Nats Accident

I wnet to summernats 1,2,3, and chevnats 1,2,3, Never been since. I came second to Chic Henry in the burnouts of chevnats 2 and all was good. He was a nice man, who held good events. I prepare alot of cars that go there now and have for the last 5 years. From what my mates tell me and what I've heard in the background on the phone after 10pm, well it aint a safe place for kids or girls!!!!!!!!!!! I guess the time frame is just getting earlier!!!!! PLEASE dont let someone DIE before we ALL wake up to ourselves!!!! I have kids and would love to have taken them this year, so glad I didn't!!!!

[Charliewool]

Originally Posted by ORSMXR

Mate you must have left early and not stuck around for the Saturday night entertainment of bozzed up crowds forcing guys to do burnouts while a crowd of 1 to 2 hundred people watching inches away from the car and then giving death threats to the security if they intervine so much goes on when the sun goes down as guys that have been going for years will agree with me this an event that is getting out of hand evry year it's on...

Have times REALLY changed much? This stuff has been going on for ever... Remember...Narrandera?, Remember... Shepparton? in late 70's early 80's.
Now, at least, it's all in a controlled area! God, I remember Narrandera's streets one night was like a scene from "Escape from New York"
We DO need events like this, Ban them and it will just go underground AND totally out of control!

[Hunter]

Originally Posted by nudge

2. Drifting cars on GRAVEL is what the old HDT Stunt drivers( Stormriders i think they call themself now) have been doing for about the last 20 odd years with no major accidents that i can ever recall.

The Holden Precision Driving team had an acco recently here in Brisbane - went through the fence of RNA Showgrounds main event ring during practice recently I think.

Personally I think the event organisers should have realised that staging such an event on a dirt track ringed only by a crappy chainlink fence was a really dangerous idea. I don't care how skillfull the drivers are or aren't, there is clearly potential for disaster by holding that sort of event without adequate and proper safety measures. They could be the most super-dooper advanced driver evar but what if they had a mechanical failure and lost control anyway?

Also, whilst banning alcohol might seem like the best solution and might get rid of the deadИИИИИ bogans, they'll still drink one way or another - be it getting full before hand or sneaking booze in.

[Choca]

all in all accidents happen and its unfortunate but we can't all live wrapped in bubble wrap or life would be very boring!

Personally I had a great time at the nats I did crap at go to whoa but i gave it a go, when i did my grass events itwas raining and i spun out many a time but it wa the most fun i've had on a very long time.

The summernats is a great event that yes at night can get a bit rowdy, but everyone know's this so if you don't like it don't go at night.

It's all about choice and responsability guys, I choose to go to summernats every year and I am responsable for my own actions, I have always ahad fun and have never come into any harm.

Cancelling such events isn't the answer!

These events ARE needed!!!!!! No doubt!!! To get technical which I raerely like to do when I'm at home. At minimum they should have had the chain link fence replaced with concrete barriers as used in QLD Indy and MELB F1 They are removable but cost too much for Chic, then a 1 metre gap back to a 2 meter chain link fence for any events like this. Hell I used to race speedway sidecars and we used horse trotting tracks for long track event and we only had crowds of 10000 people but they made us use the proper safety messures!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who the hell LETS KIDS GET HURT?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Call me event organiser on 02046257629 because you are ИИИИ!!!!

[Josh_XC]

Originally Posted by Choca

all in all accidents happen and its unfortunate but we can't all live wrapped in bubble wrap or life would be very boring!

Personally I had a great time at the nats I did crap at go to whoa but i gave it a go, when i did my grass events itwas raining and i spun out many a time but it wa the most fun i've had on a very long time.

The summernats is a great event that yes at night can get a bit rowdy, but everyone know's this so if you don't like it don't go at night.

It's all about choice and responsability guys, I choose to go to summernats every year and I am responsable for my own actions, I have always ahad fun and have never come into any harm.

Cancelling such events isn't the answer!

In that respect i agree, hey was ur car the EL falcon,, umm white (one EL falcon sounded freaking awesome at the driving events, loved it? was it yours?

[Choca]

Originally Posted by Josh_XC

In that respect i agree, hey was ur car the EL falcon,, umm white (one EL falcon sounded freaking awesome at the driving events, loved it? was it yours?

Possibly its an EF its very loud heres a pic

[Josh_XC]

hahah awesome thats the one i saw at the grass events. Sorry for highjacking the thread, but yeh, just awesome car man lol.

[Choca]

Originally Posted by Josh_XC

hahah awesome thats the one i saw at the grass events. Sorry for highjacking the thread, but yeh, just awesome car man lol.

