News
News Archive - Events & Team Training Sessions
January 31, 2008 - Lake Mountain Sprint Review
25 high powered rally cars entered the 2008 Lake Mountain Sprint held on 27th-28th Januaruy. RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport coordinated the medical and rescue services for the weekend. Support was also provided to the event in the areas of Event Management, SOS points and Start Line.
Team members were able to enjoy this relaxed event over Australia Day weekend with a small field of competitors and beautiful weather. Thanks to Travis Crane for taking on the role of Medical Services Manager for the weekend. Travis organised the crew for 3 Medical units and 1 Rescue unit.
The team at RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport would like to thank Event Director, Peter Washington and the team at Mountain Motorsports for the opportunity to be involved in this event and look forward to the next event to be in the series, to be held at Thredbo on May 23-27th, 2008.
November 22, 2007 - 2nd Annual Pitman Awards
The 2nd Annual Pitman Awards were held on Friday 15th November at the Dick Whittington Tavern.
The Pitmans are named after Dave Pitman, a key supported of RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport and favorite competitor of the Alphera Dutton Rally National Series.
The night was a celebration of the teams achievements throughout the 2007 season. It was also a time to reminisce about some of the memorable moments and events that amde this years series the best yet.
A number of competitors joined the officials in the celebrations, with Mark O'Connor event presenting an award via web link. Lisa Princi was amazing singing a self-composed piece about the team. Jade Kirk was awarded the 'Gold Pitman' for outstanding service to the team. It was fitting given that she spent most of the rallies putting up with Scott Palmer on circuit timing!
huge thanks to Jade and Princi for organising a fantastic event, to Mat and Shelley for making it all happen on the night at 'The Dick' and to Sam and Mossy for being 'Sam and Mossy'.
November 8, 2007 - Mt Buller Sprint Review
RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport coordinated the medical and rescue services for Mt Buller Sprint held on 3-5 November 2007.
The medical team members consisted of paramedics, doctors and nurses with current clinical experience in critical care and emergency medicine with many working in major trauma centres across Victoria. They were supported by an experienced crew in first intervention vehicles fire marshals from Victorian Fire & Rescue Squad (VFRS).
The event fully utilised the medical and rescue services available with the support of local civil agencies and emergency management systems.
The team at RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport would like to thank Event Director, Peter Washington and the team at Mountain Motorsports for the opportunity to be involved in Australia's greatest tarmac rally challenge.
December 18, 2007 - Drive Bathurst Review
RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport coordinated all trackside officials for the inaugural Trackcorp Drive Bathurst event held at Mt Panorama on 12th-16th December 2007.
Officials came from Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales to join the team as flag marshals, fire and rescue marshals, scrutineers and race control personnel.
Trackside team members were rotated around to a different position twice a day, enabling many views of the most spectacular motor racing circuit in Australia.
The team at RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport wouldlike to congratulate the Directors of Trackcorp for having the vision to create this history making event.
April 6, 2008 - Myrniong Historic Car Sprint
Come for the historic cars, stay for the grub!
So, another day, another road trip to some far off country town in search of a long stretch of covered road to race down (or up, in this case). JT messaged us all to make sure that we remembered to turn back our clocks because, as he rightly pointed out, 5:30am is not a pleasant time for anyone. We got there at 6:30am instead (MUCH BETTER). So Willow, Blinks, Pip, Doxey, JT and I all crammed into the Prado, for the journey to Myrniong.
The ride was a memorable one, mainly because most of it was spent with Blinks, Pip and Doxey reminiscing about the time the wheel came off the trailer on the way to Adelaide for GP Rally. Good times for all, it seems. We also played my new favourite game: “What the f*** is this music?” Johnny Cash got a look in, as well as some elevator music and some more hillbilly music until eventually, it was decided that having our ears bleed was a bad idea, so we turned it off and continued on.
Arriving at Myrniong, we found ourselves surrounded by some magnificent historics (and car number 62, which looked more like a super-charged go-kart than an historic car) and in the presence of greatness. I learned that Peter Brock’s navigator, Mick Hone, also knew how to drive. Who would’ve thought?
Before the race got underway we decided to do the usual drive of the course. 30 seconds later, it was over and we all said “Was that it?” But the race wasn’t really about the distance, it was about seeing what old cars plus buckets of money can do. The first few runs were interesting enough, but there was more to this event than the spectacular historic cars, it became about the FOOD! That’s right, I now have a reputation for being a foodie, or as I like to call it, “barbecue connoisseur”. I managed to chow down on 2 petrol station sandwiches, a Snickers bar, a hot dog, a hamburger, an Anzac biscuit, a scone, a few handfuls of JT’s snacks, some Pringles Sour Cream and Onion (mmm… tasty) and… I think I lost count. Anyway, I have now been designated “Food Tester” for all future events.
