pete wood wrote:Is there any chance of running a similar event here in Sydney?
It would take a lot of VWs racing and large spectator support to get "just vw" racing at W.S.I.D..
I am involved in a rod/kustom/pre 70 drag day which is held at WSID in March. We need minimum 40 cars @ $200 each (that includes 8 entry tickets) and nothing faster than 11 seconds. This year we had all the cars running as many runs as they wished. Were able to put on our own catering and such. Couldn't open to the public per se but could sell packs of 6 spectator tickets prior to the day.
An alternative to a just vw day in Sydney would be to have 2 VW brackets (pro - sub 11 sec and racer 11sec+) along with a muscle class (say 8 cars in chicago shootout), a rod class, an exhibition class and a couple of group 2-4 cars in test and tune. This could prove to have enough "interest" for WSID to take the risk of recouping the $ rather than the limitations of a track hire.
As to Dave's question. Even though most of the "serious" racers are heading up to Warwick, some of the sponsorship money being offered to those drawcards as travel assistance (scaled by distance) would ensure early sign up and commitment.
We need to remember that this "a first" and as "a first" it is expected that a lot of people will wait and see what it was like before deciding to invest their hard-earned on "the next". For those reasonably local it isn't such an impost on time and money. For those from Sydney, Melbourne etc it is a 4 figure investment.
Clubs (eewww) also need to support this type of event which supports their hobby. In the rod/kustom scene we actively set up billeting arrangements. Travellers are assured before committing that a bed is available for them. We regularly have visitors from VIC and the ACT staying when they travel for events in Sydney. Likewise, rides and/or accomodation has been arranged for when we travel.
[ Edited on 3-8-2006 by HotRodMatt ]