Yeah I had an awesome time on the grass I wasn't really concerned with getting a good time lol

[Josh_XC]

Originally Posted by Choca

Yeah I had an awesome time on the grass I wasn't really concerned with getting a good time lol

yeh i could tell i watched ur run, hahah it looked like u were having fun, hopefully next year my car will be up to that standard even though summernats does have its down, to be an entrant it seems like it will be a blast.

[KOUPE76]

Originally Posted by Choca

I find it really annoying when people pass comment when the have no real back ground on the subject

Is that because you're a Camberrian??

Hmm seem to have shut this thread down with a common sense statement!!!!! Makes sense!!!!

[MNM96]

Originally Posted by Choca

They won't can it, it brings to much money into the nation. "They've"never tried to shut it down on individuals and groups have

How much money does it "bring into the nation? To do this, would require a large Foreign contingent to visit solely for this event! Oh yeah, Boganeese people don't count as foreigners!
_2:

And before you get back up on your Criers Stand, I went to the first 4 Nats, as a Spectator, and the 5th as a Competitor (until car was stolen). Chance occured about 4 years ago that I was in Canberra, and again visited. Only served to remind me why I said I would never return, which I stand by today.
Lastly, rather than spend the evening contemplating the Pro's and Con's of Chic's show, lets hope the Boy recovers!

[greenman43]

My 5c worth as well, as I was also there. Sad accident aside, a couple of things struck me :

1. The big entry fee - possibly due to high (and almost certainly rising) public liability insurance, but maybe also due to said promoter lining his pockets. Perhaps good value for a full day, but hard to justify ? I don't remeber what last year cost, but had a feeling it was more like $25-30 - does anyone recall ?

2. Being told at the gate that I couldn't take any container larger than 600ml in. I offered to drink half a 1-litre bottle of water, but apparently that wasn't good enough for the fat sack of sht of a security guard. When I dropped it in the bin outside, I noticed it was full of the same thing (big water bottles). How friggin' irresponsible is this ? No doubt designed to further line the promoter's pockets, how about the poor b-stards who can barely scrape together the entry fee (not saying it's a problem for me), and then perhaps go without enough water for the rest of the day ? I'd like to see someone collapse for heat exhaustion, then sue the a.se off the promoter for deprivation of water (tough to prove, but wouldn't the media love that).

Alcohol : like most Aussie blokes, I like a medicinal ale [actually, no, I love an ice-cold VB], and I had two while wandering around. I'd be disappointed to see that this is no longer available to me, but if it keeps the brain-dead fkwts in better control, then I'm all for it.

Last year was my first visit, and I'd like to go again next year and have a good look at the cars and the trade stalls, perhaps even attend the concert, but I'm convinced that the driving (as in cruising around the ring road) is a huge accident waiting to happen. Guys who don't necessarily have a lot of experience being egged on by the morons, lighting up the tyres on a 500+hp car with the crowd mere feet away; all it will take is a very brief loss of control, and you'll have absolute carnage.

I went along with my stepson, who is in the military and has lived in Canberra for a number of years ; he had heard about it, and was curious to see what it was like. He expected the bogans, but the one comment that sticks out was 'Geez, the way they're carrying on, I reckon a lot of these blokes must be virgins who have never seen a real bare t.t in their life'. As he said, I'd certainly never take a woman along there.

One man's opinion and all that,
Brian

Here,here!!!!!!!!!!!!greenman are you a relo???? ROFLMAO

[Bucknaked]

Originally Posted by trikee

those 2 trucks weren't selling anything. i was actually in the carlton draught truck talking to the guy in there and for legal reasons and promotional legal reasons, they werent aloowed to sell either product. so they cant be blamed,

Are you sure. Cause we went to the JD truck, did the tour of the display on 1 mover and the one with the bar opened while we were there. I was with Vic who knows the barman. They started serving JD while we was there.

[b2tf]

Every year after Nats there are always people saying it will be (or should be) the last one. An incident like this just makes the calls louder and further.

Personally I dont find em my cup of tea, Revfest last yr was a much smaller one but even that I didnt find all that appealing. There are undoubtedly people who go religiously and have a ball, and thats great cos thats the idea, but I think what'll happen now is that the stigma that has been attached to Summernats for a long time now will keep growing to a point where the event will become so restricted that even the faithful will not bother to go. Sad but true.

[rodderz]

In this day and age of health & safety and all the BS that goes with it, I found it surprising that there were no safety barriers along the fence, or some sort of boundary line for the cars....even if the stunt drivers drove to the conditions, accidents do happen

The summernats has been around for years and is a yearly highlight for revheads, but as said above they will need to watch out with their OH & S guidelines not to give the pedestrian fellas a reason to try to ban them

[Bucknaked]

Summernats is an event where bogans gather, get drunk, enter their cars and yell out profanities at women. They are ugly individual's. I think they should be beaten around the head.

