Calder park Closed ?????

[Damien Gardner]

Just received this email from CAMS
Dear Car Club Members,

CAMS is currently compiling a media release that will officially announce the cancellation of Calder Park’s track licence, effective immediately, due to the operator, Calder Park Motorsport Promotions Pty Ltd, becoming insolvent.

It is important that for those of you who have traditionally made use of the Calder Park facilities, investigate alternative options and/or modify your event calendars accordingly. We will do everything possible to assist you accordingly.

The Board of Calder Park Motorsport Promotions Pty Ltd passed a resolution on 19 March 2003 that the entity was insolvent and has been subsequently placed into administration.

Let me assure you all, that since that date, your CAMS administrators have done every thing possible to resolve the current issue and in doing so have enabled your events to take place since then.

Given the current situation, we will continue to work at resolving this issue, as we are yet to hear any mention of the facility being used for anything else but motor sport. Thus there is still the potential for another entity/new owner to apply for the Licence

I will post the press statement to you when it comes to hand.

Yours sincerely,

Garry Grant (03) 9593 7735
State Manager - Victoria
cry whip

[Ray Bell]

It would be easy to say 'good riddance' to this place.

But that's without looking at the person who's been behind it for the past three decades (and more...) and without looking at what the organisation has done to challenge the CAMS over issues that needed challenge.

Bob Jane took AIR and did strange things with it. He seemed to me to do strange things with Calder as well, though I'm not a local and don't see the day to day events.

Pursuing dead ends, and actually creating dead ends seems to have been the way of Calder over the past ten years.

Who was it created the place? Jim Pascoe... anyone know anything about him?

[mistareno]

I was actually under the impression that calder park had been sold to AV Jennings or similar and was due to close in 2004.

I could be wrong but I am sure I read it in a reputable paper

[Ray Bell]

mistareno:
.....I could be wrong but I am sure I read it in a reputable paper

Really?

Where did you find that?

[Alan S]

mistareno:

I could be wrong but I am sure I read it in a reputable paper

Where did you find one of those mallet mallet

Alan S whistle

[mistareno]

lol...reputable and newspaper don't really go hand in hand do they.....

I think it was an article in auto action a while back and they made it sound like a done deal.

[pgti6]

"Who was it created the place? Jim Pascoe... anyone know anything about him?"

No really-but I was there the day they spread his ashes down the main straight!

[Ray Bell]

mistareno:
lol...reputable and newspaper don't really go hand in hand do they.....

I think it was an article in auto action a while back and they made it sound like a done deal.

I'll say you're confused!

Auto Action has been in the business of publishing rumours for over thirty years. Some weeks they get something right...

[Ray Bell]

Speaking to Bruce Polain today about this, he was surprised because he frequently talks to Bob Jane and Jane is busting to get the new AAA or whatever it is that the promoters are putting together to bypass the CAMS.

Anyway, Bruce rang Bob and asked about this release that had gone to the clubs. Seems Bob has already given the CAMS a huge blast about it. He's wound everything down all right, but it will be all operating again as soon as the new sanctioning body is ready to go.

Unfortunately, Bruce didn't ask if the same was true of AIR, which Jane also owns.

[Damien Gardner]

An interesting point not noticed so far, if Bob Jane is trying to circumvent CAMS, i'd guess he's only planning on running Drags & Bikes or maybe karts.
Ahhhhh nope Super Karts,like all the rest of road type vehicular motor sport, is controlled by CAMS.
Calder Park is already running legal street Drags sanctioned by the Police with all entries scrutineered before they run, perhaps they'll try legal street racing, i'm sure they could rustle up insurance for this.

[Ray Bell]

Damien, you missed the point entirely...

He doesn't need CAMS. He almost destroyed CAMS in 1993 and they were forced to give his AUSCAR organisation a virtual free reign in sanctioning any events they choose to sanction.

They might not get the V8 touring cars, but they'll have plenty anyway... and check out this press release from Jane after the CAMS sent the message you've posted:

BUSINESS AS USUAL AT CALDER PARK RACEWAY

May 21 2003 - In response to a press release issued at the close of business on Monday (May 19) by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS), the Chairman of the Bob Jane Group of Companies - Bob Jane, confirms that CAMS has cancelled Calder Park Raceway's Track Licence.

