Fat Tyre Flyers Downhill MTB

State Champs - Mt Baw Baw - NO MORE BILL!

Its done, its dusted. Why am I writing this so soon after getting home?!! (I have a large week coming up and wont find the time, OK?)

If I count the entries (incliuding DNS') I get 317 riders. Rego told me 320. Either way - its a recent record. What a great turnout! Thanks guys & girls, you make it worthwhile...OK enuf.

I seem to have started something with the Bill thing. Completely unintentional, honest!

It was a long weekend...and by sunday midday, I was tired and not in the mood for much other than a good lie down (jeez guys, I am OLD!).

So Bill, if you were having a dig at your mate, I apologize for pointing the bone at you. If you were having a dig at me, I acceopt YOUR apology.

Ben, I was joking about Scott & Shane. Chill, Winston.

Here are the results!

Sensational racing, from a class field.

See you at Mt Taylor in a month. Everyoe welcome!

(Does anyone want to learn the timing system?)

SERIES STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 3

They are up! Check here

FTF MEMBERS BLOG

The members blog is now active...get involved...BLOG!

Long Gully Reborn!

Thanks to the dedication of Ben Reynolds and his trail monkeys, Long Gully has been reborn. And what a rebirth!!!! If you didn't make it out there on Sunday, you missed out. The track has some exciting new features including an awesome bermed wall ride and some of the best berms I have seen. Thursday night rides kick off this Thursday the 18th going for the next 6 weeks, so if you want to ride the new track come along and sample it.

The new dual slalom track and a work out as well, some impressive racing was undertaken with nothing more than bragging rights on offer. From all accounts the course is excellent.

With the addition of a pump track within spitting distance from the BBQ, Long Gully is quickly becoming an all round MTB destination. Wicked!

There's a fantastic video that Luke Annelle's and Dylan Carpenter found here.

And photos will be up on Mtbpicsonline.com.

IDEAS & STUFF

CCTV COVERAGE

If anyone has any experience with CCTV, and communications let me know. I'd love to be able to give spectators the kind of visibility of the riders that they had at the Adelaide National Championships. In a slightly downgraded format of course.

This could be ran by someone external who would then have the opportunity of selling DVDs to the riding community post-race - complete with commentary by MC Juz, and stills from MTBPICSONLINE perhaps!

3 or 4 camera fixed locations, with a single large screen at the main spectator point. Perhaps in a marquee to avoid the high cost, of high contrast outdoor screens that are normally used at similar events.

Ideas?

PROTESTS

There were a few riders who got held up by slower or crashed competitors, and wanted re-runs. Some of those guys qualified anyway, so it didnt matter, but others were in classes that only get one run so we absolutely understand their beef.

If you feel hard done by, you MUST get a witness (preferably a marshal) and report it to the Race Director AS SOON AS YOU GET TO THE FINISH. PLease, do NOT wait an hour or even 5 minutes. Get to the Race Director AS SOON AS YOU GET TO THE FINISH!!

We want everyone to have a great weekend, and get the best result they can - without being impeded in any way. MTBA try to enforce a written protest, which simply puts everybody's back up. We simply listen, verify and decide (usually in your favour).

Having said all that - sometimes shit happens and sometimes we simply cannot do much about it. And I know that some of you feel hard done by. As I have learned - "That's racing". I have had personal experience of this (three times!) where results were clearly incorrect, or in one case simply lost in teh system - in noneof those cases was anything done about it (these were all at non-FTF events of course). Annoying (especially in a National), but "That's Racing".

As Trevwah Burke says, "Dont think of it as racing, it's a great weekends riding with your mates, with a timed run at the end" (Pretty damn cheap too).

Oh, by the way...results are up!

ONLINE REGISTRATION

Please clink here for online registration. (EntryZone.Com.Au)

Make sure that you click all the right buttons or you will have issues when you get to the registration tent on the day! The prices shown above are the prices that you will be charged - if the checkout shows anything else, check your entry form and adjust!!!

Online registration will close the Wednesday before the event. At this stage we are not charging any extra for "normal" registration (at the event), but this is an option we need to consider in an effort to streamline the running of events. We would prefer online rego, but don't want to put off anyone by charging ridiculous penalty fees (Nationals, anyone?!).

Feedback please...