I know they were looking to take this event elsewhere years ago. Maybe it should be back on the agenda. ACT government won't be happy with slide on public safety and only to hear the promoter informing them of the disclaimer in order to save their own buts. It's disgraceful. I would have thought they would show a little more concern that 5 people got injured. Could have been far more serious. Thankfully, no-one died.

The only people who will sad to see the nats leave Canberra are the ACT residents who actually attend this event. No-one else in Canberra will care and will be happy to see it go. I enjoy going to the nats, but if it was run out of town, I'm not phased.

Regardless of the skill level of the drivers involved, that crowd should have been behind something more than a wire fence. Just like the burnout track. Gravel is an unpredicatable surface. Allow people to get up close with the action is only asking for trouble.

Good to see some people with a brain make comment!!! I love the event and would hate to see it canned!!!!! You can have a family day or you can be a total and utter f..2345wit if you wish!! each to their own, just run the event properly!!!

[Yellow Fire]

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Summernats is an event where bogans gather, get drunk, enter their cars and yell out profanities at women. They are ugly individual's. I think they should be beaten around the head.

I doubt I'll change your mind, but if you compare the entrants going through scrutineering on Wednesday/Thursday with the bogans on Saturday night you may find they are different people.

All the entrants I know just roll their eyes at the bogans who rock up on Saturday morning.

[Bossxr8]

I saw the incident on TV, and was extrememly suprised they let this type of drifting on a gravel track with only a ИИИИy little fence for safety. Whoever thought they wouldn't need a concrete barrier is a brainless moron. 1000 hp driftcars on gravel with a small fence with people lining the track is a recipe for disaster, they should have seen it coming. Very poor organisation.

[HP Dude]

Originally Posted by Donut King

for mine the biggest dissapointment about the deal was chic henry on the PA system reminding people about the disclaimers about motorsport being dangerous on the back of their tickets....

Believe me, those disclaimers are absolutely worthless if he has breached his duty of care to the patrons of this upstanding event, by say, for example, not providing adequate fencing or safe distances/buffers between patrons and out of control utes....

Remember, disclaimers aren't worth the paper they're written on if there has been any kind of negligence which would render the organiser/wrongdoer otherwise liable in tort.

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by Yellow Fire

I doubt I'll change your mind, but if you compare the entrants going through scrutineering on Wednesday/Thursday with the bogans on Saturday night you may find they are different people.

All the entrants I know just roll their eyes at the bogans who rock up on Saturday morning.

Of course there's different groups of people and I bet half the entrants hate the bogans as much as everybody else, but the fact is that you wont get rid of the bogans unless you get rid of the event. You cant deny entry to people on the grounds that they look "slightly bogan-ish". You should be able to, but you cant!

[Yellow Fire]

Originally Posted by back2thefutura

Of course there's different groups of people and I bet half the entrants hate the bogans as much as everybody else, but the fact is that you wont get rid of the bogans unless you get rid of the event. You cant deny entry to people on the grounds that they look "slightly bogan-ish". You should be able to, but you cant!

Sometimes you just have to roll your eyes & know that Johnny Bogan & his mates will never own a decent car & still be stocking shelves at Woolies when they are 35

I've seen plenty of boganish behaviour at football games over the years but I'm still happy to go watch my team play.

[ten[A]cio[U]s]

Yeah i was there aswell. Was terrible to watch and see the reaction. But still even if the guys were stunt drivers, they shouldnt of let an event like that take place without a protective fence.. But best part is noone was killed..

The nats are a good event. I hope they sue the hell out the said person and it gets taken over by someone who cares about cars AND PEOPLE!!!

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by fasty

The nats are a good event. I hope they sue the hell out the said person and it gets taken over by someone who cares about cars AND PEOPLE!!!

If that happens you can kiss the Nats goodbye. Legal action like that would kill any chances of getting insurance ever again, and no insurance = no event.

[347_XR8]

Geez, i posted this, this morning. I never thought it would get the replies that it has, just goes to show that this means alot to people.
I have never been to Summernats, and with all the drunken misbehaviour every-year there is less and less chance of me going

[Falchoon]

Originally Posted by greenman43

My 5c worth as well, as I was also there. Sad accident aside, a couple of things struck me :

1. The big entry fee - possibly due to high (and almost certainly rising) public liability insurance, but maybe also due to said promoter lining his pockets. Perhaps good value for a full day, but hard to justify ? I don't remeber what last year cost, but had a feeling it was more like $25-30 - does anyone recall ?