The day ended at about 4 in the afternoon and a good day was had by all.
Next up: Dutton Rally!
By Paul Nguyen.
May 16-18, 2008 - Dutton Rally Victoria
RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport supplied all the officials for the first round of the Dutton Rally National Series held in Victoria from 16th-18th May 2008.
The team of 30 braved the went and cold conditions, particularly at Shepparton as the temperature hovered around 9 degrees for both Friday and Saturday, testing both drivers and officials.
The RACESOLUTIONS crew displayed tremendous diversity as they set up and ran Motorkhana, Auto Tests & Circuit Sprints for this touring road event. Team members performed multiple duties including starting, timing, flagging, marshalling and medical roles throughout the weekend. Venues included Shepparton Airport, DECA, Winton Raceway, Sandown International Raceway as as Bombardier & Shearform in Dandenong. A new feature event was the 'Battle Motorkhana' held on Saturday night at DECA when 2 cars simultaneously ran identical courses side by side under lights.
As always at a Dutton Rally there was plenty of time for the officials to share a drink and story with the competitors at dinner to reflect on a fantastic day had by all, event in the freezing conditions!
Andrew Gray won the auction prize to donate funds to the officials. This money will purchase important medical equipment that will be carried in a First Intervention Vehicle (FIV) at all future Dutton Rally events. The team at RACESOLUTIONS thank Andrew Gray for his generosity and support of the officials.
Thanks also to the Dutton Rally Event Management team, especially Mat & Tim for their efforts 'on the ground'. To Mossy, Sam & Luke for providing a challenging program and leaving it up to us to just make it happen. Thanks also to the event sponsors for their financial commitment to the event, in particular Thrifty.
To the entire RACESOLUTIONS crew, thanks for an outstanding effort once again. The professionalism of the team was recognised by the huge number of competitors complimenting the team on their efficiency and friendliness throughout the event.
Everyone worked tirelessly day and night to pitch in, plan and pack up whilst maintaining a sense of fun, laughter and teamwork. A few special mentions need to be mate to: Roger Williams (Goose) for his superb efforts in combining the roles of Chief Scrutineer and Equipment Co-Ordinator. Congratulations to Kylie Coghlan in her first role as Medical Services Manager. To Jade Kirk for her leadership of circuit timing, particularly in the absence of Scotty on his honeymoon. To rookies Sarah and Mark thanks for coming along to your first RACESOLUTIONS event and already talking about the next one!
We look forward to doing it all again in Round 2 of the Dutton Rally National Series in Western Australia on 25th-27th July 2008.
March 17, 2008 - Grand Prix Rally Review
It was a road trip like no other. 7 days, driving events spanning 2000 kilometres between Adelaide and Melbourne, record 40 degree heat, wineries and some hot competition between the competitors of the Grand Prix Rally 2008.
RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport provided all the officials for the event that began with a convoy of 15 Mitsubishi vehicles from Melbourne to Adelaide on Friday 7th March.
The event began in sizzling heat with the mercury topping 43 degrees at Mallala Raceway.
In subsequent days, competitors tackled a series of motorkhanas, autotests, hillclimbs, circuit sprints and navigation stages with some spectacular scenery as the backdrop. The rolling hills and vines of the Barossa Valley combined with the mighty Murray River.
Officials had many opportunities to form new friendships with competitors, enjoying dinners at sensational venues including Peter Lehmans Wines in the Barossa Valley and Angelo’s Cellar 47 at Shepparton. All accommodation had pools, enabling a much needed splash and cool off at the end of the day.
One of the new team innovations was the Night Navigation ‘themed’ control points. Officials dressed up with themes of Wild West, Fairies, Disco Boys and the Easter Bunnies. This proved a highlight for both officials and competitors on the final evening of competition.
The event concluded with laps of the Grand Prix Circuit and presentation to the winners of the event, Jeff Beaumont and Jenny Cole on the Grand Prix podium.
Congratulations should go to promoters Peter Washington, Mark Francis & Lisa Francis for providing an event full of fun and variety for all.
Many thanks to the RACESOLUTIONS crew for surviving the heat and making the road trip such a memorable one with some fantastic photos to prove it. Thanks also to Philipa Neutze for taking on the role of Medical Services Manager for this event.
We all look forward to doing it again in 2009.
July 25-27, 2008 - VSCRC Round 3, Sandown Raceway
With the Dutton Rally Western Australia on the same weekend, the lead up to the VSCRC Round 3 at Sandown Raceway was a hectic one. After waving off the Perth crew for an early morning flight, the Sandown team went about setting up the medical services for this event. RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport supplied a medical team consisting of 3 Doctors, including Medical Director Dr. Jack Spencer, Emergency or Intensive Care Nurses and Advanced Life Support Paramedics.
RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport officially welcomed sponsor Mitsubishi on board at the event. The Mitsubishi Pajero, Lancer & Outlander were used as First Intervention Vehicles, carrying the medical crew and equipment to incidents over the weekend.
Many of the crew were excited about the opportunity to provide medical services for circuit racing with strong fields and quality racing in categories of Sport Cars, Porsche 944, Improved Production, HQ Holdens, Formula Ford and Vee, SuperKarts and Historic Touring Cars. The racing was close with damage restricted to panels, wheels and suspension arms for Formula Fords.
Ignoring the weather, it was an awesome weekend. The RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport crew enjoyed the event, including the lunches made by the ladies from the Australian Sports Sedan Association. Thanks to the team for their commitment to training and preparation at team nights leading up to the event and to Paul Liston as Medical Services Manager and Ange Weber as Medical Centre Manager for stepping into important leadership roles.
July 25-27, 2008 - Dutton Rally WA presented by Wescone Distribution
The second round of the Dutton Rally National series was held in Western Australia on the weekend of the 25 -27 July 2008 and again RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport supplied all the trackside and medical officials for the event. A number of officials were flown from the East Coast to work with local WA officials and the Dutton Rally management team of Mat, Tim and Posey.
The crew were kept busy over the three days setting up and running over 40 events including Circuit Sprints, Motorkhanas, Auto Tests, Hill Climbs and Drags. The venues for this round included Collie Motorplex, AHG Driving Centre, Perth Motorplex (Kwinana), Barbagallo Raceway and Gloucester Park car park. At the end of each day the rally organisers once again chose some fantastic venues to unwind, have some good food, a few drinks and time to chat about the day's events.
The competitors must be congratulated for their cooperation and patience, particularly in the challenging weather conditions that was often presented. The competitors displayed tremendous generosity in raising $7000 for the Sunnyfield association and then $4000 for RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport to purchase new medical equipment to be used at future events. A special thanks must go to Thrifty and Alan Evans, for their ongoing support and helping raise such important and well needed funds.
The RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport team would like to thank Dutton Rally promoters Anthony, Luke and Sam for throwing down a challenging schedule and allowing the team to get the job done. Thanks to Mark and Annie from the events charity partner Sunnyfield, for giving up their time and sleep to help out. Within the team Roger (Goose) Williams coordinated all equipment including many pre event hours, Cath Jones assumed the role of Medical Services Manager at the event and the entire crew displayed trademark versatility and professionalism for the event.
With Round 2 completed we look forward to doing it all again at Round 3 of the Dutton Rally National series in New South Wales on the 21 - 23 November 2008.
Written by Brad Smith
August 13, 2008 - Chaplaincy Australia Gala Dinner
RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport was proud to support Mark Bateman and Chaplaincy Australia at its Gala Dinner held recently at the Novotel Glen Waverley. V8 Supercar driver Cam McConville superbly MC'd the evening and conducted the charity auction. Special guests included Jim Richards, who shared some stories from his vast and successful Motorsport career.
As part of the fundraising activities, RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport will sponsor a suicide prevention seminar in country Victoria early in the new year. Many team members have close links with country towns and know the importance of the work that Mark and Chaplaincy Australia do to support these communities. Once the date for the seminar is set, plans will be made for a team weekend to travel with Mark and attend.
Congratulations to Mark Bateman and his team at Chaplaincy Australia for a very successful evening.
September 13-14, 2008 - Rosebud District Motocross
RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport sent a team of 13 Medical and Trackside officials to Cape Schank in Victoria to attend RACESOLUTIONS first motocross event at the Rosebud District Motocross Club. It was a sunny but windy welcome on Saturday and the team got straight into the action with races with junior riders aged 7 to 16 years old on dirt bikes and quad bikes with a variety of power (50cc to 250cc) in either A, B or C grade.
Our fantastic medical team were given quite a workout from the get go. Whilst there was plenty of talented riding on display, there were lots of spills keeping the medical team members continuously occupied. By the end of the day the team had run to almost every part of the 2km dirt track to attend to the high flying riders as they got some serious air and had some even more serious crash landings. With half the dirt from the track covering our faces, the team headed back to Rosebud to rest and recover, ready to do it all again on the Sunday, with bigger riders on bigger bikes most likely getting some even bigger air on bigger jumps.
Sunday morning greeted us with even stronger winds than Saturday and some very dark clouds to get us worried about all that dirt turning into mud. Unfortunately due to those strong winds that can be very dangerous to the riders, the day was called off after a delayed practice run (and the disappointed RACESOLUTIONS team, and even more disappointed riders), packed up for the day and headed home. Thanks to the new team members who joined us for either part of or all of the weekend, hope you felt welcome and enjoyed the event.
A big thank you to the Gippsland Region Motocross for providing RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport with the opportunity to attend our first Motocross event with the series. The team looks forward to the next event in October at Yarram.
