction.. expansion. Will the drivers and teams be able to compete in all six in coming years ?

[wicked fish]

For Tierp to be ready to hold a fia event next june is well beyong the relms of posibility

but to indulge in your imagination as i said befour it will be great to have a world class track but right now a 6 round tour would be very difficult, If not impossible for me personaly, money yes but more importantly time,

Edited by wicked fish on Tuesday 26th October 20:53

[Taximan]

wicked fish said:

For Tierp to be ready to hold a fia event next june is well beyong the relms of posibility

In november 1999 I was at Las Vegas standing next to the Nascar track and there was no dragfacility yet, in april 2000 they ran one of the first 4-second Funny Car runs at 'The Strip'...

Edited by Taximan on Tuesday 26th October 21:28

[wicked fish]

Taximan said:

wicked fish said:

For Tierp to be ready to hold a fia event next june is well beyong the relms of posibility

In november 1999 I was at Las Vegas standing next to the Nascar track and there was no dragfacility yet, in april 2000 they ran the first 4-second Funny Car run at 'The Strip'...

Edited by Taximan on Tuesday 26th October 21:26

I dont think it snowed in vegas for 4 months whilst they were trying to build it and of cource when its built the FIA will have to approve it
hell of a lot more red tape here than in the US,

[Geoff Stilwell]

Anything is possible. If everyone shared the same opinion nothing would get done! I personally hope it is up and running, then perhaps the FIA tour with the expansion of races will attract more spectators, hence more TV, more Sponsor airtime etc etc. Out of interest I was in Berlin a few weeks ago and drove out to the wastelands as it's called of the old East Germany. There are loads of disused airfields and the one i went to a had a 4 mile runway and was flat as a pancake. Audi/VW now own it and use it as a test track .....it would be a fabulous race track.

[wicked fish]

Geoff Stilwell said:

Anything is possible. If everyone shared the same opinion nothing would get done! I personally hope it is up and running, then perhaps the FIA tour with the expansion of races will attract more spectators, hence more TV, more Sponsor airtime etc etc. Out of interest I was in Berlin a few weeks ago and drove out to the wastelands as it's called of the old East Germany. There are loads of disused airfields and the one i went to a had a 4 mile runway and was flat as a pancake. Audi/VW now own it and use it as a test track .....it would be a fabulous race track.

sorry Geoff but anything is not possible, some things are just plain impossible, whats the "if everyone thought the same as me all about then???
i cant help it if you lot live in dream land
Tierp race track will not be hosting an fia event in june 2011 period when i last spoke to Lars-Eric it was behind schedule,

expanding the fia tour will only benifit the already sponsored teams and the local teams,
It wont generate more racers or more paying public bearing in mind its only a couple of hundred ks from mantorp and in fact could dilute the racers we have,
When that track is ready it will be an asset to european drag racing it wont be the magic bullet most of you seem to think it will be

the only way a new track would win in that situation is to be in another country altogether then it may generate racers and an audience,

I have a lot more invested in this sport than most people realize i could easily be running a TF car or fuel funny for less than i spend now, I have a lot to lose or gain by seeing this sport shrink or grow so making like im the unimaginative uncaring dream killer is way wrong
but i also live in the real world
you lot should try it

Edited by wicked fish on Tuesday 26th October 22:17

[Geoff Stilwell]

You have taken my comments out of context. I merely said "if everyone shared the same opinion" and not everyone does. It was not a personal slight on you. We are all entitled to an opinion and your opinion is that it won't be able to hold a race. So be it. I just hope as do many others that they can get it ready and if the FIA can give Korea approval 2 weeks before a race then there is hope.

[wicked fish]

Geoff Stilwell said:

You have taken my comments out of context. I merely said "if everyone shared the same opinion" and not everyone does. It was not a personal slight on you. We are all entitled to an opinion and your opinion is that it won't be able to hold a race. So be it. I just hope as do many others that they can get it ready and if the FIA can give Korea approval 2 weeks before a race then there is hope.

actuly at some point next year they do hope to hold a race but it wont be a fia race, the dates are set,
and even when the track gets finnished it still has to be approved by the fia for use by pro cars that means cars have to go there and run representitive times to even be concidered for a permit, do you suppose the fia will introduce a race meeting mid season? not a chance and if they did it would be poorly attended cause everyone plans their year round the published fia /Uem calender


As far as i know the circit in Korea was on the fia F1 schedule since day 1,
it just needed to be signed off it wasnt dumped into the schedule 2 weeka after it was finnished

Edited by wicked fish on Tuesday 26th October 22:25

[Benni]

Geoff Stilwell said:

...........to the wastelands as it's called of the old East Germany.
There are loads of disused airfields and the one i went to a had a 4 mile runway and was flat as a pancake.
Audi/VW now own it and use it as a test track .....it would be a fabulous race track.

Hi Geoff,
first : you seem to be special guy, as Ehra-Lessien is totally "off-limits" for the general public,
maybe even some UK guys will know the word "Sperrzone" from (c)old war films, it is still the word there, spoken by VW.

second : forget it. I saw the rise and fall of MZA Luckau, the only real Drag Race track in east germany,
in fact the only permanent Drag Race track in ALL of germany, ever.
No other german promotor will ever try again to establish a DR track again,
because of the huge investments/paperwork involved and always threatened with low income on rainy race days.
There are smaller tracks on east & west german airfields but only on sportsman & "tuning-cars" level,
restricted by noise levels /track length & layout / lack of infrastructure.

Maybe a move even more eastward has potential,
as done by UEM in Hungary but there remains a lot to be done/invested to turn it into a FIA round / 4 second track.
The southern parts of Europe also have a big public interest in auto racing but will the racers travel there ?
There has been talk about a track in Italy, we will see if it becomes reality.

As for Tierp, I hope it will turn out to be as great as the drawings,
and will somehow fit into the FIA/UEM calendar, it not next year then later.

[Geoff Stilwell]

Hi Benni, I am lucky as i have been there a few times....and i don't work for VW/Audi. I do know what you mean and sadly its just in the wrong place. But what a fantastic place. I stood in one of the metre thick walled MIG hangars looking down 4 miles of flat tarmac and thought WOW!!! If you know of the place then you will know it's a city in the forest.

[wicked fish]

Geoff Stilwell said:

Hi Benni, I am lucky as i have been there a few times....and i don't work for VW/Audi. I do know what you mean and sadly its just in the wrong place. But what a fantastic place. I stood in one of the metre thick walled MIG hangars looking down 4 miles of flat tarmac and thought WOW!!! If you know of the place then you will know it's a city in the forest.

I bet kunmadaras with the right input and financing would be a great strip for cars its long and wide,
pain in the ass to get to but not as bad as finland for the mainland europeans,
but i spoke to the promotor he was at the main event he said there had been a change of government in hungary
and he had no idea if he could get the support from the new government anymore,

that was an interesting place,

southern europe?? south of france north or mid spain would be good and do able
Italy???
sorry Italy is bandit country according to truck insurers, drivers being assulted and documents/loads stolen almost art will, I for 1 would never send a rig there with the racecar