I bought a Season Pass (4 day pass), cost was $98 which I'm sure was the same price as last year.

Has anyone really got a clue as to how it costs to put an event of this magnitude on? It's a fulltime job for dozens of people, then there are all the hundreds of extra staff that are required for the actual Nats time. There would be probably at least 100 security staff alone (OK they are contract, but they still need to be paid for). There is hire of NATEX, not just for the four days but at least a week leading up to Summernats and a week afterwards while everything is packed away again. The hire of the Racecourse accross the road for Scruiteneering. All the scaffold seating at the burnout track and Dyno Cell needs to be paid for. Chic Henry paid to build the burnout strip in the first place, how many $100,000 do you think that cost? Summernats is the only event that requires this facility, the dog show or the markets don't need it. All the plastic water filled barriers and other temporary fencing needs to be paid for as well. I'm sure there are many other things that I haven't mentioned.

Originally Posted by greenman43

2. Being told at the gate that I couldn't take any container larger than 600ml in. I offered to drink half a 1-litre bottle of water, but apparently that wasn't good enough for the fat sack of sht of a security guard. When I dropped it in the bin outside, I noticed it was full of the same thing (big water bottles). How friggin' irresponsible is this ? No doubt designed to further line the promoter's pockets, how about the poor b-stards who can barely scrape together the entry fee (not saying it's a problem for me), and then perhaps go without enough water for the rest of the day ? I'd like to see someone collapse for heat exhaustion, then sue the a.se off the promoter for deprivation of water (tough to prove, but wouldn't the media love that).

Do agree with the first point of your post but see my earlier reply about the "pocket lining".

Originally Posted by greenman43

Alcohol : like most Aussie blokes, I like a medicinal ale [actually, no, I love an ice-cold VB], and I had two while wandering around. I'd be disappointed to see that this is no longer available to me, but if it keeps the brain-dead fkwts in better control, then I'm all for it.

Agree 100% there. I too like a few cold JDs (anyone try the JD slushies? mmmm yummo!) but I would make do without if it was to become a dry event.

Originally Posted by greenman43

Last year was my first visit, and I'd like to go again next year and have a good look at the cars and the trade stalls, perhaps even attend the concert, but I'm convinced that the driving (as in cruising around the ring road) is a huge accident waiting to happen. Guys who don't necessarily have a lot of experience being egged on by the morons, lighting up the tyres on a 500+hp car with the crowd mere feet away; all it will take is a very brief loss of control, and you'll have absolute carnage.

Again I agree. I have been to every Summernats held in Canberra, 3 as an Entrant and the rest as a spectator. This year I saw a bunch of security guards helping to hold a car still while the driver smoked the tyres! Security I have found always to be hypocritical and unhelpful. You ask them which way a certain building or event is and if you are lucky you get a "dunno" comment, if unlucky they will rip your pass from you and kick you out for being cheeky or some other made up charge. They let green P-platers with 500hp+ cars pull massive burnouts with a crowd just cm away and then go physco at someone else doing a small chirpie in a quiet area with no crowd.

Originally Posted by greenman43

I went along with my stepson, who is in the military and has lived in Canberra for a number of years ; he had heard about it, and was curious to see what it was like. He expected the bogans, but the one comment that sticks out was 'Geez, the way they're carrying on, I reckon a lot of these blokes must be virgins who have never seen a real bare t.t in their life'. As he said, I'd certainly never take a woman along there.

One man's opinion and all that,
Brian

I find that strange too. I like looking at t!ts as much as the next bloke but these guys come over as being so deprived it's just unbelievable. It seems this sort of behaviour (and the burnouts) is just part of the "culture" of Summernats and blokes are just expected to act like this even if they don't normally behave this way. Again, I feel this is security not doing their job by not telling the guys to STFU, and not telling the sk@nks that show their t!ts to put them away or they'll be kicked out. There is the Wet T-Shirt competition for this or the p0rn and knock shops at Mitchell 5 mins away if they really need to get their rocks off. By the same token (girls flame away), the girls that attend Summernats should attempt to dress a little more modestly and they will avoid a lot of the unwanted attention. I lost count of the number of girls I saw that were wearing mini skirts that didn't quite cover their bum cheeks or tops with cleavage spilling out. Sure it was a hot day, don't expect to see people dressed in jumpers and jeans but dressing as a hooker is asking for trouble. Especially if you've been to Summernats before, you will know it's a "meat market". Compare it to say walking around a back alley of Kings Cross at 4am in the morning, male or female, odds are you were get hassled or worse. Anyone with any brains knows it's not a sensible thing to do.