"I am representing Tumotulow Car Club, a group of about 30 young drivers, most of us on our P licenses, and most of us driving highly modified cars every day. We love serious motor racing, but the idea of constructing sole purpose racecars, and travelling for hours to get to events is beyond the means of most of us. So this leaves most of our members with nothing to do but 'hoon' on the public roads, using the cars we've modified ourselves, as professionally built cars are, again, out of our reach.

Also, we are faced with the problem of our preferred motorsport, a sport called "drift" requires it's own time on the track, away from the serious circuit racers. Queensland Raceway holds a few drift days every now and then (less than monthly), and all over Australia professionals and amateurs compete in the Drift Nationals.

So the only way to satisfy our desires to practice and have fun in this sport is to take it to an abandoned industrial estate and do it illegally, which has a great danger of accidents, regardless of how "fully skilled, bro" we think we are. We aren't proud of illegal street racing and drifting, and we try to warn members off it, but people under 24 have little patience for the cramped conditions of motorsport in Queensland.

So far I have never heard of anyone being seriously injured in an illegal drift session, but seeing as our sport is based on over and understeering and sustaining powerslides, on a public road, eventually there will be a disaster. Which is where Lakeside Raceway would be very useful to our generation. A local, supervised raceway, with the help of experienced drivers and organised competition would give us a place to wear out our tires and pop head gaskets with such frequency, we would be able to "save it for the track" as the authorities put it.

The local automotive businesses would have many new, youthful customers, and the youth road toll, I can promise, will diminish. Our club is very well connected with both businesses and people in the Kurwongbah/Narangba area, and could bring lots of attention and support to your cause. I think a few of us are sons of politicians, too, but I'll have to check that one. From petition handing out, to donations, to voluntary labour you will have the clubs complete support in opening Lakeside Raceway for business again."

Name Withheld

Mr Milton predicted,

"From the mouth's of babes, it's only a matter of time before we experience a "disaster" like we saw in Sydney last week. The kids know it, we know it, but Council likes to pretend they don't have any responsibility regarding this issue."

The Pine Rivers Shire Council purchased the 43 year old circuit in 2001 and immediately stopped motor racing, even though the facility is heritage listed by the State Government to preserve the culture of the site.

Ian Milton said,

"Nearly 2 years ago the PRSC made application to appeal the heritage listing, but it hasn't taken any action to move the process forward. Only the Council can move the appeal toward resolution, but they are hiding behind the process and can maintain this state of paralysis as long as it suits them."

 

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