One of several points that CAMS missed in their three paragraph and three quotation based statement was that this action has little to no effect on the popular Melbourne motorsport venue. This is due to the fact that all events held at Calder Park Raceway are licensed by Auscar Pty Ltd - a delegation by CAMS and the FIA which was the result of a legal settlement following Federal Court action taken against CAMS by Bob Jane in 1993.

To further clarify this point, Calder Park Racing Promotions Pty Ltd will promote events - including the venue's popular Legal Off Street Drag Racing events, rent the venue and conduct whatever events it chooses to under this delegated Auscar Racing sanctioning well into the future.

The number of CAMS permit requiring events held at Calder Park Raceway has dramatically declined in recent years in line with major increases in CAMS permit fees. As a consequence of these increased costs to promoters, clubs and general competitors, (some of which have escalated by up to 75% in recent years), the loss of this track licence makes little to no impact on the operations of this Melbourne motor racing venue.

"There is no doubt that the timing and wording of the brief press release issued by CAMS on Monday was designed to create the maximum possible confusion amongst regular Calder Park Raceway users," Bob Jane said. "The concept that Calder Park has to rely on CAMS in order to promote events or conduct circuit hire is laughable - I thought that this was clearly proved by my Federal Court action in 1993, but it seems that I may have to remind them again," He said.

"While the result of this CAMS action may cause some inconvenience for clubs and associations in the short term, there is no doubt that CAMS have also done these clubs, associations and individuals a favour in the long term as their action will result in lower cost events and circuit hire in the future," Jane added.

Calder Park regrets any inconvenience caused by the unfortunate wording and timing of the CAMS press release to regular Calder Park users and visitors and re-assures all interested parties that it is definitely business as usual at Calder Park.

Jane is currently seeking legal counsel in relation to notices issued to clubs and associations in relation to the CAMS cancellation of the Calder Park track licence and will not hesitate to take action where appropriate.

The new operating entity of Calder Park Raceway, Calder Park Racing Promotions Pty Ltd emphasises that the venue's Wednesday open practice days, and Legal Off Street Drag Racing events continue (next event this Friday night May 23) and for all remaining 2003 scheduled dates, as does the venue's popular Cruise Nights and general circuit hire activities.

Calder Park is owned by Calder Park Raceway Pty Ltd and has appointed a new operator, Calder Park Racing Promotions Pty Ltd to continue the venue's many promotions and circuit hire activities into the future.

[Damien Gardner]

I really couldn't care less about the upper levels of motor sport, they don't give a rats ass for the grass roots competitor.
This will greatly effect all club level sport, simply because event permits will not be available, and if going behind CAMS back, clubs would chance cancellation of CAMS affiliation. None but the very large clubs could afford to fight CAMS in the courts.
As i see it CAMS actually won the previous encounter with Mr Jane. There dosen't seem to be happening at Calder, the Thunder dome a multi $M lemon, auscar & nascar non existant, drags soon to move on as a new venue near Werribee nears completion, at present there are regular club run events under cams permits, these also will cease.
Free speech a wonderful thing IMHO.
CAMS themselves appear only interested in the upper levels ie. Money spinners.
The event fees and insurances have become a burden,
I guess the good old US of A can be blamed for the fast rising new wage earner "litigation" for the insurance rises.
If you enter an event or attend as a spectator you do so knowing you are doing something dangerous, and in the case of most spectators if there's no crashes it was a boring day, the idea of compensation for getting hurt is really ridiculous, it's really simple if you don't want to possibly be injured STAY HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My 10cents worth
2_cents 2_cents 2_cents 2_cents 2_cents

[Ray Bell]

Accept, please, Damien, that CAMS have been beaten.

From 1958 to Jane's court case, CAMS held the power of this doom over everyone. When Alex Strahan and his buddies were banned from motorsport for life, it warned everyone that CAMS were supreme.

Jane changed that forever. Why do you think Wakefield Park has run for years without CAMS sanction? Because CAMS can't stop them!

You can hardly call that top level stuff, Wakefield Park started as a club circuit and has its basic business in that field.

Jane has everything on hold while the new promoters-based organisation gets into swing. Then, according to Polain, you will see Calder back in full action again.