Willowbank Raceway would like to take this opportunity to clarify the status of its March 25/26 Top Fuel Championships event, in light of discussions currently taking place within the drag racing community.
“As many of you will know, the state of Queensland is currently undergoing a unprecedented weather situation,” said Willowbank Raceway Managing Director Steve Bettes.
First with the devastating floods which saw much of the South East of Queensland suffer severe damage, and now with the largest cyclone Australia has ever seen hitting North Queensland earlier this week.The drag racing community has not been immune to these disasters, with many officials, racers and fans continuing to be affected by the events of the past month, and the immediate surrounding suburbs of Willowbank Raceway were particularly hard hit, with deaths and total property loss in the area.
It is with this in mind, that the Managing Committee of Willowbank Raceway turned its thoughts to the viability of the March ANDRA Pro Series Event, in the face of such recent hardship for its local community.
With the health of the ANDRA Pro Series and of its participating teams and sponsors at front of mind, the committee decided that cancelling the event was not an option. Instead, extensive discussions between the ANDRA Pro Series Top Fuel teams and myself took place across the past week to create a one-off solution so that the event could go ahead, while protecting the interests of the championships, racers, officials, and Willowbank Raceway.
As a result of these conversations a deal has been struck where prizemoney will be paid on a ‘profit-sharing agreement’ with the ANDRA Pro Series Top Fuel teams taking part in the event. Communications are currently ongoing between myself and the teams of the Pro Stock Motorcycle and Top Bike categories, to finalise their arrangements.
Willowbank Raceway would like to make clear at this point that it is the responsibility of the track, not Drag Limited or any other organisation, to pay prizemoney to competitors in ANDRA Pro Series events.
We ask for your understanding and support during this time, while Queensland gets back on its feet. We will certainly be doing everything in our power to make this event a massive success, and we appreciate the cooperation and understanding the teams have shown us in ensuring that the event is viable no matter what the outcome in these uncertain times.
If you have any questions about the arrangement, please contact Steve Bettes on steve@willowbankraceway.com.au
