Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

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gorilla monsoon
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Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby gorilla monsoon » Tue Oct 23, 2012 1:33 pm

IPSWICH CYCLING CLUB TO CALL WILLOWBANK RACEWAY HOME

Willowbank Raceway is pleased to announce a joint venture with Ipswich City Council and Ipswich Cycling Club to make Queensland’s premier drag racing facility the home of cycling in Ipswich.

Under the three x three year term entered into recently, which follows on from 12 months of an informal arrangement, the Ipswich Cycling Club will conduct races at Willowbank Raceway several times each month on Sunday mornings.

Willowbank Raceway Managing Director Steve Bettes said each event is expected to host hundreds of cyclists, who can now compete in the completely safe environment provided by Willowbank Raceway.

“While the club members needn’t worry about the hazards of the road when competing at Willowbank Raceway, there are still plenty of challenges on-hand for them,” said Bettes.

“With many variations in track length and surfaces providing for high speeds along the drag strip and challenging low speed corners, events held at the Raceway will provide a true ‘road-like’ experience.

“We couldn’t be happier to be welcoming such a key member of the Ipswich community to our facility. While they may be slightly different to the two-wheeled machines we are used to seeing here, after some of the events they have held here I can say they truly can pack a punch when they hit the Willowbank Raceway track!”

Ipswich Cycling Club managing committee member Graeme Hancock said Willowbank Raceway was a perfect venue for the club, and thanked the Ipswich City Council for their support.

“The Ipswich Cycling club is very excited about the collaboration with Willowbank Raceway and Ipswich City Council which provides us with a traffic free competition venue,” said Hancock.

“The facilities are unique in the cycling world, with all of the amenities you could ever want and a dozen or more optional tracks ranging from 400m circuits to a 4.5km route which takes in almost the entire Willowbank Raceway complex and is ideal for time trialling.

“The piece de resistance is the 4km one-way circuit which has just had drainage and bitumen works done by the Ipswich City Council, allowing us to eliminate any two-way traffic spots for larger races whilst keeping technically challenging corners, up and down grades and a section on the drag strip in play.”

Ipswich mayor Paul Pisasale said council was pleased to support this new partnership between two key sporting organisations in the Ipswich area.

“Funding from Ipswich City Council enabled works to upgrade existing internal roads and in the near future installation of a new gate to further improve safety during cycling events. Ipswich Cycling Club now has a ready-made circuit with access to amenities for both competitors and spectators,” Cr Pisasale said.

“This is a win-win for cycling and Willowbank Raceway.”

The first event to be held under the new arrangement will take place at Willowbank Raceway this Sunday.



Why can't there be more co-operation on this kind of scale?
Not my circus, not my monkeys

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gossy
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby gossy » Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:25 pm

WOW!!! Bicycle at the drags.

Who would ever have thought that?

Combining my 2 favourite sports.

Great initiative by Willowbank Raceway and to all involved.

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winstonw
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby winstonw » Tue Oct 23, 2012 2:32 pm

Yes, that's a great outcome. I've only ever seen and heard good stuff about Paul Pissasale. He really has done a lot of good for Ippy.

HPRW CC in Brisbane races at Lakeside Motor Race Track, but the council has nothing to do with that facility, and the track administrators and their car racing cronies have given the CC the raw prawn many times.

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Marto
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby Marto » Tue Oct 23, 2012 3:04 pm

Seems to have a fair variety of tracks (see aerial photo). A velodrome would top it off nicely, and compensate for the loss of the old velodrome in Ipswich :mrgreen:

Can't wait for the bicycle drags!
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DavidI
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby DavidI » Tue Oct 23, 2012 3:15 pm

The only possible criticism I could make is that it should have happened years ago when I still lived in Ipswich!
But seriously, kudos to all involved from both cycling and motor sport communities, and to council for supporting this too. I look forward to trying out the facility one day when I've trimmed down to a more raceworthy physique

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Lukeyboy
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby Lukeyboy » Tue Oct 23, 2012 5:16 pm

I've never low sided it into the gravel traps at Queensland Raceway on a bicycle before :lol: :lol:

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biker jk
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby biker jk » Tue Oct 23, 2012 7:17 pm

That's great news. We in Sydney can race at the Western Sydney International Dragway. Just get used to dragster tyre rubber sticking to your tyres. My bike tyres are covered in black sticky spots after a race.

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gorilla monsoon
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby gorilla monsoon » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:10 pm

I reckon the Eastern Creek (oops, sorry, Sydney Motorsport Park) circuit would be a fun ride. Has anyone done it?
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jasonc
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby jasonc » Wed Oct 24, 2012 12:40 pm

biker jk wrote:That's great news. We in Sydney can race at the Western Sydney International Dragway. Just get used to dragster tyre rubber sticking to your tyres. My bike tyres are covered in black sticky spots after a race.
they don't sweep it first?

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foo on patrol
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby foo on patrol » Fri Oct 26, 2012 5:30 pm

This is my old club and we tried to get out there when I was racing many years ago but there was to much negativity about it. :x

I wish that they would build a new Velodrome out there as well and then you would have a truly fantastic cycling precinct, without the worry of mongrels getting on the track and doing burnouts. :mrgreen:

Foo
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Bentnose
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby Bentnose » Fri Oct 26, 2012 5:33 pm

I've raced at Sandown raceway before, I don't know why more racetracks aren't used for bike races.
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biker jk
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby biker jk » Fri Oct 26, 2012 6:50 pm

jasonc wrote:
biker jk wrote:That's great news. We in Sydney can race at the Western Sydney International Dragway. Just get used to dragster tyre rubber sticking to your tyres. My bike tyres are covered in black sticky spots after a race.
they don't sweep it first?
No broom is going to remove that sticky rubber from the tarmac.

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biker jk
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby biker jk » Fri Oct 26, 2012 6:52 pm

gorilla monsoon wrote:I reckon the Eastern Creek (oops, sorry, Sydney Motorsport Park) circuit would be a fun ride. Has anyone done it?
Yes it is a fun circuit. One very fast and tricky corner and quite a few short sharp hills to make it a challenge.

Greystoke
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby Greystoke » Fri Oct 26, 2012 10:43 pm

Lukeyboy wrote:I've never low sided it into the gravel traps at Queensland Raceway on a bicycle before :lol: :lol:
Not actually Qld Raceway, it is Willowbank raceway that the deal is with. Qld Raceway is the circuit track that the V8 Supercars use, Willowbank is the drag strip. They are 2 separate entities albeit side by side in the one precinct. Still will allow for plenty of possibilities using the strip, ring road, return road and staging lanes and competitors carpark.

GH
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby GH » Sat Oct 27, 2012 7:57 pm

I may have missed it, but there is also a cycling club based at the Lakeside circuit. They use it early mornings every weekend, before the car racing starts. So its not a first for Brissy, but good to see cycling getting some recognition amongst the established and often under utilised race tracks.

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Lukeyboy
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Re: Go Ipswich! A feel-good yarn for once.

Postby Lukeyboy » Sat Oct 27, 2012 8:19 pm

Greystoke wrote:
Lukeyboy wrote:I've never low sided it into the gravel traps at Queensland Raceway on a bicycle before :lol: :lol:
Not actually Qld Raceway, it is Willowbank raceway that the deal is with. Qld Raceway is the circuit track that the V8 Supercars use, Willowbank is the drag strip. They are 2 separate entities albeit side by side in the one precinct. Still will allow for plenty of possibilities using the strip, ring road, return road and staging lanes and competitors carpark.
In that case I'll have to drop the psi in the wheels and put some plastic bags and strings on the back :lol: :lol:

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