Regional drag racing is going to have some spectacular facilities come online in the next year or so, one of which is Sprintmount Raceway in Cairns with the completion aimed for just a few months time.
In images released on their Facebook page, you can see the completion of the concrete barriers, and the concrete half of the drag strip itself, with the rest of the track and return road ready to be laid.
A open day was also held on site for locals to come out and check out the proceedings too.
The venue also issued the following statement via their Facebook page addressing many questions regarding the new venue:
There appears to be some confusion at the moment regarding several matters surrounding the Raceway and we would like to take the opportunity to clarify the current situation. In particular:
– Ownership/Management Structure
The facility is owned by FGF No. 1 Pty Ltd, being Murray Moule and Bruce (Blue) Williams.
The facility is leased to Springmount Raceway Pty Ltd, which is the entity responsible for the running of the facility. This company structure for the running of the facility is similar to that of some of the most successful race tracks / drag strips in the country, such as the Perth Motorplex. This structure has been chosen to protect the significant private investment which has been made in the track.
Evan Yelavich is the Managing Director of Springmount Raceway Pty Ltd. Murray Moule and Bruce Williams are board members of Springmount Raceway Pty Ltd.
Richard Robb is the Promoter and will take on a role in the Senior Officials Team.
At this stage, all enquiries should be directed to contact@springmountraceway.com
– Memberships
The Raceway’s membership system is a corporate membership system, as opposed to a club membership system. This is due to the Raceway being run as a Proprietary Limited company, not an Incorporated Association (i.e. club).
An example of a corporate membership system would be Accor or Qantas Club, whereby members are not shareholders and do not vote, but rather receive benefits in exchange for payment. In the case of the Raceway, members receive goods (i.e. shirt) and a membership card which will entitle them to discounted entry, racing and food at the track.
– Track Staff
As the Raceway is being run in a company structure, track staff/volunteers will be compensated for their time by Springmount Raceway Pty Ltd. Various options exist to ensure no impact on individuals’ tax situation, and further information will be provided to those who are interested in working at the track.
At this time, we are looking to assemble a Senior Officials Team, consisting of persons with at least some experience in running a race meeting. We currently have a few people on-board for these roles, however would like to hear from anybody else out there who may be suitable and interested.
Following selection of the Senior Officials Team, we will begin looking for people to fill other track positions, whether experienced or not. For those who put their names down at the Open Day, thank you, and we will contact you in the near future. For anybody else interested, please email us your contact details and we will contact you also in the near future.
– Town Planning Conditions
There are currently two (2) valid approvals relating to the Raceway, one allowing for night racing but requiring large noise barriers, and the other allowing for day racing only, without the large noise barriers.
While we eventually plan to install lights at race at night, initially we will only run day meetings on Saturdays, every 3 – 4 weeks. The current daytime-only approval allows for racing from 11am – 5pm, which we acknowledge is not long enough to run a good meeting, so we are currently negotiating with Council to provide for a few more hours of racing (particularly in the morning).
Other points we would like to clarify are:
· Camping will be allowed onsite and scrutineering will occur on the Friday night before a meeting for those interested.
· Up to two meetings per year can host classes up to Supercharged Outlaws and Nitro Outlaws.
· A further 10 meetings per year can host classes up to Super Sedan and Pro Stock (this should cater for all vehicles that are likely to run regularly at the track, however if you have a vehicle that you are concerned may not be able to run as regularly as you wish, please contact us).
· A weekend car show with burnouts at night has been allowed for (Northern Nats).
While we wish there were no restrictions at all, please acknowledge that we need to work with the Council and local residents on this. Over time we expect that it will become obvious that the facility does not create significant issues and changes to the approval may be made, if required.
– Track Progress/Opening Date
This week, the big job of pouring the concrete barriers begins. Photos will be provided in the next few weeks showing progress.
As for the opening date, at this stage we are looking at August/September. This has pushed back slightly from our estimated mid-year opening, however these things happen, and it is in part due to the desire to create a top-class facility and ensure that everything is as good as it can be before opening.
We will endeavour to provide as much notice as possible prior to the opening and hope to be able to confirm a date within the next 4 – 6 weeks.
Thank you all for your patience and support, and please keep an eye out for regular updates from here on in.
You can become a member or just check out further progress and detail on the new track by visiting their website www.springmountraceway.com or https://www.facebook.com/springmountraceway
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