Written by Sarah Knighton
November 1-3, 2008 - Mt Buller Sprint Review
Competitors have labeled the 2008 Mt Buller Sprint as the most successful ever.
The team at RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport provided officials in all areas of the event including: Medical & Rescue services, Rally Command, Event Management, Start Line, Stage Commander, Competitor Relations, SOS and spectator points throughout the 16km stage.
Mt Buller is known for its wild weather but luck was on our side and all runs were completed without any delays. The field, consisting of rally thoroughbreds like Mitsubishi EVO's and Subaru WRX's, to exotic Supercars such as the Lamborghini Gallardo and Porsche GT3. Mt Buller is also very popular with the classic car competitors, with a Dodge Challenger, Cortina, Perana and Camaro's all entered.
With the view to provide a competitor focused event, changes made to the format enabled Drivers and Navigators to enjoy more runs than ever up the mountain. 10 competitive stages were completed over two days.
A very special thanks to Mitsubishi Motors for providing all Medical and First Intervention Vehicles and course vehicles. Thanks to all members of the RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport team for coming along and creating a fantastic and friendly atmosphere for all.
Congratulations to promoter Peter Washington for running the event and continuing to support the RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport team and working in partnership to provide a competitor focused event.
November 21-23, 2008 - Dutton Rally NSW
The third and final round of the Dutton Rally National Series for 2008 was wrapped up on the weekend of the 21-23 of November. RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport supplied a crew of officials to run all medical and trackside activities for the event.
The crew this year hit the road on the Thursday morning for the convoy drive to Goulburn. It was a good trip up with no dramas and plenty of laughs. On arrival at Goulburn most of the crew headed for Mikes Manor, a great little place owned and run by Michael Navybox, a mad Motorsport enthusiast and ex racing driver. Mikes Manor would be our base for the next couple of days.
The crew did the usual pre event equipment checking and packing as well as competitor sign in and scrutineering of cars.
The next three days would see the crew kept busy running 40 events for competitors including; motorkhanas, hill climbs, auto tests and circuit sprints at a variety of venues which included Wakefield Park Raceway, Sutton Road Training Complex, Fairbairn Park Hill Climb, Goulburn Airport and Oran Park Raceway.
The RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport team would like to congratulate and thank all competitors for their support and cooperation, particularly in the wet conditions experienced. thanks to the Dutton Rally promoters, Anthony and Luke, thanks once again for putting together another great rally and fantastic series. To Mat and Tim, the Dutton event management team, you guys have done an awesome job all year. Thanks to Annie, Mark and all the Sunnyfield team for supporting RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport.
Thanks within the team go to Roger Williams and Darren Serle for coordinating all the equipment, Lisa Princi for taking on the role of Medical Services manager and the rest of the crew which included a few Dutton first timers for your efforts over the event.
The team is now looking forward to the annual Pitman Awards to celebrate the moments that made the series in 2008.
Written by Brad Smith
March 21-23, 2008 - Gippsland Regionall Motorcross Round 2 Maffra
March 21-22, 2009 - Gippsland Regional Motocross Round 2 Maffra
The second round of the Gippsland regional motocross was held at Maffra over the weekend of the 21st & 22nd of March. RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport once again supplied the medical services and corner marshals for the event.
With only a small crew it was a challenging but great weekend with things kicking off on the Saturday with the junior competitors competing in about 40 events. The weather was fantastic and the racing was close and exciting with only a couple of spills and no major incidents.
The highlight for the day for me was with the 50cc class practice with the track slightly muddy in places the little bikes not having to much power got bogged in the mud and when the riders which were all of about 8 years old not only couldn't get their bikes out but got stuck in the mud as well so the RACESOLUTIONS team, along with the Maffra Sale Motorcycle Club officials had to pluck them out. Although there weren't any major incidents the medical centre still treated 12 patients.
That night the team headed back to the caravan park to enjoy a BBQ dinner and a quiet drink. JT proceeded to put a still semi frozen tray of steak onto the BBQ in one hit we all thought we would have to carve it up but things turned out ok and dinner was great.
The Sunday would turn out just as good a day with the senior competitors hitting the track for another 30 plus races in a variety of classes, again the racing was fast and competitive the team was kept a little busier with higher speeds and larger fields but performed with the always high level of professionalism and skill. The medical centre was again kept busy with 16 patients being treated but fortunately none were serious.
This was my first Motocross event and I had a fantastic weekend as you are right in amongst the action. I will definately attending more during the year and encourage team members to give Motocross a go as you wont be disappointed.
I would like to lastly thank the Gippsland Centre, Maffra Sale Motorcycle club, the competitors and the RACESOLUTIONS Motorsport team members who attended the weekend.
Written By Brad Smith